Photography Sellings prints

[Jack]

Has anyone here tried to sell prints? I tried once to sell my drone images as prints on Etsy. Never sold anything. Or I tried on the wrong platform.

 

[lightmuncher]

Has anyone here tried to sell prints? I tried once to sell my drone images as prints on Etsy. Never sold anything. Or I tried on the wrong platform.

I was going to sell a few of mine, but COVID closed things down sadly. The idea I had was to create prints of a Lancaster (which Lincs has the only viable flying one) and selling them in an art shop. Some art shops love to have photographers works in, but they have to obviously be saleable. The small town of Horncastle has a few visitors holidaying in the area, due to the WW2 era museums and other around here. It seems to be the home to all this due to Coningsby RAF ww2 museum. The lady was fine about the images I showed her, but her shop was then not viable. Haven't gone back there to see if there is anew owner or not. Its an idea anyway. There are so many sites now on the internet, just give them a try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Or, start a post card business off. My wifes distant cousin had been doing this for quite a while around Cornwall and Devon. Personally, not enamoured with many of them, but they seem to shave stayed in business for years now.
Just as an addon, I was going to get a grant to start my own company up in Wales. I got the acceptance, but due to poor health had to reject it. This way you keep your passion alive and it has a way to feed you too.

 

[Andy Smith]

When I had my own website running, I sold a few prints every year, but not quite enough to make it sustainable. I tried Etsy and sold a few there also, but both options only pay through Paypal which isn't a viable option for me here in Thailand so I had to close them both down.
I am exploring different options now though to see what I can do, but it's the international payment methods which makes it tough for me here in Thailand.

 

[Jack]

I was going to sell a few of mine, but COVID closed things down sadly. The idea I had was to create prints of a Lancaster (which Lincs has the only viable flying one) and selling them in an art shop. Some art shops love to have photographers works in, but they have to obviously be saleable. The small town of Horncastle has a few visitors holidaying in the area, due to the WW2 era museums and other around here. It seems to be the home to all this due to Coningsby RAF ww2 museum. The lady was fine about the images I showed her, but her shop was then not viable. Haven't gone back there to see if there is anew owner or not. Its an idea anyway. There are so many sites now on the internet, just give them a try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Or, start a post card business off. My wifes distant cousin had been doing this for quite a while around Cornwall and Devon. Personally, not enamoured with many of them, but they seem to shave stayed in business for years now.
Just as an addon, I was going to get a grant to start my own company up in Wales. I got the acceptance, but due to poor health had to reject it. This way you keep your passion alive and it has a way to feed you too.

So basically you approached to the business owner and asked if they would like your prints to be shown inside the premises?

I've tried pretty much all image stick sites, I would say that's a dead-end.

Because market is so saturated, it is s very hard to sell some images.

 

[Jack]

When I had my own website running, I sold a few prints every year, but not quite enough to make it sustainable. I tried Etsy and sold a few there also, but both options only pay through Paypal which isn't a viable option for me here in Thailand so I had to close them both down.
I am exploring different options now though to see what I can do, but it's the international payment methods which makes it tough for me here in Thailand.

Have you tried to sell on etsy? Weird, because I've tried as well and never sold anything. (probably didn't had good pictures).


Why you can't handle international payments. I think PayPal is the best payment platform nowadays.

 

[lightmuncher]

So basically you approached to the business owner and asked if they would like your prints to be shown inside the premises?

I've tried pretty much all image stick sites, I would say that's a dead-end.

Because market is so saturated, it is s very hard to sell some images.

Which is why selling locally might be your best bet. Try it and see if you can do a bit of post card photos. If Sheilas cousin can do it, believe me you can. You have a natural eye to composition. I love the digital world, the problem is, that its made everyone a photographer. That is great, as it brings out the art side of people, whether that is good or bad. And as you say that has saturated the market quite a bit online. Which is why you have to rethink the box. Pro photography is an expensive game.

 

[Jack]

Which is why selling locally might be your best bet. Try it and see if you can do a bit of post card photos. If Sheilas cousin can do it, believe me you can. You have a natural eye to composition. I love the digital world, the problem is, that its made everyone a photographer. That is great, as it brings out the art side of people, whether that is good or bad. And as you say that has saturated the market quite a bit online. Which is why you have to rethink the box. Pro photography is an expensive game.

Even photography itself, is not cheap hobby at all.

I will try to sell my image locally. At the moment I'm also trying YouTube channel too. Like making drone videos. I must say, it's not easy at all.

And you right, digital photography made everyone to become a photographer, or willing to do photography.

 

[lightmuncher]

Even photography itself, is not cheap hobby at all.

I will try to sell my image locally. At the moment I'm also trying YouTube channel too. Like making drone videos. I must say, it's not easy at all.

And you right, digital photography made everyone to become a photographer, or willing to do photography.

Which is why you have to think outside the box. Also look what the pro's are doing. Why are they successful? I was a shit businessman at the young age, as I tried to set up when I was young back in the 70's. Which why I turned away from photography. But life has given me many, many layers of experience.

 

[Jack]

Which is why you have to think outside the box. Also look what the pro's are doing. Why are they successful? I was a shit businessman at the young age, as I tried to set up when I was young back in the 70's. Which why I turned away from photography. But life has given me many, many layers of experience.

To be honest, I always had that dram to have my own business. Example, I still do photography as a freelance. However, the income is not enough to cover my bills, so I have to keep my other jobs. I’m also very happy to have some forums opened, as it gives me opportunity to meet great people on here.

Hard to think out of the box in today’s world.

 

[lightmuncher]

To be honest, I always had that dram to have my own business. Example, I still do photography as a freelance. However, the income is not enough to cover my bills, so I have to keep my other jobs. I’m also very happy to have some forums opened, as it gives me opportunity to meet great people on here.

Hard to think out of the box in today’s world.

With all the points you raised, it sounds to me that you have tenacity. That will keep feeding your hunger. Boxes are all socially engineered, so try not to get that socially engineered brain stuck. Keep asking people and as I said see how the pro's do it. Most of them started from the bottom.
I have a weird life which is out of most peoples comfort zone, although much of the taboo is slowly peeling off these days; thank god! I am always sending out emails and messages to scientist, or dealing with the alternative community. I did talk eventually to someone who is in the alternative community, and she gave me a good idea, in that I should create a group to assess and diagnose what I found within all digital images. And each of those people in the group send out emails etc to relevant people who have an understanding of this exposed alternative reality. My tenacity and hunger for answers keeps me going. Yesterday I talked to a man in Ecuador, who made me focus on a small part of the picture (metaphor) and get to the chase. After about 15 minutes he came up with the idea to get the information out to people who know about how censors, and computer technology work. That way it can be clarified as to whether or not, it's another realty or a computer generated reality. My money is on the first, in that it's another reality.
Keep digging Jack, and I know you will succeed. It may not be your bag, but do weddings and portraits, as it was always the bread and butter of the photographer's financial pocket. That way you keep doing what you love, you expand your skill set. The more skills, the more you can adapt.
I was in the sales world for many years. And the story that was always told too many times was the story about a rep from Clark shoes. Rep is told to go and sell shoes in Africa and he goes of course. He comes back to the company and he is told to quit. Only due to his poor sales, as he told his bosses that they mostly have bare feet in Africa (you can tell how old this story is). They send another rep, and he starts selling like mad, as he saw potential, in that they don't have shoes. Half full or half empty. I am guess anyone of these people here will advice you if you get stuck.

 

[Jack]

With all the points you raised, it sounds to me that you have tenacity. That will keep feeding your hunger. Boxes are all socially engineered, so try not to get that socially engineered brain stuck. Keep asking people and as I said see how the pro's do it. Most of them started from the bottom.
I have a weird life which is out of most peoples comfort zone, although much of the taboo is slowly peeling off these days; thank god! I am always sending out emails and messages to scientist, or dealing with the alternative community. I did talk eventually to someone who is in the alternative community, and she gave me a good idea, in that I should create a group to assess and diagnose what I found within all digital images. And each of those people in the group send out emails etc to relevant people who have an understanding of this exposed alternative reality. My tenacity and hunger for answers keeps me going. Yesterday I talked to a man in Ecuador, who made me focus on a small part of the picture (metaphor) and get to the chase. After about 15 minutes he came up with the idea to get the information out to people who know about how censors, and computer technology work. That way it can be clarified as to whether or not, it's another realty or a computer generated reality. My money is on the first, in that it's another reality.
Keep digging Jack, and I know you will succeed. It may not be your bag, but do weddings and portraits, as it was always the bread and butter of the photographer's financial pocket. That way you keep doing what you love, you expand your skill set. The more skills, the more you can adapt.
I was in the sales world for many years. And the story that was always told too many times was the story about a rep from Clark shoes. Rep is told to go and sell shoes in Africa and he goes of course. He comes back to the company and he is told to quit. Only due to his poor sales, as he told his bosses that they mostly have bare feet in Africa (you can tell how old this story is). They send another rep, and he starts selling like mad, as he saw potential, in that they don't have shoes. Half full or half empty. I am guess anyone of these people here will advice you if you get stuck.

Thanks for the motivation lightmuncher . I know what you are saying, you gotta know how to sell yourself. But also, to succeed you have to provide something unique, or something which is hard to get/made.

I also have opened a forum for models and photographers couple of months ago. Not big success to be honest. (You can check the link on my signature).


I also try not to put all eggs in one basket. Basically having more and more options available.

And honestly I never checked what pros are doing, most of the time, they are trying to sell you information on Facebook that us available for free on YouTube or Internet. Example, learning digital photography. Personally I'm thinking, that if you know the basics, you just need to practice everyday to learn your camera.

As you said today's world is 50/50, but also is important who you know as well.