selling or displaying photos

[photobuss]

I am concidering trying to sell or put on public display some of my photos online or local but I dont know where to start. Any ideas

[kerrym]

What? No replies.... Don't these forums get moderated??

I don't know the answer to this (living in a different country) but couldn't some of the internet helpers here on Pbase at least respond, or tell Photobus he's in the wrong place - and advise him where to go? Whether it be a different forum, or another site.

He's been left talking to himself - no fair!

[dougj]

Maybe this will help.

Here are several threads related to selling photos on Pbase:

http://forum.pbase.com/viewtopic.php?p=125859
http://forum.pbase.com/viewtopic.php?t=31240
http://forum.pbase.com/viewtopic.php?p=179751
http://forum.pbase.com/viewtopic.php?p=191764

The Pbase forum search is a bit weak. I used the advanced search routine in Google to find the above threads, there are several more threads but these provide some good information.

Another source is the Pro Digital forum on dpreview.com. I suggest you do a search in the forum on DPR before posting the question as there are a lot of existing threads & posts related to this.

[kerrym]

Good for you Doug I hope I didn't sound grumpy - I've just been around forums a lot and not so shy about voicing opinion anymore, and like to see new people looked after if there's others about who can help.

[dougj]

Not a problem at all and it’s good you raised the question. In my experience, Pbase is a great site to host images, but one that is not focused on image sales or stock photography in general. There are several members here that sell photos, some of which are reported to be via other websites that cater to image sales, ones they are members of as well.

Pbase gets a lot of exposure via Google and other search engines, but it is probably not the site prospective clients first go to in order to find images that meet their needs.

I sell/license approximately an image per month via Pbase, but this is not my intention as I’m an amateur photog that occasionally gets lucky. There are other sites and approaches for the true commercial photographer, or the photog that wants to expand into the commercial realm.

There is no ‘silver bullet’ that would lead one quickly down the path of fame & fortune in photography, should this be the objective. Pbase maybe a starting point, but it is only the beginning.

We are fortunate at Pbase to have some excellent photogs in their respective genres that, IMHO, demonstrate the true art of conveying a vision/idea into a stellar and captivating image. Master this ability and the rest sort of it falls into place, Ansel Adams didn’t have a website.

[ericvision]

Have you tried contacting local cafes and small restaurants? Quite a few here in the UK display and sell artwork and photography from local artists. Its a win, win relationship - they get free artwork to decorate the walls and a small amount of commission, the artist gets exposure and maybe some sales.

Even one of the $tarbuck$ in Edinburgh does it...

I think getting your first exhibitions at which you hope to sell photographs is usually about using your friends and contacts!

Good luck

[blindpoet]

well heres my first post and to photobus.
i have been thinking the same stuff as you and have a few humble offerings.

If you have photoshop and can drag your image onto a blank canvas either black or white and add a stroke around the image (not the canvas)....this can do a lot to really set off your image as far as appealing to the viewer.

Obviously it is very subjective re colours and sizes and stroke colours.

When presenting the images the border and stroke which are printed with the image now, simulate the cardboard edge stuff that a framer would use mounting the image in a frame.

I have found this very effective.

To see what I mean visit my galleries
http://www.pbase.com/blindpoet

and if you want to know more. Contact me.

All the galleries have examples of the technique BUT the pad is fastest. I tend to present my images for pbase the same as I intend to when I get around to tryn to sell some at markets etc

A well presented image sells itself.

I also have looked into adhesives etc for mouting.
So I may hear form you.

BlindPoet (NZ)

[madlights]

Another thing to try besides the cafes are art fairs or festivals if there are some in your area. You'll need a tent (10x10 probably - a good start is an Easy-up) and some weights and something to hang your pics on (easels, pegboards, doors hinged together), maybe a couple of bins for matted works. Some photographers do well at these...make sure to apply to juried shows and not craft fairs where you'd be competing with bird houses etc. The good ones are hard to get into...but worth it. There's a good article in the last(?) issue of PBase magazine. Also PBase was going to implement a sales feature...not sure if and when it's coming.

[sean_mcr]

The reason why you may have waited for a a reply is because it's a question that gets asked many times and there really is no straight answer.

Some advice is you've got to think realistically, you have to think about who'd actually want to buy your images. That's a tough question to ask yourself; But if you don't know the answer you don't know your market so you wont know where to show them. Another one is what is your worth, do you know it? will others?

The bars in my town are very selective in what they will and will not show, but these are bars worth being seen in.

If you go to an art fair, you have to understand that people looking for photographs at art fairs normally have a good understanding of the medium as an art form.

I'm not sure you're ready yet for those kind of environments. But if you feel you are then test the water, just be realistic and understand how they operate