mical.

For frames, I watch for sales at the local craft stores. I’ve also found decent frames at Dollar General and Big Lots, for a few $$s each. I also keep some inexpensive stuff available, like 4 x 6 or 5 x 7 prints in $2 Dollar General frames that I sell for $7.50.

I hope Gail’s comment about Gallery Wraps holds true! I’ve got a big show this weekend and did up a few Gallery Wrapped Giclee prints on canvas.

Jim

A few lessons I’ve learned in the last year selling photography:

1. I can’t say enough that you must be prepared for all kinds of weather. Particularly in Florida, it is blazing hot one minute with tremendous rainstorms the next. Have serious weights for your tent if your weather tends to be windy. One big gust and all of your work can be ruined.

2. Talent is almost the least of it. I constantly have budding photographers ask all the details about being basically a street peddler. To consistently sell you have to have images that people can relate to emotionally. Although I’m not the most talented photographer out there, I’ve sold from the very first day because people like what I do. They care very little about the qualities that most photographers stress over. What you need is a winning personality that can engage well with the buying public. One young man who has wonderful images sells very little because he lacks conversational skills. I can’t stress this enough!!!

3. Find a good printer. Selling art work can be extremely challenging when you do it all. I have been blessed by finding a man who not only charges reasonable prices, but does an outstanding job with giclees.

4. Canvas prints with a gallery wrap are very popular.

5. In uncertain economic times I recommend starting very slowly–find a local market and test your work to gauge interest.

6. Try not to take it personally when you don’t sell. Very, very hard to do!! Over the weekend I was fortunate enough to sell $770 worth of prints whereas my next door “neighbor” sold $95. When the show closed he remarked, “I didn’t know my works sucked so bad!” This was hardly the case, his work was beautiful.

7. Which leads me to my final point: price it reasonably. My smallest print is only $9. This opens up a huge audience who otherwise might just be browsers. Often children remark it is their first piece of art and ultimately that is what we want–to share with the world our vision of it.

One note to add, most of the art festival people do this for a living almost weekly; I have met very few that take 2 or 3 week breaks between shows (only photographers); I would question that note if you are doing it just for fun then that might work, but if it’s a job you will probably be hitting festivals through out the country. Buy a reliable fan, be read to come home to keep making inventory just to turn around and head out to another state.

It’s rewarding as well as very tiresome.

The gridwall is probably the cheapest way to go, at about $20 per wall section (look for your local store fixture store). Originally I used “S” hooks and Gridwall hooks to hang pictures. I’ve since bought a bunch of baskets and shelves for the Gridwall. The baskets hold matted prints, and I can put framed work on shelves instead of hanging them on hooks.

Another suggestion is to have something cheap to sell. I have a “bargain bin” with older prints and note cards – basically at the cost of the paper. I’ve never been to a show that I haven’t sold prints from there!