Gallery showing??

[lonni]

Hi

Might be a bit of a stupid question but has any one had the chance to show some of their work in a gallery? and how did it affect your business?

I was offered the chance to show my work in a gallery. At first i though it was a great idea to boost my name etc but then i realised that the work i will show in the gallery is nothing like what i do for protraits and commercial work.

I am a little worried about people seeing the gallery work and getting the wrong idea about my other work, i am also a littkle worried that if people think i am an artist they wont want to use me for portraits etc or think i am a little flakey etc.

I live in a smallish town where every one still knows every one and being country they are a little snobby and backwards. I have to be carefull about the work i do as anything out of the ordinary is not always taken very well. They stereotype every one, and as i am just moving out of commercail stuff and into prortaits etc i dont want to limit my customers by stereotyping myself.

Am i overthinking this? What would you do?

thanks in advance

[Troy_Schwaller]

I say go for it! Any good exposure is good exposure!

Gallery showings are one of those things that I've been hesitant to pursue. On one hand, there's a huge coolness factor involved and it's nice to have more exposure for your work. On the other, there's a lot of upfront costs with framing and matting and not a large chance of making that back. In the few places that I have photos for sale locally, I would just be happy to break even.

[AnneWynne]

What kind of gallery showing are you talking about? Would it be an exclusive or limited show in which you need a fairly large body of work to fill walls, or is it putting a few prints in a gallery/gift shop?

I just placed a few of my landscapes in a gallery/antiques/gift shop and can speak to that situation.
Take the cost of the commission (in my case it varies from the galleries from 30%-50%) in your pricing. Find a wholesale source for framing (I got ready-to-use frames at 40% off at a Michaels sale...beware that their 50% off custom framing does not include everything), but keep the full price in your pricing scheme. Really think about your framing...use double mats that coordinate well with the image, look for unique frames. You may have to use the more standard gallery frame (simple black) for some galleries, and this may be recommended for the trues shows of your work. Talk to the gallery owner.

You will also want some unframed, but matted and bagged, prints for those people who do not want to pay the price of the framed piece. IMHO, the framed piece is more important for displaying your image...if it sells, replace it quickly. I used clearbags.com and purchased some show sets (25 each mats, backer boards, and bags) for my prints.

Some galleries require exclusivity. One gallery was not going to show some pieces that I felt were perfect for their focus because I had some other prints at a different gallery (they were friends). But after telling the owner that the other owner sent me to her because the landscapes did not fit in her shop's focus, she relented.

Think about sellability. What are people looking for? What do people expect to see when they come into the gallery? One gallery I am in is primarily a glass and craft items shop, so I have framed work of a theme that fits well graphically into her shop...bright, colorful, unique. The other gallery is much more traditional, appeals to tourists, and features items for the home, so I have images of the marsh and beach there. I am looking for a gallery that will be a good fit with my more eclectic work.

Put a lable (I use Avery stick-on labels) on the back of your print backer boards (not on the print itself) telling a little bit about the print and about yourself. Make sure there is contact information on the lable. Include a business card in the bag.

Showing in a gallery is expensive to start with, and you will not make as much money as you might selling at an art/craft show. But you get exposure, you do not have to risk anything but your outlay for frames, mats, backer boards, and bags, you do not have to schlep your work to and from art shows, it is protected from the weather, and you do not have to invest in the setup for an art show.

Good luck.
Anne

[klausson]

Most galleries make you carry the cost of production. So your risk is that you might be on the hook for (to pick an example) 10 large high-quality prints that are either framed or mounted and may cost you over $1,000. If the gallery sells two or three of them for $400 each and takes a 50% commission, you are $400 short.

On the question of whether being known as a fine art photographer detracts from your reputation as a portrait or commercial photographer, I would say absolutely not. It's sign of your versatility, nothing else.

Just my $.02 ;-)

[lonni]

Thank you all so much for your comments.

I decided to take the offer and show my images, so i am very excited, i have been pencilled in for april next year!

It never occured to me to take printing and framing into account, but since i print for a living its not so bad, the gallery will even accept canvasses, so it helps bring down the price.

Tharp, thanks for teh gallery owners insight, it tipped me towards saying yes, much appreciated.

So now all i have to do is settle on a theme, and choose my 15 images.

[klausson]

Hi tharp,

I didn't mean to suggest that exhibiting at a gallery is inherently evil and I'm very sorry if it came across that way. I just meant to point out the inherent risk in having to produce upfront material without any guarantees. And fully agreed on how any showing can only increase your standing as a photographer.

Klaus