How do you know if your images could sell?

[hotchilidamo]

The most obvious answer is to put them out there and see, but 'putting them out there' is no easy thing and before I spend time and effort doing so I'd like to know if they are good enough.

The reality is that I'm still learning and I'm not looking at turning into a pro. Sure I'd like to get some money to fund my hobby, but I think its more the buzz of someone actually paying for the shot I've taken that I would enjoy and all I do at the moment is take some shots, select the good ones, upload to flickr and then they get largley ignored by everyone apart from me. I'd like to do something with the shots and selling them seems like a good thing to do.

So, before I or anyone else follows some delusional idea of selling their shots, how can one get a 'reality check' on wether their shots could sell?

I suppose context is important - selling to whom, in what format? I suppose I would be thinking of putting the shots in frames/canvas and selling locally. I'm less keen on selling via the micro payment angle just for the sheer hassle vs reward factor.

Anyway, I've probably overcomplicated what is a simple question - how do you know if your images could sell?

[BigFuzzy]

I knew my images could sell when I realized that (in my opinion) my images were better than images I knew were in fact selling.
I felt that I was a much better photographer than one I knew at the time to be selling his services to various customers. So, without having actually tried to put myself out there, I knew I could produce images that would sell.
Then again, I have a very heightened (then and now) sense of self-worth.

You'll never know until you do, in fact, put yourself out there. But you have to be ready to put the work into it. Half assed efforts are likely to be as much the reason your stuff don't sell than the quality itself.

I knew that when my magical finger touched the cold icy button that I could bring magical awesome life to the ordinary and unwashed masses.

That's how Thanksgiving started. True story.

~Eric

[hotchilidamo]

Thanks both for your modest advice

[BigFuzzy]

Originally Posted by maxharvard

I knew that when my magical finger touched the cold icy button that I could bring magical awesome life to the ordinary and unwashed masses.

~Eric

Oh man Eric.. the sexual word-play I could do here ... wow. Stop tempting me on such a legitimate thread!

Seriously OP, I quickly checked out your flickr, and can imagine your images selling. It's just a matter of identifying your market and doing the grunt work to get your product in front of said potential market.

There, I said it. Now you know you can sell your work.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by maxharvard

I knew that when my magical finger touched the cold icy button that I could bring magical awesome life to the ordinary and unwashed masses.

That's how Thanksgiving started. True story.

~Eric

It was legen-- WAIT FOR IT...
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-DARY! Legendary!

[Saralonde]

I think it often has more to do with business and how you sell as opposed to what you sell. Someone's images may be good enough, but it doesn't mean they will sell. We've all seen some pretty ordinary images that sell fairly well, too. The trick is learning the business end, often a hard thing for artists.

[hotchilidamo]

Originally Posted by BigFuzzy

Seriously OP, I quickly checked out your flickr, and can imagine your images selling. It's just a matter of identifying your market and doing the grunt work to get your product in front of said potential market.

There, I said it. Now you know you can sell your work.

Lol, ok then.

Good points though, thanks for the input

Originally Posted by BigFuzzy

Oh man Eric.. the sexual word-play I could do here ... wow. Stop tempting me on such a legitimate thread!

Hey, fire away man... It's not like there's anything I haven't heard/read/seen before

[Brian Mullins]

Originally Posted by Saralonde

I think it often has more to do with business and how you sell as opposed to what you sell. Someone's images may be good enough, but it doesn't mean they will sell. We've all seen some pretty ordinary images that sell fairly well, too. The trick is learning the business end, often a hard thing for artists.

This! There is no "bar" set for when you should sell photos. In fact, go to any Target/Wal-Mart store (or big box store) and you will see both very expensive and very cheap items for sale. You are offering a product, plain and simple and the cusotmer decides price and quantity. To be "more" expensive, you generally have to have a better product, or more specifically, make it LOOK like a better product. That doesn't really mean it is, but the marketing, the packaging, the reputation, look and delivery are all aspects you would take into account. Think of selling photos like selling dishwashers... they will mark the price up as high as the market will bear, tell you their DW is the best and then explain WHY. That doesn't mean it won't break in a year or is necessarily any better quality then a less expensive one.