Framed Prints (non family) -- What Sells?

[Indigo November]

What aspects of a photograph compel one to hang it on their wall? What type of photo are they likely to choose?
Are there any subjects to focus on more, or any to avoid?

I am also curios to know if people buy photos of other people... That is, a model of some sort... to hang on their wall.
What makes a photo of a stranger interesting enough to hang on your wall?

Thanks, Indy


P.S Yeah, I haven't been around much. And not doing much of anything with photography either.
But that's one of my New Year's resolutions; USE THE DAMN CAMERA!!!
So we'll see...

[BecomeAPhotographer]

Hi Indigo,

Good questions. There are unfortunately no "right" answers.

Famous photographers have successfully sold photos of everything you can imagine - including images of fast-food hamburgers. Unknown photographers can capture the most beautiful landscape you've ever seen, and it may not sell. So much of fine art photography is based on perceived value - and the brand of the photographer. This is something that takes time.

Would someone purchase a photo of another person? Sure - if they like the photo, find it interesting, and feel it is worth the cost. That may be a $20 photo or a $2,000 photo. It depends on the person buying.

At the end of the day, you need to photograph what you enjoy most. When you develop a unique style that defines who you are, people will take notice.

Hope this helps a little.
Aaron @ Become A Photographer

[veritasimagery]

Originally Posted by BecomeAPhotographer

Hi Indigo,

Good questions. There are unfortunately no "right" answers.

Famous photographers have successfully sold photos of everything you can imagine - including images of fast-food hamburgers. Unknown photographers can capture the most beautiful landscape you've ever seen, and it may not sell. So much of fine art photography is based on perceived value - and the brand of the photographer. This is something that takes time.

Would someone purchase a photo of another person? Sure - if they like the photo, find it interesting, and feel it is worth the cost. That may be a $20 photo or a $2,000 photo. It depends on the person buying.

At the end of the day, you need to photograph what you enjoy most. When you develop a unique style that defines who you are, people will take notice.

Hope this helps a little.
Aaron @ Become A Photographer

+++

Fine art is a tough thing. What may be worth hanging on the wall to one person, may not be to the next. Some people want landscapes, others will want still life or even abstracts. There really is no right answer.

The best thing to do, as said before, shoot what you like, what gives you pleasure. Then give your self some exposure. Do art fairs, art shows, farmer's markets, and try some of your local gift shops and businesses. Find ways to get your images out there and seen by the public. And look around before you do that and see what people are pricing their photos (framed and unframed) so you have an idea what to price yours at.

[dakwegmo]

A lot of it depends on the audience.I've done some county fairs and such, and by far the photos that sell the best there are the ones that people can connect with on some level, usually because of the local flavor. My best selling photo is one that I shot of an old bookstore in a college town. Everyone that bought it liked the picture, but had fond recollections of shopping at, working for, or puking in the alley behind the store. Similarly, of all the waterfalls I've shot, the one that's the easiest to get to sells the most prints, because people have been there and enjoyed the experience and recognize that in the photo. I couldn't tell you what sells at fine art shows, though, since I haven't actually sold anything at the two that I've done.

I can say this, though, I don't sell any framed prints. People love to see big prints framed, but when it comes to handing over money, they prefer to just buy the prints, matted or not, and frame them themselves.

[NathanFranke]

I haven't sold much, but none of my sales fit any theme.

In order of sales:
-Barbershop supplies (all the liquid concoctions, very colorful)--sold to a friend for a pancake breakfast
-close up of some kind of fern -- sold to juried art buy for campus library. 8x10 print, 11x14 matted, wal-mart metal frame for $200
-Dance performance from over head, similar to the one (if not the same one) as on my flickr. Juried art competition, sold to campus student union for $75. Same size, mat, and frame as the fern
-various other stuff at art fairs, including a pile of old tires, color waterfalls outside Boone, NC (sold in Winterville, NC and south central Wisconsin), holga b/w waterfalls outside Boone, sold in WI, and various other stuff. No rhyme or discernable reason. I've got a shot of a dingy old bathroom that a lot of people look at for a very long time, but no one ever buys it.

[RLucas]

Since there are but a few "names" I really know when it comes to fine art photography, I tend to look at the piece and not the artist themselves.
As far as what I would hang on my wall.
It's hard for me to pin down just what I would buy, but on a general scope, it would be black and whites, and anything with a lot of shadow play. I'm also drawn to darker stuff too.

Agree with the above...art sales are tough, especially if you're an unknown.

Or even if you're known. I have over a million views on flickr, been featured in Popular Photography, Gizmodo, and hundreds of blogs. In actual art sales, I'm less than $3000 for the year.

What I do see sell:
1. Football is big in Iowa...I see a lot of framed stadium and football shots sell, though I bet most of them are university licensed.
2. At a local art fair, one guy was selling a ton of canvas prints of flowers and fruit on a black background. Very easy photos to shoot, and they were just flying off the shelf. Prices were fairly low...probably about 100% mark-up over print costs. But it looked like he was doing well on volume...had way more buyers than any other booth.
3. HDRs of local scenery. Surprisingly popular.