In need of honest opinions

[baajero]

Originally Posted by NgaiHill

You have some beautiful photographs there. Clearly you are spoilt for choice when it comes to great scenic spots to shoot but I like your eye on some of the detailed and hidden scenes as well.

As for selling your photos, personally I wouldn't buy someone else's photography (not that mine is as good as yours) but thats just me. Although I could easily see these in a gallery/online for sale. As for prices, can't help you there as I just have no idea. But I would suggest that you do your research as far as costings go, I am sure that there are some more experienced people here who could give you advice in what to consider if you do decide to sell your photos.

Thanks for your comment... ya it's pretty easy finding great pictures here in nova scotia... I've been told it's a photographers paradise

I think you should consider buying someone else's photography... not mine though you need someone MUUCH better than me... I bought a picture from an amazing photographer... it's my living room... it's nothing fancy... just a shoreline... but he managed to make it look so amazing... everyone who visits me comments about this picture... I took so many pictures for shorelines... non of which managed to capture the simple magic of water meeting sand

It's been an inspiration... believe me... an amazing picture from a professional ...deeply connected photographer will push you to your limits

Intro Page

This is his gallery... the picture I bought isn't there anymore... but you will see what I mean

[baajero]

Originally Posted by Photoboothguy

Your photos are very nice.

Sadly, there really isn't much of a market for sellng photos online. I've had my gallery up for a couple years now, and rarely sell anything. And when I say rarely, I mean a few times a year.

Thanks for your comment... I just looked at your gallery... it's really depressing to know you don't sell much... i believe my photography is good... but your's is amazing so if you're not selling... what chance do I have...

Are you getting enough traffic... are you sure it's not that you're not getting the website right... have you optimized your site for search engines... the only reason i'm asking is because you have some pictures up that have the original file name i.e. img****.jpg...

I have a nice document from google about search engine optimization... I could email it to you if you want.

[graciousness]

The thing is, how many people do you know and visit houses that display other people's landscapes on their wall? Or anything?

Unless you are reknowned for your work, then selling landscapes and any other images would be difficult. Stock photo is different as you can take shots that companies may be interested in using.

You can sell photos to magazines and publications, but that's a hard thing to do and there are professionals that cater to that. There are publications that buy off from amateurs, but that's still a hard sell.

Put your photos on flickr, tag them well, and you can hope that there will be some people who will contact you for your images to sell.

Otherwise, look into doing stock photography. Lots of hard work, but it pays off for some people.

[baajero]

Originally Posted by graciousness

The thing is, how many people do you know and visit houses that display other people's landscapes on their wall? Or anything?

Unless you are reknowned for your work, then selling landscapes and any other images would be difficult. Stock photo is different as you can take shots that companies may be interested in using.

You can sell photos to magazines and publications, but that's a hard thing to do and there are professionals that cater to that. There are publications that buy off from amateurs, but that's still a hard sell.

Put your photos on flickr, tag them well, and you can hope that there will be some people who will contact you for your images to sell.

Otherwise, look into doing stock photography. Lots of hard work, but it pays off for some people.

Oh man... this is heart breaking... but thanks for the reality check I guess
Maybe it's just me but I do have quite a few photos from all sorts of photographers... but I guess you're right... I can't remember many house i've been to that have photographs as wall art.
Thanks for taking the time to reply

[Ambrosia76]

Your pics are beautiful.

Can't help as far as price, maybe check with local galleries, or tourist type places that may be able to sell your pics to tourist who want to remember their visit.

When we went to Charleston,sc their was a guy in the open market selling pics of the area and he seemed to be doing quite well.

........................

[dakwegmo]

If you're hoping you can put up an online gallery in hopes of making a few dollars from your work, your among tens of thousands, if not millions of photographers who have had the exact same idea. It's hard to stand out in that kind of market. It can be done, but it requires exceptionally high quality work, and exhaustive marketing to make it happen.

On the other hand, if you're serious about turning photography into a side business, you can sell make more money at a single art show than most photographers earn in a year of online sales. People at art shows are primed to purchase art for their walls. Having photos with a local flavor helps people make an emotional connection with your work that most online viewers aren't going to have. They also have something physical in their hands and money in their pocket, so they're more likely to buy. It's a lot more work and there's a lot more out of pocket up front, but if you want to make it selling "fine art" prints, it's a better route than an online shop.

[baajero]

Originally Posted by Photoboothguy

I haven't done any SEO, and probably don't spend as much time on my website as I could.

I've gotten around 9000 visitors to my website in the past 18 months, if that tells you anything. I have a little over 1 million views on my Flickr site, and a lot of my photos link back to my sales gallery.

Probably the funniest (and saddest) example is this photo:


It appeared one day on the Flickr Blog, which resulted in about 50,000 views, and not a single sale.

Originally Posted by dakwegmo

If you're hoping you can put up an online gallery in hopes of making a few dollars from your work, your among tens of thousands, if not millions of photographers who have had the exact same idea. It's hard to stand out in that kind of market. It can be done, but it requires exceptionally high quality work, and exhaustive marketing to make it happen.

On the other hand, if you're serious about turning photography into a side business, you can sell make more money at a single art show than most photographers earn in a year of online sales. People at art shows are primed to purchase art for their walls. Having photos with a local flavor helps people make an emotional connection with your work that most online viewers aren't going to have. They also have something physical in their hands and money in their pocket, so they're more likely to buy. It's a lot more work and there's a lot more out of pocket up front, but if you want to make it selling "fine art" prints, it's a better route than an online shop.

Thank you guys for your comments... they have been immensely insightful...
The above photograph raises a couple of questions in my mind... you obviously have the traffic... for good reason... it's ridiculously beautiful... to the extent that I started placing an order but then... my wife asked me a question... " where would I put it?... which room"... one of two kinds of houses would buy this picture... both of which are ultra modern houses:
1. a student who has modern furniture from ikea... this sector would mostly buy 5 dollar posters and hang them up... me included back when i was a student
2. a rich person with an ultra modern house and furniture... usually very expensive (my wife is in the high end furniture business) these poeple are few but you can definetaly see your work in living room with a brushed steel coffee table and colourful couch... unfortunately these poeple probably are not part of the 50000 views on flickr... i doubt they go to flickr... I guess you need circles where these poeple would go... like an actual gallery in the right areas...

I guess what I'm trying to say... after getting responses from all sorts of poeple on both photography blogs and business blogs... the key question is how to reach your target market... in your case... tasteful individual with highly contemporary living spaces.

The answer to myself in short... I doubt my gallery will work at this stage... as you said there are millions of galleries with ... to be quite frank better photography than mine...

I will keep you guys posted... there's an idea brewing in my head