How do you make money with your medium format camera?

Ric Trexell · Dec 10, 2011

Stock is not always using stock agencies.

Ryuji said:
Don't do stock photography. Stock agencies project it as a profitable business but it is not. It is the agencies that are making profits. Stock photo kills creativity in the mind of not just photographers but also designers and art directors. You're killing the source of your future income as well.

I don't plan to use stock agencies. With the internet, stock agencies are becoming only one kind of outlet. According to Rohn Engh, author of 'Sell and Resell Your Photos' and other books, the way to do it now is to specialize. To have your own web site and to contact a limited number of magazines or periodicals that deal with your specialty. The days of shooting boats, helicopters, pretty girls, and steam engines and sending your photos to a stock house is for the guy that hopes to get one picture out of 10,000 published. Better to just shoot horses and contact the horse magazines or animal magazines. A good place to look into stock photography is at Rohn Engh's website. It is www.photosource.com . Thanks for all responses. Ric.

lxdude · Dec 10, 2011

PKM-25 said:
I am one of the lucky ones, after all this hard work, suffering, politics and pain, I get to call the shots, literally. My clients and my customers relish in that because no one attends a rock concert wanting to hear nothing but requests...they attend to see the performance in the artist they know and love.

I'm very happy to hear that things are going well for you now, Dan.

benjiboy · Dec 11, 2011

If you need to make a lot of money with a medium format camera quickly, buy a Mamiya RB 67, take it into a bank and beat the bank staff about the head with it until they open the safe.

Steve Smith · Dec 11, 2011

benjiboy said:
If you need to make a lot of money with a medium format camera quickly, buy a Mamiya RB 67, take it into a bank and beat the bank staff about the head with it until they open the safe.

Or you could just use it to beat open the safe door.

Steve.

michaelbsc · Dec 11, 2011

Steve Smith said:
Or you could just use it to beat open the safe door.

Steve.

Nah. That won't work. One summer as a kid I worked on a construction crew between semesters that was building a bank.

It is astonishing how much concrete and steel goes into a vault and door. Even an RB67 with a Koni-Omega as a back up isn't enough to break it open.

MB

lightwisps · Dec 11, 2011

Interesting question.

I sell quite a few matted and frames images in my gallery and others. We have found that while we carry a few digital prints, those from film sell about 10 times better.

Much of the chance of a sale is the presentation. They must look professional in every way. That includes the finishing on the back of the framed and mounted print.

Hope this helps.

Don

Ryuji · Dec 11, 2011

Ric Trexell said:
I don't plan to use stock agencies. With the internet, stock agencies are becoming only one kind of outlet. According to Rohn Engh, author of 'Sell and Resell Your Photos' and other books, the way to do it now is to specialize. To have your own web site and to contact a limited number of magazines or periodicals that deal with your specialty. The days of shooting boats, helicopters, pretty girls, and steam engines and sending your photos to a stock house is for the guy that hopes to get one picture out of 10,000 published. Better to just shoot horses and contact the horse magazines or animal magazines. A good place to look into stock photography is at Rohn Engh's website. It is www.photosource.com . Thanks for all responses. Ric.

Thanks for the response. That approach makes more sense!
Ryuji

JBrunner · Dec 11, 2011

Since I make my entire living with cameras, and have since I was about 20, and I'm now 45, I'll throw in my 2 cents. First of all, I'm lucky. Now the old adage about "the harder I work, the luckier I get" has for me been very true.

In a nutshell, for any field in the career of photography in the beginning, you have to have the tools and skills to both show and deliver, you have to realize that there are different disciplines within the career field and that someone who is a "photographer" with no further elaboration probably isn't, you have to find the clients (bring them to you), you have to efficiently qualify the clients (weed through or otherwise filter who is worth your time), and you have to close.

That's what being a career photographer is about. It has little to do with equipment, and everything to do with business.

Art, stock, commercial, architecture, film or D*, it doesn't matter.

rphenning · Dec 11, 2011

I have a pretty simple little print store on my website that I occasionally will sell a print or two on, helps out. I have definitely made more using my film camera than I ever did with my digitalkind of opposite of what you'd expect but that's how it's gone for me. Shooting a wedding next weekend with my 7 and a crap ton of Portra 220.

Ric Trexell · Dec 12, 2011

In a nutshell said:
Yes, that is a given. I should have asked if anyone is still using film to make money rather than narrowing it down to medium format. Some answers have surprised me. That people would buy film prints over that other type of photography was one. It was interesting too that one person said they sold their prints on line. I have heard that a 16X20 is the best size to sell as people can transport them easily and yet see them on the wall from a distance. I don't pretend to be a great photographer, however I will say that I have seen the work of those that are. At least I know good work when I see it. That is better than some. Ric.

JBrunner · Dec 13, 2011

Ric Trexell said:
Yes, that is a given. I should have asked if anyone is still using film to make money rather than narrowing it down to medium format. Some answers have surprised me. That people would buy film prints over that other type of photography was one. It was interesting too that one person said they sold their prints on line. I have heard that a 16X20 is the best size to sell as people can transport them easily and yet see them on the wall from a distance. I don't pretend to be a great photographer, however I will say that I have seen the work of those that are. At least I know good work when I see it. That is better than some. Ric.

Commercially, I'm still shooting some food and product shots on 4x5 E6. As far as art goes, it's been film all the way, with some forays into making large digital negatives for big alt process prints, but the prints are analog in the end. With the art stuff, I don't have to sell the format, just the result, and those results have had very good feedback, so I wouldn't and don't hesitate to use analog processes as part of a profitable workflow.

eclarke · Dec 13, 2011

I do photography to get away from how I earn my living...Evan Clarke

pbromaghin · Dec 13, 2011

Evan Clark ++

Sirius Glass · Dec 15, 2011

(Evan Clark ++)2

thedancefloor · Jan 13, 2012

I've always liked the marketing expression: Sell the sizzle, not the Steak. I wonder if it would be easier to make money from your darkroom?

I started a new thread:
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Thanks!

How do you make money with your medium format camera?

Ric Trexell

lxdude

benjiboy

Steve Smith

michaelbsc

lightwisps

Ryuji

JBrunner

Moderator

rphenning

Ric Trexell

JBrunner

Moderator

eclarke

pbromaghin

Sirius Glass

thedancefloor

How do you make money with your medium format camera?

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