While no one will ever confuse me as a professional photographer I have sold more then a couple of my prints. My key has been to make friends with local small merchants and offering them a deal. This works well with boutiques. I hang my artwork in their store, they handle the transaction, and I cut them in on a percentage of the sale. I did this a lot when I was younger and hope to go back to it now that I am an empty nester and have the time to dedicate to my art again.
A couple of things that seemed to work.
#1 listen to the store owner when they suggest what type of prints to hang. They know their clients and can tell you if a nature shot of a waterfall is going to appeal to them more then macros of insects for instance.
#2 take their suggestions as assignments. In my mind nothing improves your eye as much as trying to creatively capture an image to spec. My Army days were full of shooting really boring things like, men marching, motor pools, and barracks. Once I started getting creative doing it I was always getting calls from different units to cover their events or posts. So if that store owner tells you her clients will like rolling meadows, go shoot some till you get a real keeper ( seller ).
#3 Shoot for color. Many times a person will walk into a store and see a red, or yellow, or blue photograph, doesn't matter as much what the details of the scene are, but rather the "color" will work in a specific room. I tend to do this a lot with macro work and people seem to like it.
#4 Shoot local interest, again if a picture of your local library, or firehouse, or lake is there and priced right that impulse buy is a great thing.
#5 Number your work. People love buying a limited edition piece. I would print up a couple of prints of various sizes and number them 1 of 20, 2 of 20, etc. I allows you to print a few more should you get a good seller while adding an air of exclusivity to them.
#6 Finally price for an impulse buy. I have not done the work to figure out what it costs to do a wet print these days, but you need to have prints that are affordable. I have hung a framed print on the wall in 11x16 and then also given the store owner a couple of smaller prints matted and in a plastic bag. I usually will price at a number with 8s in it. 18.95, 28.50, etc ( It's a good luck thing ).
After all of that, keep your day job and hope for the best,
Harry
A couple of things that seemed to work.
#1 listen to the store owner when they suggest what type of prints to hang. They know their clients and can tell you if a nature shot of a waterfall is going to appeal to them more then macros of insects for instance.
#2 take their suggestions as assignments. In my mind nothing improves your eye as much as trying to creatively capture an image to spec. My Army days were full of shooting really boring things like, men marching, motor pools, and barracks. Once I started getting creative doing it I was always getting calls from different units to cover their events or posts. So if that store owner tells you her clients will like rolling meadows, go shoot some till you get a real keeper ( seller ).
#3 Shoot for color. Many times a person will walk into a store and see a red, or yellow, or blue photograph, doesn't matter as much what the details of the scene are, but rather the "color" will work in a specific room. I tend to do this a lot with macro work and people seem to like it.
#4 Shoot local interest, again if a picture of your local library, or firehouse, or lake is there and priced right that impulse buy is a great thing.
#5 Number your work. People love buying a limited edition piece. I would print up a couple of prints of various sizes and number them 1 of 20, 2 of 20, etc. I allows you to print a few more should you get a good seller while adding an air of exclusivity to them.
#6 Finally price for an impulse buy. I have not done the work to figure out what it costs to do a wet print these days, but you need to have prints that are affordable. I have hung a framed print on the wall in 11x16 and then also given the store owner a couple of smaller prints matted and in a plastic bag. I usually will price at a number with 8s in it. 18.95, 28.50, etc ( It's a good luck thing ).
After all of that, keep your day job and hope for the best,
Harry
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