Lenswork article: pricing your artwork

Satinsnow said:

Well, I do know one thing,,Perhaps Brooks has picked up a few bucks on subscriptions with so many people discussing his article...hope so..

LOL

Dave

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I suspect it's the opposite. BTW, thanks for your concern, but my blood pressure is fine. Based on your PMs to me, it's you who needs to chill a bit.

I notice that everyone is absorbed about Brook's article about print prices, but notice that no one has commented on the editorial about "Commitment" - which I found to be quite well thought out.

Kerik said:

I suspect it's the opposite. BTW, thanks for your concern, but my blood pressure is fine. Based on your PMs to me, it's you who needs to chill a bit.

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Yeah.....so glad the ignore list works.....I recommend you use it too Kerik, it blocks PMs as well....life is good sometimes...

Kerik said:

I suspect it's the opposite. BTW, thanks for your concern, but my blood pressure is fine. Based on your PMs to me, it's you who needs to chill a bit.

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Kerik,

Do we really want to get into this? What is your problem today buddy, why not post those PM and really see if it is me that needs to chill?


I don't understand what is up with you, I did not say a thing to you, I made a valid post, which I fully have the right do to, as you do, you didn't like it, so be it, you seem to be pissed at me, because I made a post about this particular subject, not you, you have no reason for being pissed at me...again, if you don't like what I said, don't read it, that is pretty simple, I will continue to post as I feel..

Boy I can tell you the last few weeks have been really interesting, I sure will be glad when spring gets here in the north country..

Sorry to ruffled your feathers Kerik...and yes, I would post the same message again.

Dave Parker

Jorge said:

Yeah.....so glad the ignore list works.....I recommend you use it too Kerik, it blocks PMs as well....life is good sometimes...

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Thanks Jorge,

Your contributions are always so enlightening.

Dave

Satinsnow said:

Boy I can tell you the last few weeks have been really interesting, I sure will be glad when spring gets here in the north country..

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Hoo boy. Here in Vermont, we haven't even had winter yet. It's been slush, mud, ice and freezing rain, not our usual thick blanket of snow and weeks of below-zero temps. Two months of "Almost Spring" is driving us all nuts!

Satinsnow said:

Well, I do know one thing,,Perhaps Brooks has picked up a few bucks on subscriptions with so many people discussing his article...hope so..

LOL

Dave

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Ditto what Satinsnow said.....also, although I love owning original prints, and have just begun to sell my own original prints, selling an "unoriginal" to a consumer happy with the purchase to me is all good...it is a paid ad for your photography, I would think presently that income to the St Ansel family, from posters etc...is far in excess of revenue currently made from original prints...

rhphoto said:

Hoo boy. Here in Vermont, we haven't even had winter yet. It's been slush, mud, ice and freezing rain, not our usual thick blanket of snow and weeks of below-zero temps. Two months of "Almost Spring" is driving us all nuts!

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We have had a very dry winter here. Only about a 10th of our usual rainfall, which I am grateful for, since it means I can shoot more.

Winter? What winter. We have only had two snows. Our winter usually lasts until late may with snow up to the beginning of May. I guess we skipped it this year...or it is going to pound us as soon as our guard is down.

mark said:

Winter? What winter. We have only had two snows. Our winter usually lasts until late may with snow up to the beginning of May. I guess we skipped it this year...or it is going to pound us as soon as our guard is down.

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Punxatawny Phil says you're in for it. Starting Monday, we're supposed to get back into the single digits.

gonna be in the low 70's high 60's again here in Vegas, darn it, I was hoping for a snow day...

Kerik said:

Hi George,
I agree with most of what you said, but I would also say that there just aren't that many people that CARE about photography as art. I challenge anyone to ask any 10 of your non-photographer friends to name just one 'famous' photographer who isn't Ansel Adams. And many of them probably haven't heard of Ansel, either. We're swimming in a pretty small sea, my friends.

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Hi Kerik,
Good point, but I think even some of the photographer friends might have trouble naming ten photographers, once you get past the dead masters.

I wonder, is it that the general public doesn't care about Photography as art or that they don’t care about art in general? As a culture we place a higher artistic value on the tv or music industry.

When was the last time you heard any water-cooler talk about the current show at your local museum? Instead, we hear about what was on Survivor.

The sea will continue to be very small as long as mediocre work is put out there for too-high prices.
Wait, hey, put those rocks down!!

George Losse said:

Hi Kerik,
...I wonder, is it that the general public doesn't care about Photography as art or that they don’t care about art in general? As a culture we place a higher artistic value on the tv or music industry.

When was the last time you heard any water-cooler talk about the current show at your local museum? Instead, we hear about what was on Survivor.

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This is true George, however, some photographers are very very successful, and if it is art or not is not the point if you are trying to effect sales. Marketing and putting it in the face of your market is of most importance... For example there is a photographer from my favorite down under country, who has a gallery here in Vegas. Just last week I was in a local lab here that still developes transparencies...they also produce end product for photographers for gallery sales....on the table was a finished print of this photographers work about

7" x 21" or so in size...it had been printed from a file from a 6 x 17 neg, subject matter was a sunset over ocean, the sales for this print in the Vegas gallery was nearing 1000 prints...the price per print was $650.00. The tourist customer takes possession of the print upon purchase, not mounted but in a mailing tube...

Dave Wooten said:

For example there is a photographer from my favorite down under country, who has a gallery here in Vegas. Just last week I was in a local lab here that still developes transparencies...they also produce end product for photographers for gallery sales....on the table was a finished print of this photographers work about

7" x 21" or so in size...it had been printed from a file from a 6 x 17 neg, subject matter was a sunset over ocean, the sales for this print in the Vegas gallery was nearing 1000 prints...the price per print was $650.00. The tourist customer takes possession of the print upon purchase, not mounted but in a mailing tube...

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Sounds like Peter Lik. He has a gallery on Maui as well.

Hi everybody,

I guess an apology is in order here, I tried to add a bit of levity to this thread earlier today, and I guess I ruffled feathers of a couple of people, was never my intent, didn't want anyone to get off on something I said, I just felt that My opinion on a subject that had been discussed before was just as important as anyone elses..but I must have misjudged the situation, which I am known to do..

Again, please I am sorry..

Dave

Yep,

The interesting point Robert ... the inventory seems to be pretty much on demand. I assume that the Maui gallery has the images printed in the neighborhood, from a file...the gallerys are located in places of high end tourist traffic, well presented...all photographs by the same artist...

Dave Wooten said:

Yep,

The interesting point Robert ... the inventory seems to be pretty much on demand.

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I haven't seen any of Peter's American work, but he is quite well known in Australia. I don't know if you are aware of this, but Las Vegas has the highest concentration of people from Hawaii on the mainland; one of the reasons Hawaii images sell well there. Lots of homesick people. I've given some serious consideration to either relocating there or placing some of my work in galleries there.

I would bet that most of the $20 prints that Brooks has sold has been to other photographers and subscribers to Lenswork. most people who spend $20 on a CD or a good meal could give a s**t about hanging a photograph on the wall unless it is of their kids graduation or posing with Goofy at Disney World.

Like it or not, buying and selling art is all about marketing to the upper classes in society, especially when you start talking prices in the thousands of dollars. Some of the buying has to do with a genuine interest in the work or the artist, sometimes its about being part or the gallery/art scene crowd and sometimes about making an investment. They might buy a couple dozen of Brooks prints and use them for drink coasters at a party but not consider
them as serious art anymore then they would consider pretty print patterns on a roll of paper towels.

But I think Brooks understands all this and has selected his market carefully. He knows that he has a potential market of all his subscribers and those who read lenswork off the rack at the bookstore. But that is the extent of his market.

But thinking that somehow cheap or inexpensive art will be snatched up by the masses is a big fallacy. You want to know what some of the people at work are spending $20 on lately? Terrible Towels witht the Pittsburg Steelers logo on them. Or a NASCAR T-Shirt or something for their kids, or a CD or a meal or a movie. Art to put on the wall is not a big priority or of any real interest.

As you get into a higher income group, upper middle income, the new rich, DINKS, and two professional households with kids, they would probably be embarrased to hang a $20 print on the wall unless their kids made it.

I guess the point is, how one prices thier work reflects the market they are trying to reach. If you don't mind selling your work to other photogs for $20 you could reap a nice bounty. Outside the universe of photographers though I don't believe there is a market or audience for cheap prints or any original artwork. People want a perceived value in things they buy and as income goes up they don't mind paying a premium to get that value.

Robert,
I am very aware of it and you are correct! the California Hotel downtown directly markets to Hawaiian tourists, cuisine, room rates, air fares etc....it is the most popular hotel for Hawaiians...every wed nite is Hawaiian night at Lally's pub (used to be the old 95 club), lots of singing etc...there also is a Hawaiian store here...I purchased kim Taylor Reece's photography book "Wahine" there. The photographers seemingly with the most financial success seem to own their own gallery and photograph areas and subjects of emotional interest...in color.

Dave Wooten said:

I purchased kim Taylor Reece's photography book "Wahine" there. The photographers seemingly with the most financial success seem to own their own gallery and photograph areas and subjects of emotional interest...in color.

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Kim Taylor Reece's home and gallery isn't far from my house - he seems to do quite well. I should point out that all his mural work is done in the darkroom, using the original negative.