Archive for the ‘Photography Business’ Category

Photography and our Environment

Monday, May 13th, 2013

By Adrian Klein

Each day I think about my impact on this earth. It’s not always a pretty one I must admit. I’d like to say that by adventuring out and capturing pretty pictures I help show why we should conserve this or protect that. I think many of us taking nature photos hope for this in one way or another whether it’s a business or a hobby. The reality these days is that we tend to inspire others with a camera to get out and capture their own version of a particular location, whether standing curb side or lost in a dense jungle.  I am in that boat as well, which adds to the traffic on both road and trail. I see locations online, in books or magazines and it inspires me to go there, or go somewhere if not there, which is more about me having a great adventure and bringing home photographic memories. I certainly think about my environmental impact, yet let’s be honest; an urban, bike riding, vegetarian eating, hipster who rarely drives is likely having a more positive impact on the environment than I am.

Sure my family and I do many things at home that help reduce our carbon footprint. We recycle as much as we can, let the lawn go brown in summer, sometimes walk to the store and my travel mug goes everywhere with me. I rarely buy store bought water, layer up before turning on the heat, pick up litter and the list goes on. Yet when I drive thousands of miles each year in my car, usually solo, to numerous locations I know this has an environmental cost. Despite that cost I still go as the need to get out is always burning inside me.

This is not meant to be a doom and gloom or down in the dumps post. I am merely talking about a subject that I hear few talking about even though many of us make big road trips for our photography. I believe we do have a responsibility to try and take extra steps to compensate for all the car and plane travel each of us, as outdoor travelers, do each year. This is not to imply you should make it your life’s mission to save the planet. I am no planet saving saint by any means. I am saying, take a little extra time to make a difference in whatever way works for you. Even if you believe that our current climate change is part of a natural cycle, it’s still in the best interest of everyone to help do our small part for the betterment of our planet.

Population growth is another factor impacting our environment that I am responsible for helping along. This is why I believe in trying to teach my kids about our impact to this planet, recycling, conserving, etc. As a kid I thought my dad was some weirdo because of his fanatic thirst for recycling way more than the average household. Now I am that dad.  My childhood included him leaving me on the side of the road to walk the remaining distance to our destination for throwing a pop can out the car window. Lesson learned… for life.

Beyond what I noted above I also try to participate in various events like picking up litter on the Oregon coast this spring with my daughter, along with speaking out against development that can negatively impact our planet for generations to come from local changes to large scale projects like Keystone XL Pipeline.

There are no easy answers since the traffic to most outdoor destinations continues to grow as our population realizes the need to connect to the natural world, with or without a serious camera in tow.

What are your thoughts on this topic?

Take nothing but pictures, Leave nothing but foot prints. Image taken on a hiking trail during a previous backpacking trip.

Take nothing but pictures, Leave nothing but foot prints.
Image taken on a hiking trail during a previous backpacking trip.

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Posted in Locations, Philosophy, Photo Travel, Photography Business | 8 Comments »

How Much Is Too Much When It Comes To Photoshop – Kevin McNeal

Wednesday, October 17th, 2012

 

Thors Well Sunset - Oregon Coast

Thors Well Sunset – Oregon Coast

 

Every photographer, at one point, when sharing images on social media sites has been asked if the image is “photoshopped”. With digital cameras and technology advancing at such a fast rate the question of whether it is “digital art”  or a “photographic image” is at the heart of many debates. So how do we determine what is too much when it comes to “photoshopped” images? Many people believe the answer lies within the individual. Each photographer has the creative license to present the images as they choose to. The problem arises when colors look unnatural and over the top. Speaking from my experience, when I process an image my goal is to present the image as I saw it.  Is every image I publish an exact reproduction of the scene. Of course not. However, my images do faithfully represent how I remember the scene and how I felt at the time. I think every image has a story and it is the job of the photographer to get this across to their audience. When it comes to images and acceptability among the photography community there is a wide range of approaches.

For example, some photographers choose to combine multiple exposures together in a process known as HDR. This method captures the whole tonal range of the scene from darkest to light by combining several exposures together. HDR images have become a subject of much controversy over which people have a wide range of opinions.The results vary from beautiful to “over the top”.  Some who lean more toward traditionalism feel that every photographic image should come from a single exposure and that each image should be presented as it was captured by the camera. For me I use a combination of methods that enable me to achieve a final image that tells the story I want to tell. From my perspective there is no right answer to which approach is correct.

For the non professional photographer each is entitled to his own vision and each has the right to present it as he sees fit. What about the professional photographer? Do they have an obligation to present the scene as it is in the camera or are they allowed to have creative freedom when it comes to post processing? These days it is not uncommon for magazines and photo contests to request that images avoid excessive Photoshop and to attach the original image with the final results.

With the advancements of Photoshop, photographers are now creating images that cross the boundaries into “digital art”. In other words the image combines elements from multiple images or doesn’t resemble anything that could be found in nature. The results are often stunning and beautiful, but the image may look more like a painting than a photograph based in realism. Personally speaking, when it relates to selling images the competition is fierce and often publishers will make a decision to choose an image based on a thumbnail. Therefore, the images chosen often look unnatural. You can see evidence of this in magazines, calendars, and even photo contests. There is no arguing that brightly colored and stylized images are popular these days.

 

If you make a living from photography what are the guidelines when it comes to realism? I don’t have the answers but I know, in an effort to express myself and my artistic vision, that I often push the limits as far as I can. I am grateful to make my living as a photographer. It seems that as photographers become more skilled in the art of digital image developing the debate over the use of new digital image developing techniques versus a more traditional approach to photography will continue.

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Posted in Image Processing, Photography Business, Photography Techniques, Uncategorized | 21 Comments »

Printing Yourself, is it Worth it?

Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012

by Zack Schnepf

It depends whether you are printing for your own satisfaction or to save money.  Financially, the short answer is unless you have the volume to justify the cost it’s not worth it.  It takes a lot of print sales to justify the financial costs of a good photo printer, inks and paper.  Not to mention packaging, and shipping costs.  There are a lot of other factors though.  Personally, I would be printing my own even if it were only for my own enjoyment.  I like having control from capture to print and I like being able to do print tests to optimize the final image quality.  I also really enjoy printing, and understanding what goes into making a high quality print.  I will admit it was really frustrating learning about color management, profiling, maintenance, and printer setting optimization.  In the end, understanding about printing helps anyone who is serious about photography; color management in particular is important whether you are printing yourself or not.

Financially, it probably took me 3 or more successful art shows to pay for my Epson 7900, inks, paper and packaging.  If I were not doing art shows I would be better off farming out my printing to West Coast Imaging, or another high end printer.  Honestly, even Costco offers good quality prints at a very reasonable cost.  From a financial point of view, printing yourself is probably not the best option for most people.  I personally save a lot of money printing myself, but I do a large volume of prints each year.

Printing can also be an expensive hobby, but an enjoyable one.  I enjoy seeing my work in print, and I love being in control from capture to print.  I have learned a great deal, and become a better photographer because I do my own printing.  It has changed the way I process images, and it’s helped me become more successful marketing my images for stock.  You pay a lot more attention to details when you are doing you own printing, and this makes you pay more attention during your workflow and in the field.

In conclusion, for me, printing myself has been very rewarding.  It’s not for everyone, and doesn’t make financial sense for most people, but it can be a valuable skill, and can teach you a great deal.

Posted in Image Processing, Philosophy, Photography Business, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

Google+ for Photographers: Book Review

Tuesday, May 1st, 2012

Google+ for Photographers: Book Review

By David Cobb

For the average person, the social network Google+ can seem a bit daunting, baffling, and confusing–with some head scratching in-between. The new book by Colby Brown, Google+ for Photographers lays out all the “how-tos” in an easy chapter-by-chapter read. Even though this reads as a hands-on approach to the Google+ network, every chapter offers a new way to market your photography online. For that alone this book is a valuable asset. It takes you through the initial set up of your account, to using the new Google+ app on your smartphone. Colby knows what he’s talking about here, because at last check he had almost a million-and-a-half people following him.

Colby gets you started with a how-to in building your profile page; taking you step-by-step through the process which includes suggestions for setting up your profile and Google+ site. He explains how to create circles (this is the Google+ way of sharing and filtering your interactions with others), and how to manage, organize, and communicate through those circles.

Best of all, this is a book about marketing yourself online, and he details the posting process and how to create and share a post that stands out from the crowd. You’ll find information on profiling your image for the web, commenting on posts, and +1ing on other posts. Since Google+ is so photographer-friendly, Colby helps you organize your images in albums via Picasa. Each chapter features an amateur or professional photographer in its “Photographer’s Perspective;” outlining what they appreciate most about the Google+ online photo community and how they interact best with that community.

One of the great features of the Google+ network is the Skype-like “hang-out” which offers the photographer ways to connect with up to 9 other people in a video conference. This allows for business meetings, group chats, classes, or photography reviews with people all over the world. Colby not only covers the possibilities of a hang-out session, but also takes you through an easy step-by-step process. I tried my first hang-out last month and had a great time conferencing with fellow f-Stop-sponsored photographers (including Photo Cascadia member Sean Bagshaw).

Google+ is quickly becoming a major online community of photographers, and reading Colby Brown’s Google+ for Photographers, is a step in the right direction for understanding and interacting with that community. This book weighs-in at 215 pages and retails for $24.99 ($15.50 on Amazon). It is available in paperback and Kindle versions.

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Posted in Book Review, Photography Business | 3 Comments »

New Photography Copyright Laws – Where Do You Stand?

Monday, February 27th, 2012

By Adrian Klein

Unless you have been sitting under the drape of a large format camera the last decade you have seen the topic of copyright and piracy come and go in the lime light. Most recently drafted United States bills of SOPA and PIPA took center stage in January 2012.

I have seen emails and articles with strong stances on both sides. Since photographs were first protected under copyright laws starting in 1865 there have been multiple battles waged in this area, this is not the first. What got me interested in writing this post about this topic is to put out my opinions and see if others really think we need more governance to help protect photographers.

After PIPA and SOPA were drafted and about to be debated in our branches of government numerous online companies from Google to Mozzila (Firefox) put the word out in late January that these were incorrect solutions to the problem that could hurt the Internet as we know it including a black out day to gain attention to the issue. This was in sharp contrast to what the other side was saying from RIAA and various other organizations and businesses. I even received the email from PPA that I found somewhat troubling to read. A photography organization that I was a member with for years talked about how companies like Google do not have our best interests in mind and that PPA supports PIPA and SOPA. That might be true in some regards yet I don’t feel these bills were the answer either.

Copyright infringement is definitely more prevalent today in our digital age. I cannot log onto a social networking site anymore without seeing a post about a photographer that had some image used without their permission. I fully support protecting photographer’s copyright if that was not obvious since I am a photographer. And technically your image is copyrighted the moment it’s created with numerous steps you can take today to help show you own the copyright on an image. I don’t want my work used without consent like the vast majority out there, and I take steps to help minimize this from the beginning yet I know I cannot eliminate it if I want to display my work online.

Additionally registering your images with the library of congress can make an infringing damage award higher and easier to prove if it was taken through the legal system, yet I am aware this is something most of us don’t have the bandwidth or finances to do unless the infringement is large enough. Smaller infringements might be able to be resolved by just sending an email or letter. I also realize this only helps post infringement and does not help to reduce infringements. However with the many ways to copy an image from the Internet today I don’t see this ever going completely away. If a person wants to use your online photograph without your permission whether for personal use or commercial, they can.

As long as we continue the trend to make images easy to buy (as seen today with numerous ways to buy images online from print to digital files) I feel this will only help reduce issues and frustration around the subject. Maybe I am naively hopeful.

Suggestions to help protect your images:

  1. Do not post high resolution images online. Approximately 700 pixels at 72 dpi is a good size. I still see large images posted online often.
  2. Add a watermark to your images in Photoshop. They do not need to take away from the photo, can be added to be noticeable but not intrusive.
  3. Add metadata to your images with a copyright statement and your contact info. This helps show who owns the image if there is any question.
  4. Do not supply images without a contract license. Even if granting zero cost licenses for specific cases you should still have it documented.
  5. Register your images with Library of Congress: http://www.copyright.gov/
  6. Educate your clients. When I had my portrait & wedding business I supplied a document that talked about everything the client could or could not do with purchased digital negatives.
  7. And lastly if you have images that you want to guarantee are never used without your consent under any circumstance, don’t post them online.

I think the answer is to continue to educate the public and clients. Additional laws may help only slightly if at all and will be a delicate balance of too much power vs too little like any new law. The point of this post is to get you thinking, not solve it. What are your thoughts? Are current laws enough or do we need a tighter government clamp on the Internet? Feel free to share your views here.

Below are examples of sizes and watermarking that you might want to evaluate that I have seen in use. This will be a personal preference based on how much you want to bring the viewer in and fully enjoy the online visual experience, or not.

An example of my web presentation for most sites. 665 x 456 pixels including border with a light opacity watermark in one of the corners.

Although this will certainly be effective in deterring unsolicited use of an image. It will also have less visitors viewing your work with less inquiries. Yet I have seen instances similar to this.

Notice this image is very small if you click on it, 365 x 250 pixels at full size. While this again may deter people it also does not allow those you want to potentially purchase your work to truly get a feeling for the imagery.

Posted in Image Processing, Philosophy, Photography Business | 5 Comments »

Avoid Those Photography Ruts – By David Cobb

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

During the year, I shoot a lot—between workshops, for projects and assignments, and of course, just for fun. With all that photography, I’m bound to get into a rut from time-to-time, and when I do I use these helpful techniques.

Play: This is what I got into photography for in the first place – to have fun! I can’t let myself forget that either, so every once in a while I do something new or inventive to put the fun back into photography. With the image below I spent a rainy day in January photographing a flower through glass and water droplets. I spent hours bent over my camera photographing and having fun (not to mention putting a crimp in my back), but this simple project helped pass the time and re-energize my creativity just by giving myself a simple assignment. Switch it up – if you’re a landscape photographer then photograph people, wildlife, or even food for a while. The change may prove helpful and even fruitful.

Study: I spend a fair amount of time going to art museums, reading books and blogs, and looking at photography from online postings, class portfolios, and major photo exhibitions. All of this helps influence and inspire my photography. In late 2010 to early 2011 I read and studied three books on Chinese art to help influence, change, and stimulate my compositional way of thinking. That time was well spent and helped influence the images below.

Concentrate on business: If you make a living at photography full-time or part-time, then sometimes it works to put your camera down for a while and concentrate on the business side of things. I often take the months of January and February to help organize the upcoming workshops, send images out to vendors, catch up on processing, catch up on key wording, organize my finances for taxes, apply for permits, and generally plan for the future. And sometimes I just need to stop and think. Making time for the business side of photography helps me in the long-run by making time later for my creative side.

Photograph closer to home: In 2011, I photographed across 35 states and 3 Canadian provinces in 6 months, so the last thing I wanted to do was get on another airplane and head to a photo destination. I plan on staying put for a while to photograph closer to home. It’s fun to get reacquainted with your local surroundings and find new angles, discover new photo locations, and take the time to see the old locales in a new way photographically. The image below was taken a few days ago, not long after a fresh snowfall.

Travel: If you spend too much time at home, the opposite may be true. Sometimes it pays to just go somewhere else and see new locations. I know for me, a new place brings with it a fresh perspective and allows me to break away from the rut of my usual haunts.

These tips might not keep you totally away from one of those photography ruts, but by following a few of these suggestions you might avoid one for a long-long time.

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Posted in Locations, Philosophy, Photo Travel, Photography Business, Photography Techniques | 4 Comments »

Pricing Your Photography Products

Friday, February 11th, 2011

By Adrian Klein

Well I can assure you this will not be the most visually stimulating blog post. That said I can also assure you it’s one that is worth the time to read for anyone that struggles with how to determine pricing of the work you sell. Pricing your photography products is an important decision that everyone from the hobbyists to the full time professionals need to analyze and determine what pricing points work best. Zack touched on this briefly in his great series on this blog about art shows. I want to delve into this a little more. Pricing is completely up to each person and we will not all have the same prices. That is a good thing. What people should understand though is that you need to have some level of thought and analysis on how to come up with pricing. You don’t want to just pick a price because you think it sounds good or because it’s inline with what your best friend (and #1 fan of your work) is willing to pay. If you are selling your work for next to nothing you are doing the industry and yourself a disservice. You are honestly better off giving away your work than charging ultra cheap prices. I give a number of prints away each year and I am fine with this. If you donate or give away occasional work it still holds value in accordance to the investment you ask of your paying customers.

There are really two models to go with, high volume and low price or low volume and high price, most of us cannot have high prices and high volume. There are a very select few like Rodney Lough Jr and Peter Lik to name a couple, that can sell high end work at high end prices and high volume but they are the exception. Pricing was something that I was mentored on more than once when starting out with portraits and weddings, and of course is no different moving into the landscape nature genre. What you see below are expenses to consider that many people seem to forget plus a couple examples how pricing at different price points can greatly impact the bottom line.

The following are expenses you might need to take into account (definitely not an exhaustive list, there are more but this gives you a good starting point)

- Travel: Gas, food, wear & tear on vehicle, oil changes, lodging
- Camera Equipment: maintenance, replacements, everyday wear & tear
- Office Equipment: computer, software, Internet, phone, general office supplies
- Operations Expenses: bank account fees, credit card merchant expenses, website costs
- Misc: Equipment insurance, business license fees, postage & shipping, photo organization dues, taxes

Example 1 – The Photographer Keeping Expenses In Mind

12×18 Print priced at $120 inlcuding shipping
(consumer bought online, pays by credit card and is being shipped within the contiguous United States)
- 2.5% to credit card merchant (at minimum)
- $20 lab charge (print expense incl shipping)
- $15 in package/presentation materials
- $10 shipping

Example 2 - The Photographer with little Concept of Expenses.

12×18 Print priced at $60 including Shipping
(consumer bought online, pays by credit card and is being shipped within the contiguous United States)
- 2.5% to credit card merchant (at minimum)
- $20 lab charge (print expense incl shipping)
- $15 in package/presentation materials
- $10 shipping

Example Product Pricing by Adrian Klein

Two Different Pricing Examples - 12x18 Print

 

Okay, this should give you a good visual of how much different the same type of image with very different pricing can end up after the sale. Pretty different, huh! The interesting or sad part is we are not done yet, this was just the cost we took into account for this one sale. Thinking about all the other expenses I noted earlier on, this will cut into the final profit. Let’s also assume with a transaction like this that you have limited phone and or an email time corresponding with the customer to complete the order and answer questions. This does not always happen but it’s likely and I always want to help my customers out as much as I can. This will be more time spent on the order. And you will need to think about the time it takes you actually fulfill the order. Is all of this getting your mind going? I hope so. Here is a list of items on how your time might be spent for an order like this:

1. Receiving order and processing payment
2. Additional editing before it gets printed or goes to the lab for printing
2. Placing the print order or printing it yourself
3. Input transaction into tracking software or spreadsheet (accounting)
4. Putting package together for mailing and drop off at mailing facility
5. Correspondence with the customer before, during and after the order

By the time you take all of this into account for Example 2 you are working for basically minimum wage. You might say this is not a realistic scenario. Well I can say it is. I have seen many photographers pricing work at fairs or online sites at very low prices that make me wonder how they can truly make a profit, even as a part-time professional. You might also be saying to yourself that my expenses are more, or less, than what you have in your examples. Very possible. You might have tiered pricing where you offer cheaper open edition prints and more expensive limited edition prints. There are a myriad of ways this might be slightly different for you. This is meant to be an example.

This is my take on it to help provide all of you reading this some insight on this topic. There is much more that can be discussed and covered. I encourage you to research this topic or send me an email if you have questions.

Oh and one last thing I will also mention is sometimes we make mistakes and need to eat the cost of that mistake. As an example; do not go back to the customer to change amounts after you have given a final price (unless it’s some bizarre/unique situation). Over the holidays I had a client order a 30×45 canvas that I accidentally under priced the shipping and packing. Even though I have sent products out many times I wound up paying more for shipping and packing supplies than I charged this client. Do you think I went back to the client to ask for more money on this transaction? No way. I feel this would be a poor way to do business. Do the best you can and when you miss the mark try to learn from it for the next time.

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Posted in Photography Business | 6 Comments »

Which Photography Workshop (Tour) Is Right For You?

Monday, November 29th, 2010

By Adrian Klein

Let me start this blog entry off by saying this is not meant to be sales pitch for workshops led by me or any other member of Photo Cascadia. If you sign up for one led by one of us that is great but is not the goal here. I feel there are many insights I can provide to folks thinking about signing up for a workshop or tour and that is my primary intent here. The stories I hear, the feedback and questions I get continue to be insightful in many ways. There are varying types of workshops and discerning the right fit is is not always easy. If you are looking to sign up for a workshop or tour I hope you find this of value and that you find the right one to help meet your goals and interests. This is not an all inclusive list more like the top points to consider, in my opinion of course.

1. Group Workshops vs Private 1-On-1. There are plenty of benefits and challenges to both group and private outings, you need to weigh them and decide. Realize when attending a group workshop that you will be with other photographers and it’s usually not feasible to visit all potential spots or have extensive detail on every topic discussed. Additionally you will need to realize that going as group does mean moving slower than taking a private tour, a reality doing almost anything as a group, not just workshops. If you have specific needs for you to be 100% satisfied including but not limited to locations you have to visit, desire to move at a pace that fits only you (which can be fast or slow), personal in depth processing assistance then although slightly more in cost a private tour/lesson might be a better investment.

Olympic Peninsula Workshop

Olympic Peninsula Workshop

2. Photo Tour vs Workshop. You see this all the time but what does it really mean? One photographer says they do photo tours, another says they do photo workshops. I don’t see enough people doing homework ahead of time on the difference and asking questions to the leading photographer to ensure what they are offering is the right fit. Simply put a photo tour means the focus is on taking the client to locations and less on helping the client with actual photography. Workshops normally will include additional non-field time to cover various topics from processing to general photography tips n tricks. To me I will always help out a client as much as I can with whatever questions they have regardless if I call it a tour or workshop. Yet I have had more than a few clients mention to me that they had been on a prior “photo tour” elsewhere and felt they did not get much help with their photography skills, which was not inline with their expectations. Take the time to understand the workshop/tour FAQ’s and/or ask the question to the leading photographer before signing up to make sure it meets your needs.

Columbia River Gorge Workshop

Columbia River Gorge Workshop

3. This Group Is Larger Than I Thought! Another factor into the equation that not all workshops are created equal is size. I have seen field workshop listings that do not have participant count listed which I never understand and leads me to believe that they will be large. As soon as you place field time into the itinerary and have a large participant count it will be tough to watch an instructor, get answers to questions or possibly be able to photograph the scene you want. Nothing wrong with attending large, or small workshops, but you should be able to determine the size ahead of time to help decide your preference.

Olympic Peninsula Workshop

Olympic Peninsula Workshop

4. Class Is In Session. Remember the time during the workshop is your time to have fun and learn. Don’t be afraid to bring a list of questions. If you know there are a number of things you want to learn more about make a list and bring it. Don’t put it all to memory and assume you will remember during the workshop. I have seen it before where participants show up, the workshop quickly gets underway with excitement and it’s not until you leave that you realize questions you had you forgot to ask. When the instructor is leading a workshop they will have a list of topics to cover yet dialogue with your instructor is important to keep them, and you engaged.

Central Oregon Coast Workshop

Central Oregon Coast Workshop

5. Be Prepared, Within Reason. After signing up you should be provided a list to prepare from allowing you to arrive ready to go, photographic related and non-photographic such as food expectations, clothing needs, etc. As far as photographic gear there are the basics that everyone should bring yet I see some clients ready to drop the equivalent of a mortgage payment into new optional type gear before coming to a workshop which is normally not necessary to get the most out of it. Again this will be a question to the instructor based on type of workshop, type of photography, your current level and your current funds! And do not forget about proper clothing and footwear. This can be make it or break it whether you enjoy your time in the field. I really cannot stress this enough. The instructor should provide climate/weather info and clothing/footwear recommendations, and if not please ask.

Central Oregon Coast Workshop

Central Oregon Coast Workshop

6. Realistic Expectations. You cannot cover it all in two or three day workshop. Figure out what you want your main focus to be. Do you want more time in the field? Do you want more time with Photoshop? Do you want more time critiquing your images? Or if the workshop covers all these and more all realize ahead of time and that there will only be so much time for each. The list can go on but you get the idea. Also know that you will likely visit more commonly known locations along with less known areas. Even though you might see an amazing image in the online gallery from the leading instructor taken in the general area you are going don’t expect that you can go there unless you have confirmed this up front. Some areas may not be realistic in a group and or too dangerous for any size tour or workshop. And lastly with expectations do understand that weather and seasonal conditions are always changing. Be flexible with a positive attitude. If it’s raining the whole time during a field workshop this is just as hard and disappointing on the instructor as it is for you.

Columbia River Gorge Workshop

Columbia River Gorge Workshop

If I can leave you any final words here it would be go with two primary expectations; to have a good time and be ready to soak up information like a sponge. And if you come home with great images consider that the icing on the cake.

Posted in Philosophy, Photography Business | 4 Comments »

WELCOME TO PART 2 OF MY INTRODUCTION TO FINE ART SHOWS

Saturday, November 6th, 2010

By Zack Schnepf

Part 1: http://photocascadia.wordpress.com/2010/08/06/an-introduction-to-juried-fine-art-fairs/

Choosing images

If you decide to take on the daunting challenge that is an art fair you will need to start by choosing images. You have to choose how many unique images you want to carry in your booth and what sizes you want to offer. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out the magic number. I read many opinions on these subjects. I decided to print my best 60 images in 3 sizes. To be honest I would rather take my top 10 images, than my top 200. I definitely have bread and butter images that sell much better than the rest, but I also like to offer a good selection for everyone. 60 is my magic number for now.

You might ask, how did I even know which were my best 60? This is a good question. I did some gorilla market research. I asked all my friends and family which images were their favorites and which they would actually hang in their home. I also looked at which of my images were popular on certain websites like flickr, www.naturephotographers.net, and photo.net. Many are images I would have chosen myself, but many were a big surprise to me. This was very helpful and together it helped me decide on my initial inventory. This lineup is revised each year. I try out new images, and take out images that have not sold well.

I eventually decided on 3 print sizes to carry in my booth: 8×10, 12×18, and 16×22. I do offer larger sizes as well by special order. This seems like it should be a pretty easy decision, but it wasn’t. You are limited to sheet paper and roll paper sizes. I offer 8x10s because they fit on a letter size piece of print paper and so I have an affordable print for someone who loves my work but doesn’t have a lot of money. I offer a 12×18 because it fits conveniently on a 13×19 sheet of printing paper and it’s a nice size that does justice to landscape images. I chose 16×22 because it is the optimum size to show off most of my work and I can print them horizontally on a 24” roll with a 1” border on each side. I’m using an Epson 7900 to do my own printing. For me, printing my own is the only way to go, but I do know some photographers who have someone else print for them.

Printing

As I mentioned before, I do all my own printing, except sizes larger than 22×34. I chose Crane’s Museo Silver Rag for my high end paper, and Epson Premium Luster for the rest of my prints. I did a ton of print testing and durability testing on just about every paper on the market. My all time favorite paper is the Silver Rag. It’s heavy, archival, and looks fantastic. It also doesn’t have the out gassing issues that RC type papers like luster have. Luster on the other hand is really durable and holds up to the wear and tear of traveling to shows better than any other type of paper I’ve tried. Matte papers tend to hold up really well too, but I don’t like matte papers as well for my images.

How do you know if printing your own is worth the investment in printer, ink, paper, and possibly software? For me it was easy, I really enjoy printing my own. I really like being in total control of the entire process from capture to print. It also makes financial sense for me too, I have the volume of sales to justify the investment. If you are just starting out you’ll have to decide if it makes financial sense to print your own. It probably would be in the long run, but it depends how many shows you plan to do. If you are just preparing for a first initial show getting your feet wet it might make more sense to have someone print for you. I know photographers who have gotten prints from Costco to do their shows. The quality was also pretty good. I would not recommend this personally. If you do decide to have someone else do your printing you’ll have to find someone who can make quality prints at a reasonable price. West Coast Imaging produces very high quality prints, but it would be expensive to generate your entire inventory that way. I recommend finding someone local who will cut you a deal for bulk orders. You’ll probably have to do some research locally.

If you do decide to print your own you will have some challenges ahead of you. First of all, which printer is going to be right for you? I started with an Epson 3800 printer. This was perfect for starting out. It was a real workhorse and I have nothing but good things to say about it. I eventually moved up to the 7900 because I was spending a fortune to have all my 20×30 and larger prints custom printed locally. It was still a good idea for me to start with the more affordable printer, it kept my initial cost lower for my first couple years. There are lots of good printers out there these days by Epson, Canon, and HP. Any of the mid range and above are capable of the kind of quality you’ll need.

Once you decide on a printer you’ll have to master the difficult task of color management. You have to calibrate your monitor, use the proper profiles for your printer and paper, do lots of print testing, and possibly have some custom profiles made as well. This is no easy task, and can be very frustrating for people starting out. I can understand why some photographers don’t want to deal with it. Once you get your system properly color managed, the process becomes very simple. I save separate files for each print size so I just load the photo into Photoshop and hit print. As long as you have the right size piece of paper in the printer it works perfectly every time.

Which print mediums sell best at shows, loose prints, framed prints, gallery wrap canvas, aluminum, etc? In my experience, loose prints sell better than anything. Gallery wraps sell well also, but are more of a big ticket item. They are cheaper than a framed prints though, and I know some photographers who make a lot of money with them. There is no one right answer here, it is something you have to feel out on your own. For me, I make the most from loose prints. Even though I sell more 8x10s, and 12x18s, I still make as much from the 16x22s because they have a larger profit margin. They need to, if you mess one up you need to be able to absorb the cost to make another. So how do you set the prices for prints anyway?

Pricing

Photography is like any business, you have to calculate your costs and make sure you make more money than you spend. You also have to be mindful of your competition, and have an accurate appraisal of how your work stacks up against your competition. This is one reason why you should visit a few shows before you even think of trying to sell at a show.

I try to calculate my total cost for my images. That includes materials like ink, paper, packaging, etc. I also include my travel costs to capture the images. There are also the equipment costs like camera, lenses, computer, printer, and all the other miscellaneous costs involved. You have to take all this into consideration or you will end up loosing money in the end, or breaking even. I’ve seen artists who obviously did not consider their total cost. They didn’t last long. It is a wonderful feeling to sell your art to total strangers, but you also need to make a profit to stay in business. You can visit my site if you’d like to see my pricing: http://homepage.mac.com/zackschnepf/photography/prints.html

I’ll continue this series later. I’ll talk about getting setup for your first show, sales techniques, attitude, and much more.

Posted in Photography Business | 11 Comments »

AN INTRODUCTION TO JURIED FINE ART FAIRS

Friday, August 6th, 2010

By Zack Schnepf

INTRODUCTION

I get a lot of people asking me how I got started selling prints at fine art shows so I thought I would write about my experiences in this blog. This will be the first in a series of articles.

Four years ago I was mostly a stock photographer. I was in the process of transitioning away from commercial work like wedding, and product photography. I wanted to find a way to make money photographing what I enjoyed, nature and landscapes. Stock was already drying up for me so I knew I had to find something else to fill that gap in my income. I thought about doing art shows, but didn’t really know where to start. It is during this time that Mike Moats gave me some great advice. He told me about his success doing art shows and he helped me get started with some very helpful advice. I thought I would do the same and share some of my own journey into the art fair adventure.

I’m right in the middle of my third season and in spite of the economy I’ve been very successful. I started out looking for a way to fill in a gap in my income and now I make about 50% of my income from shows alone. I only do about five or six shows a year, any more than that and I start to get burned out. Avoiding burnout is very important for me. I know photographers who do 20+ shows a year and love it, but I’m not built that way, I prefer to do a handful of quality shows and spend more time in the field and doing workshops as well. This is a balance everyone has to figure out on their own.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF AN ART FAIR

I think it would be helpful to describe what selling prints at fine art shows is like. First of all, it’s very hard work, but it can be very rewarding as well. It’s fun talking about your photography with people, and I actually enjoy selling my photos. On the other hand, the days are long and you are at the mercy of the elements (at least for outdoor festivals). Setting up and tearing down is physically exhausting and it takes a lot of stamina to man your booth and be in selling mode for three or four days in a row.

Here is a very short description of doing a single art show. First, you need to generate a massive inventory of prints in multiple sizes, fewer sizes the better. I carry about 200-300 prints to every show. Mat and frame ten to fifteen display prints to adorn the walls of your booth, the bigger the better. I carry about eleven framed pieces, three 32×40 show stoppers and eight 22x28s. Box up and pack your inventory, canopy, display walls, and everything else in a van/trailer. Drive to the show and unpack everything in your 10×10 booth space. Setup your canopy, display walls, print bins, desk, and hang your frames. Go home, mix a strong cocktail and relax :)

Wake up bright and early the next morning and sell prints for 8-10 hours, unless it’s slow which means you have to find something to do to look busy. You can’t read a book, or play on your iphone, this makes you inaccessible and turns off customers. You need to find time to eat and drink in there somewhere. I stay pretty busy at most shows, except on Friday mornings because most people are working. You will end up telling the same stories and answering the same questions all day long. This is just part of selling and you need to stay positive all day long or you won’t sell anything. Attitude is everything; I will go into more detail on this in a later blog. At the end of the day you’ll pack up your credit card machine (required if you expect to make any money at a show) and receipts and head home to pass out from exhaustion. Rinse and repeat for two more days. At the end of the last day of the show, you pack up everything into your van/trailer and head home. It usually takes me a few days to fully recover from a show.

INVESTMENT

One other important thing to know about doing shows is how expensive it is to get started. My total investment my first year was about $14,000. This included a new printer, canopy, display walls, display bins, framing materials, flat file, mat cutter, packaging materials, and lots of other miscellaneous items. You don’t have to spend quite this much, but I wanted to have a very professional looking booth to compete with veterans of the art show circuit. Having high quality work also helps a lot, but I’ll talk more about that in the competition section.

RESEARCH AND RESOURCES

Before undertaking an endeavor like this I always do extensive research to find out if it is something worthwhile. There are some great resources out there to get you started. I started by talking to Mike Moats (http://tinylanscapes.wordpress.com/)

and a few other photographers that were having success. Mike in particular was very helpful and helped put me on the right track. There are also many online resources to help find information. One of my favorites is http://bermangraphics.com/artshows/artshowphotography.htm.

Larry also runs a forum devoted to photographers doing shows, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/artshow_photo/.

One of the best resources to get a feel for the show life is a book by Maria Arango called Art Festival Guide. I found this book to be invaluable when getting started

http://www.artfestivalguide.info/book.html.

The other thing I found extremely helpful was go to some art shows and talk to artists. While you’re at the show, look around and see if this is something you would enjoy.

I will continue this series later. I will talk more in depth about topics like competition, setting prices, doing your own printing, selling, attitude and many other helpful topics.

Posted in Photography Business | 14 Comments »