Selling photos online, any money to be made?

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Originally Posted by photomoof

Yep that is what she said...

So that would mean at minimum, assuming the same number of sales, 1/10 the revenue from sales. e.g. if one was making 50k a year selling stock in the past, then one would now be making 5k a year, selling the same amount of photos.

Seems impossible to make a living unless the number of photos sold is now 10 times as many, which might be possible with wider internet exposure? Have sales increased as prices per sale dropped?

That was my point obviously.

Oh ok, I don't know if Tina's sales have increased. I'm too young to know about the pre-internet days. I can say that the net does bring me all my sales, since I live in a place where there is no market for my work, so for me the net has been a godsend. Tina's a lot older than I am, and has decades of photojournalism experience and a much larger library of images, plus her long work experience that gives her contacts I do not have, so her situation is different.

[Tina Manley]

Sorry! I've been working and haven't checked the forum. I did mean that I'm getting about 1/10 as much for each photo lease and, while it's true that sales have increased considerably, they are not 10X so I'm making less. I would much rather lease one photo for $100 than 10 photos for $10 each but that is the way the market is going. Photography has been greatly devalued and I blame microstock and royalty free leasing.

Chris, yes, the internet has made sales much easier. I sell stock all over the world now when before I was mostly limited to the USA. However, the internet has also made millions of photos available to the same buyers. Some people are willing to let their photos be used for credit only. They aren't making their living with photography. The only way to get around this is to be sure that your photos are better than any that are available for free!! It's a really difficult way to make a living these days!

[Robert147]

I might be a newbie here but I can assure you there is money to be made from selling photos. It can't replace my day time job but I'm doing fine.

[Bike Tourist]

There is a realignment in all the arts going on, especially those classified as "commercial". The writer is confronted with ereaders. The musician deals with all kinds of electronic piracy and devaluation. This is the paradigm for the 21st Century and photography is no different. People can sell their work cheaply or give it away, as has always been the case.

I'm happy to sell for what the realistic market will bear while paying for my equipment, supplementing my retirement income, boosting my ego with usage world-wide and having fun in the bargain!

[.... _]

there is some enlightening reading and stats to be found at the following link ( no 5 of 6 ). All six are worth reading.

http://www.terragalleria.com/blog/20...aphy-business/

[Bill Clark]

I don't sell photographs on line.

The photographs I make are of people.

They sell from my studio.

[.... _]

An artist friend of mine told me of a little artist shop he uses for supplies which usually has a few paintings by local artists hanging on the walls for sale. Chatting to the owner one day about a painting which had been on sale for over two years for £150 with no interest, my friend suggested he put the price upto £1000. He did and it sold within a week. Says a lot about the mentality of art buyers.

[Bill Clark]

Here are a couple of ideas that may help sell some prints.

Go to various offices and offer to hang prints up on their walls and provide business cards in a holder to those who may be interested purchasing. You could make some nice cards with pricing and contact info. for each print. Offer to change them out every 3 to 4 months so as people who frequent see different items. You could pay the office or owner a commission on your sales. Drs. offices, dentist, stock brocker offices, auto dealers, libraries are some that come to mind. When I was in sales full time, a "no" meant to me a future "yes" because I was determined to figure out a way to achieve my goal.

Another idea is to get a business owner to sign a letter that gives you kudos on your photography. Some businesses mail out monthly statements; you could create something to put in as a stuffer. You have two chances to get sales, one from your stuffer material and the other from the person who is willing to say, "I endorse this persons work."

Hope this helps some of you.

[kuzano]

Originally Posted by photomoof

There is some truth to the concept -- it the photographer/artist thinks their work is worthless, why would anyone else value it?

However buyers must like the work they are buying unless it is an investment, $1000 is not investment leve, so it was just chance that brought in a buyer.

The concept is called the "Law of Perceived Value". Art buyers and collectors usually have both money and arrogance. Put succinctly, they don't buy "Cheap krap" art. They often have a lot of art, or they have a special place that needs something to fill a space.

"Perceived Value" is a common concept that's been around for a long time. In the automobile market, Porsches and Ferrari's are in no way "better" cars than most of the market for cars, but the perception of value sells merchandise.

Being both an avid car buff and having spent 40 plus years in Marketing and Advertising, I've seen this law play out over and over.

I mentioned this to one of the posters on another forum (about pricing) and he responded that it did not fit his personal philosophy to overprice his work.

I say SCREW THAT!....

Become a philanthropist AFTER you become wealthy. True philanthropy comes from sharing the wealth AFTER you have made set your own life and have the money to give. How are you ever going to retire if you give away all your effort and product.

Art is simply a product, which is why it is in the eye of the beholder. The beholder has the money to buy the stuff he/she really likes.

[.... _]

IMO Kuzano is correct but I would add that if your work is in a local gallery then the price point has to be at the price point of the clientelle visiting that gallery. The particular town where my friend who recounted the story lives, could be described as having an above average level of affluence. i.e. people there have money to spend on the niceties of life. Another less affluent town and the price point would be lower.

As for the web, only the very affluent might risk spending a large sum on an unseen piece of work but mostly not and mostly the average punter will risk very little on unseen work. i.e. the price point on the web is much less than in a gallery. But in a gallery you have to pay the gallery too. Assuming thats 50% then charge 50% less and then some for online sales.

[paradoxbox]

IMO selling photography online is a losing game

money can be made but it's much easier to make money locally.

sell your photos online if you have some kind of barrier that prevents you from selling locally i.e. language barrier or cultural difference, or if your photos are of a stock-photo nature.

these days microstock is a huge business but i think it's better suited to housewives with too much free time than real pros trying to make cash - there's a lot of competition and very low payout. but for a housewife with a camera and tons of free time to be creative it can be a good way to make extra cash.

[dannybear]

Originally Posted by 135format

I wonder if the OP has slit his wrists yet? He's been very quiet since posting.

nope, still here, surprised how far the thread has gone though!

[.... _]

Originally Posted by dannybear

nope, still here, surprised how far the thread has gone though!

Not surprising because I think a lot of people would like to be selling work online but haven't sussed that its a lot of work which isn't what they were planning on. There's no such thing as a free lunch....