Selling prints

[BeepBeep2]

What is a reasonable price to set an 18 x 24 inch enlargement (or 24 x 36) at to you guys? I live in a suburban area if that helps, the people around here are not necessarily rich.

I'm just looking to make a little money here to feed my Xtreme Overclocking side, but if it isn't worth the starting costs (minor, for each print) I won't get into it.

[1avatar]

What type of image were you trying to market? Fine art can fetch a higher dollar value than candid photography or portraiture. Generally speaking, something that large in my area ranges from $40 for poster type printing while metallic paper or alternatively canvas can be more lucrative upwards of $500.

[BeepBeep2]

What type of image were you trying to market? Fine art can fetch a higher dollar value than candid photography or portraiture. Generally speaking, something that large in my area ranges from $40 for poster type printing while metallic paper or alternatively canvas can be more lucrative upwards of $500.

Mostly nature and landscape photography. I thought about printing on canvas as well...
Otherwise they would be enlarged on semi-gloss poster and framed.

[Kain665]

You'd need to find people willing to buy first.

[1ke]

You'd need to find people willing to buy first.

Internet baby. Set up a domain name thats like "yourname"photography.com
Then you put your images up and place a disclaimer that prints can be purchased and put contact info.

[BeepBeep2]

Yeah, I know I need to find people willing to buy. I do plan on setting up a website. I'm still in high school though, so getting my name out there is moderately difficult. Local sales I could frame, however I could point a buyer to a frame or have them buy a frame of their choice remotely.

I'm not looking to make a living off this, just some cash to buy toys with.

[1ke]

Set up a website. Always order you pictures from a professional printer like mpix pro or millers. You shouldn't offer any framing or matting services because it is actually a difficult and time consuming thing to do perfectly so, have your customers screw it up. Once you have a good portfolio, find a local photographer and ask to work as his assistant. I can help you make a portfolio if you need it.

[BeepBeep2]

Hmm, I've done a few personal enlargements with uprinting.com in 2009, 7MP (POS) to 18x24 and 24x36, while the resolution was bad (due to the camera) I was pretty happy with the color range and paper thickness. Semi-gloss HP Photo Premium Paper.
I do my 8x10 and smaller prints here at home. I own an HP Photosmart C4180, it is slow, but in maximum dpi mode with photo inks it produces decent results.

[Kain665]

Internet baby. Set up a domain name thats like "yourname"photography.com
Then you put your images up and place a disclaimer that prints can be purchased and put contact info.

Yeah, I know I need to find people willing to buy. I do plan on setting up a website. I'm still in high school though, so getting my name out there is moderately difficult. Local sales I could frame, however I could point a buyer to a frame or have them buy a frame of their choice remotely.

I'm not looking to make a living off this, just some cash to buy toys with.

Not to rain on your parade, but does that actually work?

[1avatar]

Do you have a current sampling of work to begin a portfolio to represent yourself? Alternatively, do you have a discipline that you would like to focus on? Prior to seeing the $$$ roll in, there's generally a long period to establish yourself and define why people will choose your work to showcase. It might be worthwhile to perhaps look at spending an afternoon at a community market or community garage sale with samplings of your work to see how much interest it generates. This would allow you to adjust you photography and your selling strategy based on what garners the most interest. It would cost you a day, but it'd be a better market test than building a website and waiting for them to come especially since you acknowledge that marketing yourself could be the hardest part.

[BeepBeep2]

Do you have a current sampling of work to begin a portfolio to represent yourself? Alternatively, do you have a discipline that you would like to focus on? Prior to seeing the $$$ roll in, there's generally a long period to establish yourself and define why people will choose your work to showcase. It might be worthwhile to perhaps look at spending an afternoon at a community market or community garage sale with samplings of your work to see how much interest it generates. This would allow you to adjust you photography and your selling strategy based on what garners the most interest. It would cost you a day, but it'd be a better market test than building a website and waiting for them to come especially since you acknowledge that marketing yourself could be the hardest part.

I also thought about this. I do have current samples of work to begin a porfolio, however I do not seem to shoot motifs, I simply shoot on the fly. Of course, this means I cover a wide, broad range of genres, with every genre lacking.

I'm simply asking questions here, from a sparked idea. No need to get serious quite this second.

[itznfb]

Not to rain on your parade, but does that actually work?

deviantArt and SmugMug are great for this. You can make a lot of extra cash just selling within their own communities. I have a couple friends that make 10k+/yr on deviantArt alone.

[lkiller123]

I'm think about finally selling some photo too.

I've made ~500 bucks just from Flickr, people would drop me a PM on the photos.
I've heard both good and bad things about Getty Images, is it any good?