Gallery Scams

[pdmoylan]

Anyone suspect gallery owners of surrepticiously printing digitial submissions or scanning and printing submitted prints and reselling them without the photographer's permission? A recent event has stoked my concern in which a gallery requested digital images that they would print, frame and sell for a small commission to the photographer.

What's stopping them from selling the images multiple times.

I thoughtfully asked lots of questions and of course received no responses.

I tend to be cynical but this seems ripe for abuse.

PDM

[Peter Gomena]

The entire premise of this sort of gallery makes me suspicious. There is a gallery near me that offers this kind of "service." I've heard nothing bad about the gallery, mind you, but I'd be hesitant to trust my work to such a business.

The experience of some photographers I've met whose work sells through traditional galleries is that it's sometimes difficult to collect on any gallery sale, never mind one that holds your digital files. Perhaps the younger generation is more trusting than I.

[invisibleflash]

Don't know. But there are galleries that charge high fees to present the work. That is where they make a portion of their $ from.

[gregmo]

Don't know. But there are galleries that charge high fees to present the work. That is where they make a portion of their $ from.

These are commonly referred to as "vanity galleries."

[gregmo]

Anyone suspect gallery owners of surrepticiously printing digitial submissions or scanning and printing submitted prints and reselling them without the photographer's permission? A recent event has stoked my concern in which a gallery requested digital images that they would print, frame and sell for a small commission to the photographer.

What's stopping them from selling the images multiple times.

I thoughtfully asked lots of questions and of course received no responses.

I tend to be cynical but this seems ripe for abuse.

PDM

Essentially the artist and gallery is entering into a licensing agreement. Need to do your homework..check the reputation of the company, reach out to current artist to get their feedback. The contract details are very important.
I do art licensing with a company to sell canvas gallery wraps thru Walmart, Kmart, Sears, Overstock, Amazon, ex.. Royalties are paid quarterly with a statement of prints, title, sizes sold. I only send them a file needed to print up to a certain size.

[koh303]

I remember when a bunch of professors were talking about how their gallery contracts demanded they destroy the negatives after the amount of prints has been made, and provide a proof that there is no equivalent digital file of the image. This was in 2003, and was a silly discussion even then, i can't even begin to think about why you are bothered with this. Don't want someone else to use your images, and god forbid make a dime doing it with or without including you? dont scan your negatives, dont shoot digital, dont leave the house, do it Eugene Smith style.

[Old_Dick]

You got me curious, what did Eugene do?

Thanks

[Peter Gomena]

Smith was rumored to lock himself in his darkroom with cigarettes and a bottle of scotch.

[Tracy Storer]

Smith did employ others to print his work at some point in his career. My old photo prof (Jim Dow) used to print for him.

[jp]

Anyone suspect gallery owners of surrepticiously printing digitial submissions or scanning and printing submitted prints and reselling them without the photographer's permission? A recent event has stoked my concern in which a gallery requested digital images that they would print, frame and sell for a small commission to the photographer.

What's stopping them from selling the images multiple times.

I thoughtfully asked lots of questions and of course received no responses.

I tend to be cynical but this seems ripe for abuse.

PDM

Simple vertical integration most likely. There are galleries that sell and frame photos/artwork, why not galleries that print/sell/frame the artwork? Many people aren't awesome at printing or would rather be photographing than printing.

You could still sign/number their output with pencil if you felt a need for that control/verification over copies produced. Any business relationship can be abused if you don't do a little homework and planning.