How are your ART sales this year?

[Drew Bedo]

The Houston center for Photography (HCP) will hold a print sale in the evening of Nov 1st. I will have a better idea of the current market then. There will be 26 or so artists at the gallery selling their work art-fair style, from bins and tables. The event is a fund raiser for HCP and will be well attended I think. Check Special Events on www.hcponline.org

[Robert Skeoch]

I still have two events this season so I'll wait to comment after the shows. I'm part of the Art Gallery of Hamilton fall sale plus I help organize a Fall Studio Tour of local artists in early Nov.

I only sell b&w.... $800 for a 20x24 and $600 for a 16x20.

-Rob Skeoch


-Rob

[QT Luong]

I travel a good bit and most of the work in galleries that I see is B&W. I would say a good 80% is B&W. I'm talking higher end galleries like the Weston Gallery, A Gallery, Jackson Fine Art and etc.

Aren't the higher end galleries those that sell contemporary photography, which is overwhelmingly color ? For an idea of the prices fetched, see for instance the upcoming Eggleston auction at http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/s...c-0f7a7592190c It could be interesting to watch the outcome.

[Don Dudenbostel]

Aren't the higher end galleries those that sell contemporary photography, which is overwhelmingly color ? For an idea of the prices fetched, see for instance the upcoming Eggleston auction at http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/s...c-0f7a7592190c It could be interesting to watch the outcome.

Certainly there are color images out there and galleries that carry a good deal of color but I've seen very little color relative to B&W in these upper end galleries. For example Fay Gold in Atlanta carries some large color work but also carries a large selection of Adams, Weston, O Winston Link, Callahan and many others. The color vs B&W is quite small in proportion. A Gallery in New Orleans carries mostly B&W but does carry Saudek's hand tinted B&W images. Look at what sells through the other auction houses and the majority will be B&W.

[Tim Hyde]

Aren't the higher end galleries those that sell contemporary photography, which is overwhelmingly color ?

It absolutely depends on the "high-end" gallery. If the gallery's roster emphasizes vintage classics--Weston, Callahan, Arbus, Adams, etc--then of course they have a lot of b&w. If they offer, largely contemporary, it is likely to be overwhelmingly color. Somebody mentioned Jackson Fine Art, which has an impressive list of both. They divide their collection into "20th Century" (largely b&w) and "Contemporary" (probably 75% color, and the b&w in this section includes artists like Sally Mann, Bruce Davidson, and Roger Ballen). One must also note that some giants who established themselves in b&w (John Gossage and Abelardo Morrell to name two of my favorite) are working in color these days. One hopes that they haven't abandoned silver, but are experimenting.

[mdd99]

I make more as an editor than a photographer, but then I have more fun at photography than editing. C'est la vie.

[eddie]

i was traveling around the world for many years. i was shooting as i went. i had sold a fair share of prints to various people that knew me or knew of me. then i saturated my market.

i have had a few gallery hangings. none really made me any money....a matter of fact they cost me....money and time. i found that i had to spend so much time printing, matting, and framing that i was unable to do any shooting. i lost about 6 weeks before one show. for me the real joy is in the shooting, processing and then printing the results. but shooting it is the most enjoyable part. everything from the travel to the set up to the visualization of the scene.....i love it even more when i am overseas!

i finally decided that i would use my time to shoot and to raise money in a different way than print sales. i will of course sell to anyone that inquires that is for sure. i have even been convinced to shoot weddings from time to time.

what i would really like to do is shoot large format wedding photos. not the entire wedding but just show up, set up, shoot "X" # of sheets pack up and go home to develop them. i was thinking trying to duplicate the 19th century style. so far i have shot 3 wedding like this. i hope it takes off......

eddie

[domenico Foschi]

In my experience It is very hard to make a living only through print sales.
This year, however, has been my best year, ever.
I have had to diversify somewhat, so now I give one on one lessons, I do portraiture, and anything that is photo related that I feel comfortable with.
Eddie I hope your dream to shoot 8x10 portraits will materialize soon.
Spend time in marketing yourself, and things will happen in due time.
That's another thing I have noticed, we have to pay our dues.

[Don Dudenbostel]

I will say it's been a very interesting year in both my art and commercial work. I figured from previous political years that my commercial business would slump some but as of this date I'm roughly 15% above last year and my x-ray art sales continue to be strong. Even after the stock market slump my art orders continue both in small and larger images. In fact I've sold more large prints in the last month or so than the previous months of this year. Sales are catching up with my totals of last year and if sales continue on the current path they will exceed last years.

[Gary L. Quay]

I've sold a few this year, but I've been hanging mostly in cafe's and restaurants.

--Gary