I'll probably just set aside a bit of spare change in my will to make sure the matboard is sprinkled with bit of cheese and pepperoni before it goes to the dumpster.
Selling at a lower price-point, but more people displaying your work.
Selling at a higher price-point, to less clientele
Selling at a "very" high level. Only the well-heeled apply.
I'll probably just set aside a bit of spare change in my will to make sure the matboard is sprinkled with bit of cheese and pepperoni before it goes to the dumpster.
Drew,
I tried sending you a PM right now, but your inbox is full.
-Dan
Stone Photo Gear
https://www.stonephotogear.com/
Hmmm... I'll try emptying it again...
I didn't vote in the pole because it seems kind of beside the point. I don't think I have much agency in that decision anyhow. Work tends to find its market.
I have a bit of an experiment going on right now ... a body of work that I'm selling in a couple of small sizes in open editions, for cheap (to raise funds for a book) and a couple of large sizes in editions of ten, for not cheap.
I've sold several large, not cheap prints (40x60", $2000+) and a grand total of one small open-editioned print (8x10, $75).
People who bought bought the large prints have said the small edition size made a difference to them. Since I've never once sold ten copies of a single image, I doubt it will make much difference to me.
It would be great to be in such high demand, that one could increase prices by manipulating (limiting) supply.
I've just finished a four year (part time) diploma course - last assignment submitted today, graduate show next week - and I majored in Art and editioning was explained as expected practice in the local (Australia) fine art world. One photographer who talked to us found by trial and error that her best result came with editions of eight prints (plus two artist proofs for shows) with each print selling through galleries at $4000. The editions usually sold out. Another one who was getting towards the end of his commercial career and was transitioning towards fine art print sales for semi-retirement. He was selling through local art shows with editions of ten that started lower but rose in price as the edition sold out. In both cases there was just one size for the print, no chance of a second edition at a different size since it was felt that this would destroy their credibility.
For my graduation show I decided that since the likely demand was very low (they are conceptual portraits that take a few minutes to explain) I might as well price them high and have an edition of just three (plus two artist proofs). If they sold out I'd be amazed but I doubt that lowering the price would do much to increase demand. They are the sort of thing that has to be printed reasonably large to work properly, so there is no point in knocking out cheap 8x10s for the masses even if I viewed them as loss-leaders or advertising. So the limited edition gives me a reason for printing at the size I think works and pricing them accordingly.
Don't worry about whatever profits collectors are making from your work, it just helps to justify raising your prices for the next work you make.
Paul, congrats on the degree.
For the woman you referenced at $4k and editions of eight. After the gallery cut, she's only making about $16k per image and then its closed. Not much in the course of a lifetime for each image. Hope she has created additional revenue streams with the images.
Why worry about the collectors. Just focus on putting together a success career.
$16k per image? If she succeeds in making only one fine image each month, that's a good income for someone doing so little for so few. Perhaps not one of my farming neighbors who work every day of the year to provide the rest of us with some of the necessities of life make nearly that much.Originally Posted by gregmo
http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com/store/prints/
is an interesting variation... "Print prices start at $2000 and escalate 25% each print. This open edition escalates rapidly."
Still despite these prices and popularity, he's super busy doing workshops.
Her usual working method is to come up with a concept, refine the idea meticulously, work out the logistics and then shoot a whole folio in the space of month or two. This becomes a solo show which she spends the next eighteen months promoting before starting the process again. $16k per image isn't a huge amount, but when you eventually sell out a show of 12 - 20 images the equation looks a bit better. There are probably a lot of expenses involved as well so it probably isn't quite as rosy as it looks but the key to it is to keep working. The other bit of advice we were given again and again was to hold on to the artist proofs just in case our careers do take off, in which case they become a little retirement nest egg.
Like I said, it's probably all a bit academic in my case, I don't expect to sell out an edition of three, let alone ten, so it is easy to play the game. For others in my class who were producing very saleable work it was a huge issue working out price and edition size.
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