Jim, I am for anyone who can sell a photograph. Its an uphill battle to sell photography as art, and your efforts are just as noble as Burkett. In a way, I hope we are all in this together, instead of everyman for himself.
From my limited experience with art fairs, the emphasis is on SMALLER prints matted and sleeved in a plastic rap at an affordable price rather then bigger stuff with a bigger price tag. People do not buy smaller prints as an investment, but rather as something nice to put on the office wall that makes one feel good. A lot of people who are hubris will refer to your market as DECORITIVE or TRINKET art which is a condescending term that places you at the bottom of the heap. Pay no attention to such terms.
The minute you take the same smaller photograph and make it BIGGER, frame it in a real nice frame, put a bigger price tag on it, and place it in a gallery, then it becomes a fine-art print. At that point the buyer goes from being a shopper to fine-art patron and becomes more discriminating about their purchase. The photograph now becomes not only an investment, but also serves as bragging rights. The fine-art patron will place that bigger expensive beautifully framed print in a very prominent place in their home, and they want everyone to know that they can afford to take ownership of a photograph that was created by a gifted artist and NOT a gifted Photoshop geek.
Now let me tell you about my marketing strategy which echoes the progression I just outlined. If you buy one of my prints that is 11x14 or smaller, then I will sell it to you as an "
unsigned photographic reproduction" which is just a less offensive term for decorative art. It is not intended to be sold as an investment. If you buy the same print 16x20 or larger, then it is sold as "
signed limited edition fine-art print", and for $195 you can purchase the print matted and framed in a nice black metal frame on my website. All of these terms are outlined on my website. If you attend the two different gallery shows my work will be exhibited on the opening night of Dec 5th, then the same print will now be framed in a real nice cherry wood frame and cost you $450. Of course, if I commanded more regional recognition, then it could be sold for $1000, but at this time, I lack such fame and stature.
The minute you market your work as a investment, make it bigger, and more expensive, then the seven marketing axioms I noted on page 11 of this thread must now be enforced because that is what the art patron wants. Those upscale galleries that are very successful are very very very good at pitching the seven axioms. The successful artist is also very very very good at pitching the seven axioms. If you are breaching the optical reality to produce photographic prints for art festivals, then you cannot migrate those prints to high-end markets. If you do, then you will eventually get caught and be shamed. The standards of behavior and quality of work is much higher at the fine-art level.
Some people call this stuff a game, but it is not a game. There is lots of money, livelihoods, and reputations at stake, and it is the dead serious
Business of Modern Day Nature Photography.
Jim, I hope this makes things a little bit clearer for you.
Bookmarks