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Myxomatosis
Jan 5, 2008, 11:00 PM
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How have people got on with selling prints?
I know there is shutterstock but I was more thinking of actually getting the photo's printed onto canvas and then try sell them via ebay (trademe here in NZ) or going to a market or something.
Has anyone tried this? Any success? Any tips?
I'm not looking to make a ton of money, I just want to get my costs back on getting them printed. I have looked on Trademe/Ebay at the photo's on there and some of them are pretty rank IMO... some are good tho.
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summerprophet
Jan 5, 2008, 11:48 PM
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There is certainly nothing to stop you from trying to sell stuff on ebay, although I don't think that the returns will be worth the investment, especially if you are printing on canvas.
I think a better option would be to sell your wares at local (or near to local) art shows. Your best bet for mountain or climbing photography would be an outdoor event such as "Art in the Park" or something along those lines.
Hope this helps.
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guangzhou
Jan 6, 2008, 12:15 AM
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Selling prints on Ebay isn't worth the effort from what I hear.
I explored the possibility three years ago, and I am now looking into that avenue again. From what I have seen so far, it doesn't seem like a good money making venture for the time and effort.
See if a local outdoor retail store will let you display your prints in the store. Also look for small restaurants that cater to a local community. Hanging prints on the walls could be useful. It is for me at least.
get a website. get a website, get a website
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pico23
Jan 6, 2008, 12:54 AM
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i'd build a website and then list prices, or print directly through smugmug (seems to be popular among people).
If you do it off your website you can use Paypal to collect payment. Actually it's not that hard. They offer templates and such.
Or if you use smugmug they will do it all for you.
Eitherway, build a website. Or at least a blog. I sort of have a website, but my sister convinced me flash was the only way to go and then told me she couldn't do flash, well neither can I, so it died (in 2005). I've been doing HTML since the mid 1990s so i could get it going quickly if I was inclined.
However, I found flickr and a blog a great way to at least temporalily post my photos online, and also keep a log of my trip reports that I used to send out via email. The blog is only 9mos old, and I intend to actually put up all my old reports as archives (if people would ever forward them back to me from the early 2000s). It's such a simple way to do things, much better than email or my own hosted site for trip reports and photologs. It's about simplicity and cost and the blog is free and simple, meaning I'll keep it up to date.
(This post was edited by pico23 on Jan 6, 2008, 12:55 AM)
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guangzhou
Jan 6, 2008, 1:53 PM
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pico23 wrote: i'd build a website and then list prices, or print directly through smugmug (seems to be popular among people). If you do it off your website you can use Paypal to collect payment. Actually it's not that hard. They offer templates and such. Or if you use smugmug they will do it all for you. Eitherway, build a website. Or at least a blog. I sort of have a website, but my sister convinced me flash was the only way to go and then told me she couldn't do flash, well neither can I, so it died (in 2005). I've been doing HTML since the mid 1990s so i could get it going quickly if I was inclined. However, I found flickr and a blog a great way to at least temporalily post my photos online, and also keep a log of my trip reports that I used to send out via email. The blog is only 9mos old, and I intend to actually put up all my old reports as archives (if people would ever forward them back to me from the early 2000s). It's such a simple way to do things, much better than email or my own hosted site for trip reports and photologs. It's about simplicity and cost and the blog is free and simple, meaning I'll keep it up to date.
Good call Picos. I have to say, I do enjoy reading ytour blog and have booked marked it. Looking forward to more of what you post soon.
I have been considering SmaugMug myself. They offer a nice complete package that seems easy to manage and handle.
Not only can you sell prints, but your can set up private galleries that only your clients can access.
The site also allows you to sell electronic files and stock images. This would make getting images to clients much easier. It would be easy to set up a gallery specifically for a client and allow them to download the file.
I am sorting some prints now and plan on opening my SmugMug account in the next coupe of months. FOrst, I want to have everything prewriten so I can just cut and paste the information once I start the account.
I also started a blog. Mostly after reading what a great job Picos did with his. Because I have been in the wilds of New Zealand for the last three weeks, I have posted much, but I will this week.
So far, I have posted very little, but I have already been contacted by people who have seen and read it.
Where I made a mistake with my blog is not deciding what direction I wanted to go with it. For now, it's just random, but I am sure it will evolve into something. Probably will focus more on my travels than anything.
In case some of youwant to see it: http://class5photos.blogspot.com/
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rockforlife
Jan 6, 2008, 4:02 PM
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i just made my first .60 on dreamstime.com yeah for me i'm still a dirtbag climber...
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guangzhou
Jan 7, 2008, 12:50 AM
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rockforlife wrote: i just made my first .60 on dreamstime.com yeah for me i'm still a dirtbag climber...
Congrats. I will say, SS and istock will yeild you better profit in the long run.
The key to making more is to upload 5 to 10 images at a time. 5 to 10m images a weeks will help keep your portfolio fresh and esay for buyers to find.
Welcome aboard. I hope you experience lots of sucess.
Cheers:
Emmanuel
January 7th Dreamstime and my sell are at $32.00 for this month already.
Cheers
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pico23
Jan 7, 2008, 5:15 AM
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Thanks,
I appreciate the comments a few people that I hike and climb with actually started them after mine. It's a nice way to keep in touch with friends, family, climbing partners, and even random web voyeurs with the same interest without filling anyones inbox up with photos and email they might not have time or desire to read.
The main thing about the blog is that it's simple. A website can develope a life of it's own, and for a while thats fun (I was a webmaster for a collegiate club site, a mountaineering club site, and my own personal sites) but after a while updating all the sections and making a actual site interesting becomes a real chore.
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guangzhou
Jan 7, 2008, 6:09 AM
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pico23 wrote: Thanks, I appreciate the comments a few people that I hike and climb with actually started them after mine. It's a nice way to keep in touch with friends, family, climbing partners, and even random web voyeurs with the same interest without filling anyones inbox up with photos and email they might not have time or desire to read. The main thing about the blog is that it's simple. A website can develope a life of it's own, and for a while thats fun (I was a webmaster for a collegiate club site, a mountaineering club site, and my own personal sites) but after a while updating all the sections and making a actual site interesting becomes a real chore.
I have to agree, maintaining a blog is much easier than a website.
Of course, having a blog on your website isn't a bad way to go.
Eman
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