Digital BW, The Print

All,

I would really love to hear what you are doing, or propose could be 
done, with regard to marketing and selling your digital prints.  I am 
in love with the digital workflow, control, and final print.  Plus, I 
don't have to inhale chemistry, nor do I put it back into the ground.

Recently.... I am faced with wide array of objection to these prints 
as fine art.  Some people agree that the resolution and tonal range 
are divine, still, it is not 'a photograph', perhaps something 
equally beautiful, but, not 'a photograph'.  Thus, I am having 
difficulty getting into galleries, exhibits, or shows, nor can I 
obtain representation by dealers.

Hey, if people were telling me that my images were the issue: blah, 
unrefined, lacking composition, flat, downright boring, so on and so 
on, then I would understand that I need to do more work before 
attempting to market and sell my work.  On the contrary, I get a lot 
of excitement, but, still, there is a limited market.

So, are you having the same experience, or do I need to wake up and 
smell the coffee?  What do you suggest?

The folks at  www.bermangraphics.com touch on this subject some.  
They are even trying to create a shift towards an online jury 
process. They do discuss the limited acceptance of digital 
photographic art, but they do not really offer alternative venues or 
propose where this might be going.

Some galleries tell me that all though 'we know' this is 
extraordinary work, John Q Public hears digital and thinks 'Heck, my 
son can do this with his Fuji digital camera and the HP printer we 
bought him for Christmas'.  Regardless if it is true, we have to face 
this obstacle, if it really exists.  I am beginning to think that I 
may have to surrender to the wet darkroom, argh!  I hope not as we 
now live in the country (read septic) and building a darkroom will 
present plenty of challenges and cost, plus, I don't want to be in 
the darkroom.

Lastly, I find a slightly higher awareness and acceptance to IRIS 
prints, even though the tools most of us are using (i.e., PiezoBW) 
surpass IRIS.

So, tell me that you are having other experiences, more promising and 
positive one, and give me some guidance.  I would really appreciate 
it.

Sincerely,

James