Digital BW, The Print

Hi fellow photographers,
a couple of years ago, I tried to get a Yahoo! Group off the ground called "The Business of Art Photography". 

It didn't really get off the ground, but still shows over 200 subscribers.

The idea was to discuss issues related to generating sales for one's work and making it more economically viable - how to get it 'out there' and selling (which is very difficult, with a small market of photographic cognoscenti).

So I'm trying again.

Here is the post I sent yesterday - which no one has commented on, so far.

>Hi everyone,
>I started this list aeons ago, in the hope that people like me would like to share ideas about how to earn money from art photography - but the list fell silent.
>
>I checked this morning and there are still over 200 subscribers - so it would seem that it's worth trying to generate some interest and discussion.
>
>These are my current strategies aimed at generating more sales.
>
>Currently I'm preparing for four exhibitions. In an effort to make it financially feasible, I am checking framers' shops for second-hand frames - they are usually selling for almost nothing. Gradually, through hunting around for second-hand frames and seconds (usually they have no more than a scratch) and painting them all the same shade of cream, I'm collecting a number of frames, for a very low expenditure.
>
>In times of recession, we have to be clever; by finding ways of keeping our costs down, we can keep down the price of the framed print and so, hopefully, generate more sales.
>
>To that end, another thing I'm doing is buying small frames (as small as 8x10") and planning to exhibit some of my photos as 4x6 prints in them - then I can justify selling them very cheaply. And I plan to have full-sized unframed prints available as an option, in a print rack.
>
>The other thing I'm planning, is to write letters to local businesses who may be interested in the sorts of images I make, to try and generate some sales. I couldn't believe that my dentist, for example, has photos of the Greek Islands on his walls - and I live in New Zealand! 
>
>Earnest Rutherford said, 'We haven't got the money, so we have to think.'
>
>If anyone else has bright ideas, this is the forum to share them with. And at the moment, we really need bright ideas.
>
>Please let others know that this forum exists, because I still believe that there is a need for it.

The URL for the group is: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/business-of-art-photography/ .

thanks,
Richard

____________
www.richardsmallfield.com  

   "Now, now my good man, this is no time for making enemies." 
   --Voltaire (1694-1778) on his deathbed in response to a priest 
   asking that he renounce Satan.

On 04/06/2009 08:15, "Richard Smallfield" <r.smallfield@...>
wrote:

> Hi fellow photographers,
> a couple of years ago, I tried to get a Yahoo! Group off the ground called
> "The Business of Art Photography".
> 
> It didn't really get off the ground, but still shows over 200 subscribers.
> 
> The idea was to discuss issues related to generating sales for one's work and
> making it more economically viable - how to get it 'out there' and selling
> (which is very difficult, with a small market of photographic cognoscenti).
> 
> So I'm trying again.
> 
Hello Richard,

Please allow me to comment. Your group looks interesting to me, as I would
like to explore this avenue in more detail too. What inhibits me from
signing are two things that immediately strike me.

1) The message archive is public, meaning that non-members can access the
messages and email addresses of folks who post and respond. Spammers love
this, and also non-member are not encouraged to join as they can read the
messages without doing so.
2) I am put off by message headlines like:
Sexy Models and Beauty Queens looking for Sugar Daddy!
This makes it look like the list is being used by spammers, rightly or
wrongly, but my inclination is to the former. I am disinclined to join lists
where spammers participate and leave lists where spammers are allowed to and
their messages left on the archives. (Of course, if this is not spam, but
from a legitimate member that is another story, but the mentality behind
such as subject line if it so is somewhat infantile.)

The list is not being used as much as you want, in part, for the very
reasons that makes it attractive and useful; the difficulty of finding
approaches to selling photography, especially art or domestic display
photography. This is not an easy issue to solve, and it is not going to
generate a lot of ideas of how to do so on a continuing basis. Maybe mails
need to be generated on actual experiences of photographers selling and
making their work known, or something.


Toodle-pip,

Allan.

> 
> The URL for the group is:
> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/business-of-art-photography/ .

see my response at your group. (i just joined)
Janie

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Richard Smallfield <r.smallfield@...> wrote:

>
> Hi fellow photographers,
> a couple of years ago, I tried to get a Yahoo! Group off the ground called "The Business of Art Photography". 
> 
> It didn't really get off the ground, but still shows over 200 subscribers.
> 
> The idea was to discuss issues related to generating sales for one's work and making it more economically viable - how to get it 'out there' and selling (which is very difficult, with a small market of photographic cognoscenti).
> 
> So I'm trying again.
> 
> Here is the post I sent yesterday - which no one has commented on, so far.
> 
> >Hi everyone,
> >I started this list aeons ago, in the hope that people like me would like to share ideas about how to earn money from art photography - but the list fell silent.
> >
> >I checked this morning and there are still over 200 subscribers - so it would seem that it's worth trying to generate some interest and discussion.
> >
> >These are my current strategies aimed at generating more sales.
> >
> >Currently I'm preparing for four exhibitions. In an effort to make it financially feasible, I am checking framers' shops for second-hand frames - they are usually selling for almost nothing. Gradually, through hunting around for second-hand frames and seconds (usually they have no more than a scratch) and painting them all the same shade of cream, I'm collecting a number of frames, for a very low expenditure.
> >
> >In times of recession, we have to be clever; by finding ways of keeping our costs down, we can keep down the price of the framed print and so, hopefully, generate more sales.
> >
> >To that end, another thing I'm doing is buying small frames (as small as 8x10") and planning to exhibit some of my photos as 4x6 prints in them - then I can justify selling them very cheaply. And I plan to have full-sized unframed prints available as an option, in a print rack.
> >
> >The other thing I'm planning, is to write letters to local businesses who may be interested in the sorts of images I make, to try and generate some sales. I couldn't believe that my dentist, for example, has photos of the Greek Islands on his walls - and I live in New Zealand! 
> >
> >Earnest Rutherford said, 'We haven't got the money, so we have to think.'
> >
> >If anyone else has bright ideas, this is the forum to share them with. And at the moment, we really need bright ideas.
> >
> >Please let others know that this forum exists, because I still believe that there is a need for it.
> 
> The URL for the group is: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/business-of-art-photography/ .
> 
> thanks,
> Richard
> 
> ____________
> www.richardsmallfield.com  
> 
>    "Now, now my good man, this is no time for making enemies." 
>    --Voltaire (1694-1778) on his deathbed in response to a priest 
>    asking that he renounce Satan.
>

Thanks very much Allan.

I have made changes - this is the post I am adding to the list.

>in response to legitimate concerns and suggestions regarding this list, the settings of this group have been updated.
>
>There has been spamming on this list in the past and so now new members will have to be approved by me and their first posts will be moderated.
>
>Secondly, the message archive will be for members only.

thanks,
Richard

At 11:36 a.m. Thursday 4/06/2009, you wrote:


>On 04/06/2009 08:15, "Richard Smallfield" <<mailto:r.smallfield%40paradise.net.nz>r.smallfield@...>
>wrote:
>
>> Hi fellow photographers,
>> a couple of years ago, I tried to get a Yahoo! Group off the ground called
>> "The Business of Art Photography".
>> 
>> It didn't really get off the ground, but still shows over 200 subscribers.
>> 
>> The idea was to discuss issues related to generating sales for one's work and
>> making it more economically viable - how to get it 'out there' and selling
>> (which is very difficult, with a small market of photographic cognoscenti).
>> 
>> So I'm trying again.
>> 
>Hello Richard,
>
>Please allow me to comment. Your group looks interesting to me, as I would
>like to explore this avenue in more detail too. What inhibits me from
>signing are two things that immediately strike me.
>
>1) The message archive is public, meaning that non-members can access the
>messages and email addresses of folks who post and respond. Spammers love
>this, and also non-member are not encouraged to join as they can read the
>messages without doing so.
>2) I am put off by message headlines like:
>Sexy Models and Beauty Queens looking for Sugar Daddy!
>This makes it look like the list is being used by spammers, rightly or
>wrongly, but my inclination is to the former. I am disinclined to join lists
>where spammers participate and leave lists where spammers are allowed to and
>their messages left on the archives. (Of course, if this is not spam, but
>from a legitimate member that is another story, but the mentality behind
>such as subject line if it so is somewhat infantile.)
>
>The list is not being used as much as you want, in part, for the very
>reasons that makes it attractive and useful; the difficulty of finding
>approaches to selling photography, especially art or domestic display
>photography. This is not an easy issue to solve, and it is not going to
>generate a lot of ideas of how to do so on a continuing basis. Maybe mails
>need to be generated on actual experiences of photographers selling and
>making their work known, or something.
>
>Toodle-pip,
>
>Allan.
>> 
>> The URL for the group is:
>> <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/business-of-art-photography/>http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/business-of-art-photography/ .
>
>

____________
www.richardsmallfield.com 

   "I find that the great thing in this world is not so much 
   where we stand as in what direction we are moving; 
   To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes 
   with the wind and sometimes against it--but we must 
   sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor."
   --Oliver Wendell Holmes


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