Create
Photography, like the creative world, is very subjective. When I first got in to photography I was focused on trying to take photos that I thought I should be taking. As opposed, to the photos I wanted to take. It took me sometime to realise this but it comes with it’s pro’s and con’s.
So what’s the pro’s? You get to enjoy your photography a whole lot more. The con’s? Because you are not taking the same photo as those with a gazillion ‘likes’ you somehow feel your photos are inferior. You soon realise this is the wrong mindset to be in!
What's Your End Goal?
I know that a photography career is far from easy and up until recently it was just a hobby. It could still be a hobby but I have set a goal – and that goal is to see if I can make headway into a unfamiliar career path.
Where To Start?
It is a minefield! So, I’ve decided to start small by selling ‘prints’ of my work. You will read a lot of posts and videos talking about the print market being dead. For my introvert self it is a way of putting myself out there just to see if anyone likes my work.
Are My Images Any Good?
As an amateur in a saturated market I have often wondered (if not all the time) if my photos are any good at all. You end up comparing yourself to the 100k follower profiles.
You even get frustrated when someone’s basic photo gets thousands of like’s vs your perfectly composed shot!
There's Only One Way To Find Out
Start Off Small
Starting off small is not an easy word to use. To put my work out there has led me to creating this website, creating a page with Etsy and more recently participating in an Craft & Arts Fair. All have required vast amounts of my time with equal amounts of frustration. But, people then started buying my prints and I can’t tell you the boost in confidence that gives you.
Confidence Isn't Everything
Well, that’s not entirely true. For me, I needed that boost to give me the confidence that my photos (not all by any means) do appeal to people including my peers. When you work on your own you can doubt your abilities and sometimes we all need that boost from someone you don’t know. Let’s face it, your family will always think your work is amazing!
However, having that bit of confidence does push you to be more focused. Because, let’s face it, unless you self-promote yourself no-one will ever see your work.
So Where Do You Focus Your Energy?
Creating your own website and promoting it is time consuming. For me, therefore, Etsy was a way of putting my work out there. Etsy in itself is a whole topic on it’s own and I may go through the process in a future blog. But whether you sell your work through Etsy, your own website or any other portal you will need to print your work and post it to your customer!
Print Yourself or Drop Ship?
Drop shipping is the cheapest way to start out first but it does come with it’s negatives.
Using a UK based printer whom I thoroughly researched, has proved to be the right choice for me as a new starter to this industry. I didn’t want the expense of buying the appropriate printer (sorry, a £40 printer from Curry’s won’t cut it) or sourcing the relevant paper.
Sounds Great, So What's The Negatives?
To save production and delivery times I thought the drop ship option would serve my customers well. Whilst their prints usually arrive within a couple of days from order they arrive unbranded. With drop shipping you don’t get the option to ‘personalise’ the service.
Therefore, when my print arrives, no matter how well it’s been packaged, it just arrives in a brown (hard-backed) envelope or cardboard tube. I do have the option to get it delivered to me then re-post the print. But then that’s twice the postage costs. That has to be weighed up with the level of service you are aiming to provide. I’m trying to move away from Etsy to my own website and over time will acquire a professional printer to eventually cut out the middle man.
Prints vs Framed Prints
I have wondered whether to offer a ‘Framed’ option. But, because frames are very personal it’s finding a good ‘Framer’ to set-up a reciprocal arrangement. Until I reach that point I only offer ‘Prints’.
Pearl 290
What is ‘Pearl 290’? It is my go to choice for prints. This paper is a high quality white paper that is gorgeous to print on. It has a slightly stippled texture, produces great detail with colours matching what I see on my 4K screen. So far, it has proven to be very effective with my colour and black and white photos.
You do have to be careful with it which is why it’s best to frame it.
Is Canvas Dead?
I still offer canvas prints but I am slowly moving away from this format. Whilst it is a relative cheaper option vs a framed print of similar size, for me, it’s starting to feel a little dated and doesn’t really do the photos justice. I am keen to give the ‘metal’ or ‘acrylic’ prints a go as they do look quite stylish. Although not a cheap option they do exude quality vs a canvas version.
Just Give It A Go!
If you’ve been contemplating for sometime about selling your work. My advice would be to not get swamped with numerous sites that promise to sell your prints to the thousands. Just stick with one and work on building/creating a website to showcase your work. Otherwise you will get too buried in the process and not get the time to go out and create!