Certainly not boring, in fact very interesting and an interesting view. Almost everyone with a camera puts out a vlog but very few can provide the information from their own gallery, keep it up and hope you got all the shopping and had a good day.
Great video Sturt, always nice to see what goes on behind the scenes which is something that most others do not show. It seems that making the switch to professional photographer/gallery owner has been very good to you. If you can be happy at work, well what could be better. Hope you're having a good Christmas and best wishes for 2021.
Loved the video! As someone who works in a gallery and frameshop as my day job here in Canada,I can relate to a lot of what you talked about...while not an owner,as the senior framer and gallery manager you touched on a lot of similar challenges. I agree with your comments on framing and presentation,and see many artists and photographers opting out of the better quality options due to budget,which does impact the final package...definitely something to consider as an artist/photographer starting out especially. I look forward to the video with your framer...cheers and all the best for 2021!
Thanks Neil glad you enjoyed it, yes it’s something that certainly in photography is vastly overlooked, the printing aspect is made out to be of most importance because it’s the thing photographers can most easily relate to, when in reality if that print is not presented correctly all of that becomes moot.
Hi Stuart. I really enjoyed that. Seems like every man, and often his dog, are out vlogging on a hillside to piano music, so it’s nice to see someone taking a different, more informative approach. This is definitely the angle that sets you apart from the crowd. And I totally agree about the point on framing. My heart sinks when I see prints in cheap frames at art fairs, etc. Keep up the good work, and best of luck for 2021.
Thanks George yes the framing thing always baffles me, though it's more a reflection of how little it's discussed in the community and the scarcity of information available for photographers, the narrative has always been 'print, print, print' and nothing else.
Thanks for another great video Stuart. You are very generous with your advice and experience. Many of your points resonate with me. I've been selling prints and professionally framed prints for over 6 years now - it is more art than science :) It is particularly difficult to determine framing arrangements. I've always preferred the classic black frame and white mat presentation - but often clients decide based on home decor rather than the content of my image! Keep up the good work and all the best for 2021 and beyond.
@@StuartMcGlennon how do you feel about selling prints that are neither mounted nor framed? Selling framed images online is fraught with shipping challenges (fragile glass and high rates). I lost a key partner for retail when my framers closed their gallery in the summer due to Covid restrictions.
I commend you for making a positive change in your life Stuart. Identifying it and taking action to improve your situation. It’s great to see the success you’ve had from taking that step. Such a privilege to have your work appreciated by others. Good vlog with great insights. I hope you all have a great Christmas and best of luck with the coming year. Happy Christmas
That was great Stuart, really interesting to hear your story. It's a shame some people don't value all aspects of what you were talking about, seems to me it's just a confirmation of the adage "you get what you pay for" Your photos are outstanding and the presentation of them is equally impressive. Wish you continued success and we look forward to visiting your gallery one day, when normality returns to planet earth ! Cheers.
Well, that was 24 minutes of my life... well spent! I - and I'm sure many others - appreciate your efforts with the vlogs and advice you offer. As you know I was also contributing to Brave the Skies way back, and agree the gallery has benefitted greatly from the refresh work you did. Couple of questions - are you focusing mainly on prints as opposed to canvases asI didn't see many in the shop in the vlog or when I've been in. And you didn't mention mounts - maybe that'll come when you do the framing vlog but I'd be interested to hear your thoughs on single, double, coloured, etc. Thanks again for your efforts on the vlogs.
Thanks Phil, regards mounting that’ll be covered in the next video as it’s more framing centric - with canvases all images are offered as canvases though for display I mainly stick to framed stuff, I think canvases generally look a wee bit ‘dated’ and don’t always do the images justice as well as a good print
Good for you Stuart. I always admire people that have gone into business and made a go of it. I think this video should be required viewing for any landscape photographer. Looking forward to your one on framing. Have a happy new year and see you on the other side.
Another cracking vid Stuart, lovely to see someone talking through the back room stuff which maybe isn’t as glamorous but when you’re really into your landscape photography and take it seriously it’s lovely to see. Merry Xmas mate 😃
Thoroughly enjoyed this one Stuart, a breath of fresh air to see a vlog on photography from an original perspective. Id also like to see a vlog on recommendations for photography books (in the gallery sense and educationally), and which photographers we should check out. I've just bought a book by Liam Wong ( TO: KY: OO), which is a million miles away from traditional landscapes, but that's the beauty in the variety of styles out there.
Another great video Stuart, inspirational and informative. How about "Part 3, my photography journey". It would be great to know how and why you started in photography, who inspired you and what if any pitfalls you encountered along the way. Oh and please don't ever do a "What's In My Bag" video 🙄. Have a great festive holiday and all the best for 2021.
Thanks Lloyd, yes I see those videos and immediately roll my eyes a bit as they’re quite a cheap attempt at ‘mining for content’ which I’ve no interest in doing, if it bores me then I won’t do it. At some point I will do something more on my photographic background etc though it’ll always be woven in to some sort of video where I’m out in the field as ultimately it’s the landscape photography I want folk to tune in for rather than the desk-based stuff I see a great many doing. Have a great Xmas 👍👍
Fascinating, thank you. For years, selling via libraries to publishers etc. this was a dream. But you’ve reminded me of why I am temperamentally u fit for running a gallery... the public! “I have a better one on my phone,” etc. Doubt I could keep quiet, “Let’s see it, I’ll do you a 90 to 10% commission deal, with you being so gifted you’ll be minted.”
Haha yes it can be infuriating at times but it’s not worth the energy worrying about really - these people aren’t ever going to be customers so it’s not worth spending time on
Very interesting stuff, Stuart, and you are so right; once tried, there’s no going back from museum glass! Have the best Christmas and New Year holiday you can :0)
Some great information in there. Remember seeing the difference between the glasses when you showed me and it was incredible! Always enjoy popping in and seeing what you've got up when coming through Keswick
Stuart, that was brilliant. Really interesting, especially the framing discussion. Very much looking forward to the follow up. Hope you’re having a good festive break. Best wishes, Julian.
Cheers mate aye not too bad, I’ve actually got a bit more time this year as the restrictions have hit tourist trade hard so it’s been a bit pointless opening over xmas. Enjoying being at home for sure! Merry Xmas
Great content Stuart, it really is great to hear the story behind it all. Pleased to see you've included about which images you print and why, even down to museum glass! So a thumbs up from me, will look forward to hearing all about framing next. I've recently had my first ever print done so the next video will certainly help. Keep the inspiration coming, Wishing you all the safe and happy new year.
Excellent as usual Stuart - we have just cleared out over 2 ton of unwanted items / rubbish from the house and are in the middle of decorating. Next step is to get some of my photos up on the walls so I was eager to watch your video :) Looking forward to the next one. Can I ask how you get round the issue of image brightness between monitor and print? It may just be a trial and error thing if you have a printer but I don't so have thought about just getting some small prints done to check before getting the larger versions. I have seen some people say they increase exposure by 1/3 stop before printing but not sure if that will cover all scenarios?
Cheers mate, monitor brightness generally I’d say you should always edit with it set slightly dark, so if it’s out of the box at 50 have it at 40. Of course you can offset this by having your monitor brighter and then as you say knocking the exposure value up, either work though I find I get more accurate results editing from this starting point. Vast majority of photographers set the monitor too bright which is why the tip of adjusting the exposure before print is often mentioned. Put it this way, I never have to increase my exposure on the tiff file I send to castle and the exposure on the final print is bang on
Really enjoyed the video and learned such a lot, I really agree about the museum glass compared to normal glass. It's really incredible! Such wonderful insights about the choice of framing and paper, fotospeed paper is excellent. Looking forward to seeing the next video with your framer. Happy New Year
Another really interesting vlog, Stuart. As I predominantly sell furniture for a living, I'm also responsible for selling pictures in the store where I work and I can concur with your thoughts that most of the people who buy a picture seem to decide on which one based on their colour scheme at home and also the subject matter. Size is also a consideration, though the number of times people fall in love with a picture only to find that it doesn't fit their space and have to return it. I'm guessing that's something you must try to impress upon them before they pull the trigger on a purchase. Will say thank you for the insight into what frame colour you would recommend for your pastel coloured image of Otterbield Bay image, though I guess your next vlog will give me an even better steer on this. I have sent you an email with a little query over this. Owing to the current pandemic, we've not had a new delivery of pictures for sometime at work and you've got me thinking as to whether I could print a few of my images to sell. I've debated for sometime whether I should supply them un-framed or framed, should I go for a metallic print, or on canvas or on an art paper either framed or not. I'll wait to see your next vlog before I make my mind up.
Thanks Ian, with the Otterbield image I tend to frame in one of the dark distressed ones, definitely not light oak or bright frames, the size print you have i tend to mount them as 16x12's. I guess if you're thinking of showing your own in the shop you can only try a few and see, my advice if selling in the shop is to sell them framed, people often prefer not having to go and frame themselves either because they're lazy or have bought unframed in the past and never got round to doing it so dissuades them from buying in the future unframed. The key is to have samples of others on hand if they want a different finish
Another great insight to running a gallery. As I enjoy the whole printing process myself, this was really interesting, especially seeing your paper choice. Now speaking with my carpenters hat on, I’m looking forward to the framing episode as I’d like to start making my own frames. Take care Stuart and best wishes for the new year 🍺
Cheers Darren best wishes to you 👍 yep I can imagine if you’ve already got those skills and you’re a photographer it would be tempting to move into doing your own frames. Might be a good idea once Brexit properly lands, all the framers in this country get the mouldings from Italy!
Man Stuart! I really appreciate this as I am getting ready for my new show! All the things I have suspected for a long time you are saying here! Fantastic video and very very much appreciated!
I came to this having seen you on the Pubcast and I really enjoyed this video. When we are free to move again I may end up climbing in the Lakes and I will look you up. Straight out of Fishers and into your place! PS I just found the Newsletter on your website - it is really excellent, very well put together and so full of good content. Thanks.
I’m new to your channel. Great video Stuart. I was looking to get my own gallery in the Spring of this year then those plans were put on hold for obvious reasons. You are so right about museum glass, there’s such a difference to standard very reflective glass.. I love your gallery and particularly your work. Have a good Christmas.
Hi Stuart. As we are in the final throws of this pandemic hopefully I wanted to ask you for a bit of advice. I mentioned previously that I wanted to set up a gallery of my own down in t(e South West of England. With the high street decimated before and after covid do you think it is too risky to set up a fine art photography gallery. Would you set one up now in this current climate. People think I should just stay as I am selling online, but I feel I can achieve much more by selling through a gallery. I have run a successful photography business in a different genre in the past for 23 years so I know what I’m doing, but I’ve never had a shop front premises. I guess I will never know unless I take the leap.
Great video, one of the most informative I have seen, I am looking forward to the one on framing. Lots to learn and take note off there! Thanks for the information. All the best!
I remember coming in your Gallery with my Mrs the weekend you opened Stuart, we were on hols and I had seen on the photography forum you were opening so thought I'd pop in and check out the stunning prints. atb and hope it keeps busy for you matey, cheers,
Just found this vid, and yor previous one. Very glad to hear your story and what you are doing and how business goes.......Loved it !! Will follow............
So interesting to hear you talk about glass Stuart. The printer I use in Shanghai had a fantastic looking piece on the wall & we were discussing the 'covering' as I had chosen Hahnemuhle Bright White (a fantastic matt paper if you want detail, deep blacks and white whites for e.g. snow) for the print and was looking for a non-reflective glass to cover it. He showed me what he said he uses for exhibition pieces - blew me away. So did the cost! At 10x the cost of the 80 x 50 print ! But wow. Anyway about time I subscribed - done.
Hi Kevin thanks for watching, yes it's the side of photography that 99% of photographers have no real idea about - folk get so wrapped up in megapixels and sharpness charts then when they finally come to print and frame it's stuck behind cheap glass or the wrong paper, which renders a lot of the equipment choices that proceeded it moot. I'll stand by the statement I made recently with another photographer that a 12mp file shown under good light with the highest grade museum glass will look noticeably better than a 40mp file with poor, highly reflective glass, the difference is night and day. But as you say, costs are really prohibitive, I only use it on request though even then customers have a hard time seeing the value. It's why I always have a sample on show which really helps.
Great video, Stuart - very interesting and informative. The only other thing I'd like to know is how you package the final print - how do you ensure that there is no damage in transit?
Thanks Ian, for delivery of framed stuff they’re shipped in non reflective styrene (actually more expensive than glass) which is shatterproof - anything framed in standard glass or museum is collection only. Very few if any couriers insure against glass, though all deliveries of framed stuff are very heavily bubble wrapped also so there’s no damage to the frame
catching up on a few missed ones Stuart - very interesting. I've not printed much yet but it's on my list to do and was going to research frames and glass so thanks for the tips. I need to find a good framer or source of frame online. Looking at the video I realised I walked right past your gallery a few times in October when I was up in the Lakes. Planning on coming back October 2021 so will aim to pop in and have a look. Hopefully things will be a bit easier for southerners like me to travel up by then. All the best.
Cheers Steve i'd highly recommend my framer he does an excellent job and ships nationally, also has a store on etsy and ebay he's here: www.ebay.co.uk/str/studio18pictureframing
Great stuff as ever Stuart. Got me thinking about the glass I've got on stuff about the house (this is gonna be expensive......) All the best for the new year.
Thanks Julian - pricing is a tricky one as many factors are involved. My market on a high street has a huge bearing on this, but also cost to produce/the quality and rarity of the image and also your standing and reputation as a photographer. 99% of photographers be it on here or otherwise don’t sell many prints at all so generally charge quite high prices as there’s no pressure on them to sell in any volume.
Hi Stuart i love your vlogs especially the printing and now the gallery and looking forward to the framing. These are really useful as I have recently taken redundancy as i have worked in a aircraft manufacturing in the south, so you can imagine the downturn this year but where i am a fair bit older than yourself i have decided to sell my prints i have sold a few leading up to xmas which i am really pleased about. as i have taken my pension i do not need to be a full time job but i would like to sell my prints on one of the many craft market stalls next year near where i live . when i visited your gallery i did like the layout and pictures in quality frames do look great. a couple of questions. while in keswick i looked at the market and they had some prints but i would like to mount my own with a backing board and bag.. i have mounted my own before but it was quite labour intensive so what so you think i have decided to get an upgrade on my logan mount cutter to one with stops on etc to make them more accurate. I have looked online for mount board and bag too be quite expensive so doing myself could save me. like you i have an A2 printer and print at home. i was chuffed that the two papers you use , i do as well.. the other question is about framing as i would sell the odd print, not unfortunately the volume you may sell but is it worth me looking for second hand framing equipment ie saw etc. of is it too much hassle and you don’t save too much. any other advice for a craft stall would be great. keep up the great work. love your images, it’s something for me to aim for Cheers Rob
Hi Rob thanks for watching - to answer your question it’ll boil down to how much you think you can sell it how many you produce. Investment in a decent mount cutter is quite expensive though over the long haul would save money, just depends how long you’re willing to wait and the volume you produce. The mount/back/bag sets aren’t bad value if you print in low volume to be honest, I’ve used Frith and Co in the past who provide decent value I’ve found. Regards framing, you could probably do a reasonable ion yourself for personal use with rudimentary equipment though if I was selling anything I’d really leave that to a framer
@@StuartMcGlennon it is massively subjective like all artwork, I think we need to look into the variables that we need to consider when structuring a price for a piece of work. Cheers mate!
I take my hat off to you Stuart. One of the most informative VLOGs I have ever watched. You are also so generous with sharing your information. This is so refreshing and something I have tried to do myself in business. We have a very strong suportive business network in the South. Your video for me personally is so timely as I am thinking about setting up my own small gallery. I also live in a National Park. I am a lot older than you and having run my own businesses for almost 20 years I am looking to travel a lot more in my Motorhome with my wife, and focus on my photography. I have always wanted to run a gallery and you have just convinced me to take a serious look! May I ask a couple of questions Stuart? First if I do it, my driver is not really just about money, but I also want to make a modest amount which is why I am in business. Do you mind me asking what gross margin you make on the prints? Also what sort of volumes do you sell in a year? (if you are not comfortable providing this information fully understand so no problem or we can PM) MY second question is if I employed someone part time to run my gallery when I was travelling, do you think that would work? do you need to be there yourself to make the print sales? Do you sell much online via your website? Many thanks again and good luck! We were due to be in Keswick a few months ago but it was canceled due to COVID. I will call in and say hello when we visit.
No problem Richard thanks for watching - to answer your questions, in terms of margins as rule you should always be aiming for at least 3/4 times cost which is what I generally work to though ultimately your market will dictate this. For bigger framed pieces and Ltd editions this can be of course higher so some of my prints vary quite widely depending the value I attach to the image (some images are MUCH harder to attain than others) . In terms of volume I'd imagine in total sales across the year it'll be in the late hundreds without looking at the figures. Employing someone? It could work if the business is profitable enough, though for me my main concern would be having a person who is knowledgable about the product and could give some context to the pictures with prospective customers. In my experience having the ability to tell the story of how a picture has been made to a customer really is invaluable, you would always lose this a touch by employing someone.
Thank you so much Stuart for taking the time to give such a valuable and honest reply to my questions. Once again your support is very much appreciated.
Loving these insights, thank you Stuart. Do you use museum glass universally or just for limited editions? What’s the price difference? Do you get any hassle from your online buyers and how do you handle it? What drives you to produce your own vs outsourcing to your lab? Other than calibration, does your lab do much their end, I’m guessing the check profile to ensure quality. I tried a well known web/store service recently but discovered they use a mass production non pro printing and the output was poor so now using pro lab and looking to get into my own printing but initially for my own benefit/pride. For printing at home, would you dive straight in to A2 or go A3/A3+ size first?
Hi Terry glad you enjoyed it, to answer your questions - firstly the museum glass I use only on the ltd prints at A1 size, basically it costs a fortune (3/4 times standard glass) so at the moment isn’t cost effective though in the future I’d like to move to it. It has a far bigger effect on the print than a 50-60mp sensor which is then framed behind duller glass, though most photographers aren’t aware of this. In terms of outsourcing again it isn’t cost effective to invest in £3k wide format printer currently when it may take 18months/2 years to recoup the savings. I have an A2 printer which can do 60-70% of the stuff I need for cheaper. The lab provide such simplicity and quality at great prices that it’s far less hassle than doing the big panos myself. If I did that you then end up down the labyrinth of having to invest in large mount cutters and mountboard which is also very expensive (the cutter anyway). My lab use the same paper as me and of course have their papers profiled so they get the same results I get. Generally no I don’t get much grief from online customers bar my courier cocking up a delivery which they occasionally do! For home printing I’d probably get an A3+ printer to start with, 19x13 is still a good size though the printer and inks are much cheaper
Excellent follow up to your first video.. once again thoroughly enjoyed. Have to say I do my own printing but ashamedly fall into the £15 Ikea black frame category and dare I say it they don't even use glass... Made me chuckle listening to your comments. After watching this going to seek out a local framing shop and treat myself to a decent frame with museum quality glass. Also, made me think about price of your framed prints (some of which I could see in the video).. have to say seem totally reasonable given the time you invest getting and processing the images, using quality paper and printing services and bespoke framing let alone the up keep and runing of your gallery. Top job I would say and I'll certainly give you a visit should I ever find myself in Keswick... cheers and keep up the good work.
Thanks for watching John, haha yeah the ikea frame, they’re perfectly adequate in most cases just be aware it’ll probably warp in a few years, though more importantly the quality of glass (or lack of in that case!) in any frame is more important than anything. It can render the best quality lenses and equipment useless if it’s framed behind glass that washes the image out. The pricing is always a tricky one and is something 99.9% of my peers never have to worry about as they largely don’t sell any prints in any great volume. I’m fully aware my work should be priced a lot higher than it is given my standing and when compared with other photographers at a similar standard, however Joe punter on a high street doesn’t care about any of that and will have a totally different opinion of landscape photography to what photographers themselves think. For a huge majority of landscape photographers they exist in a bubble as far as the commercial side of things goes. It’s why when seeing any video from a landscape photographer popping up on here advising on selling prints I’d take it with a pinch of salt as you can guarantee no matter how big a profile they have on CZcams, they simply don’t sell prints in any great volume, I know this as I speak to them. No-one does unless they have a shop front - that’s the commercial reality of the industry in the current era as there’s no getting round the inescapable reality that virtually all customers want to see the product before they buy it, which pretty much all photographers cannot provide beyond a small image on a website.
@@StuartMcGlennon Interesting stuff Stuart & I appreciate the detailed reply. From the amateur perspective (which I most certainly am) I have no commercial interest whatsoever in trying to sell prints etc. just an interesting in producing my own works of art to hang in my house & certainly your pointers on frame/ glass/ paper selection in these few videos were really useful so thank you again for that. Good luck with the Gallery (I will visit for sure one day) & looking forward to seeing future vlogs. thks.
Another great video on being a professional landscape photographer. I found it very useful. Looking forward to the next one. Particularly found the part of what type of images sell. I’d also be interested to know your thoughts on what images are successful in competitions? Merry Christmas
Super interesting video. I hope you are seeing more footfall now the restrictions are easing and summer is fast approaching. It’ll be interesting to see the framing vid.
Great insight Stuart and I've made the mistake of going for Ikea frames ! They sag and bow and are a waste of space so I'll be looking locally for a decent framer once restrictions ease a little. Is there a mid ground between regular and museum glass from a price perspective ?
I've tried less expensive papers like Red River, but I find they don't have the tone holdout in shadow detail that Canson and Hahnemuhle papers have, so I don't mind the extra price. * You're absolutely right about glass making a difference. Museum glass is a lot more expensive, but it's worth it.
I've found the smooth pearl from Fotospeed excellent on both price and performance, I usually choose the fine art textured for the limited edition prints
@@StuartMcGlennon OK, Canson and Hahnemuhle papers are expensive, but the prints are a lot nicer than any other paper I've tried. Red River has good papers, but the shadow detail isn;t as good as the other two. I haven't tried Fotospeed. I do like Canson luster and semigloss, and Hahnemuhle pearls and William Turner. I may try Fotospeed, but I'm happy with what I use.
Very helpful and interesting video, I'm now subscribed after just coming across your channel. You mention in this video about a another video about making a visit to Scott your framer. I presume that would be Part 3 of selling prints. I'm not able to find this followup up video, did it get posted? Again thank you for Part 1 & 2 of 'Selling prints'
Hi John between the issues which followed with lockdowns after this point and a further occasion where I attempted to film it but my audio failed me the follow up hasn’t been done yet though it will be for sure 👍
Wonderful insight, thank you. Printing work out is a real game changer whether you sell or not, you really do see your work in literally a different light! Do you buy your mounts precut or cut them yourself? Also on that subject who do you use for the mount boards? Once more thank you for an excellent vlog, as others have said it is refreshing to watch a different point of view from the norm.
Thanks John glad you enjoyed it, most of the time I’ll cut myself though I’ve used a company called Frith and Co as a backup for pre-cut ones if I can’t get the consumables on time. Most of my stuff comes from Larsen Juhl and Lion
Hi Stuart: Thanks for sharing your experiences as a full-time photographer and gallery owner. It was interesting in hearing about your approach to creating, printing and framing your images. I will certainly have to look into the museum quality glass options at our local framing store. I have heard of FotoSpeed paper and it seems to be the top choice of all UK based photographers. Unfortunately this paper line is not easily available in Canada at a reasonable price. Do you have any other choices within Ilford, Cansen or Hhahnemuhle paper that would come close to the FotoSpeed products? We will certainly drop into your shop when we are in Keswick this fall. I have also noticed that you have an association with Kase Filters, and I was wondering if you sell any of there products at your gallery. I currently shoot with Lee Filters, but I hear lots of great things about Kase Filters. Cheers, Keith Pinn (Canada).
I've used Hahnemuhle previously who are great also and certainly on par - Fotospeed here in the UK have built up a great reputation off the back of working directly with landscape photographers to develop their papers and also provide really excellent customer service and custom paper profiles which many other companies don't provide. The papers great though I'd not say they're any 'better' than the others you mention, all will do a good job.
Hi Stuart, thanks for this insightful video. I was just wondering if any of your customers ask you about the longevity or archival quality of the print they are buying? I do my printing at home and I bought into all the marketing stuff about if you are selling work then it must be fine art giclee quality as it will last much longer etc. I'd be interested to know in the real world if anyone buying worries about this? Cheers, Stew
Hi Stew, great question - of course as photographers we want to be sure of the paper quality and it’s archival longevity (I’d be mortified if I was selling stuff that faded after 10 years) but in the real world customers don’t care (or I’ve certainly never been asked the question). They are concerned if it’s a canvas print (different process entirely) where there’s a lot of cowboys out there using stuff that fades quickly, but as far as prints go, no the paying punter isn’t interested, they’re far more concerned about the look of the frame.
Thanks for this Stuart. Very interesting and pleased to hear that self employment is working out well for you. Can you also provide a link to your printer, thanks.
Really interesting Stuart. Thanks for sharing the inside workings of the gallery (which I will get to visit one day I promise - I'm back up your way in March covid allowing). With you using glass in your frames I'm interested in the packaging, and how you avoid breakages whilst your parcels are in the tender loving care of the Royal Mail? Some time ago I swapped to museum perspex "glass" because I had so many returned due to broken glass. Also, do you bother with greetings cards, or other small items or is it just not worth the effort? Happy New Year sir.
Cheers Huw, all delivered frames are in styrene anti glare to avoid them shattering via APC - with greetings cards no I don’t do them to make any kind of return on them takes too long given how many need ordered to make them cost effective, I hardly get any requests for them and also it’s not really a market I want to go down with the gallery. Have a great Xmas 👍
@@StuartMcGlennon Thanks Stuart. I was in a general art gallery some years ago and in truth it was things like card and calendars that sold best - the larger stuff always took more time to shift. I gradually worked out how to make cards and calendars myself so that I could make small print runs, and use the "handmade" label honestly. Keeping the styrene layer on the glass is a killer technique by the way. Had not thought of that approach. Hope Dorset open studios will be back on again in 2021 so I can have another go. All the best chap, and every success for 2021.
Thanks Stuart. I hope to visit your gallery when I come to the UK to visit my daughter. One question, have you explored metal prints, and what’s your take on them? Are they a flavor of the month, or do they have a future?
Hi Paul, metal prints are quite niche, in terms of quality with the right image they can look stunning, though in terms of sales I’ve found there’s little demand for them. I’ve produced them in the past (I’m actually taking delivery of a huge 1.5 metre one on acrylic tomorrow for a client) and what ends up putting customers off is production cost. For me to make any kind of decent profit on them I have to either order in bulk (where there’s no real demand) or put a huge markup on them to offset production costs.
Another stoater... I think a huge advantage you have over other YT'ers even the larger ones is your contact with the actual public. Giving you an almost exclusive insight into what the public actually want, one that can't be gleaned from those that sell predominantly online or sell workshops.
Thanks mate yes it’s a side of the industry that little is known about to the casual viewer especially on CZcams - this platform has it’s merits though it’s not always great at presenting reality. I do run workshops and residentials like they do too, I just don’t have perhaps the same ‘need’ to push them quite as much as it’s not my main source of income like theirs
Talking of it's only a print and not an original, I have loads of those printed £20 notes I need to shift, they are not originals though, they are only prints.
Hi Stuart I knew there was another thing I wanted to ask you! Sorry! Do you focus your work entirely on the Lake District? Do you think if you featured other work e.g. another style say ICM or abstract or other locations e.g. Scotland it would dilute your gallery that seems to be totally focussed on the Lake District? ( I personally feel if I started a gallery it needs to be focussed 100% on the National Park where I live) Thank you
I'd say 90-95% is Lake District work with some Scottish stuff sprinkled in - Keswick is very much a tourist market, this combined with my shop being quite small means I don't have a lot of flexibility to be too experimental with the locations and subjects I display. When I move into a bigger unit I'll have more room to display a wider range of subjects and styles which are perhaps more inkeeping with the subjects I like to shoot on a personal level.
Do certain sizes of prints sell better? I know that's probably dependent on what you put out too. And do you ever print on other materials like metal or acrylic?
Hi Thomas I think I covered this but large panoramic style images tend to sell more than most, maybe 60-70 percent. In terms of other materials yes I print onto acrylic / dibond etc. though I don’t tend to stock them in the shop as the material costs to produce them is much higher vs potential for them to sell. Most of the time customers won’t pay the prices I’d need to charge for them to make it worthwhile buying the stock but they are there as an option it people wish to buy them.
Hi Stuart. Just Subscribed. Thanks for so much insight. I am a panorama photographer, but where I live (Turkey) I fear people don't buy landscape photography at all. When you said that panoramic photos sell 75% it just made my day. One tip I can maybe give you for displaying panoramas on Instagram is to cut them in squares and place them into sliding photos like this: instagram.com/p/B6PdJQogUYK/ There are some apps especially for this like panoramacrop. Thanks again.
@@StuartMcGlennon It was a post about how I displayed small unframed prints in my gallery many years ago. I'll try again. There was a link in it, maybe that was a problem. I've tried again below.
Hi Stuart. I just found your channel and love your laid-back format. Subbed. 25 years ago I also had a small gallery, I found my biggest sellers were smallish (8x10 I think) photos, mounted and sometimes matted but not framed. I simply shrink wrapped them and put them in what I used to call "flip throughs". If you've ever searched for a vinyl album in an old-style record store you will know what I mean. Here is a (very poor) photo of three such flip throughs [link was here] In the right one the photos are printed with wide borders and just laid onto foam core then shrink wrapped. In the left two the photos are the same but they also have a grey matt. Note that these were ALL hand-printed in my darkroom then mounted and matted by me, which was time consuming but I had templates for everything and could knock them out very quickly. Also the sizes were an exact sub-multiple of the standard board sizes so it just needed 4 cuts to get 9 matts and the same with the backing boards (once again I think, it's been a few years). I found this approach had two benefits. Firstly many people travelling could fit such an item in their luggage, especially if flying as they weighed almost nothing and could easily be laid flat in between their sweater and dressing gown (or whatever). Secondly I could fit a huge number of images in a small space. This was important as my gallery was about the same size as yours from what I can see. I did see that at some point you had something similar (but larger prints) in the center of the room. Another side effect was that people would often see these small versions but ask if I could do a large one, like you see on the wall behind in the above photo. Without seeing the small one they would never have know the image existed. Anyway that's my 2c worth, it's been a quarter of a century and times may have changed, but I think this approach would still have some value.
That worked but another post with just the link disappeared as well. Maybe you have a setting that excludes links in comments. I'll see if I can message you with it.
Man Stuart! I really appreciate this as I am getting ready for my new show! All the things I have suspected for a long time you are saying here! Fantastic video and very very much appreciated!
Certainly not boring, in fact very interesting and an interesting view. Almost everyone with a camera puts out a vlog but very few can provide the information from their own gallery, keep it up and hope you got all the shopping and had a good day.
Cheers mate appreciate that
Great video Sturt, always nice to see what goes on behind the scenes which is something that most others do not show. It seems that making the switch to professional photographer/gallery owner has been very good to you. If you can be happy at work, well what could be better. Hope you're having a good Christmas and best wishes for 2021.
Cheers mate glad you enjoyed it, yes much better balance in my life for sure. Happy Xmas 👍👍
Loved the video! As someone who works in a gallery and frameshop as my day job here in Canada,I can relate to a lot of what you talked about...while not an owner,as the senior framer and gallery manager you touched on a lot of similar challenges. I agree with your comments on framing and presentation,and see many artists and photographers opting out of the better quality options due to budget,which does impact the final package...definitely something to consider as an artist/photographer starting out especially. I look forward to the video with your framer...cheers and all the best for 2021!
Thanks Neil glad you enjoyed it, yes it’s something that certainly in photography is vastly overlooked, the printing aspect is made out to be of most importance because it’s the thing photographers can most easily relate to, when in reality if that print is not presented correctly all of that becomes moot.
Hi Stuart. I really enjoyed that. Seems like every man, and often his dog, are out vlogging on a hillside to piano music, so it’s nice to see someone taking a different, more informative approach. This is definitely the angle that sets you apart from the crowd. And I totally agree about the point on framing. My heart sinks when I see prints in cheap frames at art fairs, etc. Keep up the good work, and best of luck for 2021.
Thanks George yes the framing thing always baffles me, though it's more a reflection of how little it's discussed in the community and the scarcity of information available for photographers, the narrative has always been 'print, print, print' and nothing else.
Thanks for another great video Stuart. You are very generous with your advice and experience. Many of your points resonate with me. I've been selling prints and professionally framed prints for over 6 years now - it is more art than science :) It is particularly difficult to determine framing arrangements. I've always preferred the classic black frame and white mat presentation - but often clients decide based on home decor rather than the content of my image! Keep up the good work and all the best for 2021 and beyond.
Thanks very much David yes you’re right it’s definitely art more than science! People make some odd choices that’s for sure!
@@StuartMcGlennon how do you feel about selling prints that are neither mounted nor framed? Selling framed images online is fraught with shipping challenges (fragile glass and high rates). I lost a key partner for retail when my framers closed their gallery in the summer due to Covid restrictions.
Excellent video. Really informative. I can't wait to watch the next with your framer.
Cheers Craig
I commend you for making a positive change in your life Stuart. Identifying it and taking action to improve your situation. It’s great to see the success you’ve had from taking that step. Such a privilege to have your work appreciated by others. Good vlog with great insights. I hope you all have a great Christmas and best of luck with the coming year. Happy Christmas
Cheers mate aye I had a bad time of it pre-2018, best decision I’ve made taking that shop on. Happy Xmas all the best for 2021 pal
That was great Stuart, really interesting to hear your story. It's a shame some people don't value all aspects of what you were talking about, seems to me it's just a confirmation of the adage "you get what you pay for" Your photos are outstanding and the presentation of them is equally impressive. Wish you continued success and we look forward to visiting your gallery one day, when normality returns to planet earth ! Cheers.
Thanks very much that’s very kind yes do pop in when you can, won’t be too long hopefully 👍
Well, that was 24 minutes of my life... well spent! I - and I'm sure many others - appreciate your efforts with the vlogs and advice you offer. As you know I was also contributing to Brave the Skies way back, and agree the gallery has benefitted greatly from the refresh work you did.
Couple of questions - are you focusing mainly on prints as opposed to canvases asI didn't see many in the shop in the vlog or when I've been in. And you didn't mention mounts - maybe that'll come when you do the framing vlog but I'd be interested to hear your thoughs on single, double, coloured, etc. Thanks again for your efforts on the vlogs.
Thanks Phil, regards mounting that’ll be covered in the next video as it’s more framing centric - with canvases all images are offered as canvases though for display I mainly stick to framed stuff, I think canvases generally look a wee bit ‘dated’ and don’t always do the images justice as well as a good print
Good for you Stuart. I always admire people that have gone into business and made a go of it. I think this video should be required viewing for any landscape photographer. Looking forward to your one on framing. Have a happy new year and see you on the other side.
Much appreciated Neville have a great Xmas 👍
Very informative, I never knew about the art glass until now, makes total sense. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thanks glad you found it informative 👍
Another cracking vid Stuart, lovely to see someone talking through the back room stuff which maybe isn’t as glamorous but when you’re really into your landscape photography and take it seriously it’s lovely to see. Merry Xmas mate 😃
Thanks mate glad you enjoyed it, Merry Xmas 👍
Thoroughly enjoyed this one Stuart, a breath of fresh air to see a vlog on photography from an original perspective. Id also like to see a vlog on recommendations for photography books (in the gallery sense and educationally), and which photographers we should check out. I've just bought a book by Liam Wong ( TO: KY: OO), which is a million miles away from traditional landscapes, but that's the beauty in the variety of styles out there.
Thanks Paul glad you enjoyed it, I’ll certainly be doing something in future regards books 👍
Highly informative Stu, nice one 👍 Merry Christmas
Cheers bud
Another great video Stuart, inspirational and informative. How about "Part 3, my photography journey". It would be great to know how and why you started in photography, who inspired you and what if any pitfalls you encountered along the way. Oh and please don't ever do a "What's In My Bag" video 🙄. Have a great festive holiday and all the best for 2021.
Thanks Lloyd, yes I see those videos and immediately roll my eyes a bit as they’re quite a cheap attempt at ‘mining for content’ which I’ve no interest in doing, if it bores me then I won’t do it. At some point I will do something more on my photographic background etc though it’ll always be woven in to some sort of video where I’m out in the field as ultimately it’s the landscape photography I want folk to tune in for rather than the desk-based stuff I see a great many doing. Have a great Xmas 👍👍
Fascinating to hear all the thought and efforts that go on behind the scenes. Hope you had a good Christmas
Thanks mate you too have a great Xmas
Awesome insight that Stuart! Really enjoyed it! All the best for the new year!
Cheers Andy much appreciated
Really fascinating insight in to the day to day running of the gallery etc. Hope you’ve had a great Christmas and look forward to next years vlogs 😀
Cheers Neil thanks for watching, have a great Xmas 👍
Fascinating, thank you. For years, selling via libraries to publishers etc. this was a dream. But you’ve reminded me of why I am temperamentally u fit for running a gallery... the public! “I have a better one on my phone,” etc.
Doubt I could keep quiet, “Let’s see it, I’ll do you a 90 to 10% commission deal, with you being so gifted you’ll be minted.”
Haha yes it can be infuriating at times but it’s not worth the energy worrying about really - these people aren’t ever going to be customers so it’s not worth spending time on
nice insight to the other side of going out with the camera Stuart. All the best for 2021.
Cheers Geo have a great 2021 :-)
Great insight. Really enjoying your posts.
Thanks Michael
Very interesting stuff, Stuart, and you are so right; once tried, there’s no going back from museum glass! Have the best Christmas and New Year holiday you can :0)
Yep it costs and arm and a leg but you get what you pay for! Cheers mate have a great Xmas
Really enjoyed that mate ... hopefully we will pass through next year and call in ... Fabulous you have a better work/life balance as well ...
Cheers mate aye let’s hope you can
Some great information in there. Remember seeing the difference between the glasses when you showed me and it was incredible! Always enjoy popping in and seeing what you've got up when coming through Keswick
Cheers mate yeah I wish I could frame everything in that stuff it's amazing
Thanks for the various tips and thoughts - really helpful. Thanks!
Thanks Craig :-)
Very interesting, Stuart thank you for the insight.
Cheers Andrew👍
Stuart, that was brilliant. Really interesting, especially the framing discussion. Very much looking forward to the follow up. Hope you’re having a good festive break. Best wishes, Julian.
Cheers Julian all the best 👍
Really interesting mate. Happy Christmas, hope it's been a good one
Cheers mate aye not too bad, I’ve actually got a bit more time this year as the restrictions have hit tourist trade hard so it’s been a bit pointless opening over xmas. Enjoying being at home for sure! Merry Xmas
Great content Stuart, it really is great to hear the story behind it all. Pleased to see you've included about which images you print and why, even down to museum glass! So a thumbs up from me, will look forward to hearing all about framing next. I've recently had my first ever print done so the next video will certainly help. Keep the inspiration coming, Wishing you all the safe and happy new year.
Thanks Matt glad you enjoyed it have a happy new year 👍
Excellent content in this video and really something to think about especially on the glass. Thanks for putting this out.
No probs thanks for watching
Excellent as usual Stuart - we have just cleared out over 2 ton of unwanted items / rubbish from the house and are in the middle of decorating. Next step is to get some of my photos up on the walls so I was eager to watch your video :) Looking forward to the next one. Can I ask how you get round the issue of image brightness between monitor and print? It may just be a trial and error thing if you have a printer but I don't so have thought about just getting some small prints done to check before getting the larger versions. I have seen some people say they increase exposure by 1/3 stop before printing but not sure if that will cover all scenarios?
Cheers mate, monitor brightness generally I’d say you should always edit with it set slightly dark, so if it’s out of the box at 50 have it at 40. Of course you can offset this by having your monitor brighter and then as you say knocking the exposure value up, either work though I find I get more accurate results editing from this starting point. Vast majority of photographers set the monitor too bright which is why the tip of adjusting the exposure before print is often mentioned. Put it this way, I never have to increase my exposure on the tiff file I send to castle and the exposure on the final print is bang on
Interesting and good hear such an honest account of what it takes to sell a print. Thanks!
Cheers Richard 👍
What a great video Stuart, I learned a lot and I’m really looking forward to the next one. All the best for 2021 🙂
Cheers Steve glad you enjoyed it all the best 👍
You're right. Museum glass is worth the extra money even tough it is very expensive.
👍
Really enjoyed the video and learned such a lot, I really agree about the museum glass compared to normal glass. It's really incredible! Such wonderful insights about the choice of framing and paper, fotospeed paper is excellent. Looking forward to seeing the next video with your framer. Happy New Year
Thanks Diane glad you enjoyed it 👍👍
Another really interesting vlog, Stuart. As I predominantly sell furniture for a living, I'm also responsible for selling pictures in the store where I work and I can concur with your thoughts that most of the people who buy a picture seem to decide on which one based on their colour scheme at home and also the subject matter. Size is also a consideration, though the number of times people fall in love with a picture only to find that it doesn't fit their space and have to return it. I'm guessing that's something you must try to impress upon them before they pull the trigger on a purchase.
Will say thank you for the insight into what frame colour you would recommend for your pastel coloured image of Otterbield Bay image, though I guess your next vlog will give me an even better steer on this. I have sent you an email with a little query over this.
Owing to the current pandemic, we've not had a new delivery of pictures for sometime at work and you've got me thinking as to whether I could print a few of my images to sell. I've debated for sometime whether I should supply them un-framed or framed, should I go for a metallic print, or on canvas or on an art paper either framed or not. I'll wait to see your next vlog before I make my mind up.
Thanks Ian, with the Otterbield image I tend to frame in one of the dark distressed ones, definitely not light oak or bright frames, the size print you have i tend to mount them as 16x12's. I guess if you're thinking of showing your own in the shop you can only try a few and see, my advice if selling in the shop is to sell them framed, people often prefer not having to go and frame themselves either because they're lazy or have bought unframed in the past and never got round to doing it so dissuades them from buying in the future unframed. The key is to have samples of others on hand if they want a different finish
Really interesting video Stuart, fascinating to see this side of landscape photography. Thanks.
Cheers Alan
Thank you for this vlog, I found it super interesting and very informative, mostly on the part regarding the type of glass.
Have a good 2021 year
No problem thanks very much for watching glad you enjoyed it
Fantastic vlog and great to see you pursuing your craft to such a high standard and success 👍
Thanks Nick
Another good insight and I look forward to the next with your framer. Thanks for sharing
Cheers Andrew 👍
Another great insight to running a gallery.
As I enjoy the whole printing process myself, this was really interesting, especially seeing your paper choice.
Now speaking with my carpenters hat on, I’m looking forward to the framing episode as I’d like to start making my own frames.
Take care Stuart and best wishes for the new year 🍺
Cheers Darren best wishes to you 👍 yep I can imagine if you’ve already got those skills and you’re a photographer it would be tempting to move into doing your own frames. Might be a good idea once Brexit properly lands, all the framers in this country get the mouldings from Italy!
Man Stuart! I really appreciate this as I am getting ready for my new show! All the things I have suspected for a long time you are saying here! Fantastic video and very very much appreciated!
Thanks glad you enjoyed it :-)
Interesting, enjoyed that one, glad to see you are still thriving (well I hope you are). Happy New Year
Cheers Dave have a great Xmas 👍
Fab video Stuart. It was really helpful - All the best for 2021.
Cheers bud and to you 👍
I came to this having seen you on the Pubcast and I really enjoyed this video. When we are free to move again I may end up climbing in the Lakes and I will look you up. Straight out of Fishers and into your place! PS I just found the Newsletter on your website - it is really excellent, very well put together and so full of good content. Thanks.
Cheers Keith yep right next door to fishers I’m in a good spot 👍 also thanks for having a look at the newsletter
I’m new to your channel. Great video Stuart. I was looking to get my own gallery in the Spring of this year then those plans were put on hold for obvious reasons. You are so right about museum glass, there’s such a difference to standard very reflective glass.. I love your gallery and particularly your work. Have a good Christmas.
Thanks Simon much appreciated 👍
Hi Stuart. As we are in the final throws of this pandemic hopefully I wanted to ask you for a bit of advice. I mentioned previously that I wanted to set up a gallery of my own down in t(e South West of England. With the high street decimated before and after covid do you think it is too risky to set up a fine art photography gallery. Would you set one up now in this current climate. People think I should just stay as I am selling online, but I feel I can achieve much more by selling through a gallery. I have run a successful photography business in a different genre in the past for 23 years so I know what I’m doing, but I’ve never had a shop front premises. I guess I will never know unless I take the leap.
Really interesting, gave me many things to think about as I am considering opening a small landscape photography gallery. Thanks Stuart!
Thanks Rudi glad you found it helpful 👍
Touched on the glass here,. And yes it's an important concideration and yes the difference is amazing.
Yep definitely, far bigger difference in presentation quality than any camera will achieve to be honest.
Always good to hear about the reality of making money from photography. Another great video Stuart. Here's wishing you a successful 2021 🍺
Thanks Simon have a great Xmas
Great video, one of the most informative I have seen, I am looking forward to the one on framing. Lots to learn and take note off there! Thanks for the information. All the best!
No problem glad you found it useful 👍
I remember coming in your Gallery with my Mrs the weekend you opened Stuart, we were on hols and I had seen on the photography forum you were opening so thought I'd pop in and check out the stunning prints. atb and hope it keeps busy for you matey, cheers,
Cheers Mick 👍👍
Brilliant vid mate and very informative, especially since i've been looking for a good framer for a while !
No worries mate hope you’re well, yes I’d highly recommend Scott you can find him on Instagram and Etsy at Studio 18 Picture Framing
@@StuartMcGlennon Ok cheers mate, yes all good apart from the fact I just can't get out !!!
Never mind, just have to roll with it, hope you're good.
Just found this vid, and yor previous one. Very glad to hear your story and what you are doing and how business goes.......Loved it !! Will follow............
Thanks very much glad you enjoyed it 👍
So interesting to hear you talk about glass Stuart. The printer I use in Shanghai had a fantastic looking piece on the wall & we were discussing the 'covering' as I had chosen Hahnemuhle Bright White (a fantastic matt paper if you want detail, deep blacks and white whites for e.g. snow) for the print and was looking for a non-reflective glass to cover it. He showed me what he said he uses for exhibition pieces - blew me away. So did the cost! At 10x the cost of the 80 x 50 print ! But wow. Anyway about time I subscribed - done.
Hi Kevin thanks for watching, yes it's the side of photography that 99% of photographers have no real idea about - folk get so wrapped up in megapixels and sharpness charts then when they finally come to print and frame it's stuck behind cheap glass or the wrong paper, which renders a lot of the equipment choices that proceeded it moot. I'll stand by the statement I made recently with another photographer that a 12mp file shown under good light with the highest grade museum glass will look noticeably better than a 40mp file with poor, highly reflective glass, the difference is night and day. But as you say, costs are really prohibitive, I only use it on request though even then customers have a hard time seeing the value. It's why I always have a sample on show which really helps.
Very interesting - useful recommendations on paper, framing and glass. Hope you are having a good Christmas
Cheers Howard thanks for watching, have a great Xmas
Great video, Stuart - very interesting and informative. The only other thing I'd like to know is how you package the final print - how do you ensure that there is no damage in transit?
Thanks Ian, for delivery of framed stuff they’re shipped in non reflective styrene (actually more expensive than glass) which is shatterproof - anything framed in standard glass or museum is collection only. Very few if any couriers insure against glass, though all deliveries of framed stuff are very heavily bubble wrapped also so there’s no damage to the frame
catching up on a few missed ones Stuart - very interesting. I've not printed much yet but it's on my list to do and was going to research frames and glass so thanks for the tips. I need to find a good framer or source of frame online. Looking at the video I realised I walked right past your gallery a few times in October when I was up in the Lakes. Planning on coming back October 2021 so will aim to pop in and have a look. Hopefully things will be a bit easier for southerners like me to travel up by then. All the best.
Cheers Steve i'd highly recommend my framer he does an excellent job and ships nationally, also has a store on etsy and ebay he's here: www.ebay.co.uk/str/studio18pictureframing
Great stuff as ever Stuart. Got me thinking about the glass I've got on stuff about the house (this is gonna be expensive......) All the best for the new year.
Cheers Drew yep it’s definitely well worth a look for comparison
Agree 100% with the glass. The glare off glass just ruins the artwork. I learnt that the hard way.
Yep totally agree
Super interesting video Stuart. Interested to know how your decide on pricing images, is purely based on size and framing?
Thanks Julian - pricing is a tricky one as many factors are involved. My market on a high street has a huge bearing on this, but also cost to produce/the quality and rarity of the image and also your standing and reputation as a photographer. 99% of photographers be it on here or otherwise don’t sell many prints at all so generally charge quite high prices as there’s no pressure on them to sell in any volume.
another really interesting vlog Stuart, thanks for posting
Cheers Kevin
Hi Stuart i love your vlogs especially the printing and now the gallery and looking forward to the framing. These are really useful as I have recently taken redundancy as i have worked in a aircraft manufacturing in the south, so you can imagine the downturn this year but where i am a fair bit older than yourself i have decided to sell my prints i have sold a few leading up to xmas which i am really pleased about. as i have taken my pension i do not need to be a full time job but i would like to sell my prints on one of the many craft market stalls next year near where i live . when i visited your gallery i did like the layout and pictures in quality frames do look great. a couple of questions. while in keswick i looked at the market and they had some prints but i would like to mount my own with a backing board and bag.. i have mounted my own before but it was quite labour intensive so what so you think i have decided to get an upgrade on my logan mount cutter to one with stops on etc to make them more accurate.
I have looked online for mount board and bag too be quite expensive so doing myself could save me. like you i have an A2 printer and print at home. i was chuffed that the two papers you use , i do as well.. the other question is about framing as i would sell the odd print, not unfortunately the volume you may sell but is it worth me looking for second hand framing equipment ie saw etc. of is it too much hassle and you don’t save too much. any other advice for a craft stall would be great. keep up the great work. love your images, it’s something for me to aim for Cheers Rob
Hi Rob thanks for watching - to answer your question it’ll boil down to how much you think you can sell it how many you produce. Investment in a decent mount cutter is quite expensive though over the long haul would save money, just depends how long you’re willing to wait and the volume you produce. The mount/back/bag sets aren’t bad value if you print in low volume to be honest, I’ve used Frith and Co in the past who provide decent value I’ve found. Regards framing, you could probably do a reasonable ion yourself for personal use with rudimentary equipment though if I was selling anything I’d really leave that to a framer
@@StuartMcGlennon thank you so much Stuart 👍👍👍
very interesting, i will jump to part one
Thanks glad you enjoyed it
Thank you Stuart very informative, perhaps in future vlog touching on how one goes about structuring the price of a ready to sell work.
Thanks for watching Khalid glad you enjoyed it - pricing work is a highly subjective thing though I will cover it for sure in a future video
@@StuartMcGlennon it is massively subjective like all artwork, I think we need to look into the variables that we need to consider when structuring a price for a piece of work. Cheers mate!
I take my hat off to you Stuart. One of the most informative VLOGs I have ever watched. You are also so generous with sharing your information. This is so refreshing and something I have tried to do myself in business. We have a very strong suportive business network in the South. Your video for me personally is so timely as I am thinking about setting up my own small gallery. I also live in a National Park. I am a lot older than you and having run my own businesses for almost 20 years I am looking to travel a lot more in my Motorhome with my wife, and focus on my photography. I have always wanted to run a gallery and you have just convinced me to take a serious look! May I ask a couple of questions Stuart? First if I do it, my driver is not really just about money, but I also want to make a modest amount which is why I am in business. Do you mind me asking what gross margin you make on the prints? Also what sort of volumes do you sell in a year? (if you are not comfortable providing this information fully understand so no problem or we can PM) MY second question is if I employed someone part time to run my gallery when I was travelling, do you think that would work? do you need to be there yourself to make the print sales? Do you sell much online via your website? Many thanks again and good luck! We were due to be in Keswick a few months ago but it was canceled due to COVID. I will call in and say hello when we visit.
No problem Richard thanks for watching - to answer your questions, in terms of margins as rule you should always be aiming for at least 3/4 times cost which is what I generally work to though ultimately your market will dictate this. For bigger framed pieces and Ltd editions this can be of course higher so some of my prints vary quite widely depending the value I attach to the image (some images are MUCH harder to attain than others) . In terms of volume I'd imagine in total sales across the year it'll be in the late hundreds without looking at the figures. Employing someone? It could work if the business is profitable enough, though for me my main concern would be having a person who is knowledgable about the product and could give some context to the pictures with prospective customers. In my experience having the ability to tell the story of how a picture has been made to a customer really is invaluable, you would always lose this a touch by employing someone.
Thank you so much Stuart for taking the time to give such a valuable and honest reply to my questions. Once again your support is very much appreciated.
Thanks for the video, great work and great content!
No probs Andres thanks for watching
Loving these insights, thank you Stuart. Do you use museum glass universally or just for limited editions? What’s the price difference? Do you get any hassle from your online buyers and how do you handle it? What drives you to produce your own vs outsourcing to your lab? Other than calibration, does your lab do much their end, I’m guessing the check profile to ensure quality. I tried a well known web/store service recently but discovered they use a mass production non pro printing and the output was poor so now using pro lab and looking to get into my own printing but initially for my own benefit/pride. For printing at home, would you dive straight in to A2 or go A3/A3+ size first?
Hi Terry glad you enjoyed it, to answer your questions - firstly the museum glass I use only on the ltd prints at A1 size, basically it costs a fortune (3/4 times standard glass) so at the moment isn’t cost effective though in the future I’d like to move to it. It has a far bigger effect on the print than a 50-60mp sensor which is then framed behind duller glass, though most photographers aren’t aware of this. In terms of outsourcing again it isn’t cost effective to invest in £3k wide format printer currently when it may take 18months/2 years to recoup the savings. I have an A2 printer which can do 60-70% of the stuff I need for cheaper. The lab provide such simplicity and quality at great prices that it’s far less hassle than doing the big panos myself. If I did that you then end up down the labyrinth of having to invest in large mount cutters and mountboard which is also very expensive (the cutter anyway). My lab use the same paper as me and of course have their papers profiled so they get the same results I get. Generally no I don’t get much grief from online customers bar my courier cocking up a delivery which they occasionally do! For home printing I’d probably get an A3+ printer to start with, 19x13 is still a good size though the printer and inks are much cheaper
Excellent follow up to your first video.. once again thoroughly enjoyed. Have to say I do my own printing but ashamedly fall into the £15 Ikea black frame category and dare I say it they don't even use glass... Made me chuckle listening to your comments. After watching this going to seek out a local framing shop and treat myself to a decent frame with museum quality glass. Also, made me think about price of your framed prints (some of which I could see in the video).. have to say seem totally reasonable given the time you invest getting and processing the images, using quality paper and printing services and bespoke framing let alone the up keep and runing of your gallery. Top job I would say and I'll certainly give you a visit should I ever find myself in Keswick... cheers and keep up the good work.
Thanks for watching John, haha yeah the ikea frame, they’re perfectly adequate in most cases just be aware it’ll probably warp in a few years, though more importantly the quality of glass (or lack of in that case!) in any frame is more important than anything. It can render the best quality lenses and equipment useless if it’s framed behind glass that washes the image out. The pricing is always a tricky one and is something 99.9% of my peers never have to worry about as they largely don’t sell any prints in any great volume. I’m fully aware my work should be priced a lot higher than it is given my standing and when compared with other photographers at a similar standard, however Joe punter on a high street doesn’t care about any of that and will have a totally different opinion of landscape photography to what photographers themselves think. For a huge majority of landscape photographers they exist in a bubble as far as the commercial side of things goes. It’s why when seeing any video from a landscape photographer popping up on here advising on selling prints I’d take it with a pinch of salt as you can guarantee no matter how big a profile they have on CZcams, they simply don’t sell prints in any great volume, I know this as I speak to them. No-one does unless they have a shop front - that’s the commercial reality of the industry in the current era as there’s no getting round the inescapable reality that virtually all customers want to see the product before they buy it, which pretty much all photographers cannot provide beyond a small image on a website.
@@StuartMcGlennon Interesting stuff Stuart & I appreciate the detailed reply. From the amateur perspective (which I most certainly am) I have no commercial interest whatsoever in trying to sell prints etc. just an interesting in producing my own works of art to hang in my house & certainly your pointers on frame/ glass/ paper selection in these few videos were really useful so thank you again for that. Good luck with the Gallery (I will visit for sure one day) & looking forward to seeing future vlogs. thks.
Another great video on being a professional landscape photographer. I found it very useful. Looking forward to the next one.
Particularly found the part of what type of images sell. I’d also be interested to know your thoughts on what images are successful in competitions?
Merry Christmas
Merry Xmas pal - christ competitions that's a labyrinth! Good idea for a future video though, i'll have a think
Super interesting video. I hope you are seeing more footfall now the restrictions are easing and summer is fast approaching. It’ll be interesting to see the framing vid.
Thanks Ian sorry I missed your comment yes it's been a great summer sales-wise thankfully :-)
Just realised I went in your gallery with my wife, I think I spoke to you. Nice work.
👍👍
Great insight Stuart and I've made the mistake of going for Ikea frames ! They sag and bow and are a waste of space so I'll be looking locally for a decent framer once restrictions ease a little. Is there a mid ground between regular and museum glass from a price perspective ?
The museum stuff has a few different price points, the top grade stuff is very expensive but the ones lower down aren’t too bad
@@StuartMcGlennon Cheers I'll take a look
I've tried less expensive papers like Red River, but I find they don't have the tone holdout in shadow detail that Canson and Hahnemuhle papers have, so I don't mind the extra price. * You're absolutely right about glass making a difference. Museum glass is a lot more expensive, but it's worth it.
I've found the smooth pearl from Fotospeed excellent on both price and performance, I usually choose the fine art textured for the limited edition prints
@@StuartMcGlennon OK, Canson and Hahnemuhle papers are expensive, but the prints are a lot nicer than any other paper I've tried. Red River has good papers, but the shadow detail isn;t as good as the other two. I haven't tried Fotospeed. I do like Canson luster and semigloss, and Hahnemuhle pearls and William Turner. I may try Fotospeed, but I'm happy with what I use.
Very helpful and interesting video, I'm now subscribed after just coming across your channel. You mention in this video about a another video about making a visit to Scott your framer. I presume that would be Part 3 of selling prints. I'm not able to find this followup up video, did it get posted? Again thank you for Part 1 & 2 of 'Selling prints'
Hi John between the issues which followed with lockdowns after this point and a further occasion where I attempted to film it but my audio failed me the follow up hasn’t been done yet though it will be for sure 👍
Great video mate loved it!
Cheers Tom much appreciated
Wonderful insight, thank you. Printing work out is a real game changer whether you sell or not, you really do see your work in literally a different light! Do you buy your mounts precut or cut them yourself? Also on that subject who do you use for the mount boards? Once more thank you for an excellent vlog, as others have said it is refreshing to watch a different point of view from the norm.
Thanks John glad you enjoyed it, most of the time I’ll cut myself though I’ve used a company called Frith and Co as a backup for pre-cut ones if I can’t get the consumables on time. Most of my stuff comes from Larsen Juhl and Lion
@@StuartMcGlennon Thanks for the reply. I tend to cut my own but always on the look out for options.
Hi Stuart: Thanks for sharing your experiences as a full-time photographer and gallery owner. It was interesting in hearing about your approach to creating, printing and framing your images. I will certainly have to look into the museum quality glass options at our local framing store. I have heard of FotoSpeed paper and it seems to be the top choice of all UK based photographers. Unfortunately this paper line is not easily available in Canada at a reasonable price. Do you have any other choices within Ilford, Cansen or Hhahnemuhle paper that would come close to the FotoSpeed products? We will certainly drop into your shop when we are in Keswick this fall. I have also noticed that you have an association with Kase Filters, and I was wondering if you sell any of there products at your gallery. I currently shoot with Lee Filters, but I hear lots of great things about Kase Filters. Cheers, Keith Pinn (Canada).
I've used Hahnemuhle previously who are great also and certainly on par - Fotospeed here in the UK have built up a great reputation off the back of working directly with landscape photographers to develop their papers and also provide really excellent customer service and custom paper profiles which many other companies don't provide. The papers great though I'd not say they're any 'better' than the others you mention, all will do a good job.
Hi Stuart, thanks for this insightful video. I was just wondering if any of your customers ask you about the longevity or archival quality of the print they are buying? I do my printing at home and I bought into all the marketing stuff about if you are selling work then it must be fine art giclee quality as it will last much longer etc. I'd be interested to know in the real world if anyone buying worries about this? Cheers, Stew
Hi Stew, great question - of course as photographers we want to be sure of the paper quality and it’s archival longevity (I’d be mortified if I was selling stuff that faded after 10 years) but in the real world customers don’t care (or I’ve certainly never been asked the question). They are concerned if it’s a canvas print (different process entirely) where there’s a lot of cowboys out there using stuff that fades quickly, but as far as prints go, no the paying punter isn’t interested, they’re far more concerned about the look of the frame.
@@StuartMcGlennon Thanks, good to know
Thanks for this Stuart. Very interesting and pleased to hear that self employment is working out well for you. Can you also provide a link to your printer, thanks.
Thanks Gordon much appreciated - link to my printer is here: www.castle-picture-framing.co.uk/
@@StuartMcGlennon Thanks Stuart & all the best for 2021
Happy New Year !
Subscribed ~
👍👍thanks
Really interesting Stuart. Thanks for sharing the inside workings of the gallery (which I will get to visit one day I promise - I'm back up your way in March covid allowing). With you using glass in your frames I'm interested in the packaging, and how you avoid breakages whilst your parcels are in the tender loving care of the Royal Mail? Some time ago I swapped to museum perspex "glass" because I had so many returned due to broken glass. Also, do you bother with greetings cards, or other small items or is it just not worth the effort? Happy New Year sir.
Cheers Huw, all delivered frames are in styrene anti glare to avoid them shattering via APC - with greetings cards no I don’t do them to make any kind of return on them takes too long given how many need ordered to make them cost effective, I hardly get any requests for them and also it’s not really a market I want to go down with the gallery. Have a great Xmas 👍
@@StuartMcGlennon Thanks Stuart. I was in a general art gallery some years ago and in truth it was things like card and calendars that sold best - the larger stuff always took more time to shift. I gradually worked out how to make cards and calendars myself so that I could make small print runs, and use the "handmade" label honestly. Keeping the styrene layer on the glass is a killer technique by the way. Had not thought of that approach. Hope Dorset open studios will be back on again in 2021 so I can have another go. All the best chap, and every success for 2021.
Thanks Stuart. I hope to visit your gallery when I come to the UK to visit my daughter. One question, have you explored metal prints, and what’s your take on them? Are they a flavor of the month, or do they have a future?
Hi Paul, metal prints are quite niche, in terms of quality with the right image they can look stunning, though in terms of sales I’ve found there’s little demand for them. I’ve produced them in the past (I’m actually taking delivery of a huge 1.5 metre one on acrylic tomorrow for a client) and what ends up putting customers off is production cost. For me to make any kind of decent profit on them I have to either order in bulk (where there’s no real demand) or put a huge markup on them to offset production costs.
So interesting,,l subscribed!
Thanks Neil 👍
Honest Chat
Thanks
Another stoater... I think a huge advantage you have over other YT'ers even the larger ones is your contact with the actual public. Giving you an almost exclusive insight into what the public actually want, one that can't be gleaned from those that sell predominantly online or sell workshops.
Thanks mate yes it’s a side of the industry that little is known about to the casual viewer especially on CZcams - this platform has it’s merits though it’s not always great at presenting reality. I do run workshops and residentials like they do too, I just don’t have perhaps the same ‘need’ to push them quite as much as it’s not my main source of income like theirs
Talking of it's only a print and not an original, I have loads of those printed £20 notes I need to shift, they are not originals though, they are only prints.
Museum glass is best, as you say. It's really expensive, bur worth it.
Yep it makes a huge difference to the presentation
Hi Stuart I knew there was another thing I wanted to ask you! Sorry! Do you focus your work entirely on the Lake District? Do you think if you featured other work e.g. another style say ICM or abstract or other locations e.g. Scotland it would dilute your gallery that seems to be totally focussed on the Lake District? ( I personally feel if I started a gallery it needs to be focussed 100% on the National Park where I live) Thank you
I'd say 90-95% is Lake District work with some Scottish stuff sprinkled in - Keswick is very much a tourist market, this combined with my shop being quite small means I don't have a lot of flexibility to be too experimental with the locations and subjects I display. When I move into a bigger unit I'll have more room to display a wider range of subjects and styles which are perhaps more inkeeping with the subjects I like to shoot on a personal level.
Hi thank for the video, what about not using glass at all With the frame could that work?
It could but you run into potential issues with prints fading quicker and also the risk of damage.
First Rate ! Thanks.
Cheers Douglas
Do certain sizes of prints sell better? I know that's probably dependent on what you put out too. And do you ever print on other materials like metal or acrylic?
Hi Thomas I think I covered this but large panoramic style images tend to sell more than most, maybe 60-70 percent. In terms of other materials yes I print onto acrylic / dibond etc. though I don’t tend to stock them in the shop as the material costs to produce them is much higher vs potential for them to sell. Most of the time customers won’t pay the prices I’d need to charge for them to make it worthwhile buying the stock but they are there as an option it people wish to buy them.
@@StuartMcGlennon Very helpful. Thanks for the prompt response!
Hi Stuart. Just Subscribed. Thanks for so much insight. I am a panorama photographer, but where I live (Turkey) I fear people don't buy landscape photography at all. When you said that panoramic photos sell 75% it just made my day. One tip I can maybe give you for displaying panoramas on Instagram is to cut them in squares and place them into sliding photos like this: instagram.com/p/B6PdJQogUYK/ There are some apps especially for this like panoramacrop. Thanks again.
Lovely 😍💋 💝💖❤️
Thanks 🙏
I've tried 5 times to leave a lengthy comment and each time it just disappears.
No idea mate nothing is blocked in the settings at my end
@@StuartMcGlennon It was a post about how I displayed small unframed prints in my gallery many years ago. I'll try again. There was a link in it, maybe that was a problem. I've tried again below.
It's disappeared again! I'll try without the link.
Hi Stuart. I just found your channel and love your laid-back format. Subbed.
25 years ago I also had a small gallery, I found my biggest sellers were smallish (8x10 I think) photos, mounted and sometimes matted but not framed. I simply shrink wrapped them and put them in what I used to call "flip throughs".
If you've ever searched for a vinyl album in an old-style record store you will know what I mean.
Here is a (very poor) photo of three such flip throughs
[link was here]
In the right one the photos are printed with wide borders and just laid onto foam core then shrink wrapped.
In the left two the photos are the same but they also have a grey matt.
Note that these were ALL hand-printed in my darkroom then mounted and matted by me, which was time consuming but I had templates for everything and could knock them out very quickly. Also the sizes were an exact sub-multiple of the standard board sizes so it just needed 4 cuts to get 9 matts and the same with the backing boards (once again I think, it's been a few years).
I found this approach had two benefits. Firstly many people travelling could fit such an item in their luggage, especially if flying as they weighed almost nothing and could easily be laid flat in between their sweater and dressing gown (or whatever).
Secondly I could fit a huge number of images in a small space. This was important as my gallery was about the same size as yours from what I can see. I did see that at some point you had something similar (but larger prints) in the center of the room.
Another side effect was that people would often see these small versions but ask if I could do a large one, like you see on the wall behind in the above photo. Without seeing the small one they would never have know the image existed.
Anyway that's my 2c worth, it's been a quarter of a century and times may have changed, but I think this approach would still have some value.
That worked but another post with just the link disappeared as well. Maybe you have a setting that excludes links in comments. I'll see if I can message you with it.
Man Stuart! I really appreciate this as I am getting ready for my new show! All the things I have suspected for a long time you are saying here! Fantastic video and very very much appreciated!
👍👍no probs thanks for watching