Creating Photos that are 'Must-Have' Prints: Why Buyers Really Buy
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- čas přidán 30. 06. 2024
- Real-world advice to elevate your photography and boost your print sales:
www.scottfrench.art/art-photo...
Video: If you're just starting to sell prints or have been struggling with it, this video delves into the reasons people buy photography and shows how you can use this knowledge to increase your sales. Let me know what you think in the comments. Like and subscribe if you found it helpful.
My Website: www.scottfrench.art
Instagram: / dscottfrench
Email: info@scottfrench.art
The amazing Photographers referenced in this video:
David Burdeny
Michael Frye
Benjamin Briones Grandi
Joshua Cripps
Tiago Mateus
Andreas Gursky
David Drebin
Edward Steichen
Man Ray
Additional Footage: artlist.io/
Music: artlist.io/
Magiksolo - "Air" - Jak na to + styl
I've always thought that if you want to sell prints of your photos, it helps to understand why people buy. I've tried to cover the broader points. Can anyone think of other reasons people would buy photography?
When I was selling prints of my art (not photography), I found a surprising number of people bought to give the print as a gift. I'm not sure this answers your question, but I hope this will be a useful point anyway. :)
@@kalilavalezina Thanks! I hadn't thought of that but you're absolutely right...one of the reasons sales pick up this time of year.
I'm pleased you talked about 'a wall test'
A lot of photographers I used to know in the family portrait world would show the client 100's of images in the hope that something stuck.
Doing something like a wall test as you suggested is a great way for photographers to at least commit to curating their images for sale rather than just throwing up a load of random images.
I'm my exprerience of selling prints to families (which ofc is different to fine art prints, but I believe these concepts apply to both) two things stood out to me:
1. Less is always more - I used to show around 30-40 images when I opened my studio. By the time I closed, I was showing maybe 15-20 depending on the size of the family. Average sales went up.
2. Terminology is very important - words like 'big', 'large', and 'extra large' to put people off. This might be a location thing (I'm based in the UK), but by using the phrases 'gallery size', 'museum size' etc it also has the added benefit of getting the prospecive buyer thinking of your work in terms of an actual gallery or museum :D
I'm about to start my own print sales and this is in part thanks to Scott and his support.
Good Points, Alex! Glad I could help. Good luck with your launch!
I had an epiphany several years ago when I looked back at the art work from various time periods and realized that (and this is my observable opinion) that art and the architecture of the day tend to be married to each other to some degree. The art work of the Renaissance period looks good on the walls of the architecture of that period. While art from the art deco period looks good on walls from the architecture of that period and so on. I'm glad you hit on the importance how it has to look on a wall. I couldn't agree more.
Thanks for sharing that!
Stumbled upon your channel and I am glad I did.
Thanks! Glad you did too :)
Wonderful advice Scott. I am a news agency photographer based in Johannesburg and your videos and advice are really helping me in moving a step closer to selling my first print soon!:) I have made sales at previous exhibitions I have had but not online and via social media and other online channels. Keep up the amazing videos and good luck with your sales.
Thanks so much! Happy to help. Good luck with it!
I'm looking into starting a photography site and my personal favorites are iconic , I really like your photography because of the same love of architecture
Awesome, thank you! Best of Luck!
One of my favorites channel's....as a first time self printing photographer your videos have helped me a lot..thank you so much...
Great to hear! Thanks for the kind words!
Thank you so much for the clarifying video ❤ Cheers from Brazil 🇧🇷
My pleasure! Thanks for watching :)
Excellent, Scott. Thank you.
Glad you liked it!
Very interesting ❤❤ I have been thinking of creating some food photography artworks 🎉🎉 I appreciate your thoughts and reasoning 😊😊 Cheers Brendan.
Thanks...You should! Good luck with it.
Your content is very valuable and your presentation very professional and elegant.
Thank you so much, Maria 🙂
Greetings from Thailand. Thank you so much for this insightful video. I'm still an armature, but I'll let you know when I sell my first print. Cheers!! :)
Greetings! Thanks so much. Good luck with it!
Really good Scott. I'm off to photograph more landscapes related to Scottish clans. The emotional connection can be very strong.
Thanks Callum! Yes, that emotional connection is what it's all about. Good luck with it.
Hey Scotch. This video is amazing - thank you for all the tips. You seem to be a smart guy and I liked the "psychological" factors you added on this video as a reason for people buying art. Are there any books you have read that you could recommend me?
Glad it was helpful! I've not ready any books on this subject...although I imagine there are plenty of books on buyer psychology (not necessarily as it applies to art but in general). Most of what I've learned comes from a lot of research online and trial and error.
Hey Scott.
Love your images and enjoy your videos.
One tip... I'd ditch the grid that is on the light above your head. The complex grid reflection is distracting when you tilt your head up. Softbox minus grid would be preferable (at least to me).
I still totally enjoyed your video regardless.
Thanks so much and thanks for the tip…unfortunately if I remove the grill, I get all these other unwanted reflections and light spill in the background. I’ll see what I can do about it for future videos.
@@scottfrenchart perhaps you just need some barndoors on your lights (as in theatre and TV studios of old), rather than a grid grill? BTW, loving all of your videos so far and to date. They've helped with my own confidence knowing the techniques you've deployed here, ones I've also previously played within my own reasoning, work.
The donation is a really nice idea!
I think so too :)
Great video Scott. I agree with all your points and will follow your lead. One question, what software or platform do you use to show images on the wall? They look fantastic and very realistic. Thanks.
Thanks so much Boris! I use artplacer which I can highly recommend,
@@scottfrenchart Thank you Scott, much appreciated.
Thank you for all of the incredible education! Frequently, I capture amazing photos with my cell phone, which can pixelate if I enlarge them too big. Do you think there is any viability in trying to sell cell phone photos?
Good question. Like the answer to a lot of questions, it depends. The latest iPhones are 48 mp so they have no problems with large prints. Older phones can still do a decent job up to about a 20 inch or sometimes even 24 inch print (you can upsize the resolution in Lightroom or with a 3rd party software). The vast majority of print sales are prints 20-24 inches or smaller so it shouldn’t be a problem. It will also depend on the individual photo. Some older phones have challenges with certain lighting situations. Hope that helps!
I've enjoyed your videos and the information you provide. I am however curious to know if you have needed to ask for a property release for the buildings you take pictures of? I am a bit puzzled about when it is and isn't necessary to ask a property owner to sign such a form. Any insights you can offer would be greatly appreciated.
I've had a few others comment or DM me about that. Please keep in mind that I'm not a lawyer and not qualified to give legal advice but here are 2 links to articles which discuss the law governing photographing buildings for commercial use.
1) wahaviblog.com/en/photographing-copyrighted-property#:~:text=As%20a%20general%20rule%2C%20you,the%20owner%20to%20sign%20it.
2) www.justia.com/intellectual-property/copyright/photos-of-buildings-and-architecture/
While the law may vary from country to country, in general you can photograph a building from a public area (street, sidewalk, etc) for commercial use. However, if you are on private property, you will need to complete a property release with the owner details, and also get the owner to sign it.
If in doubt you should seek legal advice in your particular country.
Hope that helps!
@@scottfrenchart Thanks for those links! They answered the question I had. Much appreciated.
Just a note to Scott. Change the title to irresistible. The video itself is great!
Haha...thanks for catching that!
Hi Scott, You said you go through a third-party printing company to fulfill your orders. How do you and they include the hologram, certificate, signature and edition number. (For instance, do you include a PS layer where your signature is added? In another video you suggested beginners just send unframed prints, so when there's no matte, how else could you include a signature?) Does your printing company take care of the certificates and hologram for you?
What you're asking would be complicated and wouldn't be available though most printing companies. I don't offer a matte or signature on the print itself. If you want to offer everything you've mentioned, I'd recommend working with a local printer and signing the print, adding the COA, hologram etc yourself. Hope that helps.
Scott, I was asking because you said that was what you offered your customers. You also said you outsourced your printing. I then wondered how your printers accomplished all that. If I've misheard you, please correct me.
Sorry, let me clarify. I offer a COA with Hologram. The COA has my digital signature-I don't actually sign the COA myself and there is no signature on the print. However, if you work with a local printer you can have them print it and supply a shipping tube. You can then sign the print and add whatever else to the package. I have used that option in the past and it works pretty well.
Hello sir, what website or app did you use for wall mock up?
I use art placer.
Do you shoot your work with Large Format? Thanks. Awesome video.
Glad you like the video! I mostly shoot digital these days. The large format camera looks better in videos :)
@@scottfrenchart Ah. Ok. Thanks….
What do you use? The images are stunning!
Thanks so much! I'm shooting with the Fuji GFX but most of my images could be produced with just about any modern camera system.
1. GREAT video! THANK YOU!
2. The bright lights shining from the dark behind you are crazy amounts of distracting. Just me?
3. The very first photo is sublime!
Thanks! i appreciate the feedback.
@@scottfrenchart I certainly don't mean to be negative! But watch that video on full screen and see if those two lights are terribly distracting. Anyway...I'll delete this comment in a bit and post a fully positive one instead. Just feedback!
No worries. I’m still kind of new to CZcams but you may want to avoid my previous 2 videos :) they have the same lighting setup.
@@scottfrenchart I already watched them...which is why I finally had to say something. HAHA! Just be YOU, bro. That's the number 1 piece of advice for all YTubers. Do lights the way YOU want. Don't be a "character." Easy peasy. I love your channel. :)
Thanks so much…I’ll probably try a couple different setups to see what works best
I wonder how stable diffusion tools are affecting photographers
I think there's been an impact on some professional photographers who do work for clients, depending on their specialty. As far as art photography, it's hard to say. I've not seen any impact on what I do so far (then again it would be hard to attribute any impact to AI). My guess is that in the short to medium term AI will impact the lower end of the print sales market, making it more important for artists to create authentic work.
Am I correct that all public non government buildings can be photographed and sold without any release as you've done with the pink building? Is there ever the possibility the owner would seek compensation for your sales?
I've had a few others comment or DM me about that. Please keep in mind that I'm not a lawyer and not qualified to give legal advice but here are 2 links to articles which discuss the law governing photographing buildings for commercial use.
1) wahaviblog.com/en/photographing-copyrighted-property#:~:text=As%20a%20general%20rule%2C%20you,the%20owner%20to%20sign%20it.
2) www.justia.com/intellectual-property/copyright/photos-of-buildings-and-architecture/
While the law may vary from country to country, in general you can photograph a building from a public area (street, sidewalk, etc) for commercial use. However, if you are on private property, you will need to complete a property release with the owner details, and also get the owner to sign it.
If in doubt you should seek legal advice in your particular country.
Hope that helps!
Thanks Bud for researching this!
How and where do you sell prints??
Thanks for you interest. I have my own online store (www.scottfrench.art) so my prints are sold all over the world.
I understand the economic benefit of limited editions, I even kinda like the concept as someone who buys prints, but I just can't get over the feeling that it's wrong to for me to do as a seller. Idk if that's justified or not, but I don't like the idea of closing the door to people because they can't afford the more prestigious limited print or if they happened to miss the window of time when prints were still available. I might do like some limited prints on occasion, but just can't see doing them all like that. It would make more sense if I was doing like screenprints or etchings, but there's no actual scarcity when making prints of digital art/photography imo
If you've made the decision to sell prints of your work (whether it's a print of a painting, digital photograph, analogue photograph, etc), the number of prints made available for sale can be unlimited. So the amount of scarcity is really up to the artist. I sell my smaller and medium sized prints at a price point and in numbers so that just about anyone who likes my work can acquire it. The larger sizes are reserved for more serious collectors. These are personal decisions we all have to make ourselves. You do you.
Great video. Thanks. Oh, why use the words price point instead of just the word price. Using the word point adds nothing.
Thanks for watching! I don’t recall where in the video I used the term but if I were referring to a the individual price of an artwork rather than a point on a scale of possible prices, then you are correct.
How many prints are considered as limited?
Good Question! Strictly speaking it just means the print is available in a finite number. What that number should be is the topic of some debate. There are artists and gallerists who say the number should be no more than 7 (with each selling for $10,000 and above). Online galleries like Yellow Corner sell their limited editions in 5 different sizes ranging from 5000 copies for the smaller size to 50 for the largest. With open editions, there is no limit. The prints can be sold indefinitely.
The more apt question is why BUY any of it. There is so much free these days. Especially when its just deco art. Heck just have some AI make your perfect deco art, for far less cost at that. Now, High Art is a different matter.
I've worked with some photographers and artists and had many others reach out to me who've had concerns about AI's impact on their sales.. Most are worried about people using AI to create and sell cheap prints and downloads. I've also had some non-artists using AI contact me asking why no one wants to buy their cheap prints and downloads. So you might have something there. I suspect there are DIY'ers who are making AI art to hang on their wall. Before AI art became accessible, price sensitive buyers bought cheap mass-produced prints on Etsy or at Ikea. However, there's a middle ground between (low-priced) mass-produced art and (outrageously expensive) high art. This middle ground remains largely unaffected by DIY'ers or non-artists selling AI art. I think buyers in this category want something more unique when they purchase art. My own sales are up so far this year. I also know some artists who are selling AI art in this middle category. Then again, most of them were successful selling their work before they starting using AI.
@@scottfrenchart Of course that's what AI is going to do...be cheaper. Guess they have to step up their game to offer what the AI can't huh. Certainly wont be Photoshop pixel smears huh. High Art is, and will always be, determined by the consumer. Deco Art will always be deco art and at the whims of a dice roll. Digital photogs better get all they can, while they can, because AI will soon rule all of digital imaging, except for the extremely lucky here and there. I Never much liked smearing pixels on a computer, taking a photo vs just creating some image are very different, artistically. So I kept my darkroom chops up over the years, and can sell about 100% of what I print, when I do print, while not being online with any part of it, as well. They get the negative with the purchase, can see it was a taken photo, and they know its a one off hand made wet print that only THEY will have, outside of a one time opportunity for an enlargement wet print at purchase.
AI wont have anything on me, I can produce what it can't. Why do they buy? I never ask why, but instead, just give them a reason to buy.
Your print is a beneficiary of the Barbie effect...people are just clones unfortunately.
Haha…probably more recently. But the image became my best seller, 2 years before the Barbie movie was released. Based on feedback from buyers, I think it had more to do with the reason I mentioned in the video.
Could you tell me which sites you talk about that allow you to create photo previews in home or office environments? Thank you very much
The one I used is a paid app called artplacer.
@@scottfrenchart You were really very kind, I think it’s a great tool.
Thank you for the suggestion