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Old 4th March 2009, 10:45 AM
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Default Is it possible to make a living from B+W Landscapes

Is it possible to make a living from selling B+W Landscape prints and if not, then can it be done with colour landscapes?
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Old 4th March 2009, 11:55 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by percepts View Post
Is it possible to make a living from selling B+W Landscape prints and if not, then can it be done with colour landscapes?
Rob, I'm not sure if anyone will be able to answer the question you have posed. It depends on what you call a living. How cheaply one can live, (I don't have a mortgage.) is there another source of income (I do commercial work)? Too many varibles I think.

The question I am interested in, and the question that was being addressed in the other thread, is do digital, colour or black and white, prints sell better than darkroom prints and if so why?
Steven
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Old 4th March 2009, 12:01 PM
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probably does need another heading
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Old 4th March 2009, 02:25 PM
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Probably not, but a nice sideline if you can get sales. When I get a few prints together I'm going to try to sell to art consultants and interior designers, maybe try a few local galleries.

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Old 4th March 2009, 06:23 PM
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I would say no, with any print sales, I do reasonably well with my monochrome print sales, but certainly I need the commercial side to at least supplement my income,but maybe again I'm lucky but I have found a niche market and I do make a fairly good living from tradtional b/w photography Richard
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Old 4th March 2009, 07:15 PM
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I think you would have to go some to make a living from print sales alone, even if you add colour prints to the equation.

Although I suppose it depends to some degree on ones criteria of 'making a living'?
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Old 4th March 2009, 10:25 PM
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I think very few people manage to make a living exclusively from selling landscapes (and probably rarely B&W). To do so, I reckon you have to be very good at what you do, tap into a pretty big market (eg international tourists), sell yourself very hard, and be prepared to outlay some capital. One bloke who seems to have done very well in Australia, and who has now opened a heap of galleries/shops in the US, is Peter Lik. He sells large colour panoramic landscapes, taken mostly on a Fuji 6x17 if I recall. They are not really my thing - sort of like massive tourist postcards - but his craft is very good, and his galleries are pretty slick operations. When he was still based in Australia, his galleries were all in very tourist-heavy spots (Noosa, Cairns, Sydney I think) = high exposure but very high rent.
If you spend a few minutes on his website, you will see that he seems to be reinventing himself as some kind of US-Aussie celebrity. Think Steve Irwin with a more extensive wardrobe and a personal trainer.
There are a handful of other guys in Australia who sell the same sort of product (large colour panoramas), but I am not sure if any of them are doing very well. Steve Parish might be making a living but I think he has his fingers in a few pies and has branched out into cards, calendars, books, etc.
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Old 4th March 2009, 11:57 PM
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I would say not - but Michael Kenna seems to do OK!

I combine my prints with a 21 year old graphic design business. The graphics earn my salary and pay the mortgage. My prints are mostly a very expensive hobby. But some do sell. Occasionally sell enough to pay for the frames and costs etc. But if I looked at the time then no, I lose a fortune. My hourly rate design wise is vastly more cost effective.

I do feel though that if one did enough fairs and had enough galleries supporting gentle print sales then maybe it might be possible. But I have an awful feeling that one may churn out chocolate box stuff in the end to make ends meet.
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Old 13th March 2009, 11:46 AM
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I have read this thread with interest I note that none of you mention a business plan, market resarch or what your actual cost are. with out any of the info how can you say what will sell or make money.

you need to resarch as much as you do your picture taking if not more so.

How much time and how many thousands are you prepared to invest to make it work.
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Old 16th March 2009, 03:56 AM
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Mark,

What area of graphic design do you operate in?

Tom.
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