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  #21  
Old 4th March 2009, 11:08 PM
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Good luck with your venture Steven. I too have been pondering these questions and I reckon you are on the right track.
I think that people, on the whole, want to buy photos of things they know. Their children, their pets, their part of the world, sometimes places they loved on holiday. (They will also buy pictures of things they think they know - big famous cities (eg London, Paris, NY), movie stars and celebrities, etc.)
Joe public does not know, I think, what happens in a darkroom or what a silver gelatine print is, and does not care. Digital is now what most of them know.
As for black and white generally, I think the wedding and portrait photography industry has managed to convince the masses that B&W can be cool, but I don't think the masses believe that about landscapes yet. That's why they love their colour panoramas. Which is not to say that B&W landscapes cannot be sold, but that one has to be more cunning/flexible to do it, and will have to be happy with a relatively niche market. In that battle, I think digital printing is probably the better bet. Prints can more easily be bigger, they can more easily be put onto different surfaces, and they can be produced more cheaply...
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  #22  
Old 4th March 2009, 11:47 PM
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In answer to an earlier question - I do produce both Wet and Dodgital mono prints. I have images in a couple of local galleries and am actively canvassing for more. Interestingly my painterly type colour images are the ones that sell best. Especially if in a series.

At the moment the gallery that sells the most runs themed exhibitions. They contain paintings, sculpture and photographic prints based around a single theme. This seems to be a winning combination for them. However I can also see that they make vastly more money from paintings and I wonder how long photography will stay as a medium. The owners are stating that they are committed to photography so my fingers are staying crossed.

Several other galleries are asking for a recurring theme - in that they all want 'creative takes' on local landscapes. Prices are all over the place from £70 for numbered editions of 25 up to £700-£800 for editions of 5 printed v. large and framed.

I am considering producing a range of large wet prints of local stuff to test the water. It will be interesting to see Joe public's reaction. In the meantime I have another gallery launch to get through. Deciding who goes on the guest list is daunting. But previous buyers get first choice.
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  #23  
Old 4th March 2009, 11:57 PM
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Well, I have sold both wet-mono and ink squirt mono prints although more of the former. Having said that, my work is mainly taking the 'ine' from Fine-Art' and I make them for me and if they sell that's a bonus.
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  #24  
Old 5th March 2009, 06:41 AM
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Quote:
"All of my wet prints have such a huge tonal range compared to the contrasty dodgitals it does not make sense for me."
Television ... has been a major element in training the eye of the public for two generations. Watch any current black & white pop video and you'll see what the public now understands as being 'good' contrast. And you'll see that quality reflected in the b&w conversions on Flickr and elsewhere.

Black & white literacy went down the tubes with the advent of colour TV.

(I think I've just found my PhD thesis.)
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  #25  
Old 5th March 2009, 01:32 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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I can only speak for myself but here their are two photographers that I know of who sell inkjets,mainly colour,just a small amount of b/w on a part time bacis, and sometimes they struggle, I sell silver prints, b/w and I outsell them,so at least in Jersey silver works.Richard
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  #26  
Old 10th June 2009, 10:22 PM
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two or three months on... I find that now my silver prints are beginning to sell, the larger framed stuff which was digital is slowly being returned from the galleries unsold.

Two of the galleries are insisting that I continue with the silver prints as they "feel they have more value" - some of my messages must be getting through then!

Selling silver prints feels like pulling teeth - but at least they are now selling at last. I am starting to hope a little.
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  #27  
Old 11th June 2009, 05:46 AM
Dave miller Dave miller is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Burley View Post
two or three months on... I find that now my silver prints are beginning to sell, the larger framed stuff which was digital is slowly being returned from the galleries unsold.

Two of the galleries are insisting that I continue with the silver prints as they "feel they have more value" - some of my messages must be getting through then!

Selling silver prints feels like pulling teeth - but at least they are now selling at last. I am starting to hope a little.
That's good news Mark. Must be the word "silver", maybe people realise it's they are a gold standard investment.
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  #28  
Old 28th June 2009, 01:26 PM
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I have just been on holiday in Cornwall and did my usual wander through the local Shops and Galleries looking at the photographs on sale.

Talking to a few of people manning the shops they were of the general opinion that Silver Photographs commanded a higher price than Inkjet Prints (about twice as much – this has happened only recently)

Also, what was interesting is what they said about size, subject matter and price :–

Most people don’t want prints that are too big as they don’t have the wall room to cope with big prints (10x8 seemed to be the most popular)

The photographic subject needed to be local

Most people wanted a nice reminder of their holiday and (said in a quiet low voice) didn’t want a print that was too artistic – they weren’t sophisticated enough to get it

About £70 to £100 was about the ceiling for most of their photographs (I think that also included frame and mount)

Martin
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  #29  
Old 28th June 2009, 03:21 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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We had a large local event over here yesterday, and I set up a stall at the invitation of the organisers, which I do every year at the same event.There were two other local photographers there, both digital and selling a mixture of inkjet mono and color prints, I was selling my fibre based darkroom prints,which were priced at, shall we say, a premium price, and for the most part smaller prints, mainly 10x12, and when we all compared notes at the end of the day, they were, to say the least, a bit upset to find that I had outsold them by about 3 to 1, people seem to like the idea of a tradional mono print,the general idea from what people, both visitors and locals said to me is that ''old fashioned prints '' better vaqlue for money as they will last longer,and look better on a wall. Richard
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  #30  
Old 29th June 2009, 09:14 AM
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I think gentlemen you need to start calling a spade a spade.

A picture produced by negative is a photograph
A picture by digital means is a print

I think We as photographers should stop muddying the water and label things properly no wonder the public do not know what is what.
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