Are my photos good enough to sell?

bomberman

bomberman

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/timlovelady/

I'm really struggling for cash at the moment, have a look and tell me what you think.

Also, does anyone have any advice? I'm mainly thinking i want to try and sell landscape and architecture photos but later to branch out into sports events where i'll hand out flyers. I'm not sure how to handle the logistics of it all (website, printing etc). I've been getting some good feedback and my first wedding pics were well received (i was just a guest!). Anyone have any websites i could look at?

I've been told something like Etsy would be simple to get me started.

What are your views?

Tim
 
Well dont know much about selling. but have to say some of those photos are really good worthy of selling in my eyes. like the london underground pic.
 
Tim, your motivation for selling your work has to be your work rather than a lack of pennies in your pocket. Setting up professionally costs money as you need to shell out for things like marketing and insurance so it gets worse before it gets better.

As for the pics on your flikr, sorry but I don't see anything there that I would be willing to pay for. Your architectural stuff is mainly shot wide angle and that's very limiting. Most architects and project managers are rather more keen on straight verticals. Your wedding ones are not good, people chopped off at the knees, shoulders missing and subjects squinting into the sun. You also have backlit subjects where you have not compensated for that on the exposure and have ended up with a silhouette and room shots where you have not adjusted the white balance. Aesthetically not anywhere near a professional standard and technically flawed too.

Sorry to be so brutal but there is a lot of work required before you consider making money from these.
 
The wedding pics were just snapshots - i wasn't the official photographer and i wouldn't want to be at my friend's wedding either. I took them with the sun in the background because friends and family were complaining that they didn't want the sun in their face directly. The room shots of the church are HDR.

I'm not aiming to sell my architecture shots to architects either, they are what they are purely from an artistic P.O.V. I was just having fun with a wide-angle which i hired for the week. I'm not aiming to be a professional overnight, just to make enough to let me upgrade. And i like my work, which is my motivation. I do respect your opinions though, so thanks for the comments and keep them coming.

Tim

P.S - Did you look at my landscapes?
 
Hi Tim,

I'm going to echo what Ali has already said, its a long road to making any sensible money from photography, and it takes alot of investment both in terms of money and time.

Your landscapes are OK - but TBH there is nothing there to make them stand out from the crowd. Why would I buy yours over any others

Hugh
 
I'm not looking to make serious money just yet. I get what you're saying, however, you could ask why wouldn't you buy them? I've been blogged a couple of times. I get good feedback on my flickr site and friends and family are all saying i could make a bit of money out of it. So as far as feedback goes, so far it's pretty good. Most of my shots are taken with the kit lens in and around the local area so i'm pretty confident that it's only going to get better for me. I only got my camera in July so in just over 2 months i'm getting 500+ hits on flickr in a day. I'd say that's pretty good. Like i said it can only get better in terms of locations and shooting opportunities. what have i got to lose?
 
Have you considered not using HDR on a few shots and concentrating on getting the impact from the composition?
 
Because although not identical, stock images are ten a penny now.
:shrug:
 
bomberman said:
I'm not looking to make serious money just yet. I get what you're saying, however, you could ask why wouldn't you buy them? I've been blogged a couple of times. I get good feedback on my flickr site and friends and family are all saying i could make a bit of money out of it. So as far as feedback goes, so far it's pretty good. Most of my shots are taken with the kit lens in and around the local area so i'm pretty confident that it's only going to get better for me. I only got my camera in July so in just over 2 months i'm getting 500+ hits on flickr in a day. I'd say that's pretty good. Like i said it can only get better in terms of locations and shooting opportunities. what have i got to lose?
Click to expand...

If you want to really find out if your photo's are any good post them here and ask for criticisms. All you ever get from Flickr is "Great Shot!" "wow" "Amazing". Flickr is an ego boost. ;)
 
bomberman said:
II get good feedback on my flickr site and friends and family are all saying i could make a bit of money out of it.
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Feedback is cheap and have you asked your friends and family if they'd like to buy any and if so how much would they pay?

I've sold a few canvas's but most people expect something for free or very cheap "after all you just go out and press a shutter - it's not hard..."
 
i would listen to the voices of reason and experience on this one, if everyone who's friends and family said there shots were good went into photography there would be a lot of people in tears, its easy for people to give praise about an image when there is no price tag associated with it, but if you show them the same shot with a price tag you'll find its a different response.

Hits on flickr are irrelevant, you don't know who is looking at them and what they think.
As Ali says you will need a big chunk of cash behind you just for the associated cost of starting up and thats not even including the cost of all your kit, the benchmark kit for football photography would cost you close to £15,000 to buy brand new

As you say you've only had your camera for a very very short time, don't try and rush into it as you'll do more harm than good to your confidence. My advice is to study as many different areas of photography to find the ones you like then study the best in those fields and work out why they are the top dogs.


Stick at it and set yourself some targets


Andy
 
Just curious - have you actually had any orders from the 500+ hits a day on your flickr, because that may be a good way to judge.

I personally have had none :LOL:
 
Tim, I would not buy them because they don't stand out. To get people to pay you money you have to be offering something they can't do themselves, something that touches the soul, something that will fit with their surroundings decoratively.

You said yourself that you are interested in architecture. Go and google some architectural photograhers and see what they have to offer. They are generally experts at lighting interiors as well as shooting outdoors and use perspective control so they avoid converging verticals where that is required.

The interior shots on your flickr are not well lit and the colour balance is way off. That leads me to believe that you have not yet mastered the white balance. How are you appoaching it?

It's those kind of technical flaws that would put me off even looking any further in your portfolio.

You are new to this and that's fine, we all start somehwere and we are all on a journey when it comes to learning and I'll be the first to tell you that journey never ends. Nothing wrong with the ambition but you will have to sort out the technique first :)
 
just looked at your pictures and i have to agree with most of the comments above..Friends and family well be nice to you about your pictures (except my hubby who tells it like it is). and as they may not know much about making momeny from pictures they may not realize how hard it is.

I would really listern to the guys on here they talk sence most of the time. and they are always here if you need advice, help or guidence.
 
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And yes Flickr is an ego boost and thanks to everyone here as today has been my best day so far with over 600 views!
 
Although your images may not be 100% technical perfect to other photographers they may or may not sell. I don't want to get drawn into that argument.

The issue is how you will sell them 'to make a bit of cash'. Unfortunately there is no easy outlet to 'just sell my photos'. I get told regularly by non togs that I 'should sell' mine.

When it comes down to it. Who regularly buys photography? OK Elton John used to collect photography but I don't know anyone else who does. Let's say someone does want one of your images on their wall how will they get to see it / purchase it in the 1st place?

There is no easy way of getting your images out there without some investment. You can play with sites like Clickpic etc etc but they cost money. Redbubble is a nice idea - upload your photos let someone else buy them and Redbubble sort the printing / delivery but is US only.

The other option is build your own website but needs a lot of investment time and most likely money for hosting, secure ordering, printing etc etc.

Another way is to get your images on Stock websites. Whether your images will pass the stock website quality control could be debated due to other members comments... Income from this is low without a large stock collection.

Another road might be print some images, mount and frame and hang them up in a local pub. Again, needs some investment by you initially. With no guaranteed purchase.

Just 'coz you're getting a number of views a day on Flickr are people really interested in PAYING for your images? I don't think anyone who has found my images on Flickr has asked me if they can buy one (although once or twice I did manage to get a small amount to licence an image to them).

I'm not having a go at your photography. I'm just talking you through my own thought processes with my own imagery with regards to selling them.

HTH

Mark F
 
I think people here are over-estimating what i am wanting to do. I only want to sell a few prints online. Ignore the interior shots - there are only two and they're the first two i ever took :)
 
bomberman said:
I think people here are over-estimating what i am wanting to do. I only want to sell a few prints online. Ignore the interior shots - there are only two and they're the first two i ever took :)
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But the problem is I think you're underestimating the hours of work, research, business matters etc.. that go into selling images.
 
im lapping up this feedback. It must be difficult with every tom **** and harry owning a DSLR. Nobody, yet, has shown me a good website with the kind of pics that people want to buy.
 
OK ,let's have a look at these since you were kind enough to post them.

#1. There is no focal point and the horizon is wonky. It is also half way down the image which does it no favours in terms of composition.
#2. There is a bit of building sticking out on the left of the frame and the whole building looks like it going backwards because of those converging verticals. That said because of the nature or the tower you can almost get away with it. Won't work on most buildings. Look at the angle of the building on the right! The tower sort of appears from nowhere on the left too.
#3 yeah, it's a train. Slightly slow shutter but it does nothing for me due to the lack of a focal point.
#4 Again, no focal point, it's some light coming through some trees and has rather a lot of lens flare.
#5 suffers from blown highlights in the sky, random people in the foreground and a whole lot of orange fencing by the tower.

Tim, none of these are sellable images I'm afraid. They do show some imagination on your part but I'm afraid my hands would be firmly in my pockets if these were in front of me.
 
Did I not read in your "I've been Blogged" thread that all your pictures had a creative commons license in which case they can be used for free or something ?
 
bomberman said:
im lapping up this feedback. It must be difficult with every tom **** and harry owning a DSLR. Nobody, yet, has shown me a good website with the kind of pics that people want to buy.
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Forget the crit on your photos. If you want to sell them get on and do that. I've replied with a few possibilities - Read my reply.

Of course the easiest way is to put a comment under each photo on Flickr asking people to contact you if they want a print.

However even that's against Flickr T&C's.
 
bomberman said:
Squizza, i have all the time in the world. Maybe you would like to elaborate
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So you're short on cash. You need


A website
Advertising costs - leaflets, mailings to potential clients
Exhibitions
Tax
Insurance
Printing costs
Mounting costs
Consumables
Suitable photographic equipment incase an image you sell leads onto commissions
Equipment insurance
Buildings model release forms (i.e the Lloyds building, and possibly Picadilly circus buildings (at least i think thats what it is)
Model release forms
 
bomberman said:
im lapping up this feedback. It must be difficult with every tom **** and harry owning a DSLR. Nobody, yet, has shown me a good website with the kind of pics that people want to buy.
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Ah Pbase is down at the moment else I would.
Most of my canvas's have been sold to family and friends so cost plus a little bit.

Out of those photo's I think the top one would be the only one I'd have on a wall but I'd crop a lot of the water off at the bottom and turn it into a wide landscape. Second, third and last maybe postcards, but London's been done heavily in that respect.

Edit: for a great website/photos to but see: http://uk.plisson.com/
Phillip Plisson. I saw his exhibition at the Oxo gallery, and went to his gallery in St Malo. Great stuff.
 
That and get a large portfolio of top quality images that will apeal to as larger market as possible.
 
dinners said:
Did I not read in your "I've been Blogged" thread that all your pictures had a creative commons license in which case they can be used for free or something ?
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I've changed that.

Thanks for the responses. David Norton has some very elegant and beautiful landscape shots. And i am stuck with the kit lens in halifax! I need about £400 for an ultrawide angle lens. And then maybe a bit of travelling is in order. I'm not in photography just to make money by the way, it's just something i like doing. Lets me express my creative side :)
 
AliB said:
Freester said:
Forget the crit on your photos.
The OP asked why we would not buy them, those are my reasons.
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i wouldnt begin to crit the shots...they are good
and unfortunately there are many equally good shots...in those genres

i feel new ground needs to be broken and more pragmatically with a discrete market in mind..not advertising
my feelings are that industrial markets may be more suitable..
not creative but bread and butter usually isnt

i am not a pro and have only really sold one shot..and never got paid...
so i only put in what you may want to take out

and i do wish you well
god bless
geof
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bomberman said:
I've changed that.
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Just remember that 'Creative Commons' licenses are non-revocable. This means that you cannot stop someone, who has obtained your work under a Creative Commons license, from using the work according to that license.

That was taken from the creativecommons.org website, here's the link if you want. Linky
 
Hawker said:
Just remember that 'Creative Commons' licenses are non-revocable. This means that you cannot stop someone, who has obtained your work under a Creative Commons license, from using the work according to that license.

That was taken from the creativecommons.org website, here's the link if you want. Linky
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so a couple of people have already downloaded a few shots. so what?
 
Nothing to me, I couldn't care less, just though you might like the information for future reference.
 
bomberman said:
I've changed that.

Thanks for the responses. David Norton has some very elegant and beautiful landscape shots. And i am stuck with the kit lens in halifax! I need about £400 for an ultrawide angle lens. And then maybe a bit of travelling is in order. I'm not in photography just to make money by the way, it's just something i like doing. Lets me express my creative side :)
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see that sort of comment is OK, but if your going to make any money whatsoever you need to see it as your business and spend the money that needs spending on it. Nobodies saying you can't do this in a creative a way as possible, but if you won't invest in you, then why would anyone else

Hugh
 
i just fancy testing the water

Bruce, i was only asking what the implications of the information he was giving me were. am i not allowed to question the motive for his advice?
 
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