Do many people buy photographic prints?

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Hi all

Given how knowledgable this forum is I thought there'd be many who could provide some pearls of wisdom on the above subject.

I currently work as a property photographer full time but I would like to use my skills to potentially earn some extra profit through photos I have taken personally. I may have posed a similar question here before except I now have my own platform to sell my photography, being my own website. I previously experimented with Etsy a long time ago but found it very saturated and not particularly ideal for photo prints.

My website was previously just a portfolio site that ultimately helped towards me obtaining my current role but have now adapted it in order to sell my prints online, consisting of cityscapes, architecture, regional photography i.e Surrey, outer London etc.

I have never expected a large amount of activity and I often promote my photos and prints through Instagram. However despite positive feedback (and thankfully some requests off friends, family and acquaintances I have not really had much interest outside of that). I have noticed there is not a large amount of photographers who offer prints to sell, especially outside of galleries or craft fairs. Whereas these settings would be the ideal environments to sell (and hopefully plan to in the future) of course given the current climate it hasn't been possible. Of course there is added risk here of printing to great cost with little sales.

Observing the insides of peoples homes through work I also find there's not a lot photography that tends to hang on peoples walls, however stylised art style prints - in particular those 1930s style travel posters of English locations are very popular as of late (Have also experimented with these too)Otherwise its the usual generic Ikea style London bus/phonebox style canvasses etc.

So really am wondering is it worth fretting over and really pushing on the appropriate channels, or just expecting the occasional drip of business. Would it be worth narrowing down on the style of prints I offer to something more niche, like local landmarks or architecture? I have previously focused on landscapes but found it has a limited audience unless its really spectacular like Cornwall coast long exposure sunsets.

Would be keen to hear of there experiences of selling prints.
 
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The only success I had selling prints were at a farmers market where I sold prints of local landmarks. Sold out of everything A5 sized (cheap), a couple of A4s (medium), and nothing larger (expensive).

I have tried the online print selling route, but it was far more hassle than it was worth. IMO it's all about reaching your audience and marketing your product well. As a very part time Instagram user and non-Facebook user, and someone who doesn't enjoy marketing/SEO this was too much of an uphill battle for me to be worth my time.

This might get more traction in the Business section from people who actually might make a living off it. I think you can report your own post and ask for it to be moved if you feel that would work better.
 
I am not interested in selling prints normally but occasionally my club does hire a a Gallery and offer prints for sale. Often we have given the profits to Charity. Each person displaying pays a share of the costs but you can offer cards for sale as well. If you sell one picture you will make a handsome profit but most do not sell any. However it is often the the total from card sales will exceed print sales. One thing that I have learnt is that, if a customer likes a particular image, they may well like other images by the same photographer and thus buy more than one print. From time to time a few of our members have made other attempts to sell prints and almost none sold any from their website but were much more successful at local markets or other local country events.

Dave
 
I guess it would be due to the fact that companies can produce thousands of cheap prints and sell them in places like IKEA, while individual photographers will spend an arm and a leg making high quality prints which appeals to a very small minority. At least in art if you buy a painting you know it’s an original whereas in photography the ability to produce hundreds of identical copies diminishes the value. Just my thoughts as I have no experience of selling prints.
 
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I can count on the fingers of one, maybe two hands how many prints I’ve sold over the past 10-15 years. Granted, my photos aren’t of attractive subject matter, and print sales are not something I’ve actively pushed, but I know of an established landscape photographer of some repute who had an exhibition at the OXO gallery and sold next to nothing.

Prints need framing and take up wall space so any buyer has to be pretty confident in their liking of the picture to commit to buying one. And unless you are very well known in the art world, you aren’t going to be able to sell them as collectable investments.

That’s not to say you can’t make it work, but you need to figure out who the people are who are likely to buy your work, what an appropriate price point is, how to fulfill orders (e.g. print yourself or get a lab to do it all) and how to market or otherwise get it in front of them e.g. is social media the appropriate medium, or do you need to be exhibiting it / going to portfolio reviews / getting it in magazines / etc

What I have sold though are zines and books of my work, but that’s the answer to a different question!
 
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I look at it the other way around? I have never been tempted to buy a photographic print in my life.
I suspect a high percentage of people would say the same. However I have bought paintings and pottery, so it is not as if I do not buy things produced by artists. Or appreciate art.

I believe it is a difficult area to sell in to. Some photographers clearly. Make a go of it. But I think they make most of their income doing related things, like courses, and as expedition leaders. In the UK at least few individual people buy photographs to put on their walls.

On the other hand businesses and professionals offices do do so for their public areas. so direct marketing to such people might be more rewarding.

I rather doubt passive selling of such prints on a website is very fruitful compared to the effort put in.
 
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Terrywoodenpic said:
On the other hand businesses and professionals offices do do so for their public areas. so direct marketing to such people might be more rewarding.

I rather doubt passive selling of such prints on a website is very fruitful compared to the effort put in.
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Our Local Railway station would like us to supply picture to decorate the waiting room. I suspect all we will get is the opportunity to advertise our club. We did have a Racecourse which wanted us to display prints relating to the local countryside; they did pay the costs of printing and framing,

I used to work for a Government department who similarly wanted up to 50 local pictures to hang. So they organised a competition and chose the 50 from the several hundred digital file entries and produced mounted/framed prints. That was well over a decade ago and, as far as I know, 3 of mine are still hanging there.

Dave
 
I'd love to sell some prints, but I know that
1) I'm a nobody, so why would people want to buy prints from me
2) People don't stumble across a website and then buy
3) and probably my work isn't quite good enough or the sort of images that people will hang

So this stops me investing in the time, effort and expense from doing it. Of course, if family/friends/ close connection want something I'd oblige.

However saying that, a good salesmen would sell just about anything. So, I think anyone would be better off doing in person sales... markets, art/crafts fairs.... or even better businesses / hotels, etc.. I'm not a good salesman so this rules me out, but imagine it's the way to go for the right person.
 
Done a few at cost for people, one that I'd done for myself but a friend liked the look of so I sold it to her (a side by side of the Moon in full phase and 3/4 eclipsed) and a couple that the wife of a driver at Castle Combe wanted (of her husband on his victory lap and in the victory wagon). Taken 4 or 5 of people and printed on postcards (Canon Selphy) on holiday.
 
Thank you all. Some helpful replies here.
Its been something ive been meaning to push for a while but the below in particular summed up my way of thinking.


benc98 said:
I'd love to sell some prints, but I know that
1) I'm a nobody, so why would people want to buy prints from me
2) People don't stumble across a website and then buy
3) and probably my work isn't quite good enough or the sort of images that people will hang

So this stops me investing in the time, effort and expense from doing it. Of course, if family/friends/ close connection want something I'd oblige.

However saying that, a good salesmen would sell just about anything. So, I think anyone would be better off doing in person sales... markets, art/crafts fairs.... or even better businesses / hotels, etc.. I'm not a good salesman so this rules me out, but imagine it's the way to go for the right person.
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Completely agree think there is part of me that thinks that my photos are substandard even though get occasional good feedback on Instagram, friends, family. Do people want more polished photos of london etc. Or just something in black and white? Most prints ive seen hung are b&w.
In an ideal world id hope to at least appeal to some sort of niche audience where ive taken a photo of somewhere a bit obscure or well known local spot but then again the likelihood of this is low.

Our Local Railway station would like us to supply picture to decorate the waiting room. I suspect all we will get is the opportunity to advertise our club. We did have a Racecourse which wanted us to display prints relating to the local countryside; they did pay the costs of printing and framing,
Our Local Railway station would like us to supply picture to decorate the waiting room. I suspect all we will get is the opportunity to advertise our club. We did have a Racecourse which wanted us to display prints relating to the local countryside; they did pay the costs of printing and framing,
Dave Canon said:
I used to work for a Government department who similarly wanted up to 50 local pictures to hang. So they organised a competition and chose the 50 from the several hundred digital file entries and produced mounted/framed prints. That was well over a decade ago and, as far as I know, 3 of mine are still hanging there.

Dave
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These are a interesting prospect and another avenue id have hoped to go down (a business or establishment that would like local pictures or pictures of their building) however again im not sure there is much of a market for this.
Another possibility i have pondered is approaching a local cafe or restaurant but understand that they will likely want a cut of any profit. Or by joining a photography club who feature at galleries and exhibitions. I used to have some of my landscape photos featured at regional lifestyle magazines exhibitions which in itself was like a photography club.

It does appear though that from the comments that markets and fairs are the best bet but even then success isn’t guaranteed. I am still in the mind that not many people buy prints anymore from the above comments but wonder if theres another way to incorporate photos into something like gift, cards etc.
 
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You might find a way of selling a few prints. But you will lose money on your investment.
Better to do almost anything else to earn money, and continue to enjoy your photography.
 
This is worth a watch and it made me think of this thread when I saw it. Daniel Milnor isn't everyone's cup of tea so take what you like etc etc... Timestamped to the relevant question

View: https://youtu.be/k3BVECwYqBo?t=659
 
Harlequin565 said:
This is worth a watch and it made me think of this thread when I saw it. Daniel Milnor isn't everyone's cup of tea so take what you like etc etc... Timestamped to the relevant question

View: https://youtu.be/k3BVECwYqBo?t=659
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I find him very easy to agree with.
He is also very intelligent, and very quickly comes to the crux of the questions with no waffle.
Perhaps. A good starting point for new photographers.

I can see that he might be marmite for less focussed people. Or people with fixed views or ways of doing things.
 
On reflection I think if I wanted to make significant or even a steady flow of money outside of my main photography job, a better way would be to offer photography courses or tuition. Ive always liked the idea of teaching photography to others (another avenue I am exploring is also video so would potentially be able to offer that once I mastered it). I think in order to do so though I would need to boost my credibility and become and expert of my craft so I would be able to gain the confidence to teach others. This would also give them the confidence that I am a credible teacher and make my services more attractive.
 
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