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I've been a hobby photographer for around 20 years and have been toying with the idea of trying to sell prints lately, mostly spurred by some very persistent fans/relatives telling me I should give it a shot, hahaha.
I am located in Chapel Hill, so it would be great if I could find someplace around here, though Durham and Pittsboro are just a short drive away. My funds are limited, but I could at least make prints and get frames from thrift stores/dollar stores. I'm interested in getting into both stores and markets (like local farmer's markets that offer spots to art vendors). Art/farmer's markets are especially appealing since it would be fun to interact with customers vs. just getting a commission on work displayed in a store.
If it matters, a lot of my work has kind of an urban exploration vibe to it. I've spent a lot of time going to small southern towns in both North and South Carolina and photographing local landmarks as well as alleyways, abandoned buildings, etc. and when I want to check out a new area, Roadside America is my first stop! Also landscape and nature photography.
If I were you, I'd invest in a mat cutter and mat your photographs sans frame (especially a dollar store frame!). I don't know if its Raleigh store is open yet, but Hobby Lobby was where I always bought mats (when they'd have a half-off sale, I'd stock up on a few certain colors). If I can cut a mat (and double mats at that), anyone can do it. I bought a Logan model #401 Intermediate mat cutter many years ago, and it paid for itself after matting just a few prints.
Follow Triangle ArtWorks on Facebook or Twitter. They post local calls for art/craft vendors. They also post workshops on how to sell your art, etc. www.triangleartworks.org.
If I were you, I'd invest in a mat cutter and mat your photographs sans frame (especially a dollar store frame!). I don't know if its Raleigh store is open yet, but Hobby Lobby was where I always bought mats (when they'd have a half-off sale, I'd stock up on a few certain colors). If I can cut a mat (and double mats at that), anyone can do it. I bought a Logan model #401 Intermediate mat cutter many years ago, and it paid for itself after matting just a few prints.
Good luck!
Ooh, thanks for the suggestion! That sounds like an affordable way to present them while still making them look professional -- probably a lot better than using cheap frames or random old frames. Plus I don't like putting them under glass anyway since the reflection kind of gets in the way. I'll look into it!
Last edited by chookfair; 07-24-2016 at 10:08 AM..
Follow Triangle ArtWorks on Facebook or Twitter. They post local calls for art/craft vendors. They also post workshops on how to sell your art, etc. www.triangleartworks.org.
Have you tried to put together a business case? There is a lot of expense and time involved in having an inventory of matted prints available to sell at art shows. When I browse through stuff at Artsplosure, Lazy Daze, etc., the print prices are usually pretty low. If you were doing a high volume of sales, that might work, but how many prints do you really think you'd sell at a show?
Have you done local gallery shows with your work? It might be a good way to dip your feet in. You have much less investment and if you ever start doing art festivals you could use the framed prints as your display pieces. You can offer these pieces for sale and gauge interest a bit, and interact with folks that visit your show. It's also a great way to make contacts in the local art scene.
I have eschewed selling at art shows because I've been skeptical of the demand for prints. Lately I've finally started having some luck selling to corporate customers. Had a deal close recently where I sold hundreds of prints to one client. Technically I licensed a photo to them and the usage rights were for X number of prints. I supplied a digital file for printing. If I can start to get a few such deals a year going (which I think is realistic, but might take a while), it ends up being a really nice income stream.
Don't a lot of artists/craftspeople sell their stuff on ETSY.com?
I used to and had a bunch of orders but didn't try too hard to market myself and find other ways of selling. That's a must because Etsy is also pretty saturated with photographers. I looked into the arts and crafts shows but what stopped me was the logistics. You need to have an initial outlay for the booth, equipment, paying for the space, electric if you need it, possibly a way to accept credit cards, not to mention the product itself.
If you do Etsy or probably a lot of other online sources, make sure you assign great tags so people are able to find you easier. Back when I was doing it, product pictures on Etsy did better when you had crisp, white backgrounds to show off the product and feedback from buyers.
NC Craft Market in Carrboro on Main St could be a good resource for you. I'd also look into FRANK gallery on Franklin Street. They do have photography shows sometimes. Periodically the ArtsCenter in Carrboro has a photography contest and will have a show of the entries, so that could be good, too. I believe there is a Carrboro Craft Market once a month at the Farmer's Market on a Sunday, too.
There's also a UPS mailing center/gift shop in Southern Village that sells really nice nature shots, but I'm pretty sure that one of the owners takes those. You could ask, though, and check it out.
Best of luck!
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