Think Like a Collector

I'd like to think this photograph fits into a well-defined oeuvre. Long-time readers of Shutterfinger can probably identify it by now. If not, let me know. It means I've got a lot more work to do.

Having recently had success selling one of my photographs ("Precipitation," sold last fall through Mike Johnston's TOP blog), I've become curious about what it might take to sell more. Rather than turn to other photographers for advice I decided to see what actual buyers and collectors had to say. My source for this information was "Collecting Photographing," written by Gerry Badger and published by Mitchell Beasley in 2006. Here are the tips I thought most worth sharing, in no particular order:

1. Although it's great to have a few outstanding images that can stand on their own, it's  better to have an "oeuvre"--a body of work that holds together as a collection. It's the photographic equivalent of being a one-hit wonder vs. an musician who releases one successful album after another.
2. Aside from the image itself, the print as a physical artifact has a market value that varies according to its rarity (how many identical versions are available), how difficult it was to produce (commercial lab print vs. dye transfer), whether it was produced by the photographer or someone else, and when it was made. For better or worse, a silver-gelatin print developed and hand-tinted in a chemical darkroom 40 years ago has a higher perceived value than a top-quality inkjet print produced two weeks ago of the same image. 
3. The Internet is an excellent way for photographers to display and distribute their work. It's not an ideal way for collectors to buy prints. They can't see what they're buying, what condition it's in or how well it's printed until it arrives at their doorstep. Your reputation or that of the person who represents you has to be impeccable and satisfaction guaranteed is something the buyer should be able to take for granted.
4. It helps to have what marketers would call a unique selling proposition and what cynics would call a gimmick. The more individual and identifiable your style and technique, the better your chances of capturing attention and generating discussion. You have to be careful about this though: Serious collectors have a way of knowing the difference between work motivated by hype as opposed to real passion.
5. Self-promotion, though important, will get you only so far. It helps to have people who are well known and well-respected in the art community to speak well of you and your work. At the very least this means making an effort to show your work to established photographers, gallery owners, and book publishers. After all, people can't recommend work they've never seen.
6. Although different collectors have different tastes in what and how they collect, the one thing they all have is common is this: The photographs they buy have to move them in some way. Only rarely do they buy something simply for its supposed investment value. What this means is that if you work with passion, that passion will show in your work and will likely ignite a similar passion in the viewer.

If you were looking for an easy formula you would likely be disappointed by now. My apologies. It will take more than simply calling yourself a "fine art photographer," referring to your inkjet prints as "giclee," and adding Photoshop mattes and frames to the images you upload to your website. All indications are that it will take an infectious passion, a basic understanding of marketing, and high levels of craftsmanship and integrity. Passion is paramount: With it you can attract notice even if you aren't good at marketing yourself. Without it there is frankly not much to market.

And now if you'll excuse me, it's a bright sunny day and I can't wait to go for a walk with my camera at my side.

Comments

[Lesley]

Gordon
I really like this photo. The composition, the interplay of light and dark, the two place settings close together suggesting intimacy, but then the dark shadow suggesting something else...
Simply on a visual level it works very well, but it also tells a story, or at least enough of one to keep the viewer wondering.
And yes, it does fit in, and very well, with your other work.