Photography ~ As If I Need More Projects
Jun 2nd, 2010 by Tim
Photograph by Tim Dachtera
I’ve started to collect a number of good photos that I’d like to put a price on, either for a digital copy, or by print or framed print.
I know I can manage the online digital downloads etc, however I’m a bit at a loss of where to start looking for framers or printers for the photos. Some photos are panoramas and could be broken up into 3 photos to occupy an empty wall (that is my current plan for a recent pan I’ve taken) Some would do just fine as 8×11, of which I can handle in-house. One photo actually ended up on a billboard last year.
The other question I’m coming up with over and over, – What do I charge? I know I’d need to cover the cost of materials, however I undervalue my creative talent and time big time. Granted the photos of rare sites and those that require more setup or post work would be more. I’m really at a loss of what to tack on tho..
Any suggestions welcome!
Photograph by Tim Dachtera
I had a friend that used Shutterfly for his printing, I believe he still is
http://www.shutterfly.com/prints-posters
Thanks for the comment Adam – I’d like to keep my purchases local, but I might give them a shot and try out the 20×30. – I fear it’s the framing that’s going to be the expensive part of the process!
Framed art is my crack. You could always develop some sort of business relationship with a framer. For years I used Framing Place off Lexington and Larpentuer. They were reasonable and did great work.
OK – I’ve launched the site with a handful of photos on it. With over 10,000 photos to comb thru, I’m sure I’ll be adding for quite some time.
As a bonus, I’ve taken a handful of photos and noted them with a donation marking. – I figure why not give back to the places where I took the photos. – Most notably, the proceeds for anything from WMSTR will be donated to the ‘Save Our Steamers’ fund, to help raise money to repair a few of the shows ailing steam engines.
Check it out, http://www.valleyphoto.cc
Mpix, while still not local, is a much more professional quality site. If I were paying someone for photos, I wouldn’t want them from Shutterfly.
If you’re really looking into selling with some semi-serious professionalism and want to look into online, check out smugmug.com, a lot of local wedding photographers use it to sell prints to their clients.
DM – Thanks for the info. I’ve just recently found Mpix and I think I will try for my own use a comparison between them and Shutterfly. As with everything else, my personal ventures have taken a back seat to paying client and (mostly pro-bono volunteer) work. Hoping to wrap most of those projects up this month and get this more off the ground.
This weekend, I’m headed out across the cities to find some nature and photo worthy items to catch on camera.