“how much for a print?”
Wal*Mart advises us to “Save Money, Live Better”. As consumers we strive to save money but as sellers we need to sell at an amount fair to all. How much should you charge for your work? Okay, here’s the short version: I don’t really know. For the long version, read on…
Most every photographer that has been at it for awhile has been asked for a print of their work. Perhaps you’ve created a beautiful image that someone would like to frame and they want to pay you for it. Maybe a family member or friend wants to be nice and supportive. Regardless, if you’ve been asked it’s flattering…and it means you need to come up with a price for that decor print.
There are any number of criteria used to establish the price of an image. Is it unique? Part of a limited or open edition (number) of prints? What was the process used to make the print? Is it going to a friend or the permanent collection of a multi-national corporation? Where do you fit in the marketplace, are you a highly accomplished artist or a novice?
Technology has undoubtedly changed the buying and selling of décor photographs. Printing is now largely done using a computer and inkjet printer instead of the traditional darkroom method. The internet has also changed the way that images are marketed and a great deal of exposure may be garnered by placing your photographs on a highly trafficked website.
Have you heard of imagekind.com (a community for buying, selling and creating art)? All variety of artists are able to market their images on the site, setting their own sale price for prints. Framing services, greeting cards and canvas printing are also available. The site affords opportunity to artists and provides a diverse marketplace for consumers in search of home or business décor.
Glancing through the catalog reveals a diverse group of work from experimental images to beautifully executed clichés. Each has their particular merit and most every buyer should find something at least worthy of consideration.
I checked out the work of one nature photographer and saw that their images were available in five different print sizes with a 32” x 21” print selling for $48.00 US. From the few photographers I checked, this seems to pretty standard pricing.
Alongside the work of self-marketers, reproductions from many of the most highly regarded names in art world history are also available on the site. Ansel Adams, Edward Hopper, Chagall, Degas, Picasso, Warhol…it’s a veritable “Who’s Who” of influential artists and paintings that many of us have studied. If you upload a photo of a forest and tag it with the word “tree” then in a search your photo may appear directly alongside Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” or Monet’s “Champs Aux Pleupiers” in the search results.
I clicked on DaVinci and viewed many recognizable works: Last Supper, Self Portrait and Human Proportions among them. Mona Lisa was there available for purchase, also. A 36” x 24” print reproduction listed for $38.00. I could also choose to have my Mona Lisa printed on paper or on canvas material, so it would appear more like a painting. Framing services are also available: “Whether your style is modern, traditional or something in between, you’ll always find just the right frame that best expresses your creativity. One reason we’re one of the fastest growing online art sites is the millions of combinations of mats and frames available for each print.”
Which brings us back to the beginning: what should you charge for your work? Well, I don’t really know the answer to that, but I do know one thing: watch out for that DaVinci guy. Not only is he pretty good, he also doesn’t charge enough!
Mr. Da Vinci’s work is now in the public domain. I actually get the feeling that someone is ripping you off, if he is actually selling this image at the same price for which I can buy something that was made at great expense or effort by a living person! It seems like the seller is taking a free ride: he can charge what the other photographers require for “real” work.
(I would like to use this opportunity to say Thanks for this wonderful blog and the amazing videos!)
How much to charge… Difficult question indeed. I asked once on a forum how much I should pay for a certain camera I was planning to buy used. One gave me the following answer: The fair price is when both the seller and the buyer are happy, so don’t pay a price you won’t be happy with. Surprisingly, it helped
I use redbubble.com for prints. It’s pretty expensive there unfortunately. I guess I will have to try Imagekind, maybe I will get a bit more sales there.
Printing in my country is very expensive, most poster that are on sale are printed in 1000+ so their costs are minimal, for small businesses like mine it’s really hard to be competitive.
You can buy big poster size prints here for not more than 8 USD, if I wanted to print 100 such posters I would have to pay 10 USD per meter, so approximately 5 per poster + shipping costs + tax it makes almost no profit for me. Printing 1000 copies costs much less per copy, around 1 USD (this differences are ridiculous but they are real, I checked almost all printing companys in my country).
Yes, i could do 1000 but reality shows that it’s investment with no assurance that it will ever sell.
So I’m waiting for big money clients on redbubble but frankly, I dun think I will sell much, its just too expensive there.
PS: I’s talking about 135g/m2 posters, cheapest big prints available, any better quality print costs much more obviously.
I’ve really enjoyed reading these comments…great perspectives (and that’s what I’d hoped for). This is one area of photo marketing that I honestly haven’t formed an opinion on yet. Are these large store fronts good for the photographer or are they just a money maker for the company (a way to sell profitable frames)? And is it better to be part of a massive pool of art with high site traffic or to market through a more “boutique” method with lower traffic but more targeted customers?
I just thought of something…if you haven’t read Dave Beckerman’s blog, give it a look. He’s a great guy (and wonderful photographer) and writes about printing and marketing his own work over the internet.
Certainly a tough question to answer; I found it interesting in Dave Beckerman’s Selling Photos on the Web post that he found his best results in a middle ground. As Benrouf suggested, maybe that’s the sweet spot where everyone feels like they’re getting a good deal.
I think there is a good argument to be made for quality over quantity, particularly given the effort that goes into creating a single print. And given how price-conscious people can be, it seems like you do have to cross that threshold of being seen not just as a printer compared to discount photo lab, but as an artist whose prints have greater value.
You are absolutely right. It is difficult to do as I am finding out starting my new business. But I would like to point out after looking around on that site. I found several nice photos that started off at $30 – $50. But once you started adding paper you want, then frames, and etc., your price just jump close to ~ $200. For example, I found one called Standing Stones. Chose a Fine Print and pick the petite version (10×6.6). $33.96 ok not to bad. Then I went to choose my paper. Oh, yeah I want glossy. Not bad changed it to $35. I look at the example of it showing on the wall, man that is to small. Let’s up it to the next size. $53, but darn, still too small. Now medium is not to bad, $73.96. Ok, it needs a frame, so I go back to frames and price just jumps to $150. Wow, I started off at $33.96 and am now at $150. The pricing does start off looking good and maybe most people can stick with the petite without frames (although, they will have to buy a frame at some point). So, even here you could be paying for some expensive work. Just at first glance, though, it seems like a good place to sell your work. Thanks for the article.
Jim – 38 bucks?! I can’t even print at that size that cheaply, nevermind a discussion on profit. What kind of low budge printing is going on over there?
I’ve only sold a couple prints, but here’s how I’ve gone about it. Since they weren’t limited edition prints I went for a price that seemed reasonable for my time and on par with other non-limited edition prints I’ve seen. One print was 11×14 and the other 12×18. The 11×14 I sold for $50 and the 11×18 for $75. This was just private sales, to acquaintances.
Getting these size prints done isn’t that expensive (at least here in the US). For one I went to my local camera shop, Roberts Imaging and the other I got from Mpix. I was very impressed with the Mpix print, it is this photo, which I had printed on metallic paper. With shipping it was just about $20. Mpix did a stunning job.
I’ve given some thought to the idea of offering fine art prints in some sort of online shop, but haven’t done anything yet. It seems like there’s just so much out there, both in oportunities to offer work for sale and in competition. It can be rather paralyzing.
I thought this thread, or initial post, would be helpful to the direction of my work. Jim, it wasn’t, and there are several of use that want to go this direction.
This is one of those areas where I obviously don’t know the answers. The first question seems to be deciding on whether to be a large fish in a small pond or a small fish in a large pond. Does the big site promote your work or just use it as a vehicle for selling profitable “trimmings” (frames, mats, etc.)? Can traffic be garnered on a small site?
That was a great link to Beckerman’s article you pointed out, Matthew. He really lays out his own personal method with no reservations. And he’s making it work! The key seems to be his strong association the phrase “black and white photographs of New York”. He’s targeted, known for a specific subject and that’s bringing his website, eBay store, etc., good traffic (and sales). Maybe someday when he’s not as busy we can get Dave to drop by for a guest post.
As for the cost of printing I run into this question all of the time. Often we lose commercial jobs because another studio submits a ridiculously low estimate. How can they shoot it for that when it doesn’t appear it would even cover overhead? Sometimes they “just want to do the job”, even if it’s at a loss.
One area that I’m curious about is property and model releases. I’m familiar with this area from commercial / stock licensing, but what about “fine art” prints? I could see that you are making money off of someone’s (or something’s) likeness, so I could see requiring a release. I don’t see this talked about much in discussions of selling prints.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4czzNOPbJWk
Look for part 2 as well, mr Greenberg knows a lot about law in photography. Limited numbers of prints are ok without model release.
Great discussion Jim! I am one of those artists that have to read “photographers” blogs to get good business dialog. I believe there are several reasons to charge a particular price for a fine art reproduction. In comparing Van Gough to Uncle Bob selling his photo online there really is no difference. After all, the consumer chooses the best reproduction for their needs. Price, framing, substrate, colors, and other decisions must be made before the buyer decides on a finished product. A picture may be worth 1000 words but it will only cost as much as someone is willing to pay for it. I would be more impressed to see how much these sellers really make selling online in a sea of art.
When I do outdoor shows I intentionally stay away from the big “art festivals” because I believe potential customers truly get tired of looking at so much stuff. Think of it this way; if you were at a custom car show you would get a bit jaded by looking at one perfect hot rod after another. However, park one of those hot rods in the local Wal Mart parking lot any given day and it will get a lot attention.
As for exposure; I think exposure is a myth that the promoters use to get us to sign up to be “listed” on these sites. I’m not saying that exposure is bad, but I am saying that just showing the work in every possible location is not a method of good marketing. One must connect with the customer on so many levels when selling fine art; paintings & photography. I believe customers still prefer to purchase pictures at a physical location rather than online.
Derek mentioned property and model releases. Good point! I know in art this has been a very gray area that really doesn’t sit well with artists. Most of the artists I know believe the subject of the painting, drawing, whatever, is there for artistic representation and should not be an issue when selling the picture. Most publishers prefer generic decorator style images. I don’t the statute off hand, but I know there is one that protects artists from being sued for painting a likeness of a building. When dealing with law, I think it is best to get a release.
In a nut shell; the artist (painter or photographer) must find the client willing to spend the amount they are asking for their reproduction or original work. When Van Gough was alive, he never sold a painting (really). He was an artist for 10 years before he killed himself. What makes his print worth anything? Nothing…unless you like it. One of the 900 or so originals is a different story. If you can buy one of them, it may be more of an investment than a decoration (I guess it depends on how much you’re worth)
Michael
I stopped printing at Walmart after I read their Terms of Service: once you upload your photo to have it printed with them, they get a perpetual royalty-free license to that image.
I don’t want them to use my pics for advertising for free. They very well may afford to pay for the use.
I have been researching this issue in the context of senior pictures (yes, it’s that time of the year). I have been seeing a wide variety of pricing for session fees, prints, CD/ DVD’s, as well as minimum print purchase amounts. While some of it seems to fluctuate regionally (one Mississippi photographer was charging far less than the average), I think it probably also fluctuates based on what people feel they are worth. You might see some people who are new to all this charging the bare minimum because that’s all they think their pics are worth (and they would be ecstatic if they sold one). I think @Benrouf said it best – when buyer and seller are happy, then the price is right (my interpretation of his words).