First Photo Show

[Widrakie]

In may I'll be having a show at a local coffee shop. I am going to have about 14 photos on the walls for a month. I am still picking out the photos but thinking ahead, i'm trying to decide on how big to print them. Is 8x10 or 10x15 better? or would you go bigger or smaller?
Should I number my prints like the edition like you would if it was a painting or drawing?

How much do you think I should charge? I've never done this before, all I currently sell is greeting cards and recipe on etsy, so I'm not sure of how much they should be priced at? Have you ever had a show? How'd it go? Did you sell anything? Did you have an opening? What did you do at the opening?

Thanks so much!!!

[AEKC]

Show what you want to sell!! Bigger is always better

[scorpio_e]

I would go 16X 20. I like big.

[Karl Johnston]

I've hosted several, smaller is best IMO. Large; 16x20 is as large as you would want to go. Beware that larger you go the more it costs.

Small, people can take it away without special shipping. Make sure you put that into your costs too - how will they be expected to take a large print..in the car? No wrapping? No box? Uhoh...

Myself; I will be doing 3 in the next 3 months. I have done about 5 total in the past 6 months.

Maybe 30-40% of that is profit, or maybe it's even higher or lower..just depends on who you are, what you do, how the clients perceive you.

Print in standard sizes to get the cheaper rates for frames. Don't cheap on presentation, its not worth it. Learn to do it yourself (its really a lot of fun) or be prepared to pay the big bucks for a -middle man- to squeeze your narrow profit margin (framers and printers).

Typically its not unusual to take your production costs and multiple the figure by about 400% to get your retail price....though, it's not an absolute way of doing things. Make sure to include the price of framing, matting, packaging and the profit in with your cost before you apply the 400%.

Numbered prints are usually known as Limited Editions (left hand side for the number, title and then the signature on the far right - but make sure it doesn't bleed over the mat. When you number a print you're only allowed to print a certain amount of those prints (1/10 - only allowed to print 10 prints and the numerator is the first edition -original- in the series).

It's a lot of fun, take the time to talk about your work and yourself. Let people know what you did and where you were, what you call it, that kind of thing.