presenting/marketing your photos to online vendors

[RoB_m]

how does one go about doing this? i have a portfolio site but i don't want to try and sell my whole portfolio, just some from a couple series. how do i go about approaching these faceless online companies, such as allposters.com, that do so much business? do i ask if they're interested, then send some photos or do i just point them to a website and pray they get back to me? how do i know my emails or propositions are getting to the right people?

[robertwgross]

Are you trying to market electronic rights to stock photo agencies?

I guess you know that you won't get rich at it. However, for a good photographer, it can represent a revenue stream.

Contact those agencies through the normal channels. If those agencies are so screwed up that they ignore good work, then they can stay screwed up without your help.

A friend of mine contacted several stock agencies. Only one responded to him, so he sent in a few JPEG files. They said that they don't deal with digital images, only transparencies (that attitude is dying off). They wanted to see thirty slide originals. He sent them. Then they wanted to see a hundred. He sent them. Note that he had a lot of cost tied up in producing duplicates of his originals. He has something like a thousand to them now, and over a year he has earned received a little more than a thousand bucks.

It is simpler to market digital files to digital agencies.

---Bob Gross---

[RoB_m]

i was thinking more along the lines of art photography, instead of stock photography. like commisioned work. i sell the work to a vendor or printer like allposters.com and make a little off each print they sell. some of my stuff appeals to a pretty wide audience so i'd like to deal with someone with access to a wide audience. but i'm not looking to make a living off this. i just want something that'll yeild me a little cash while i'm at school. plus it'll give me experience.

[robertwgross]

Have you got any of your work hanging in a local gallery?

Or else, try a restaurant. I know of one restaurant with some excellent photos hanging there. Then off to one side is a neat plastic brochure holder with brochures about the photographer, including contact information, bio, etc.

The restaurant manager gets some nice stuff hanging on his walls. You get some free publicity. It can't hurt.

---Bob Gross---

[blinking8s]

actually, it would be a good idea to have a section for tips and advice for portfolio work and getting a job, maybe we have one, this forums pretty big, i miss a lot...

[RoB_m]

Originally Posted by robertwgross

Have you got any of your work hanging in a local gallery?

Or else, try a restaurant. I know of one restaurant with some excellent photos hanging there. Then off to one side is a neat plastic brochure holder with brochures about the photographer, including contact information, bio, etc.

The restaurant manager gets some nice stuff hanging on his walls. You get some free publicity. It can't hurt.

---Bob Gross---

no gallery work yet. i'm a little hesitant to ask my superiors about this because i'd feel like i was competing with my professors for local gallery space. i only started getting really good at this stuff a little over 6 months ago even though i've been doing art photography for about 5 years. i think switching to digital helped :]

[robertwgross]

Originally Posted by RoB_m

no gallery work yet. i'm a little hesitant to ask my superiors about this because i'd feel like i was competing with my professors for local gallery space.

I'll bet there there is a local mentor for you, if you look around. There is somebody who knows the ropes, yet will not feel threatened by budding skill.

---Bob Gross---

[RoB_m]

i hope so. here are the images that i'm considering for sale. i emailed the panorama to my professor and he told me it's better than one he took there years ago, so if he's willing to admit that i'm thinking he won't have a problem giving me some insider info without the ego getting in the way.