Best selling subject matter for landscape and nature print sales

Hello! I'm new to POTN and would love to hear from any professional landscape and nature photographers who sell their work.

What subject matter makes up your best selling prints? Trees? Waterfalls? Mountains? Abstracts? Other? How about colors? Any more popular than others?

I've just launched my new website and would love some insight from those of you who sell prints regularly.

Thanks, everyone!

Dean McLeod Photography
https://www.deanmcleod​photography.com/

In my personal experience, anything coastal (ocean) outsells anything mountain (landscapes).

Also understand all categories are oversaturated: seascapes, landscapes, flowers, wildlife, etc., etc. - there's billions and billions out there.

Yours is but a grain of sand on a beach.

Best thing to do is create or find a niche or style.

Hope that helps.

I live in the midwest and my best sellers tend to be rural and farm related. Coomon clients include small business offices and people who grew up here but moved away and a particular photo will evoke a nostalgic response in them.

Like photoguy said "a particular photo will evoke a nostalgic response in them"
That's your key, unless you are a hot up and coming artist and folks are buying in early hoping to cash out later, emotional responses to your images are whats going to help most of them sell.
Fresh takes on landmarks
Local historic areas - more than the touristy type images
Different perspectives of common scenes not only in your immediate area, but your extended area
Different times of day give you different lighting scenarios (before or right after a storm etc)

Like Picture NC said
"Best thing to do is create or find a niche or style."
Use the above suggestions to help you do that

Dean McLeod wrote in post #19088138
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I've just launched my new website and would love some insight from those of you who sell prints regularly.

Dean McLeod Photography
https://www.deanmcleod​photography.com/
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Dean,

I checked out your website. . Your work is great! . And your site shows prints the way they're supposed to be done - goodly sized prints that fill out the wall space appropriately (none of this silly little 16" by 20" junk).

As far as subject matter goes, there isn't one type of subject matter that regularly sells better across the board than others. . It is very subjective, as most people will buy based on where they live, what they are used to seeing, what evokes a certain feeling in them, etc. ......... and those things will be different for every potential client.

Do you happen to notice something about two of the replies before mine ..... the guy from North Carolina says that coastal prints sell best, and the guy from the midwest says that rural farm-related subject matter sells best. . The vast majority of sales are going to be to people that you know personally, people who live in your area. . And the images that are going to connect with them are the images that they can relate to the most; scenes that are similar to what they are most familiar with. . This is especially true when selling to business such as banks, hospitals, hotels, and various offices in your area. . They want images of local scenes - images that their clientele relate to.

I would simply suggest that you showcase your best work; your strongest images.

I should add that typically, nobody who wants to buy a print will just "find you" on the internet by doing searches and the like. . It just doesn't work that way. . Typically, those who offer fine art prints online are actually making sales to people who they know in person.

If you have any realistic hopes of making print sales, you should plan to market your wares in a personal way. . The people who know you and who you speak with personally about your images will be the people who buy prints. . The people in your town, the folks you go to church with, the people who serve with you on your local boards and committees, the people you know from work, the people whose kids play soccer with your kids, etc.

This notion that one can just "put their work out there" on the internet, and then have clients find it by searching online for artwork to buy ...... it just doesn't work out that way. . The reason you should have your work online is not so that strangers can find it. . The reason to have your work online is so that when people you know in real life express an interest in buying a print, you have a place to refer them to where they can see your work, make a selection, and pace an order.

Having your work online also means that these people that you know can order it directly from your website, so that you won't have to deal with the problems of taking an order, receiving payment, placing the order to the printer, arranging for shipment and delivery, etc. . You direct the client to go to your website, they look through all of the options you offer there, make a choice, add what they want to their cart, add their shipping information, pay via the website, and the order is automatically sent to the printer, who makes the print, packages the print, and ships the print directly to your client. . All you do is sit back, let the printer and vendor do the work, and have your commission deposited into your account. . It works beautifully!


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Thanks for your input!

Thanks for your comments, they make sense to me. Much appreciated!

Very much agree to your points. Thank you!

Hi Tom,

Thanks a million for all of your thoughtful comments. I know it takes time and is very much appreciated!

I wholeheartedly agree with the vast majority of your points. It sounds as though the feedback I've received from multiple sources confirms that buyers want art that they can connect with personally, and they also love to connect with the artist.

I will be doing three art shows this fall up here in Canada, one in my home province (prairie, farming, lakes) while the other two are closer to the Rockies (mountains, waterfalls, trees). After this feedback I think that I'll try to display a slightly larger ratio of regional scenes depending on show location.

I'm definitely looking forward to getting out there and meeting my customers and forming new relationships which will hopefully spread the word over time, creating referrals and repeat customers.

In the meantime I've been working to up my game in the SEO department so my website appears more in organic searches. I know that in time, I can sell prints regularly online as I have many friends in the community that do so on a regular basis. It's a ton of work to get your site ranking higher, but well worth the effort. There is a certain demographic of affluent buyers out there that love to collect quality artwork!

Thanks again for your kind comments Tom. All the best to you!