It is not only a question of where to start selling photographs, but also when. Unpaid public exposure is a necessary first step in building up and refining a portfolio, through competitions, a local camera club or on-line photography groups.
Once there are signs of genuine interest, take the plunge with some paying markets. The best approach will depend on local circumstances, but here is a checklist of possibilities to consider and test.
Self-Publishing Landscape Photographs
Self-publishing framed or mounted prints, calendars, postcards and greetings cards on a small scale can be both satisfying and a helpful introduction to the kinds of pictures that people want to buy. Consider the pros and cons of investing in printing and picture mounting equipment compared with using a print shop.
Either way, at least at the beginning there will be expenses and, particularly for greetings cards and postcards, very low margins in order to stay in line with the commercial competition. Few landscape photographers manage to do much more than cover their costs through self-publishing.
Local Landscape Photography Sales Opportunities
Pubs, hotels and restaurants are often happy to have some nicely framed local scenic pictures on their walls. They may also sell them, or at least keep a box of name cards nearby. This kind of local exposure might also bring in a few commissions.
Local gift shops, general stores and petrol stations may sell local pictures. Remember that small retailers typically expect to keep a third of the retail price.
Having pictures displayed in a local gallery is a good way to build up a reputation. Galleries might be more demanding and selective than pubs and restaurants, but they attract people who actually want to buy pictures so the sales potential will be greater.
Photography Websites
A personal website can provide useful exposure for a complete portfolio and some sales possibilities. Hosts like Digital Railroad and Clikpic provide a range of professionally designed gallery templates that are easy to manage and update, and which can incorporate slick on-line sales and payment facilities.
Many regional and local newspapers have space for photographs of attractive places within their sales area. Not all of them will pay, but get them to include the website address and think of the unpaid ones as free advertising. Call or email the picture editor to check on the file formats they need and any preferences they may have for locations or styles when they choose which shots to print.
Commercial Landscape Photography
The Internet and the rise of digital photography have made photography stock libraries far more accessible than they were just a few years ago. This has created many opportunities, but also far greater competition and complaints of stagnant or falling prices.
The 2009 Photographer’s Market in the US and the British Freelance Photographer’s Market Handbook, both of them essential references for freelance photographers, provide comprehensive lists of big general libraries like Alamy and those that specialise in outdoor work or particular regions.
Once photographers are accepted, submissions cost little or nothing and typically 50 or 60 percent of the sales price goes to the photographer. Especially for the large general libraries, expect to submit hundreds or thousands of high quality images in order to establish a regular stream of sales.
Professional Landscape Photography
Magazines provide by far the largest market for landscape photographs. The photography market guides provide summaries of what the picture editors are looking for and how to make submissions. But while it might not be difficult to make a few one-off sales, the key to sustained success lies in building up relationships with a handful of publications and reliably providing what they want, either as standalone pictures or as illustrated articles.
It is from such relationships that photographers can expect to get commissions, and here lies the route to earning more serious money. An established name opens opportunities for producing photographic books, guiding photography workshops and tours and ultimately giving up the day job and moving to a beautiful area to start a landscape photography teaching business. It need not be an impossible dream.
Paul Lightfoot - I lived and worked in Asia for many years, managing and monitoring rural development projects for a living and using that experience to ...
