[brian.austin]

Originally Posted by august

i did'nt send them back because i wasn't sure if they were my fault or it was the labs. turns out it was theirs. they get good reviews from the local shooters and i went to them first...still, i feel that they are less interested in my business because i am still a small outfit and i don't know my way around the process.

Then they don't deserve more of your business. Take it elsewhere.

mpix is an online service i gather? i will look them up and see what they have to offer. thanks for the heads up.

Yes, for those of us without business accounts. Their commercial side is Millers. Same lab, different costs, different support systems. If I were commercial, I'd set up an account there or at a similar online lab.

i agree with you on the matting and framing part. that is definately something that i am going to need to address...next step is working that out. alot of my work has been cropped to non standard sizes so i am definately going to have to either assemble them myself or have it done professionally...if i have to have someone else do it, it's gonna eat a big huge chunk out of the bottom line. if i do it myself...well there another cut by your observations.

NO. That's NOT another cost. Or rather, it is a cost but it's also an added value. Value additions allow you to charge MORE for a product.

The easiest way to look at this is rather simple. Every time you do something to a product, ask one question: would a customer pay more for this product if I do this operation? If so, you're adding value and should see your costs returned along with profit for that operation. If not, you're only adding costs to the process and LOSING money for the operation.

Matting and framing is a value addition to a product, especially if it's carefully matched up with the print. That's a good thing. And framers charge a flippin' fortune in some areas. Either find a local who will cut you a good deal or learn to do it yourself. It's not hard and doesn't require even 1/2 of what you're about to put into that new printer.

that and i have to get people to get people into my studio because lugging a bunch of framed prints is not a viable option
so i am going to have to invest some money into marketing as well. (some will probably be wasted so i should keep track of that from the git go no?)

That should really be a thread onto itself, in Business.

Marketing never makes money. It's a necessary evil. Pick up the book "Guerrila Marketing" by Jay Levinson (amazon link: Amazon.com: Guerrilla Marketing, 4th edition: Easy and Inexpensive Strategies for Making Big Profits from Your SmallBusiness: Books: Jay Conrad Levinson). Read it. Study it. Do it. It's not as expensive as many people would have you think.

limited editions are how i intend to create value so that would only serve to enhance that element yes?

Yes but limited editions only work if people KNOW they are limited. Sign the matte, below the photo, and number it (1/50, 2/50, etc.). When you hit 50/50, you're done. No more of those.

so far, i have avoided those areas for now because i want to get the packages together and complete before i start working those markets. i plan on hitting them come spring when the first tourists start arriving and by then i hope to have some work up in public places where they can be seen.

Start now. Personally, if this were me, I'd be hitting a few small galleries that are missing what you're selling. Not too many, though. Talk to the owners NOW before the season starts (or right after Christmas). Why? Because they're making their buying decisions BEFORE the tourists get to them, not when they're walking in. The store has to be set up, ready and the welcome mat out when the money starts rolling into town. That is NOT the time a gallery owner starts considering what to stock.

- images that are of interests to the average tourists and can be viably sold in larger numbers will be mass produced and sold for less. (less value...more prints) (simple frames...standard sizes...bulk savings for materials)

Get these printed and framed by someone else. It's not worth your time for what you'll get out of them. Market these to the cheaper galleries near the main shopping areas.

- images that have unique qualities, are rare, particularly beautiful or of interest to collectors will be printed limited edition and presented as a complete package (framed. matted. done.)

Hit and miss. Set a price point to use as a "outsource" or "in-house" setup. Decide how much you'll sell it for and THEN select the process for it. One of those $1000 prints was never actually handled by the photographer. Why? Because he couldn't do as nice a job at it and didn't bother. His philosophy is that he's a photographer. Let someone ELSE be the printer and framer. His name is John Gavrilis and he's a very popular landscape photographer around here.

Market these to the mid- to higher-end galleries. Be choosy and don't find one that has similar art. Offer it as a complementary addition to their current art. You might have to go consignment on this type of stuff. Keep good track of your inventory.

- finally, i will be creating specific fine art works which will be shown as a final level for those who are looking for work that crosses the edge and operates beyond the traditional model...more experimental work. the reason that i will be doing the rest of it. those will be in a small gallery upstairs where i work. this is where my own printing comes in...the last two levels. larger format...carefully constructed work that exists as an object in much the same way as a painting would. because i want to experiment...i need to do it myself. that is really the reason for starting this thread. i need a tool that can make that little room happen. the nice thing is that now i am talking with you about the things that can make that a reality. a good thing. this is where i want to end up. this place is my goal. the good stuff. the stuff that has a soul.

Remember that this stuff will also be the slowest seller, at least until your name starts circulating. Don't invest TOO much into this while ignoring the rest.

Put this in a nice portfolio of smaller prints. Make one or two large, final, sellable prints to use as examples. This gives you an opportunity to show all of the work but not invest all of the money up front.

is this one of those things that i need to get hooked up with a left minded partner or a financial planner to make it happen or is it something that a little prep can make viable?

You can do it yourself IF you learn to recognize the issues and either get help or correct it yourself. I've seen some really, really good photographers selling stuff at out there for way too cheap. I've got some of it sitting on my walls (yeah, Jason, I'm talking to you if you're reading this. I'd pay a lot more than $90 for your 12x18 sunset of the haystacks).

my goal is to make great work that can communicate my vision of the world with like minded souls and to have my work taken care of beyond my brief time on this world...not interested in the van gogh model.

An artist's goal. That's nice. Now if you want to make a living at it, put a business hat on after you make the shot.

am i making any sense?

Sure. Am I?