your photographic ambition?

On pricing - I think that focus of the goal is important then.

I've seen one YouTuber (who has good video, editing, and story telling skills) offer prints on a side project website. The prints are better than I expected but not amazing and the prices are pretty low. Clearly aiming for the volume end. I cannot remember the service but it looked like a print house doing this on a per order basis. From memory they were around the $30-60 mark.

Selling prints isn't something I've ever really considered seriously. I did do it once and it involved quite a lot of effort - plus putting something 'big and flat' in the post was a challenge. I think I rolled it in the end. I didn't enjoy the experience much.

The exclusivity route would be my approach if I did it today (very unlikely to do this though). Limited Edition, one offs. Or signed 1 of 3 or 1 of 7. But that is all about the brand. Less is more. Well, and having an image worth paying for!!

You could decide - I want $1000 per month - one image sale per month - every month - for a year, two years, 5 years. Just one image, one size, a signed edition 1 of 1. No re-prints. That would be pretty amazing.

Lockdown has also given me a new perspective on the field of street photography (something I've hardly dipped into). I'm seeing my local town (less often, but) in a different light. And I'm keen to record what has been take away from us.

Not hustle/bustle - that has never been my thing.

Street is a complex topic - and there are a couple of established forms that I like, but also a lot (most perhaps) that I don't. It might be this clash of approaches that has kept me away from it.

If I can turn this situation we are in to a positive and come out (when we're let out) eager to shoot a little bit of 'life' on the street then it'll be a turning point for me. Will doubtless take some time though.

What a brilliant question dCap. I'm just reading a book on measuring success and (re)learning the importance of setting goals, but never consciously considered them for my photography as it is very much a hobby. I think this should be split into things I want to photograph and things I want to achieve, so we'll go for the former first:

Things I want to photograph
1. the northern lights is top of the list, and a trip to lapland last December (officially for the kids to meet Santa, but partly for dad to take photos) was unfortunately cancelled through covid. It's rebooked for this coming Christmas so hopefully will take place.
2. closer to home, and theoretically imminently more achievable, I want to get a decent shot of a barn owl that hunts near my home. I've so far only achieved the 'look, I really did see a barn owl' photos, but I want a few 'look at this stunning image of a barn owl' photos. Very much work in progress. I've found where best to stand for the best back lit image, and been out there numerous occasions at dawn and dusk these last 9 months of lockdown, just got to get the darn owl to play ball!

Things I want to achieve
1. I produce an annual photobook of family photos, which I get printed three times once completed. On the 18th birthday of each of my two sons they will receive their 18 copies of the family photo albums, plus my wife and I have a copy too. Every year it takes me 6-8 weeks to produce (Going through the 15,000 or so pics across alpha and iPhone pics and curating, dating and describing each page) and it's hard to keep it going, but my main goal is to keep it up for the coming 15 years to have those 18 books ready for each of them.
2. As with most hobbyist photographers, I'd love to have my images published, have someone buy prints of my images and/or have an exhibition of my pics. But aside from snapping and editing, I'm not actually doing anything to progress on any of those fronts. I'm always blown away by the quality of other peoples' work, I guess I just don't think my pics are worthy of the effort of trying to achieve those things yet.
3. In retirement (a long way off yet unfortunately) I'd love to be a photography tutor. Nothing formal or as part of an institution, but perhaps photography walks or similar as an opportunity to impart some of the things I've learned and inspire and help budding photographers of any age to progress their photography journey.

I think about new goals each new year. Last year they were:

1) Start a photo business to sell prints and make portraits.

2) Work on my off camera flash

3) Work on B/W, particularly portraiture

4) work on long exposures on tripod

Did get a business started, but not many sales yet. Only did one portrait session due to the pandemic. Still setting up my site for selling, but have it started. I spent the vast majority of the time preparing my solo exhibit, which was completely unexpected and a huge opportunity that rarely comes along. I was fortunate in that my entry in the photo contest at the museum got the most public votes out of 70 photos displayed. Part of this was the subject, as it is a popular spot seen in a way most have not. I thought I had until 2022 to prepare the exhibit, then the museum had to change schedule and asked if I could do it early this year. Preparing it in 6 months was a challenge. In a kind of mind blowing note, my photo mentor, a very well known and beloved nature photographer in Arkansas, had a solo exhibit at this same museum last year. He has been pro over 40 years. He's winding down his career now. He has some specialized equipment he offered to give me last month and I'm pretty excited about it.

So, my exhibit ready now and the museum has the digital info and is picking up the actual 65 photo display next week. I hope I sell some from this (entire exhibit is for sale) and it opens new doors. Just have to wait and see what happens. In the meantime, it's back to work on the above list again this year.

@nandbytes - interesting set there, and as you say a mix of achievable and difficult.

Have you considered submitting images to an image library? Sure they take a cut but they are doing the hosting and 'marketing' for you - passive income. I think a few of them have 'wanted' lists of types of shots (probably a lot with a focus on 'tech').

As for selling prints / stepping into the fine art zone / yes, this appears to be a lot to do with reputation, perhaps brand, and exclusivity. I've seen people aim far too high (vs the appeal of their image to 'my' eye) and I've seen people aim for the $30 zone and work on volume. It is the 'do you want to sell one image a year at $1,000 or 10x images at $100' - one is gonna be easier to achieve but if you can land in the $1k zone a second sale is more exciting! And then there are limited editions, one offs, signed prints - which I imagine is a tough place to get into.

I've seen a few local cafes (artsy fartsy coffee shops) put 'local artist' photos on the wall, framed, priced, and ready to take-away with your coffee. Then a few months later a different artists work appears. Back when drinking coffee indoors was legal. Could be their sister's images or just someone they know. Will likely be a commission ... but this might be an option. But I've seen gaps on the wall which indicate a sale.

addy landzaat wrote: dCap wrote: Travel to a specific place? Made me laugh I was planning a trip to Texas in 2020, maybe in 2022. I decided to share a film picture every Friday on Insta: #filmfriday. I also have a project planned to photograph significant (to me) streets, but I would like a website to post the pictures. If anybody has tips for that, I am interested (Squarespace does not offer .nl or .eu sites)

Locations - I've always wanted to see Hong Kong or Japan. Been to mainland China, um, including to Wuhan 21 years ago! Japan would be lovely. A return to Iceland without a work bag would be pretty special too.

- - -

website/portfolio - some of many options to consider:
1$ - WordPress a)dot COM or b) dot ORG
2 - Blogger, free (still a thing?)
3 - Tumblr, free (still a thing?
4$ - SmugMug? [not tried this, but is designed for photographers to make websites]
5$ - type the HTML code yourself and rent a folder on a server

Pros/Cons to each of those - I've dabbled in most of them. Perhaps that is a new topic though?

In a few months time (say June/July) I'm planning to put a couple of really simple 'blank' HTML pages on the net to show how the very few lines of code work. Perhaps a couple of 5x image portfolios to show the navigation too. Will post it in here if there is interest.

Edited by dCap - 11 January 2021 at 21:09

dCap wrote: Travel to a specific place?

Made me laugh
I was planning a trip to Texas in 2020, maybe in 2022.

I decided to share a film picture every Friday on Insta: #filmfriday.
I also have a project planned to photograph significant (to me) streets, but I would like a website to post the pictures. If anybody has tips for that, I am interested (Squarespace does not offer .nl or .eu sites)