How should I display my photographs?

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I am just wrapping up a month-long show with 6 other photographers. There is one who really didn't have a handle on pricing, but she sold 6 of 12 on the first night. The ones that sold are all 8x10 in an 11x14 frame and she sold them for less than they must have cost her to do. I mean, $20-30-35 prices sold. She had equally nice pieces that were slightly larger at 11x14 in 16x20 frames that she priced at $45 and up. At the end of the month, none of those have sold.

I've only sold 4 so far, but they tell me that the last couple of days can make a real difference in sales. At this gallery, they have found that there are people who like to buy on the last day of the show (Saturday) so they can take their picture off the wall and take it home! I've got two people who told me that they are going to do this, so we'll see.

My framed photos are priced at $65-125, depending on subject and size. A couple are just fun shots that I priced at $45-50.

Here are some shots of some framed prints, just to give you an idea. THESE ARE LOUSY SHOTS OF FRAMED PRINTS, but they served my purpose in asking some friends for advice. You will notice that I did NOT link to these images for the person who asked about taking a picture or artwork behind glass, because from THAT point of view, I am embarrassed to show these to anyone. However, they do serve to answer your question for examples of framed work. If you want to see them bigger, just click on any of the thumbnail images.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/sets/721...

If you are curious to see what I actually showed, here you go:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/tags/gal...

I sold the laughing cat face in a cheap frame for $50.

The silhouetted lighthouse sold for $125.

My frames are mostly boring. I did this for uniformity of the show. You might make out better matching the frame to the print, as Dawg suggested.

At the opening, a few people asked why I did not have note cards for sale, so I rushed an order for a few different images. I put 24 in the gallery at $3 each and 8 have sold. They were actually only on display for 5 or 6 days so far, though. Since a couple of people ( that's all I spoke to about the notes...) told me that they were not going to use them as notes, but planned to frame them, I am thinking that maybe some plain 5x7 prints might be a good idea. You can get them for about a buck each, put them in a 10¢ sleeve, and sell them for $3-to-5 each.

I would have some of both sizes. 11x14 framed pieces sell pretty well at art shows. You should also have matted pictures available in 8x10 and 11x14. Another thing that sells pretty well is greeting cards. You don't make much but they are cheap and easy to make.

As far as framing goes you need to learn to mat and frame yourself or it will cost you more than you could ever sell it for.

If you have a sales tax number you can buy wholesale frames. This will save you a bundle as long as you use standard sizes.

You can get precut matting in standard sizes for between $3 and $10 per mat depending on size and quality. If you can cut your own you will save a lot though. Most photographs in galleries use white but black and any other color that you think enhances the photo is fine too. The idea of a mat is to compliment the art work and to draw the eye in so what ever color best achieves this is what I would use.

You will also need a tent, tables, grid walls to hang photos. Check with the groups sponsering the shows to see if they rent any of this.

It will depend a bit on your market what size to sell, take a look at some local galleries and see what sizes they are showing, some will be custom but you'll get an idea.

My experience has been 8x10 print with an 11x14 mat is the most popular size, and there are lots of stock frames in that size.

Mat B or W? will depend on the print, most photos it's obvious which works best but sometimes I place one on and then the other temporarily just to see and then decide.

If you sell just matted prints in addition to fully framed you'll want to get clear sleeves to protect them as people WILL want to handle them. Contact me if you need vendor names.

Frames, I pick them specifically to complement the print.

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Different sizes shouldn't really make a difference, but lately bigger is better for your average consumer if you can do either for the same price and still maintain quality bigger might sell more. I would also suggest a simple black frame with White matting, if you go to any art gallery or museum, you'll see this framing is the standard for most photographs. If you can, learn how to matte and frame your own work, It'll save you money.... Maybe get a part time job at a framing shop for a while.

And I can't stress enough showing your work to other people to see what they think about it.

i print 11x14 alot, white mat, black sectional frame (the sectionals are most cost effective) and glass. a bit of a cost, but they look good in it. 8x10 is just too small for most people to want to hang on a wall i think, unless you do a series of a subject in just that size.

This all depends on what kind of pics your selling and so on , i buy (myself) alot of black and white prints the ones i buy the most are 28 x 36 and i love them all . like oliver merrill there is no picture or prints like his and thats what i look for in pic's and prints and some of the best frames i seen with others are grays blacks and tans , I seen in a gallery that , burnt orange is the going thing and i love it ,, its just i would have to change my decor,,hope this helps ,, search around on the net for ideas and good luck ,, i would probley buy one of your pics

Sounds like just another complication for an already complicated event. Think hard if your really want to bother. An option but it does cost money is buy 2 digital picture frames.

I hate to be the Prophet of Doom, but unless your images are really different and spectacular and they're in a major gallery, nobody will buy them.

Google Ed Burtynsky and Sebastiao Salgado.

If you can make images better than theirs, they'll sell.

Good luck.

V

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