Textured Vs Untextured Photograph Sales?

i think originality sells and if it happens to have a texture, or the texture makes it look better - that will sell. i have a textured brush, but don't really use texture overlays.

---Mike Savad

Michelle.. the first answer that comes to mind is... it depends ;O)

There are customers that purchase images for different purposes. Some will cover a wall with stark black and white photographs. Others prefer more colorful "decorative" image that catch the eye. So while a "straight" photograph of a lone tree in a meadow might be just what a customer is looking for, there just might be more customers looking for a more colorful impressionist image for their walls.

Just a guess of course ;O)

bob

I think the art is in knowing when to use texture and when to leave it well enough alone. Some images just cry out for a texture layer, and some would be totally ruined with one. Like Bob said, it depends on the image, and on personal taste. I wish there was a cut and dry answer because I'm wrestling with it myself.

There is nothing wrong with populating a gallery with "impressionistic" versions of some your photographs. At least not that I can think of at the moment ;O)

One of my best selling prints (FAA) that is unrelated to my New England regional galleries is from Old Town-Key West. I processed it with a subtle custom texture filter that really enhanced it nicely, in an artistically inspired way. Same image published by Poets&Writers magazine for a full center-spread. For the center fold, they requested the image without the textured filter. It was also published in a 2008 Florida Keys Travel guide (no texture, but nice pay day) and I've licensed it several times for website publication (some with texture-others requested no texture)

Granted, it still needs to be a very good composition and technically excellent to be a strong image.

I cannot say for certain if the texture blend has made it into a popular seller. I wish I had that answer.

Here is the Key West scene. Quite a bit different from Duval Street and Fantasy fest!

I've often thought a textured finish would look good on some of my images when printed on untextured paper but then wondered what it would look like when printed on canvas - texture on texture, would it be too much?

I don't see any reason why you couldn't offer both versions for both tastes. To answer Paul's question, I've had a couple of my textured photographs printed on canvas and I think they look fantastic. They look even more painterly on canvas, which is an effect I like a lot.

I'm glad I'm not the only one wrestling with this. I think I might try Peggy's idea of offering both versions on a few selected images and see how they go.

Bob, I don't mean using a filter to make a photograph look like a fake impressionist painting (as well as photography, I am a traditional artist and also paint from scratch digitally so those type of photoshop filters are just not aesthetically pleasing to me), but rather the texture layers that still clearly show the main subject as a photograph like in the lovely example that Thomas posted.

@Peggy, thanks for that comment, I will have another think about offering some of my images on a textured finish as well as a "normal" finish

Playing around with textures can be a lot of fun and really bring some images to life. Just don't get to crazy with it, using it to images that don't need a texture, unless both equally look good

Both of these sold European collectors. So I agree that it is when and when not to use texturing.

Here is another one that I applied a texture overlay to. If you click to open it, you will see more clearly the subtle scroll writing over the image. I sell this one a lot, I mean a whole bunch and it's been licensed to a company that sells this image engraved on wood and sells them to retailers like Crate&Barrel and Peir1 Imports.

The owner of the company that has licensed this from me was in love with it. He specifically made note of the texture I applied and stated it gave the image a "colonial era" appeal. I think in this specific case, that yes addition of the texture has enhanced the image enough to increase sales.

Thomas, yes that is a perfect example and not surprising it has sold so well, the texture and text fits the subject perfectly.

Excellent thread. I've only just started working with textures. I find they are a perfect fit for images that need that extra "call out" of the subject at hand. I too am wondering if I should continue to only offer original textured art, or if I should offer two variations (textured and untextured). I think I am leaning towards the former.

Here's something I created today.