Making A Living With Art And Photography

My analogy for selling art (which I consider photography to be, at least sometimes) online is that it's like being on the ocean in leaking boat. The water leaking in is the new competion and new art. There are over 3000 new images on FAA just today so far. If you don't want to sink, you have to find ways to bail out the boat. Bailing methods include marketing through as many outlets as possible (websites, blogs, etc.) and finding what social media outlets can actually drive traffic and sales to your site (or sites).

When I first joined FAA over three years ago, it was then possible to put up some quality images and have some sales. The ocean is just too big now (imo) for passive methods to produce significant sales. It takes a whole lot of work.

I am new here, Ross, and I'm also new to doing art for a living...January next will make one year since I started taking my art to that level of seriousness. So. I'm still young at it. I certainly have learned a lot from following some of the discussions posted. Those like yours which have survey leanings, are among those which I find most helpful. I know that putting your work on the internet doesn't automatically get it sold or even get you views. I've run a test on that and proven it for myself. You have to work real hard after setting up your work, to bring in your own buyers. As I mentioned before in another response on this discussion page, FAA only helps you with a platform to perform on, and the service of packaging your wok when you find the buyers. You've got to dance your shoes off to get things moving. I also realize that there is only a limited amount of success that I can expect from being here so I have to segment my work. The truth about it is the artist is his or her own business manager and marketer. Once you have your work and your ideas down and know where you're headed you've got to spend most of your time finding sales. It's just the way it goes. Up days and down days included.

I don't know about selling photography as an art and making a living of it? Most of the photographers who's photos are selling big are dead. In stock-photography however, you can easily make a living, with the right content of course.

Fine Art America has become a huge ocean with many ships on it. I still see folks talking about rankings and keywords and descriptions etc as a way of being found. That may be true... as true as finding a speck of dust correctly landed on a light bulb.

It really is about expanding your reach and having work that strikes a chord in people. The net has become flush. Getting into rankings takes more than placing links everywhere under heaven. It takes money being invested. The powers that be are not stupid and do not want to give anything away for free. It used to be a super highway of opportunity. But with the likes of Zuckerburg and those who track everything that you and I do... ranking must come at a price. That price is giving your whole life and time to it... and of course... your money.

Face to face contact, with a product in demand, is still a more viable route, IMHO.

Thank you everyone, Glenn, Christian, Eston and Greg,

Your personal views and replies to this conversation are, in my opinion, extremely valuable. They impact many people.

I am a so-called "old-time" pro....when assignment photography through magazines, corporations, sports, etc. was in its glory. Now I am learning about 2014 Art/Photograph/Business, through all of you. I generated this discussion because I had a hunch that the odds of sales on the internet were very limited. Your personal shares seem to validate my thoughts. With that, I also believe there is hope for success. For me, I tend to align myself with Glenn (above). All of my selling and interactions with clients during my career were personal which yielded a great deal of personal satisfaction. I still believe that is the road to personal success and inner satisfaction.

Please keep offering your views to this discussion. I think it addresses much of the heart and searching of the artist/photographer.

Sincerely,
Ross Lewis