Quality Vs Quantity

Not a photographer but I feel that if the work sucks, one is too many. If the work is great, skies the limit!!

Hmmmmm - why try to "balance", why not have 1,000 really good images (photo's or not photo's).?

I only show my best, focusing my efforts on getting individual exceptional pictures to rank well in popular searches rather than hoping for the random sales that come from having many.

Either can work, that is just how I choose to work things with my strategy here. So far, slow steady gains have been my rewards.

Roy I think the question asked is do you leave everything up in the hopes it might sell, or cull down to what you feel is the best of your best.

I would love to have 5000 of my best up....It just is harder than that. Someday.

@Roy that is the goal. But in a thousand photos I'm sure some photos are better than others.

Of course some are better than others - and there will always, perhaps, be one more that is better until you only have one still up.

its not the total amount that makes the sale. it's the amount of time your in a place, and the variety overall. you want quality over quantity, but that said, you want as many different things as you can put on. unique things that are keyworded well and advertised well. if your good at selling you only need a few things. but you really need a good variety.


---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

there will always be a better photo. as long as you upload your very best job, each time you send something, then its fine. as you improve, if you don't like something fix it. the other important thing is organization. make sure everyone starts in your gallery page. and make sure each gallery has at least 10 things to look at before starting another. nothing worse than clicking on it and only one image is in there, too many clicks and people get bored.


---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

I think it really boils down to - would I, or would anyone buy that and hang it on their wall - if the answer is no - then take it down.

I don't really see a problem with the two bits of advice. For some photographers, 100 images hereis what they should put up. Others have thousands. When you get past the numbers, you should only put up the images you are happy with and confident in sharing.

@Thomas that is the question I'm trying to answer.

@Roy you have a point. I guess one has to be satisfied at some point before you get to the last photo.

@ mike so not so much quantity but a variety of unique things. Thanks Mike.



Gord Follett
www.gordfollettphotography.com

@Joseph that is what I am beginning to realize as time goes on.



Gord Follett www.gordfollettphotography.com

Interestingly enough the idea of a wide variety of work appealing to a larger base is true. However I know that if you own a painting by a famous artist and are going to put it into auction it will sell higher if it is a good example of what the artist is best known for, rather than an a work that falls outside of the norm for the artist. Based on that the shotgun approach to art might work against you in the long run.

I regularly go through and delete things as I improve, but I've gotten to the point now where I THINK I've gotten rid of the junk. At least most of it.

I also regularly shuffle my most popular stuff to the front after a couple of weeks of new stuff being up there. I'm hoping that encourages someone to look further. Some of the stuff I like is more obscure, so I shuffle that farther back and put the generic popular stuff up front.

@Mary I have been doing some of that myself. I still think I need to do more of this. Sometimes finding the time is and issue.

@Mike I am continually doing this as my editing skills improve. Thanks for the tips on the Galleries :)



Gord Follett
www.gordfollettphotography.com

Just don't bore your audience. I've seen people put up basically the same photo over and over with different titles thinking that is going to make a difference. It just puts the viewer to sleep.

think of it as a candy store. not everything there is the best, but it's all edible. but to have a good store you need lots of choices. there may be some grand deluxe stuff there, but for the most part its more important to have what YOU want, rather than it being the best of the best.

and i do agree with edward, i've seen the same image posted as landscape, portrait, black and white, sepia, IR, painted, with effects, inversed, mirrored, kaleidoscoped, etc. and it's all the same shot. while you might sell one with this method, it's better to concentrate on different things. however that said, if you think your scene will look good as a black and white, then do so.


---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

I love these discussions because even when I am not the one posing the original question I always learn so much from following along.

@Shawna I am usually the one following along. I figured I would post for a change :)

@mike Thanks for the advice Mike. You have an interesting way of clarifying things.



Gord Follett www.gordfollettphotography.com

Would you pay $200.00 to see THAT work on your own WALL? If not, why are you putting it out there for others to buy?

Quality producing originals
Quantity producing inexpensive prints. ...sort of ;)

Personally I go for quantity and variety - that gives you a better chance of getting found in search. If I was already known for a type of photography and had a customer base I'd probably keep the numbers low and on a specific topic. But as it stands, I'm trying to get found so I am going to put out as many hooks as I can (only with images I am happy with of course).

I aim to have 1000+ images up here by the end of the year.

As has been said, a quantity OF quality.....

Mike hit the nail though.... It is not JUST numbers but rather unique images and scenes. For the most part you have a good diversity in your portfolio though some of the fall tree scenes look pretty similar.

BTW, while you are here, FAA won't print this with the watermark.

@JC thanks. I forgot about that image until now. I mistakenly posted that one. I tried to replace it but ran into an issue where the site would not allow me to edit anything. Long story short I no longer have that issue. I forget about it until now. Thanks

When You only upload the stuff YOU think is the best, You may ignore others taste. To whom do You want to sell? To others I guess.

I've always thought quality over quantity. One bad photo could cause the buyer to move on. Granted, there are always going to be some better then others, and we all improve over time.

I know it seems like an either/or, but really it's not. I remember when I first started here thinking the same thing. Now, I have over 950 images. Just keep uploading your best quality and the quantity will follow.

With such diverse tastes in the world, it is hard to judge what a buyer might want. I see tons of arguably dreadful images (just look at the latest contest) that get glowing reviews. Yes, be careful but don't rule something out just because you don't personally like it. Art is maddeningly subjective.

When I first started 2 years back I was trying to enter contests and some of them required (for instance) cat images so I would put up some cat images. most of mine are ok with one or two being real nice but I probably should go and delete them because just before they are funny they are not what I call art...

To many images on FAA are not art. Stock Photography yes but art? I don't think so... But I feel that I never know what the buyer will want so I put different items up. That said, looking back over my sales for the past two years, they are centered around my nautical seashore shots and my fall foliage images... I don't want to delete everything else just because its different because... Someone may want it...

its a conundrum at its worse twisty nature

Of the 5 sales I've had my 1st, 2nd, and 4th were photos I considered "good" but not my best. You never know what will interest a buyer.

I like this one! Now I am sure someone can break it down and find flaws in composition, contrast, yada yada yada... but are the buyers going to analyze it or say, " I like that! How much is it and do I really want to shell out 400 bucks for it?"

In my opinion you need a good balance of both. I've seen people on here with close to 1000 images complaining about not selling; vice versa- I see some people with fewer images that do sell. But you need both really to sell consistently.

--Roz Abellera

@Craig Thanks. So far no one has paid 400 for it. I have had a good response for that photo on social media, but no luck in sales for that one. Which is why I have been pickier about what I'm posting lately. That is what got me thinking am I doing myself a disservice by posting less. Which led me to this post. After reading the responses I think I know what direction I will be taking. :)

Gord Follett www.gordfollettphotography.com