Looking for a lot of information :)

[Former_Member]

Happy Monday everyone! I am an Amateur photographer, and also a freelance writer. I have been looking into opening up a shop based on my photography pictures, So I guess here are a couple questions. (Sorry if there are to many lol. )

1. If you sell prints, do you print them at home, or do you print them at a photo shop?

2. How do you reason your prices? (Not sure how I would figure out what my prices would be).

3. Do you only use special pictures for Etsy and Etsy only? (As in you don't share it on the internet).

Sorry if these questions are a pain, but I am trying to learn more as I am quite interested! Thank You so much! :)

[Former_Member]

Im afraid I don't have much to offer I hardly sell anything but heres what I learned while doing research

I don't have a printer so I print at walmart its pretty cheap
so far I have only posted my prints up on etsy but I have an album of stuff on facebook that my friends can look at oh and my copyrighted stuff on flickr

for my prices I just looked around to see what people were charging on here and went with 20.00 because with print costs that still will leave me some room to profit

[ThistleandThymePhoto]

Hi Trisha, I'm new to the team and just saw this thread to ask a question...but in answer to yours:
1. I have mine printed through a lab online and sometimes a local lab if I need them in a hurry.
2. I price mine fairly for the size they are. If I have a request for larger I will quote a higher price depending on what my price is from the printer, extra coating or paper needed and shipping costs.
3. I only use photos with my watermark in my shop. I'll sometimes add other versions to my FB page but if it's really something I want to sell, I don't.
4. You're never a pain when asking for advice!!

[ThistleandThymePhoto]

Can anyone guide me in purchasing a new card for my camera? I really would like at least 16mb but am wondering what the pros/cons are to brands other than Scandisk.
I have a Canon XTi.

Thanks!

[ThistleandThymePhoto]

Found what I needed, going with the Lexar from Adorama.

[Former_Member]

Hey Trisha!
1) I print my photos from nations photo lab online, they are good quality and pretty reasonable price wise.

2) Do a quick Etsy search for the size/type of prints you'd be selling. For example, most 8x10 prints on Etsy seem to be in the 15-20 dollar range, but your price will obviously depend on how much your prints/shipping cost. One of the benefits of using an online lab is that you can have them send the print directly to the customer so it takes some of the hassle out of the process:)

3) I don't really use social media besides pinterest so I don't have much to add to this one..

hope this helps!!! best of luck:)

[Former_Member]

Hello!
I use a local printer who also happens to have an online shop as well. Truly, they do incredible work: www.fullcolor.com

As for pricing, I suggest determining what the value is to YOU rather than pricing in the range of other photographers. Otherwise it turns into a race to the bottom and that helps none of us. These are not just pictures we're selling; these are works of art.

As for pictures online, I post to Flickr and a few other sites. I'm not concerned with art theft because if someone wants to rip and print, it's not likely they are going to make a purchase anyway. I lightly watermark as well.

[Former_Member]

Hey, Trisha! I'm a professional photographer, maybe I can offer a little insight :)

1)
- I get my photos printed from a professional print company (online). I've had good experiences with WHCC (White House Custom Color) and Miller's Professional Imaging. You could also check out Mpix, which is a division of Miller's for the "non-professional" - it just has less options.
- Another option, like Kari said, is to look for a local lab in your city.
- You COULD print at home, but unless you're planning on dropping a couple hundred for a really good inkjet printer (and you know how to calibrate your printer to your monitor), I would just leave the printing to professionals.

2) This is a tricky question. How much did printing cost/what materials are you using? Are your prints open or limited edition? How much time/effort was put into each photo? How much do YOU think your photos are worth? These are just a few questions I thought about when I began pricing my photos. No one can tell you what your photographs are worth. I would begin by figuring out the cost of printing, and go from there.

3) No. I have several other accounts where I showcase my photography, such as Flickr, 500px and a personal website, to name a few. However, as of now Etsy is the only place that I have my photographs listed for sale.

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions :)