Artists have to think hard about pricing their work.  Sure we all want top dollar but over pricing your work could cost you money.  It costs you money because you have to store the piece which adds to your growing inventory.  If you are in business and need to resell the piece for more materials, this could be a severe problem.

An artist’s inability to flip their work causes them a lack of funds for future projects.  Artists that are wealthy already and/or are doing it for fun as a hobby don’t have to worry about this; but artists that need to eat off their profits need to realize holding onto a piece for maximum value could be costing you money.

You don’t want to sell yourself short either.  Obviously if you are a painter your originals are a one of a kind, and those should be priced high.  However, price your prints and reproductions accordingly.

I’ve seen gyclees and prints go for nearly $800.00 in some cases, the original was just $500.00 more.  People in this economy may not buy a high priced duplicate, even if it’s numbered.  If the numbers are limited to a low duplication and its signed you may get away with it, but again that not priced to sell.

Make sure you know what sizes easily fly off the shelf too.  Larger prints and duplications cost money.  If large sizes don’t sell, then don’t waste your money printing those unless the market calls for it.

You would not believe how many galleries I hear talking about how over priced the work artists bring into the gallery, they just can’t move it for them.  Many artists bring top dollar pieces into areas where the economy is tough, and the work just sits there.

Before I go to show any of my work I try to do the following to ensure I am not wasting my time and money:

• Research the area, see if it’s more conservative or liberal interests – this will determine the subject matter I bring into the gallery
• See how the area is economically – I tend to find sizes and prices that fit my market to where I may be able to make a profit.
• I shop my printing sources carefully, I have different places I print at that charge different fees.  I choose the best one that I can make money at and price my work perfectly
• I also call the gallery and ask them what sizes tend to sell the best and print to their suggestions.

If you do these things and work to get the best manufacturing price, then you can flip your work and make a profit.  I truly believe in the saying “I’d rather sell 30 pieces at a lower price than sell 1 piece at the highest price possible”.

Also if you are a photographer taking pictures of landscapes and such, unless you have a well known reputation and are in high demand, you are taking pictures like everyone else so price accordingly.  I saw a photo of a statue here in Tampa printed to an 8×10 glossy photo.  The artist wanted $250.00 for it – he even said where it was!  Why would I pay that when I now know exactly the angle you shot the photo at and where it is so now I can do it myself for free?

Subject matter should determine how you price the photos.  The more complex and time inclusive it is, obviously the more money you ask.

For some reason artists, authors etc. tend to have beautiful websites but these sites are failing them.  Do you want to know why?

For one many of them don’t give ways for people to contact them.  I don’t know if it’s an ego thing or if they are afraid of SPAM, but either way it’s suffocating their sales.

Far too often I hear artists complain they are not selling their work, not getting opportunities and I ask them for their website to find out why.  The first place I visit is their contact page and this usually tells me right away what’s wrong.  What I find is usually no phone number or e mail address.  Sometimes they have forms to fill out, but forms alone can scare people away.

Unless you have a PR Company or agent or someone working for you in that caliber, you must put down a way for people to contact you.  If you have someone like an agent or PR firm representing you, then put their information down… but even so customers like direct contact with the artists.

That goes hand in hand with Authors, Musicians and Artists.  It’s amazing how just a simple way for the customer to communicate with you, and the response is genuinely from you, how important and special you make them feel.  That can lead to further sales, referrals and a strong fan base.

Failing to put your e mail at least in addition to a form is like driving by a subdivision with a big wall around it.  Sure it’s beautiful and you can only imagine the wonders inside but the wall says “Keep the hell out… I’m way too important or busy for you”.  Is that the message you want to send to your fans?

Some people tend to use forms, while other s like to send an e mail directly to you.  They do this because they can have their reply sitting in their sent file for follow up if time elapses.

If you are afraid of spam, simply create an e mail just for website correspondence, and honestly you don’t want to put your personal e mail on your website anyway.  Doesn’t mean you can’t correspond with your fan base with this e mail, but it keeps your work separate from your personal life.

To avoid SPAM I suggest this:

• Upload your e mail address  on a .jpg file so it’s a picture not text
• NEVER hyperlink your address
• Do this  j.dowd [at] dowdstudios [dot] com
• OR open a brand new e mail account just to receive correspondence from your website

However you should offer both e mail and form… PERIOD!

Another major flaw is that artists tend to be vague, and we are very well known for that, but never the less if you are running a business, that website has to work for you.  The site is your 24 hour 7 day a week secretary.  It must sell you when you’re not around or sleeping.

Did you know most people check for you on the web before deciding to come to your establishment?  That’s how important a good website full of content can be.

With that said, you can’t be vague.  You need a good online portfolio, bio, and history containing important clients, pieces, and gallery affiliations – bare minimum.  Yes it will take work but if you want good quality shows and clients this is your ELECTRONIC PRESS KIT.  A press kit and CV for an artist is like an artery for the body… it’s your lifeline.  Remember this website is your business so put your best foot forward.  Let people critique it for easy navigation, silly mistakes and see if they learned enough about you.

Regardless how much info is on the site, update it often.  Nothing kills a site more than outdated info.  Plus updating your site helps Google and other spyders come to your site for good indexing.

That’s all it takes and it could turn your sales around

TIP 2: Art is a Social Thing – so Socialize!

Believe it or not art is a social thing.  Artists rely on the support of other artists to survive, not just the patrons – and in a way artists are patrons of the arts too – and true professional artists understand this.  If a show is not featuring you and/or your art is not being shown, it’s still a positive thing to show up and provide your support.  This shows that you care about the arts in your community and you support it; along with those artists. Don’t let your ego get in the way!

All too often artists don’t show up to shows in their community.  Some don’t even show up for shows where their work is being shown.  A common excuse is “but it’s not my show, why should I go”

Because there are artists there, there may be someone with clout in the art industry; there are potential clients there as long as 1 person comes to the show.  They may not announce who they are or what they can do, and you won’t know unless you talk to them.  This gives you the opportunity to show these art lovers that you care about the arts, you care about other artists and it gives you the chance to market yourself.

For instance, I went to a show that hosted works of art from grieving kids.  The work allowed these kids to express themselves positively.  I had no work there at all but I went.  There I found very influential artist who informed me of shows coming up, and now my work has been seen in two of their month long exhibitions gaining daily exposure.

I recently included my work in a show down in Arcadia.  The host asked me for a brief summary of each work,  which should include my artist statement, the inspiration behind why I took the photos I did, and where they were shot.  I eagerly agreed, and his response shocked me.  He said “thanks, believe it or not most artists won’t do that”.

Through experience, I’ve sold more art by being at the shows to tell people about the pictures.  Let them get into my head and see it as I do.  They can still have their own interpretation and I openly welcome that.  However it gives a bond between artist and patron, and in today’s business world customers thrive for that bond.  Since I can’t be there to constantly talk about my work, I was more than happy to provide the information he asked.

He then told me some more responses from artists when he asked them to provide this small outline.  “The work should sell itself, if they can’t understand my passion behind it, then they don’t need to buy it” and don’t forget “If they don’t know where it is, then it can’t mean that much to them”.

All I can say is wow, egos are flying high.

I look at it like this; there are people out there that won’t buy a home for sale because of the current resident’s furniture or paint choices.  Even though the furniture won’t be there when they move in, or a simple paint job by the new owner would fix the color problem, they won’t buy it because they can’t visualize it.  They love the house, but that snag is what keeps them from their dream home.  That’s why there are stagers, people who help the home tell a story, and giving the potential buyers something can see!  With your art, you are that stager.

That concept is hard to stomach for an artist, but you must realize they are not artists, they don’t see things like we do.  Sometimes people have to be told or shown what we see.  Sure they like it, but it makes it even more special if they have the story to accompany it.  You can do that simply by telling people about it on paper or in person – give them your story behind it, and you added value to your work.

So stop the excuses, if you’re too busy to show up for shows with your work hanging and/or too busy to show up for other artists then they will be too busy for you in your time of need; and you may be too busy to be a professional artist.

Missing some shows here and there is fine, you don’t have to go to every show in your city, but make it an appoint to show up to as many as you can, and BE SURE to show up at every show where your work is hanging, even if you are not the featured artist! Just swallow your pride and go. Failing to do that is nothing less than career suicide.  Your absence tells the patrons you just don’t care, even if you really do and it tells the artists there the same message; believe me I know from experience.

Last year I never missed a show where my art was hanging, even if it was a community show or a show for another artist.  You know, each one of them showed to my show where I was featured!  They paid the favor back, and I made some great connections and friends along the way – a win-win situation.

I took the plunge in 2003 taking my art from a hobby stage to professional, and I didn’t do it by going out and purchasing expensive equipment and calling myself a professional. In doing so I learned a lot about myself, my talents and art in general.

As I’ve grown I can now recognize many things artists do that hurts their ability to be successful in their profession. So here is a list of things I’ve learned as I took the plunge and what I observe other artists doing that hurts their career.

Here is one of the series of tips that will come out each week to help artists achieve their dreams.

1. Difference between a Profession and Hobby

Many artists don’t know the difference. Artists tend to go out and buy the most expensive equipment and call themselves professional. However, they don’t understand the term “professional”.  Expensive equipment does not constitute you as being ”professional”, your art and how you depend on it does.

Someone who does art as a “hobby” does not care if they make money at it or not  because they are doing what they love. They are content to make works of art at random, and if one sells here and there, great!

A professional depends on the sale of their work and commissioned jobs to survive. They put all their money into their art and must market themselves as a business.

If you do not want to commit the time to run a business, I suggest you treat it as a hobby. That doesn’t mean you are amature in what you do, it just means you don’t want to take this to a professional level.  Like any business, without exposure, committment, networking and investing in your product- you will fail.  Doesn’t matter if its art, a restaurant or what have you.  Its all the same in the business world.

If you are a hobbiest, and do just the bare minimum but expect professional like results, you are sadly mistaken, it probably won’t happen… although there is always that one that defies the odds.  To that one, I applaud you… it was meant to happen so consider taking your efforts to a higher level and see where you can soar.

Let me now show you some poor efforts -

1. Entering shows that you paid good money for and not attending the “meet the artist night”; or placing your work and never make an appearance unless you are there to get paid or pull your work is a low effort on your part – you’re doing bare minimum. (See the next tip – Communication & the Community) for further explaination coming next week.
2. Promise people you are going to do a job, and not get to it… or you get to it on your own time when you are ready. This is another poor effort that most hobbiests would make, not a professional.
3. You show up to a job completely unprepared. (I do understand, even a professional can show up unprepared, but they usually don’t make a habit of it).
4. Failure to market you and your work.

I see too much of this in the art world and those that follow what I just mentioned, tend to be the biggest complainers of their lack luster success.

This post talks in detail about photo archiving, handling, and preventing damage.  As talked about by Jason Dowd on radio interviews across the country.

Main Causes of Photo Damage

Sunlight: Sunlight causes the photo paper to become brittle, and can bleach the colors or cause it to fade.

Heat: Heat will cause damage to the photo paper. It can cause photos to curl, ripple, discolor and turn brittle.

Temperature: Depending on the temperature, it can cause your photos to warp, crack or discolor

Moisture: Moisture will cause water spots on your photos, discoloration and color bleeding. It can also weaken the paper, and remove gloss from high gloss paper.

Finger Prints: Usually causes finger prints which are hard to remove especially on glossy photos.

Scratches and Dust

Scratches are caused by improper storage and handling, usually when the surface is rubbed across a surface.

Prevention:

Always keep photos out of direct sunlight, especially sunlight around the time frame of noon to 2:00, the westward when the heat and sun light is at its most intense point. Keep photos on walls that have minimal sunlight, and try to keep blinds down but open to diffuse the sunlight. Window tinting also ca help prevent sun damage, and keep your house cooler.

If your photos are in frames, turn the glass side away from the sun because the glass magnifies the sunlight, trapping the heat and bleaching elements that damage photos.

When choosing a picture frame make sure that the glass is high quality. The ideal grade of glass for photo framing is museum/archive grade (usually not something you’ll find in Walmart, but you will with a reputable custom frame shop). If you use a frame from Walmart, you’ll want to ensure you use an acid free mat board to keep the photos off the glass. Glass can contain acids which can damage your photos, while museum glass doesn’t contain acids.

Always keep your photos in room temperature places when storing photos in albums, books, or boxes. Do not store them in your attic or in an non air conditioned storage unit or shed. Try to keep them in a dry location.

Never hang photos inside bathrooms. The humidity from hot showers will cause severe damage.

When you store photos in a box, ensure its a proper archival box designed for photos. Most cardboard contains acid which will destroy photos. Its a good idea to store them face flat as opposed to stacking them up. Regardless if you stack them up or lay them down, fill the rest of the box with wax paper or some kind of non acidic paper to ensure your photos don’t move which can scratch and damage the edges.

When handling your photos, especially glossy photos, never touch the surface of the photo. It can cause finger prints, but that also transfers bacteria, oil, and any chemicals that may be on your hands onto the surface of the photo. It may not do much damage right away, but over time that could slowly destroy the integrity of your photo. Hold the photos on the edges or use a non powdered or cotton gloves.

Spills:

Spills happen, if they do immediately remove your photos from the frame. Lay the photo paper side down on some paper towels to absorb the water on the back. Take some paper towels and dab the water off the surface. NEVER WIPE and never leave the paper towel sit on the photo, nor use pressure.

Then let the photo sit out to dry. The longer the better. I suggest 48 hours before you attempt to place the photo back in the frame.

Clean the glass thoroughly and let it air dry for 48 hours.

Before you place the photo back in the frame, make sure you use a mat board because its almost positive the photo will stick to the glass. If the photo curled, the frame will flatten the photo over time.

Photo Stuck to the Glass

If a photo is stuck to the glass, never attempt to remove it. That can cause the surface to rip and stick to the glass which makes it harder to restore. Just remove the glass and take it to a place or restoration specialist that can scan the photo.

Restorations:

Unless you have a lot of money, you probably won’t be able to have a specialist repair the original photo, and most photos can’t be repaired. What a restoration specialist will do is take a photo or scan of the original photo and fix the damage digitally. They will make a new photo from the restored photo to replace the original. You will want to keep the original, especially if its old and unable to be replaced.

TIPS:

1. Scan your photos and place them digitally into your computer
2. Make a archive disc and keep it in a safe place. Make a few duplicates and store them in different locations. (Parents home, office, safe, safe deposit box). That way if you lose one or one is damaged, you have other back ups.
3. Store your negatives in a safe place, and if possible get them scanned onto a disc for additional storage.
4. Make multiple copies of your valued photos while you can and store the duplicates in a safe place. Worst case scenario they will make great gifts if you never need them.

Did you find an old photo recently and don’t know what it is?  I can help!  This blog is here to help you identify the difference between old photos and help you identify the approximate age.

Daguerreotype:  (Dag ERR O Type) This is the oldest publicly announced form of photograph, and honestly one of the rarest. You can identify them because they are usually wrapped in a thin decorative metallic pattern under glass; but don’t let that fool you because Ambrotype photos also have this, and a case.

The difference between these two photo styles is the deep Black and White contrast.  This is what made this type of photo so popular, the rich two tones of black and white.

These photos are common from 1830s to 1870s, but after the Civil War the Ambrotype became a cheaper, quicker and more efficient form of photograph so this style started fade from glory.  Despite the Ambrotype’s popularity, it never gained the respect as the Daguerrotype did because it didn’t have the rich colors.

The creator was Louis Daguerre, a French native.

Ambroytpe: Ambrotype has the same metallic wrapping and found under glass like Daguerreotypes, except the clear difference is the color.

Ambrotypes have a brownish tone, more subtle tones to the black, and the whites are off whites.

The process placed the image right on the glass, so it has a 3D effect to it.

The oldest Ambrotype is from the 1850s, and the process stayed pretty popular until the turn of the century, except by the late 1880s, like the Daguerreotypes, a cheaper more efficient process would come around that made these obsolete.

CASES:  Each of these can be found in cases.  These make them very unique, however the cases usually are not found in tact.  Generally you see 1 side with the picture.  However, if you find a full case, the other side has a beautiful padded tapestry inside.  These cases are called Union Cases, and Traditional Cases.

Union cases are not named for the Union.  They are just a better made case that evolved later in the 19th century.  Its a composite mixture that resembles a form of plastic… made with ash, saw dust and glues, moulded into the case you see with hinges.  These cases were more popular with Ambrotypes.

The other case is the traditional case.  It was made of wood, lined with a moulded leather wrapping.

Tin Types:Tin Types replaced the Ambrotypes, as they were much quicker and more durable.  These photographs were on actual pieces of tin.  They didn’t break, they didn’t require casings or glass.  Another great feature was they were able to be tinted easier than Ambrotypes and Daguerreotypes.  Sometimes the full portrait could be enhanced with tinting.

Most of them can be found with a paper folio around it because they were apart of an album book somewhere.

These photos came to be around the same time as the Ambrotypes, in the 1860s to 1890s.  They brought back a lot of the rich black and white tones Ambrotypes lacked which gave them an edge over the competition.

Despite being favored over the Ambrotype, they had competition with Carte De Vistes and Cabinet Cards, all of which were out at the same time.

Carte De Vistes: In the late 1800s, and into the early 1900s, these can be found.  Many of them are small thin pictures mounted to a plain piece of cardboard.  There are no decorations, no text, nothing.  They are “plain Jane” if you wish.  Although, you can find some that have a little more decoration than some, but not as elaborate as Cabinet Cards.  These photographs are known for their size.

These became popular with photographers because the process was almost instant.  They could have a print within 24 hours, unlike its predecessors. The photograph was made on paper and developed the same way we develop our photos today… within reason.

These photos can be found between the 1870s and 1920s.

Cabinet Cards: Cabinet Cards arrived between the 1870s and went all the way up to the 1930s.  They were very popular because of the elaborate patterns and studio insignia that came with them.

These photos were much more durable than Carte De Vistes, and they sat nicely in many albums, yet they were also decent enought to place out on a coffee table.

Unlike Carte De Vistes, these photos were much larger.  These are probably more common, because many of our great grandparents had these photos back in the day from their wedding and such… thus passed down to their kids, (our grandparents) and so on.

With age, Daguerreotypes and Ambrotypes will start to look the same.  However a trained eye can spot the difference between the two.  This is caused from age, care, handling and other things.

All I’ve heard on the news lately is the destruction from natural disasters.  I’ve heard of tornados, earthquakes, tsunamis and soon we’ll see hurricanes.  So what do you do to protect your photos from these disasters?

Unfortunately natural disasters can strike at anytime and there is little we can do about the destruction.  Unless you have your photos in a water tight box and stored somewhere, they will be damaged since photos are essentially paper.  So here are some tips to help you in case mother nature wreaks havoc on your family photos.

1. Make a digital backup of all your photos by scanning them and saving them onto a DVD or CD Rom.  (You don’t need to make them into a movie if you use a DVD, just make it a data DVD.  DVD’s hold 4x more data than CD-Rs do).  If you don’t own a scanner or know someone who does, you can have them scanned at Walgreens, Ritz Camera or any photo shop or Kinkos.  REMEMBER to set them to a high resolution.  If you don’t and the photo is ruined, you can’t fix bad resolution.  I suggest 300 DPI, level 10 jpegs.
2. Make multiple copies of the CD or DVD and send it to relatives.  First of all, they would love to have the photos but most importantly it scatters the disc around, its unlikely everyone in your family would be wiped out from a disaster at the same time.  Therefore if something happens to yours you have a backup.
3. Put your copy in a safe place, bank deposit box or a water tight safe.
4. Store your photos (if applicable) in a water tight safe box.  This is more for floods

These are simple tips that can help you avoid a tragedy.  You may lose the original but you can always make copies later on if you back up your stuff correctly!

Unfortunately we have to have insurance, it’s a necessary evil.  We pay an arm and a leg to insure our property from theft and damage, and we hope that when a claim is needed that our insurance company has our back.  Your insurance agent is your best friend until you really need them, sadly enough.  All too often I see people who really needed their insurance to pick up the cost, yet they refused to cover the loss.

Most often I hear the same story from those with the loss saying my insurance company told me to “PROVE IT” now how can they do that when the damage is done or the theft occurred?  Its their way out because they don’t think you are smart enough to document your property and goods.  Therefore I say take a little time and photograph your valuables, including your house and car; and here’s how to do it.

1.  Take a photo of each of your rooms of your house, from each corner.  This ensures you can see the 360 degree view of the room proving what’s in there and the condition.

2.  Photograph each valuable in the room, but when it comes to electronics and other more expensive items make sure you take detailed photos.  This will ensure you receive top dollar from the insurance company.

3.  Write down as much info as you can about the object.  Most electronics have a sticker on it with the serial number, model number and date.  Write down all that information and take your photo(s) and add it to the page on your computer.  Make sure they are large enough to see the item and clear enough as well.  If you have multiple photos, I suggest you say (See .jpgs # X, X, X etc..). Also DATE the photo and inventory, that’s important.

Some info you may want to record is:

• Date of purchase and where
• Cost (if you have a receipt, scan it and add it to the inventory)
• Serial number
• Model number
• Year of Manufacture
• Brand
• Color(s)
• Size
• NOTE ANY SCRATCHES/CRACKS ETC.
• Last appraisal (if applicable)
• Material made of (If applicable)

Again, put as much information as you have. The more information, the better chance you won’t get denied on the claim and/or you will receive a better check from the insurance company

4.  Take photos of your house and car, as many as possible to show damages or show condition.  When it comes to structural or car insurance they want to ensure it was in good condition prior to the incident.  DO THESE PHOTOS YEARLY OR SEMI-ANNUALLY.

Take all these photos and put them on a CD.  If it’s just one you can add it to the document with all the info.  Burn that document and supporting photos onto a CD and keep it in a safe place.

This also helps the police with a theft.  Should someone take your computer or TV or something you can take out this document, print that page and all pictures.  This shows the cop exactly what it looks like, all the important information to shop pawn shops for.  Without it, the likelihood of recovering your stolen merchandise is slim to none.  At least you will have a fighting chance to recover your goods.

These photos are the “Shut your mouth” answer to the insurance company when they say “Prove It” because they aren’t expecting you to have this.

HOW TO INSURE QUALITY PHOTOS

• Lighting is key.  Make sure the photos are bright, little to no shadows and they are clear (not blurry)
• NEVER, EVER photoshop these photos.  If they ask you for a photo of the item, they take the digital photo and run it in the computer.  If they see it was tampered with to make it look better, or see in the properties that this was run through Photoshop, you just lost your credibility!
• DO NOT use a camera phone to take these photos.  Find a point and shoot camera if you have to.  It doesn’t need to be a high quality SLR camera, just something that takes a decent clear photo.  Blurry photos are considered a “Mask” so ensure quality and size by using a real camera.
• VIDEO works too!
• Make sure you accurately photograph the color as best as you can.
• TURN ON ALL LIGHTS, OPEN ALL WINDOWS as that will help the photo’s brightness.  DO NOT photograph the picture with the light coming in the window making those shadows and patterns on the object.  This looks bad and its hard to see the object.  Make sure the light is even.

Follow these steps and you have a fighting chance against your insurance agency or the insurance agency of the person(s) who ruined your property.