Last week we were looking at a few Instagram feeds and Elise pointed out that one photographer’s profile stated “Prints Available”. We wanted to know if that selling prints on Instagram is really a thing.
I found a couple articles about how some Instagram photographers were able to sell small prints for $100-$150. These articles were from 2014-2015. Nothing recent. One of these photographers was Brooklyn based and supposedly made over $15,000 selling prints over Instagram in a single day. He was selling 4x6 prints, for one day only, for a price of $150 each, print and signature only. He one day announced this on a post as the following:
“I swear I will never sell anything this cheap again. If you’re interested, send a screenshot of the photo(s) of your choice to arnoldaniel@gmail.com (one d) and I will send a PayPal invoice, followed by a signed print. Easy Peasy.”
Another article we discussed was titled: “Top 12 Places to Sell Photos Online and Make Money”. The first suggestion was to have your own website to sell your photographs. The rest of the suggestions were stock photo websites, websites where you submit your photos and if someone on their website finds your photo and purchases it, you get a cut. The only way to make serious money on any of these sites would be to get as many buyers as possible to buy your photos. A quantity game. One sale won’t have a significant impact on your wallet. And there are so many photos already uploaded if you add a photo to these websites you are essentially adding a drop to a lake of water. Long story short, we disagreed with this article.
I discussed with a few photographers on Instagram who all suggested that they are willing to sell prints in their profile. One photographer had a website listed which had prints available for sale on the website. Another photographer said that they aren’t really selling prints through Instagram, however they use Instagram for exposure.
A film photographer on Instagram who we discussed briefly last week, who is takes photos in the Bronx in NYC, @davidfigueroaphoto, has stated in his Instagram profile “Prints Available”. I asked David about it. He said a couple had contacted him a few years back wanting to purchase a print, but he hasn’t sold much through Instagram. “The idea to state it in the profile came about after numerous people on the Bronx community started asking for prints”…”Ultimately, the end goal is to have a book printed of my long exposures from the Bronx. It’s a borough that has been my home for my entire life and there is a story behind all of those photos that I’m sure people growing up in such an economically and socially deprived environment can relate to.” He shared the following link to one of his posts where he elaborates on his project.
Photo used with permission of @davidfigueroaphoto.
"From 1984 to the early 1990s, this area of the Bronx was my home. But in reality, I have no recollection of this ever being a home. I have no memories of going to the park, no memories of school, playing in the hallways, nothing. Morrison has always been synonymous with pain, anger, drugs, depravity and real violence. Violence that would impact our family with such force, that we continue to feel the ripple effects of it to this day. This project grew from the need to remember a childhood lost.”
Even if you have already looked at his Instagram feed, after reading that artist’s statement, look at his feed again. These images were great before I knew why he was making these photos, now they have more depth and meaning, to a point where I can appreciate the work he is making in a much different light. Artists like David inspire me.
From everyone I have talked to and from my own personal experience, I would have to say, that you can buy a camera, and you can get great at using it. You can make several amazing images. And you can attempt to market and sell those images. But, for most of us, we won’t be able to make a living from it. But is that reason not to do it? I don’t think so. If you enjoy taking photos, then you are really going to enjoy seeing your work in print, whether it be in a book, or as a large framed print. If someone comes along and enjoys it as much as you do to the point they want to buy it, then that is going to be a major boost to your self esteem as an artist, making it much easier to take pride in your work. However, it is rare for that to consistently happen. My advice would be don’t get into photography for money. You will get lost in the fluff. If you want to take pictures of flowers just to sell them, more than likely someone has already done that, If you don’t believe me Google it like a buyer would. And since they were first to sell those type of photos online, the likelihood of them being found over you is more than likely. I know this sounds discouraging, but I am not saying stop taking photos. What I am saying is don’t make images because you are hoping someone will buy them, make photos for you. Use photography to express yourself. That’s going to be the difference between falling into the crowded world of photography, and finding your voice.
Special thanks to David for sharing his experience and allowing us to use his photo and remarks on our podcast.
Tell us about your experience in the comments below or the submit button on our websiteWe would love to know
Your experience selling prints, or
If you have ever purchased a print off Instagram, or
How many small prints have you purchased from photographers
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