On selling prints
Asturias, Spain.
I’ve today added several new prints for sale in my shop (from the To The Sea series), selecting images which a few individuals have requested, and also which I think might appeal.
It’s only in the last few months that I’ve offered a very small selection of prints for sale. Deciding to sell prints requires a belief in the worth and value of one’s own photography, and it’s certainly something which constantly sows the seeds of doubt when the orders are not flowing in as I’d imagined they might in those moments of confidence before setting out on this venture.
For me, the photographs I take are a personal expression of my understanding of the world and my relationship to it. They are imbued with personal significance and meaning, such that choosing to put them on display, let alone offer them for sale, feels like a very exposing exercise. And when certain prints don’t attract any sales it can feel like a rejection of the personal journey that led to the creation of those images. It is absolutely true that a certain degree of individual resilience is needed in order to head down this path. (Not to mention some other form of income if you want to be able to pay the rent and put food on the table.)
It is also true that the images I have selected for sale are only a fraction of my photographic output, representing a selection of images that I imagine someone might want to hang on their wall. I understand that buying art is an investment, and many people are not interested in hanging a photograph of a random stranger in their living room. Hence the selection of relatively impersonal photographs that are on offer for sale in my shop. If you follow my Instagram feed you’d know that my photographic output is much broader than what’s on sale. (Even then, Instagram is itself just a small selection of images that I make). I suppose that everything we do as humans in the world involves a degree of editing and selection, and this exercise is no different. Perhaps if I was more analytical and calculating I might have refined the selection process to maximise sales, but alas it’s just my fairly inaccurate gut feeling at this point which is leading the way.
If there’s anything you think I should have for sale I’d love to know - drop me a message or leave a comment on this blog post. This is a continual learning experience for me! And in recognition that you’ve read this far I’ve set up a discount code for the first ten people to purchase prints from the shop: enter JANBLOG30 to get 30% off your print/s order (excludes zines). Any questions drop me a message.
