Marketing Fine Art Photography

Larger Cover

By Alain Briot

Publisher: Rocky Nook

Released: June 2011

Pages: 320

In recent years as the field of photography has exploded, many photographers consider selling their work to make a profit and to help defray the high costs of equipment. But, many photographers don't have the business and marketing knowledge required to successfully sell fine art photographs; and many of those who have tried have been met with disappointment. Until now, little information of value has been available.

In Marketing Fine Art Photography, Alain Briot offers practical, up-to-date and field-tested marketing techniques from the viewpoint of a fine art landscape photographer who earns a living from the sale of his fine art prints.

Briot teaches that by taking control of the selling process, you can increase your profits and, ultimately, direct your own destiny. Briot's approach is based on offering quality not quantity; and offering something unique, rather than something that is mass-produced. Though directed toward selling fine art, this method can be applied to other products.

After a series of trials and errors, Briot devised a marketing system that allowed him to get out of debt, pay for a state-of-the-art studio, and purchase his first home, all from the sale of his photography. Briot has taught fine art photography marketing to numerous students in seminars, through one-on-one consulting, and through his Marketing Mastery tutorial DVD.

Topics include:

Defining fine art photography
Wholesale, retail, and consignment
Knowing your customer
Where to sell and how to price fine art
Fundamentals of marketing and salesmanship
Profitability and honesty in business
Packing and shipping fine art
Common marketing mistakes
The unique selling proposition (USP)

Selling Fine Art Photography
1. Chapter 1 Taking Control of Your Destiny
  1. The Best-Kept Secret
  2. What is Marketing?
  3. The Goal of Marketing
  4. Why Marketing is Indispensable to Success in Photography
  5. Crucial Questions
  6. Photography Must be Your Career in Order to Succeed
  7. Market, Market, and Market Again
  8. The Breakthrough
  9. Skill Enhancement Exercises
2. Chapter 2 What is Fine Art Photography?
  1. Defining Fine Art Photography: A Checklist
  2. Art Movements and Personal Styles
  3. Handling Criticism
  4. Counterintuition and Irony
  5. What If You Cannot Do All of This?
  6. Terminology
  7. Conclusion
  8. Skill Enhancement Exercise
3. Chapter 3 Wholesale, Consignment, or Retail?
  1. Selling Wholesale
  2. Selling on Consignment
  3. Selling Retail
  4. Retail and Wholesale Comparisons
  5. Skill Enhancement Exercises
4. Chapter 4 Quantity or Quality
  1. Quantity or Quality
  2. A Comparison of Quantity-Based and Quality-Based Marketing
  3. Skill Enhancement Exercise
What to Sell and Where to Sell It
1. Chapter 5 What to Sell
  1. The Difference Between Prints and Products
  2. Product Variety
  3. Tips on Selling Framed and Unframed Prints
  4. Items You Can Sell Besides Framed and Unframed Prints
  5. Packaging, Protecting, and Presenting Your Products
  6. Other Important Considerations
  7. Conclusion
  8. Skill Enhancement Exercise
2. Chapter 6 Where to Sell Fine Art Photographs
  1. Selling to Stores (Wholesale)
  2. Selling through Galleries (Consignment)
  3. Selling through a Representative (Consignment)
  4. Selling on the Internet (Retail)
  5. Selling in Your Own Home Gallery (Retail)
  6. Selling in Your Own Brick-and-Mortar Gallery (Retail)
  7. Selling at Art Shows (Retail)
  8. Selling Stock Photography (Retail)
  9. Selling to Books and Magazines (Retail)
  10. Selling by Advertising in Magazines (Retail)
  11. Conclusion
  12. Skill Enhancement Exercises
3. Chapter 7 How to Price Fine Art Photography
  1. Pricing Based on Expected Sales Volume
  2. Pricing Based on Actual Costs
  3. Pricing Based on Leverage and Reputation
  4. What is Leverage?
  5. Should You Offer Limited Editions?
  6. Summary of Things to Consider When Pricing Your Work
  7. Product Cost Calculation Forms
  8. Conclusion
  9. Skill Enhancement Exercises
4. Chapter 8 Best Sellers
  1. Two Main Approaches to Creating Best Sellers
  2. The Best Seller Creation Process
  3. A Gradual, Multi-stage Process
  4. Involve Other People in the Selection Process
  5. What Makes a Best Seller?
  6. Best Seller Examples
  7. Conclusion
The Fundamental Aspects of Marketing, Salesmanship, and Business
1. Chapter 9 The 26 Fundamental Principles of Successful Marketing
  1. The Difference Between Marketing and Salesmanship
  2. Principle #1 – Hard Work Alone is Not Enough—You Must Have a Plan
  3. Principle #2 – Do What Others Are Not Willing to Do
  4. Principle #3 – Decide Between High and Low Volume
  5. Principle #4 – Generate a Large Demand for Your Limited Product
  6. Principle #5 – Control the Volume of Sales by the Price
  7. Principle #6 – Spend at Least 50% of Your Time on Marketing
  8. Principle #7 – Develop an Interactive Marketing Plan
  9. Principle #8 – Implement the Four Legs Approach
  10. Principle #9 – Market or Nothing Will Happen
  11. Principle #10 – Market in Both Good and Bad Times
  12. Principle #11 – Know Why You Are Successful
  13. Principle #12 – Do Not Try to Please Everyone
  14. Principle #13 – Final Profit, Not Income, Is What Matters
  15. Principle #14 – Know and Apply the 80/20 Rule
  16. Principle #15 – Know your Average Sale
  17. Principle #16 – It’s a Free Country!
  18. Principle #17 – Raise Your Prices Regularly
  19. Principle #18 – Build a Contact List
  20. Principle #19 – Take Advice Only from Those Who Are Where You Want to Be
  21. Principle #20 – Do Not Reinvent the Wheel
  22. Principle #21 – Shows and Other Direct Selling Venues Are a Great Way to Start
  23. Principle #22 – Pricing Determines Everything You Do
  24. Principle #23 – People Buy Art for Emotional Reasons
  25. Principle #24 – Display a List of Unique Factors
  26. Principle #25 – Your Customers Must Know How They Will Benefit from Their Purchase
  27. Principle #26 – Study the Fundamental Salesmanship Principles
  28. Skill Enhancement Exercises
2. Chapter 10 The 26 Fundamental Principles of Salesmanship
  1. Skill Enhancement Exercises
3. Chapter 11 The Seven Fundamental Principles of a Successful Business
Selling Your Work at Shows
1. Chapter 12 How to Sell Your Photographs at Art Shows
  1. Finding an Audience
  2. Why Art Shows?
  3. Doing Art Shows
  4. Displaying Your Work at a Show
  5. Packing and Transporting Your Work
  6. Setting Up an Outdoor Office and Frame Shop
  7. Finding Art Shows
  8. Accepting Credit Cards
  9. Where to Get Your Show Equipment
  10. Conclusion
  11. Skill Enhancement Exercises
2. Chapter 13 Show Booth Examples and Layouts
  1. Examples from Actual Show Setups
  2. Show Booth Layouts
3. Chapter 14 Packing and Shipping Your Photographs
  1. Shipping Companies
  2. Calculating Shipping Costs
  3. Tools
  4. Confirmation of Delivery
  5. Insurance
  6. Fill
  7. Labels
  8. Packaging Artwork for Shipping
  9. Conclusion
Personal Skills
1. Chapter 15 Fine Art Photography Skills
  1. Technical Skills
  2. Artistic Skills
  3. Marketing Skills
  4. Personal Skills
  5. Skill Enhancement Exercises
2. Chapter 16 The 25 Most Common Marketing Errors
  1. Skill Enhancement Exercises
Business and Marketing Tools
1. Chapter 17 Business Tools
  1. What You Need to Conduct Business
  2. Skill Enhancement Exercise
2. Chapter 18 Marketing Tools
  1. Special Offers
  2. Testimonials
  3. Certificates of Authenticity
  4. Price Tags
  5. Collection Signs
  6. Email List Sign-Up Form
  7. Business Cards
  8. Gift Certificates
  9. Promotional Items
  10. Skill Enhancement Exercises
3. Chapter 19 Marketing Venues
  1. Traditional Marketing Venues (Non-Internet Based)
  2. Internet-Based Marketing Venues
  3. Skill Enhancement Exercise
4. Chapter 20 Vitae, Biography, and Artist Statement
  1. Your Curriculum Vitae
  2. Your Biography
  3. Your Artist Statement
  4. Skill Enhancement Exercises
5. Chapter 21 Warranties and Unique Selling Points
  1. The Importance of a Warranty
  2. Unique Selling Points (USP)
  3. Skill Enhancement Exercises
6. Appendix Conclusion
  1. Less is More
  2. Art is Not a Commodity
  3. Art and Business
  4. Start Slow
  5. Multitude and Quality
  6. What Comes Next?
  7. Alain Briot Workshops, Tutorials, and Mentoring
Appendices
1. Appendix Appendix A – Art Questionnaire
  1. The Questionnaire
2. Appendix Appendix B – Resources and Materials

Title:

Marketing Fine Art Photography

By:

Alain Briot

Publisher:

Rocky Nook

Formats:

Print
Safari Books Online

Print:

June 2011

Pages:

320

Print ISBN:

978-1-933952-55-0

| ISBN 10:

1-933952-55-5

Alain Briot

Alain Briot is one of today's leading contemporary landscape photographers. Originally from Paris, France, he attended the Academie Nationale des Beaux Arts where he studied drawing and oil painting from 1977 to 1980. Briot then began his study of photography at the American Center in Paris.

After visiting the American Southwest, Briot became enthralled with the artistic potential this landscape afforded and in 1986 he relocated to the U.S. He began his study of photography at Northern Arizona University, earning his Bachelor's Degree in 1990 and his Master's Degree in Visual Communication in 1992.

From 1995 to 2002, Briot lived at Canyon de Chelly, Arizona, in the heart of the Navajo Nation. Living there allowed him to become intimately familiar with Native American arts and culture, which is evident in the frames and matting designs he uses.

Briot's goal is to create the most exciting and beautiful photographs possible. His equipment—be it cameras, software, etc.—is chosen for the ability to make this possible.

Alain Briot is a columnist on the highly respected Luminous Landscape website, and is a popular teacher of photography workshops. He currently lives and works in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife Natalie. Learn more about Alain at www.beautiful-landscape.com.

View Alain Briot's full profile page.