Money Question

Hinson

I have a question that might be of interest to many, both amateur and pro.

If you were dropped in a new town with nothing but your camera equipment and computer equipment, (including at least a 13x19 printer) and enough cash to get a place to stay and some food, what would you do (photographically) to earn some quick cash?

Hopefully, we can collect some tips here that might be useful for those looking to earn money with their camera.

Glort

Hinson wrote: »

I have a question that might be of interest to many, both amateur and pro.

If you were dropped in a new town with nothing but your camera equipment and computer equipment, (including at least a 13x19 printer) and enough cash to get a place to stay and some food, what would you do (photographically) to earn some quick cash?

I'd research the potential markets and find where the best opportunity was to earn some money!

What else can you do?
There is no point saying I'd do this or that because in the hypothetical question posed, you don't know what the opportunities and potential markets are. I'll qualify a market before I'll try to address it.

I could say I'd go do event photos but who knows if and what events are going to happen in the town. I could say I'd do glamor work but I know lots of country towns are basically populated by retirees. That initiative is doomed to lead to starvation no matter how hot a shooter I am.

I could say I'd approach local businesses for commercial work but who knows what they are, if they actually need photos and if they would pay for them?

Of course the other major factor is that there are few places without a resident shooter in the area so If you are going to try and get some quick cash, chances are your going to have to offer something they don't or haven't promoted well.

I could do a special on family portraits but who knows if the local guy(s) aren't award winning portrait shooters that have marketed to the area hard and for all intents and purposes dried that market up? No use me going and printing some posters on my printer and putting them around if the market isn't there in the first place.

What a person would need to do is talk to people and find out what they want and what they would be prepared to pay for if someone were able to provide it to them.

I understand your probably looking for ideas but I also believe my point is extremely important and would be exactly what a shooter should do although I think a lot would simply say " I'd do this" and that is a problem in this business, not enough business and marketing knowledge.
In this scenario, it would be reasonable to assume that a person had limited means and time to get some cash in the door so they better not waste what precious resources they have on lame duck quick dollar ideas that are flawed from the start.

Maybe the truth would be that the town was full of uncle bills with cameras and the best thing i could do to stop myself from starving and living on the street would be to go drive a truck or do laboring work. No use insisting on being a photographer if the work just isn't there.

Before you do anything, you need to do your home work and find out where the needs and opportunities lie.

Describe the town and the opportunities and I'll tell you how I would go after them!

chrisjohnson

As Glort implies, head for the nearest bar.

Angelo

Sounds like the premise of ART RACE




.

deb22

Hinson wrote: »

I have a question that might be of interest to many, both amateur and pro.

If you were dropped in a new town with nothing but your camera equipment and computer equipment, (including at least a 13x19 printer) and enough cash to get a place to stay and some food, what would you do (photographically) to earn some quick cash?

Hopefully, we can collect some tips here that might be useful for those looking to earn money with their camera.

I am not kidding but I did this exactly 3 years ago, I went out and took photo's of wildlife in the local area only and hit the farmers markets in the village and the villages around. I am talking small populations of about 400 per village.People are Always wanting something that is local and will be more than happy to pay for something that they do not have the time to do. Who wants to sit for hours to possibly get a shot. Anyway lucky for me I was spotted by several very important people who were visiting their parents and now am exclusive at some places[in the large cities] providing me with a place to send people to see my work without having to put money into a studio and They have sold out all my work several times in under a year and now I get more orders than I can handle and have the reputation I thought would take years. Every one has parents who live in the rural area's and they all visit mom and dad on the weekends and special occations and where else do you go in such a small town but the farmers market? Worked for me anyways but if you only do people portraits I think you would have to be in a larger population cause I would not buy a photo of your child to hang on my wall-Ha Ha!

GerryDavid

Deb, do you mean you got a booth at the random small towns farmers market to sell scenery pictures? I could have misunderstood, but you mean people from the city that sells art work came to visit their family, seen your work, and then got you to sell your work in their galleries?

Just making sure I understand.

deb22

GerryDavid wrote: »

Deb, do you mean you got a booth at the random small towns farmers market to sell scenery pictures? I could have misunderstood, but you mean people from the city that sells art work came to visit their family, seen your work, and then got you to sell your work in their galleries?

Just making sure I understand.

Yes Gerry, That's exactly what I mean. I do mainly wildlife but also some landscapes on canvas but it does not matter what type of subject.Gallery owners as well as large companies all have parents they visit and the local market is where they go on the sat or sun morning. I now have a fantastic high population facility that shows my work exclusivley which creates a lot of business. I have been approached by galleries as well and only show in 2 because they have no where near the traffic as the large companies. I now get offered to exhibit as a feature artist in many shows at half price and still go to the little village markets.Many people won't go to the small markets because they don't think there are any possible sales that will result in a crowd of 50 visitors.The word of mouth reputation spreads faster than anything in these small shows as compared to the large ones where everyone takes a buss.card and sales are slow.So try it Gerry, it is such a small investment[$10 per table] and it works. Last sunday I just sold a landscape canvas to the previous owner of a muti-billion dollar company who was visiting relatives here in Canada and there was only a handful of visitors at the market. He also took many business card to give out to all his friends in his gated community down south.Good luck if you go this route, Ontario is much more progressive than Alberta and if it can work here it should work there,everyone has parents they visit so I can't see why not. Take care.

GerryDavid

deb22 wrote: »

Yes Gerry, That's exactly what I mean. I do mainly wildlife but also some landscapes on canvas but it does not matter what type of subject.Gallery owners as well as large companies all have parents they visit and the local market is where they go on the sat or sun morning. I now have a fantastic high population facility that shows my work exclusivley which creates a lot of business. I have been approached by galleries as well and only show in 2 because they have no where near the traffic as the large companies. I now get offered to exhibit as a feature artist in many shows at half price and still go to the little village markets.Many people won't go to the small markets because they don't think there are any possible sales that will result in a crowd of 50 visitors.The word of mouth reputation spreads faster than anything in these small shows as compared to the large ones where everyone takes a buss.card and sales are slow.So try it Gerry, it is such a small investment[$10 per table] and it works. Last sunday I just sold a landscape canvas to the previous owner of a muti-billion dollar company who was visiting relatives here in Canada and there was only a handful of visitors at the market. He also took many business card to give out to all his friends in his gated community down south.Good luck if you go this route, Ontario is much more progressive than Alberta and if it can work here it should work there,everyone has parents they visit so I can't see why not. Take care.

Great idea deb. Although I haven't done a lot of scenery stuff the last few years, I've focused more on portraits, it paid better. : )

I think farmer markets are closed now for the winter, or they could go year round and I dont realize it.

I spent most of my summer saturdays doing yard sales. It was something to do, once in a while wed find something interesting, and I would find a reason to give a business card to about 5 or 6 different people. A number seemed interested but I have yet to receive a call from any of those business cards, hopefully soon.

I wonder if I should try the markets this coming summer instead.

How many Saturdays would you do each town? Or did you do a different one each week? How far did you travel to do new ones?