To sell or not to sell, that is the question.

Mort3770Mort3770 Registered Users Posts: 41 Big grins
edited June 17, 2007 in SmugMug Pro Sales Support
I'm having trouble of when to sell or not sell my photos. I am not a full-time pro photographer. I enjoy taking photos of events that are open to the community and I often have no trouble getting into things that might border questionable in terms of why I am there. If I am there taking photos for the newspaper, that's not a problem. If I am there taking photos and then posting to SM and blocking right-clicking and adding WM's and the only way for you to get my photos is to buy them, that's when I find I have trouble in my own mind.

Example. I took closer to 600 image at our high school graduation last night. They're posted to my SM site, WM'ed and right-click protected. As it stands now, if you want them, you must buy them. I had no family member in the graduating class and by all things considered, I had no reason for being there other to take pictures that I fully expected to post to my SM site.

This stuff isn't my day job and I sometimes wonder if I am creating a more negative image of myself than a positive? Do people say, "oh, there is so and so, he'll have some great images we can buy from his site", or do they say, "he's just here to make some money off us?"

Some events, I make it known that any and all proceeds from the sale of photos will be donated to charty or the subject cause. At least I feel better. But others that are none charity driven I don't.

I could babble on, some of you will know exactly where I am coming from and I hope you can shed some light on how to handle my work.

Comments

  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited June 17, 2007
    Mort3770 wrote:
    I'm having trouble of when to sell or not sell my photos. I am not a full-time pro photographer. I enjoy taking photos of events that are open to the community and I often have no trouble getting into things that might border questionable in terms of why I am there. If I am there taking photos for the newspaper, that's not a problem. If I am there taking photos and then posting to SM and blocking right-clicking and adding WM's and the only way for you to get my photos is to buy them, that's when I find I have trouble in my own mind.

    Example. I took closer to 600 image at our high school graduation last night. They're posted to my SM site, WM'ed and right-click protected. As it stands now, if you want them, you must buy them. I had no family member in the graduating class and by all things considered, I had no reason for being there other to take pictures that I fully expected to post to my SM site.

    This stuff isn't my day job and I sometimes wonder if I am creating a more negative image of myself than a positive? Do people say, "oh, there is so and so, he'll have some great images we can buy from his site", or do they say, "he's just here to make some money off us?"

    Some events, I make it known that any and all proceeds from the sale of photos will be donated to charty or the subject cause. At least I feel better. But others that are none charity driven I don't.

    I could babble on, some of you will know exactly where I am coming from and I hope you can shed some light on how to handle my work.


    DEar Mortified.....:D sounding al ittle coonfused are we.....here is the thing.....where do you want the road of photography to lead you???? Do you want to make bucks selling your even photos and have people running to your site until it is overlioaded with hits and sale and breaks the Smuggy system OR do you just want people to think you are a photo that doesn't want to make any money???

    What you are doing is.........."FREELANCEING".....meaning you are not representing anyone in particlular but are for hire if anyone so desires your talents.........I have done it many times......I have even shoed up at an event and been taken to the photogs corral (pit if you will).....and got funny looks from tha hired guns and when I told them that I was more than willing to take spot in the stands and shoot from a different vantage point that I was just adding to my portfolio cause I had a few hours free, the tension got worse....people saw me taking shots asked for a card which I quickly said I did not have gut they could see the pics at this website and contactme thru there.....What I was doing was trying to get noticed and it worked....I shot several graduations from the stadioum seats, which I actually prefer the angle to the up outta da corral shot....for me the looking down on the situation is better....I also make sure that I am on the end of the stage where the grads exit.......Freelanceing is not a bad thing....and if you don't have tons of money for marketing then it works as long as you have some integrity and respect for the art and your clients.
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

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