Market research is crucial to selling nature photography. Magazines, commercial publications, art galleries, and art fairs are potential markets. Matching photography to the publication is important, and galleries require more challenging and inspiring work. Art fairs require preparation.
Conducting proper market research is the most important way to find the perfect place to sell nature photography. Magazines and other consumer publications are a place to sell nature photography. Specific commercial publications may also accept and purchase photographs of nature. Also, one of the best, but toughest, arenas for selling nature photography is in art galleries. Art fairs can also be a good way to enter the world of photography.
When trying to sell nature photography to a magazine or consumer publication, it’s important to find the perfect match between photography and publication. Some publications may only request landscapes, wildlife or environmental photos from a particular region. For example, Adirondack Life is a magazine that only accepts photos taken in the Adirondack Mountains. Submitting a photo taken in the Rockies to Adirondack Life would not be acceptable and would cause the magazine’s editor to think twice about further photos submitted by that photographer.
Commercial publications are similar to consumer publications; however, they focus on a particular trade. Often times, finding the perfect trade publication can be a challenge; however, with proper research, selling a particular photo can be easy. One of the best ways to find the right trade publication is to go to your local library. There, a photographer can look through past publications and find a suitable one. For example, if a photographer has amazing photos from a trip to the Northwest Territories in Canada, perhaps the Explorer’s Guide to the Northwest Territories would be a good match.
Art galleries can be very profitable; however, income may be slow. The type of nature photography a gallery would accept is more challenging and inspiring than the type that would be presented for most consumer or commercial publications. Finding the right type of gallery is important – retail galleries, co-op galleries, non-profit galleries, rental galleries and even museums may all be considered. It’s important to research a gallery thoroughly to find out what its commission is, how much the space rental is for the photo, and whether the nature photography piece needs to be framed.
Photographers often consider art fairs to be a great source of income. Since art fairs can be found in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, it’s perfect for those who love to travel. They can be kept both indoors and out, so there is a constant opportunity to view and sell photos. Selling nature photography at an art fair may require some preparation. Photos should be pre-wrapped in plastic to prevent damage from handling, a canvas awning may be required to protect items from rain and sun, and an exhibition wall should be constructed to showcase the best photos.
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