How should a fine art photographer price images in a gallery?
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M$11 Answers
In general, I frame my work in simple black metal gallery frames from NB, with white mats. I buy from a chop shop with whom I have an account, and this keeps my costs a little lower than going to Michael's or some such.
If your gallery is taking a percentage, then you need to decide what you want to get after the sale is complete. I have three basic sizes that I print to, and I charge $350, $200, and $75 respectively for the large, medium, and small. Anything else, of custom size, or frame, is negotiable and generally costs more. None of my work is numbered. This pricing has worked well for me in several venues including cafe shows, and gallery hangings, I do add a percentage if the gallery is taking a cut.
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M$So what is that happy medium? That is something that is going to take research. Go to some fine art galleries and see how much some people are charging, find out how long they have been in the business and if people are buying or just coming in to art gaze. You might need to visit a few galleries. Don't be afraid to talk to the gallery owners, maybe they could take a look at your portfolio and help you, it might even get your foot in the door for a private showing.
Don't forget to pay attention to the market. If the market is down people aren't going to waste what little money they have on a picture. When the market is up, go ahead and raise the price 10 or 15%, if they want it badly enough, they will buy it.
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M$
Im not a fine arts photographer... but i'm jus going with what I would price.
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M$
If it were a digital gallery that would work. Perhaps I should have clarified that the pieces are framed and printed works. There is a base cost involved in printing and framing; beyond that how do you set price? Notoriety? edition number? Location?
Absolutely not. This is not how the art world works, and I strongly recommend that you do not price by technical quality or "rarity". Photography is not a treasure hunt.
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M$
Ask yourself these questions in deciding what your product's value is.
1) What are my costs. Framing, paper, ink and labor all cost.
2) What intrinsic value is added. If you're "Andy Warhol", "dead", or put yourself at great risk to get the shot, there is added value.
3) Factor in other "unique" values that separate your work from everyone else like quality of parts used in making it. Overall aesthetics, etc. Give it a rating system from 1 to 10.
After you factor all of the above, you should have some idea of where to set your price.
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2. Based on theme of the art
3. Based on uniqueness
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M$
"Confidence and a belief in ones own judgment is sufficient enough for making adequate valuations of whatever kind."
I like to look at ebay and see what the market is paying for what I'm selling.
It's also a quantity/quality issue, would you rather sell 100 $50 items in a shorter period, or can you personally afford to wait longer to sell one $5000 dollar item. I have sold photos strictly by donation and done quite well at times because my costs were under a dollar and very few people would pay less than five. Five to one is good money, especially when it's an automated process to create. Just some thoughts...
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M$
The gallery offered a leasing plan for some of the more expensive artwork. People could lease the art for up to 6 months at, I think it was 5% or 10% of the purchase price. They could decide to buy it after the 6 months. If they bought it, the money they already paid went to the purchase price.
I believe the piece had to be over $250 to qualify.
That's the general idea, I may have gotten the specifics wrong.
I thought this was a neat idea to keep both artists and art lovers able to buy art and make money in a soft economy.
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M$The down side is that you give up a little bit of control as far as pricing is concerned, and some pieces might not sell due to an artificially high minimum bid.
The upside is that every desirable piece will sell for what it is worth, and not a penny less. You will not leave any potential profit on the table!
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M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
Your work is implicitly unique if a gallery has offered you a space in which to put it. Varying each piece's price by "uniqueness" or technical difficulty is confusing for the general public, and indicates that you consider photography a commodity. If you want to be in the art world, price your work like art.
Charge by size and by the amount of work that each took -- it's generally a good idea to keep the same rates for a given body of work, unless there are a few pieces that are clearly a different process that warrant higher or lower pricing.
Scope out the gallery or venue before determining your pricing. Ask what price ranges typically sell, or look for red dots. Don't use this as a sole determinant, and don't vary your prices between venues (unless there's been a significant passage of time) -- just use this information as a factor in your initial pricing. Gallery owners and purchasers will be irritated if you change pricing for a given piece. If a gallery is too high-end or low-end, consider either skipping it or offering a different version of the work (larger prints, say).
Consider editioning your work, and be honest about it.
Don't have your work framed at the gallery unless you are independently wealthy, or if they require it and you're desperate. Learn how to do it yourself and drop the $100 on tools -- you'll save tons of money, and you can do it well if you're patient and have a clean work area.
Personal experience as a photographer.
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M$
Sorry... habit. NB is Nielson Bainbridge http://www.nielsen-bainbridge.com/ I should have put that in the reference.
What is NB?