Trying to capture the perfect bird shot has been a goal of mine from the beginning, so needless to say I have many to offer to the public, but guess what? I have found that as a general rule bird shots don't sale, not for me anyway. Egrets, herons and wood storks, especially don't sale. I am thinking that if folks love nature as much as I do they would love having many bird shots hanging in their sunroom, bedroom, ect, but not so. The only bird shots I have sold are Red Cardinals, and Bluejays, not even bluebirds. Seems as tho scenes are still the preferred choice. I am wondering if this is the case with other photographers and what do you find sells the best? I would definately appreciate some feedback, thanks.
Posted by Steve Foss on August 30, 2008 at 9:55 AM
I've found that to be true as well, Jackie. There are some species that sell better than others as prints, with dramatic shots of bald eagles being perhaps the best. I've got a handful of images that are consistent sellers, led by an image of three winter Bohemian waxwings eating berries in a mountain ash tree. What I've seen with my own work, and what I've heard from others who photograph and try to sell avian prints, is that prints with the bird in a gorgeous environment, or that offer evocative facial expression or are full of action, sell the best. Tight shots of bird-on-a-stick poses don't seem to interest the buying public much at all.
I've found the same thing to be true about wildlife photography in general. Give 'em a great shot in great light of an attractive, expressive subject and a neat environment, and you'll make more sales.
One option, which is not much of a moneymaker unless you're talking high volume, is to take your six most impressive bird images and use them on greeting cards to sell alongside the larger prints, of course with your contact info/Web site and such imprinted on the back. The merits of selling inexpensive cards with a small profit margin alongside larger prints with a larger profit margin (thus allowing someone to opt out of the expensive print and buy the cheaper cards), have been debated quite a bit, so there's that to think about. On the positive side, they do give people who don't have a lot of money right now but love your work a way to own a piece of it, potentially creating long-term customers down the line if they eventually have more money to spend.
Different birds and market up here Jackie, but much the same marketing circumstances. Most clients find bird photos fun to look at, but only reach for their wallet for a few specific ones. Those are mostly eagles, and a very narrow range of styles.
Move to a little wider perspective, showing the bird as a part of a breathtaking scenic and sales notch up. But I find that true of all wildlife. Make them an integral part of a landscape, and they'll sell better than either pure landscapes or closeup wildlife portraits. I think I'm close in my developing feeling that folks are ho-hum about tightly framed wildlife because they can see the animals closeup and get their own photos in zoos, but regard encounters in the wild as treasures. All the hard work of getting wildlife portraits produces an experience they can have for the price of admission at the nearest zoo, while those "wildlife landscapes" carry them to inspired places without fences and crowds.
I'm in the habit of shooting as many as possible of my wildlife encounters with both my variable zooms and my long lenses, to the point of carrying two bodies with both the short zoom and the long lens ready to go. My Wimberly looks kinda funny because I've got a grungy piece of foam pipe insulation glued over the top pivot for a handy resting place for the barrel of the short zoom, allowing me to steady it for quick shots right along with the shots I'm taking with the long lens. If I do my part on composing the shots with the shorter lens, they almost always sell better than the closeups.
My next long lens is going to be the Nikon 200-400 f/4 just so I can have more latitude in framing wildlife. Kind of the best of both worlds for long lenses in my experience, but I'll still be packing that second body with a shorter zoom.
I think your right on every count, Steve. Hawks, owls, and Eagels do sell better, and I do have some of these that sell. Another that sells fairely well is hummingbird shots, so these I will still work for. I find that folks love looking and do comment about bird photographs, especially woodpecker, woodducks, etc, but don't buy., Guess I'll still offer what I have for that reason alone. Thanks for the input and suggestions.
Posted by Steve Foss on August 30, 2008 at 10:34 AM
Geez, Hank, flipsides of the same record, eh?
Jackie, I think you're right about the hummers, too. On a side note, for her birthday I gave my daughter a framed hummer shot she'd been admiring. Her rommate looked at and the first thing she said was: "Wow, your dad must have a great camera!" Sigh.
Sounds like you've got a good handle on things already, Jackie.
Posted by Nelcha Cross on August 30, 2008 at 1:28 PM
Nelcha- the kitchen magnet idea is great. I keep a list of names and addresses of those I sell photographs to and my thoughts are to make kitchen magnets from my favorite bird photos to send to them as appreciation gifts. With my company name , web and phone number of course. Thanks
Posted by Larry Reitz on August 30, 2008 at 6:14 PM
Hi Jackie,
I completely agree with what Steve and Hank wrote. Now, for what it is (or isn't) worth, even though they may not sell as well, the right bird picture placed where festival goers will notice it immediately can be a useful attraction whether they buy it or not. This is worth something if it increases the people presence in your booth, and if there is a crowd there must be something good inside. Let me give a couple of my own examples. After a 5 year hiatus I have returned to the outdoor shows. While I suspected it might not sell well, I decided to print my image titled "osprey breakfast" on canvas and hang it in a very noticeable place. (it's in my portfolio if you are curious) The number of people it gets to stop and look is incredible and it has sold it in the last two shows. To be sure, a small percentage of the lookers have purchased, but, that seems to be how the art fair business works anyhow. I think your image entitled "Morning Flight" looks like a good one to place prominent location. A Puffin of mine, entitled "How Many Times do I Hafta Tell Ya", has more than paid for my trip to get it. However, it mainly sells as small prints and the title has a lot to do with it. It is kind of a "transition image" between art and small, giftable items.
Nelcha makes a very good point about using birds on small giftable items and I have had good success with what I have done so far, although there is only so much one can squeeze into a 10x10. As Steve pointed out, these small items can be a bit controversial as far as whether or not they keep people from buying your more expensive art. Right now I come down on the side of the argument that says the people who buy these won't spring for the higher priced stuff anyhow, and so far my sales of these items can almost be counted on to cover entry fees for moderately priced shows.
By the way, just in case they read this, Hank's and Steve's commentary alone justifies the cost of admission to this group.
Larry Reitz
Salem, CT
Posted by Steve Foss on August 30, 2008 at 6:27 PM
Thanks, Larry. Now where's that blushing emoticon?
Larry, looked at your portfolio and you have some great photographs. I really like your butterflies, do these sell well? Maybe I am throwing in the towel too quick as far a bird photos, but I will lay off of them for a while just try to sell the ones I have, and do more scenic photographs.Yours are very impressive .As far as canvas prints I have three, one is of a cheetah which I took at a animal reserve, but it is printed on a 24 x 30 canvas gallery wrap and hangs where it can definately be seen. Many stop just to get a closer look and a few have inquired about price. Probaby only a person such as I would like a 24 x 30 cheetah canvan hanging in their home anyway. Maybe I will try a bird printed on a large canvas, maybe this is what I need to help sell at least some of the many 11 x 14 and 16 x 20 bird photographs that I have money tied up in. Thanks for your input Larry
Jackie, some time last year I said almost the same thing in a post. I find that Hank is right about both birds and animals shown in the environment sell better. Landscapes out sell them all. I always get a lot of "Wow" value out of close up animals and exotic birds, but people just don't, in general, part with their cash for them.
That said, my cardinals, both male and female, do sell well.
Posted by Larry Reitz on August 30, 2008 at 8:51 PM
Jackie, as fas as butterflies go my sales have been primarily in smaller items. I don't print them any larger than 8x10 any more. I do keep shooting them, mostly because I like to, and I use them for small stuff like coasters.
Posted by Steve Foss on August 31, 2008 at 8:41 AM
I have a couple butterfly images that sell pretty well. But as with wildlife and avian, they are environmental images with cool environments and nice poses and flowers, not tight portraits of an individual butterfly. Like Larry, I photograph butterflies because I like it, even though they don't sell like gangbusters, and the more I photograph a well liked subject, the more I'm likely to stumble into something resembling art.
Posted by Joyce Dumas on August 31, 2008 at 9:05 AM
Jackie, I have found that what sells at art shows, especially in bird photos, is much different depending on where I go. In the Atlanta area shows, what you've experienced holds true for me as well. But here in the mountains, people will buy any bird they've seen here, especially the weekend folks from Atlanta. In other words, they'll put a woodpecker or blue bird (both of which are huge for me) in their cabin, but don't buy those for their Atlanta homes. As for the butterflies, both domestic and tropical, they seem to do well everywhere. Hope this helps.
Steve, I too have some just beautiful butterfly photographs, which so far none have sold. To me, butterfly photographs in the bedroom is a must. I'm thinking of doing a portfolio which show different photographs hanging on the wall of different rooms in the home or office., that my customers can browse through and hopefully this will inspire more different sales than just scenes. My horse portrait sales are pretty good for the young folks (just last weekend, an eight year old girl purchased a horse portrait16 x 20, and I do think it is in my protfolio here on NPN, titled the boss, I know it's on my web site which I don't really maintain very well) and older adults seem to purchase good scenic horse herd photographs. One of my best sellers are rooster portraits for the kitchen, eventho they are heavely photoshoped.They seem to readly purchase these over a beautiful bird photograph anyday. I really do try to offer something for everyone. All the comments here have helped a lot, in seeing what consumers buy the most of.
Have you considered producing "studies" of the birds Jackie? I don't know if you've seen such a thing, but a birder friend has a number of Pitcher studies framed on the wall, and they're about the most exciting and interesting bird art I've ever seen. A photographer would call them a "collage" but painters frequently do them to test ideas for rendering different details. In the case of Pitcher's studies there's a whole-bird portrait in the center surrounded by smaller closeup views of various parts. I've always thought similar presentations of photos would sell really well to serious birders, but it would take someone like you with deep photo archives to pull it off, I think. Pitchers are done on watercolor paper with pencil sketches and watercolors. That "feel" would be really nice in a photo print.
Posted by Steve Foss on September 1, 2008 at 4:25 PM
Ooooooh, Hank. Consider that one filed away in my little birdbrain for future reference.
I can see a birder picking up a study of his/her favorite bird(s) where a single print would not sell. I'd reckon the overall study shouldn't be huge, either, since people who like buying nature photographs tend to have a lot of them, and their wall space often is limited.
Interesting thought on the size, Steve. If I recall correctly the Pitcher studies are 11x14, but they might be as big as 16x20. Take that as a sign I'm overdue for another visit with those particular friends.
If I can add to the "study" idea, I'd be inclined to use a prime image for the portrait, then use a fade or eraser tool to drop off all but the featured detail in other views rather than showing the whole bird in each of those views too. It might be nothing more than a foot clasping a branch on a blank background in the BOS example, but you could enlarge it to adjust scale a little larger than the same part on your prime portrait for best effect. Hope you can follow that.
I've been perking on that idea for years, but just never had enough shots of individual species to pull it off. Anyone with a good selection should pursue it, as long as they eventually post the results and notify me when they do. I'd love to see it, and with good work you would probably generate at least one sale right here in River City.
Come to think of it, maybe I should try it with an eagle. Let's see..... Collage would include an eye closeup, a tallon closeup, nostrils and fine feathers around it, white neck feathers lapping over the dark body, maybe a stretched wing. All larger than the "lifesize" of my center portrait. This is getting better and better!!!!
Posted by Steve Foss on September 1, 2008 at 7:48 PM
Hank, I was thinking of a total matted/framed size of 16x20.
While the primary and dramatic portrait likely would be of a wild bird, the detail shots may be best captured in a structured setting such as a zoo/aviary when that's available, which allows closer approach of more tame birds. This is not only true of raptors but of many other species, as hard as most are to approach in the wild.
The detail work can be done in the wild, but for most of us it will take a lot of cropping to produce those secondary images, possibly too much cropping even for smaller sized prints. Of course, there are some wild bird species I have enough images of to accomplish the studies right now. Great gray owl, bald eagle, broad-winged hawk, heron, etc. But you can bet next time I'm at the Duluth zoo I'll be looking in very closely on their birds of all types, including the ravens.
And Hank, all the better if your talon closeup shows it grasping a portion of the body of a fish. Drama!
Hey, everybody, let's just keep this our little secret, OK?
Posted by Edward Sixbee on September 1, 2008 at 9:53 PM
"And Hank, all the better if your talon closeup shows it grasping a portion of the body of a fish. Drama!"
Or perhaps more dramatic from an example a few years back, bits of scalp, hair and baseball cap from a visiting photographer who thought it would be okay to walk up close to a nest for the sake of his art. I don't know the actual count, but according to a friend in the ER the stitches in his scalp topped 50.
Edward, I have pelican shots to offer, but they don't move here in Georgia. I thought everyone would want a photo of a pelican in their sunroom since many folks around here have pelican statues sitting on post, in their yard etc. Hank, you lost me on your idea. Was it legit ?
Okay, so I half blew it..... My memory bank was crossing Fred Picker with John Pitcher. Here is a link to one JOHN Pitcher print I found online. It's a bit different than the ones owned by my friends, but it should give you an inkling of what I'm talking about. Done right with photos, they would be absolutely stunning.
Just beautiful Hank.Would be time consuming to do, but I am thinking about maybe trying to do one for a starter and see how it sells. I appreciate you taking the ime to send this to me.
My pleasure Jackie. I'm looking forward to your results. The Pitcher studies (actually a couple of originals and several prints) my friends own are their most prized artwork. They're serious birders/natural historians, and it's easy to see them and others getting really enthused about good photo versions.
May you be the first to get around to trying it!!!! Wishing you all the success in the world.
Discussion
27 repliesI've found the same thing to be true about wildlife photography in general. Give 'em a great shot in great light of an attractive, expressive subject and a neat environment, and you'll make more sales.
One option, which is not much of a moneymaker unless you're talking high volume, is to take your six most impressive bird images and use them on greeting cards to sell alongside the larger prints, of course with your contact info/Web site and such imprinted on the back. The merits of selling inexpensive cards with a small profit margin alongside larger prints with a larger profit margin (thus allowing someone to opt out of the expensive print and buy the cheaper cards), have been debated quite a bit, so there's that to think about. On the positive side, they do give people who don't have a lot of money right now but love your work a way to own a piece of it, potentially creating long-term customers down the line if they eventually have more money to spend.
Move to a little wider perspective, showing the bird as a part of a breathtaking scenic and sales notch up. But I find that true of all wildlife. Make them an integral part of a landscape, and they'll sell better than either pure landscapes or closeup wildlife portraits. I think I'm close in my developing feeling that folks are ho-hum about tightly framed wildlife because they can see the animals closeup and get their own photos in zoos, but regard encounters in the wild as treasures. All the hard work of getting wildlife portraits produces an experience they can have for the price of admission at the nearest zoo, while those "wildlife landscapes" carry them to inspired places without fences and crowds.
I'm in the habit of shooting as many as possible of my wildlife encounters with both my variable zooms and my long lenses, to the point of carrying two bodies with both the short zoom and the long lens ready to go. My Wimberly looks kinda funny because I've got a grungy piece of foam pipe insulation glued over the top pivot for a handy resting place for the barrel of the short zoom, allowing me to steady it for quick shots right along with the shots I'm taking with the long lens. If I do my part on composing the shots with the shorter lens, they almost always sell better than the closeups.
My next long lens is going to be the Nikon 200-400 f/4 just so I can have more latitude in framing wildlife. Kind of the best of both worlds for long lenses in my experience, but I'll still be packing that second body with a shorter zoom.
Jackie, I think you're right about the hummers, too. On a side note, for her birthday I gave my daughter a framed hummer shot she'd been admiring. Her rommate looked at and the first thing she said was: "Wow, your dad must have a great camera!" Sigh.
Sounds like you've got a good handle on things already, Jackie.
I find that most critters with the exceptions you mention
do betters unfortunately as greeting cards and kitchen magnets
or you could try to go the "stock" route with the critters....
If you have the archives... and have them all registered ©
I would consider seeing if you can get accepted by one of the stock agencies..
Just another thought..... many good images are needed in many
calendars, magazine articles and such..... IMHO
Have you ventured into that realm yet?
I love the critters myself, but for the same reason
have leaned toward spending more time doing Landscapes.
Best of Luck to you and be sure to report back
I completely agree with what Steve and Hank wrote. Now, for what it is (or isn't) worth, even though they may not sell as well, the right bird picture placed where festival goers will notice it immediately can be a useful attraction whether they buy it or not. This is worth something if it increases the people presence in your booth, and if there is a crowd there must be something good inside. Let me give a couple of my own examples. After a 5 year hiatus I have returned to the outdoor shows. While I suspected it might not sell well, I decided to print my image titled "osprey breakfast" on canvas and hang it in a very noticeable place. (it's in my portfolio if you are curious) The number of people it gets to stop and look is incredible and it has sold it in the last two shows. To be sure, a small percentage of the lookers have purchased, but, that seems to be how the art fair business works anyhow. I think your image entitled "Morning Flight" looks like a good one to place prominent location. A Puffin of mine, entitled "How Many Times do I Hafta Tell Ya", has more than paid for my trip to get it. However, it mainly sells as small prints and the title has a lot to do with it. It is kind of a "transition image" between art and small, giftable items.
Nelcha makes a very good point about using birds on small giftable items and I have had good success with what I have done so far, although there is only so much one can squeeze into a 10x10. As Steve pointed out, these small items can be a bit controversial as far as whether or not they keep people from buying your more expensive art. Right now I come down on the side of the argument that says the people who buy these won't spring for the higher priced stuff anyhow, and so far my sales of these items can almost be counted on to cover entry fees for moderately priced shows.
By the way, just in case they read this, Hank's and Steve's commentary alone justifies the cost of admission to this group.
Larry Reitz
Salem, CT
That said, my cardinals, both male and female, do sell well.
I can see a birder picking up a study of his/her favorite bird(s) where a single print would not sell. I'd reckon the overall study shouldn't be huge, either, since people who like buying nature photographs tend to have a lot of them, and their wall space often is limited.
If I can add to the "study" idea, I'd be inclined to use a prime image for the portrait, then use a fade or eraser tool to drop off all but the featured detail in other views rather than showing the whole bird in each of those views too. It might be nothing more than a foot clasping a branch on a blank background in the BOS example, but you could enlarge it to adjust scale a little larger than the same part on your prime portrait for best effect. Hope you can follow that.
I've been perking on that idea for years, but just never had enough shots of individual species to pull it off. Anyone with a good selection should pursue it, as long as they eventually post the results and notify me when they do. I'd love to see it, and with good work you would probably generate at least one sale right here in River City.
Come to think of it, maybe I should try it with an eagle. Let's see..... Collage would include an eye closeup, a tallon closeup, nostrils and fine feathers around it, white neck feathers lapping over the dark body, maybe a stretched wing. All larger than the "lifesize" of my center portrait. This is getting better and better!!!!
While the primary and dramatic portrait likely would be of a wild bird, the detail shots may be best captured in a structured setting such as a zoo/aviary when that's available, which allows closer approach of more tame birds. This is not only true of raptors but of many other species, as hard as most are to approach in the wild.
The detail work can be done in the wild, but for most of us it will take a lot of cropping to produce those secondary images, possibly too much cropping even for smaller sized prints. Of course, there are some wild bird species I have enough images of to accomplish the studies right now. Great gray owl, bald eagle, broad-winged hawk, heron, etc. But you can bet next time I'm at the Duluth zoo I'll be looking in very closely on their birds of all types, including the ravens.
And Hank, all the better if your talon closeup shows it grasping a portion of the body of a fish. Drama!
Hey, everybody, let's just keep this our little secret, OK?
E
Or perhaps more dramatic from an example a few years back, bits of scalp, hair and baseball cap from a visiting photographer who thought it would be okay to walk up close to a nest for the sake of his art. I don't know the actual count, but according to a friend in the ER the stitches in his scalp topped 50.
I'll see if I can find an example online for you. A pic is worth a thousand words (especially mine!) after all.
May you be the first to get around to trying it!!!! Wishing you all the success in the world.