Should I or shouldn't I??

[francongphotography]

Here's my opinion- yes! You take amazing shots and I'm sure it'd be a good choice/option to take your photography to the next level. Don't miss the opportunity! So glad that you have such a nice friend to have your back!

Best wishes

[ddt0725]

Ahhhh, C'mon Denise-----Just Do It!!!!

We will probably meet next week for lunch and discuss it further but I honestly think I'm really out of my league on this.

Also, most of my photos on zenfolio only have a couple $ markup. I can't imagine me selling anything for much more than what it costs to print it, especially when you get into the price range of the larger wraps, etc.

[andnowimbroke]

What if you sold the prints to him at a fair price and he just resells them for a higher percentage. With him trying to sell pics for you, you'll both have to agree on prices and discounts if something isn't moving fast enough. He buys them outright, he can shop them around and sell them for whatever he wants. You'd prolly need an agreement to not sell those prints to anyone else while he is doing business though. Hope some of that made sense.

[jrw]

It is an odd part of photography marketing, but the bigger the print the more willing people are to call it art, pay more for it, and proudly hang it on their walls.

Having seen some of what you have posted here, this isn't the time to be shy about your work. It is definitely good enough.

Even though it is a friend's offer, it would be a good idea to write up some form of agreement between yourselves. Who knows, it is possible for a partnership with one taking the photos and the other putting in the office and marketing time. Have run across some who work it this way when they open their own store front.

[ddt0725]

What if you sold the prints to him at a fair price and he just resells them for a higher percentage. With him trying to sell pics for you, you'll both have to agree on prices and discounts if something isn't moving fast enough. He buys them outright, he can shop them around and sell them for whatever he wants. You'd prolly need an agreement to not sell those prints to anyone else while he is doing business though. Hope some of that made sense.

Thanks for the idea but he works about 65+ hrs. a week, don't think he wants to sell them for me in his spare time. What your saying would work if he had the time to invest along with the money.

[Always Looking]

Denise,
I'll try to give you a lesson I learned years ago as a child. My father was in the computer business back in the 1970's (yeah back then). Believe it or not the company he worked for went belly up and he was out of a job. My mother did not work as she was a stay at home mom with four young boys. My father could not get a job at the time and decided to to odd jobs for anybody that would hire him. Within a year he started a "real" business and began to actually earn a decent living. The business grew over the years and my parents are now enjoying a comfortable retiremet.

My point is that my father took a chance out of desperation and ended up finding a niche business and being quite successful. If you don't give it a chance, you will always wonder what might have been. I urge you to give it a shot, some income is better than none!

[DavidEccleston]

My only concern was if this friend would be offering too much, and potentially putting themselves in financial trouble should they lose their job, etc at the wrong time. Since you've stated that's not the case, it can't hurt to go for it as long as your both agree on the financial side of things.

You've got a set of fixed costs that your friend will incur, from printing, to whatever fee the site has where you'll do your showing. It may be a fixed fee for space, or a percentage of sales, or some combination of both.

You'll probably feel guilty while your friend has not recouped their losses/investment. You may suggest they take the majority of whatever revenue there is until they've recovered their costs (80% - 100%). There's a range there because your friend may also feel guilty taking all your revenue for your art, and wants to ensure you see atleast some revenue, even before they break even, so you're not completely discouraged. If this friend really is super wealthy, and the upfront costs are nothing to them, perhaps they'll suggest something more along the lines of 50-50%. Maybe they'll even suggest you take nearly everything. I'm mainly pointing out that the split isn't necessarily a fixed amount, but may vary until the costs are recovered.

Once you've recovered the initial investment, you'll want another set of percentages for some sort of fair split with your friend. I have no idea what that split may be. Maybe they'll just be happy having broken even and helped a friend, and you'll see 100% at that point. Having used the word 'investment' though, perhaps they'd like a cut.

To avoid potential fights, should you get extremely lucky, you may also want to agree upon a third split. There is a chance that someone may not buy a print you brought to this showing, but asks about other prints. Perhaps whoever it is acquires art for, say, a hotel chain. They order 100 copies of your ducks at sunset picture at 30"x20". Maybe it becomes one of the stock IKEA prints and they want rights to the image rather than buying prints. Who knows. This sale is a direct result of your friends investment, by bringing you exposure at the showing. But it's both a much bigger sale, and a sale for which he hasn't fronted your printing costs. I'd expect you to walk away with the lions share of a deal like this.

[ddt0725]

Thank you so much everyone for the words of encouragement! I really have to think this out and I think so does he!

[Scott Stephen]

VERY COOL! That is exciting! You clearly have photographic talent. On top of that, I have always admired people who somehow find ways to make money, outside of the unimaginative 9-5 groove, that most people wouldn't even see. Best of luck!!

[Scott Stephen]

And if it goes to IKEA, insist that the name translates pleasantly into English, and not something malphonic like "Kraamp" or whatever my last IKEA desk or bookshelf was called!