Not too long ago,Jay sold this shot of Cedar Falls (titled The Looking Glass) as part of a collection of fine art images. He has many shots of waterfalls,and this is not one of his favorites. The image lacks the vibrant colors or grand vistas that you typically find in Jay’s more popular landscape photographs. When the client asked about waterfalls,his first instinct was to send them samples of the most popular waterfall images in his portfolio. One of the first shots he sent was Arizona Dreaming…the brilliantly colorful “icon shot”from Havasu Falls in Arizona.
But,the client passed on all the iconic and popular shots from Jay’s gallery. Instead,she chose the quieter image…one that he had never sold before. He was curious about her choice,and he asked her about it. The answer was simple –she wanted images of local icons…no matter how ordinary they looked in comparison with those iconic locations.
Next time you attend a local art fair,make sure you have plenty of local images. Colorful photographs capture the eye of the viewer –but familiar places capture their hearts.
Publication:Landscape Photography Magazine
What Sells? Fine Art Wall Calendar
What Sells? Graphics Company Calendar
eBook:What the heck is a Histogram?
Q and A:To Stage or Not to Stage?
Personally intending to invest much more time this year to making images,I was rather leaning toward the idea of focusing on my local area and not trying to complete with great photographers of the Rockies,Yosemite,etc. It is encouraging to hear that there are buyers who are interested in “local”(although this market is probably smaller).
:) It’s amazing how well our local images do locally –though we rarely sell them away from home.:) Good luck with your photography,Kevin!
Thanks for this. Our city has an art fair a few times a year. I had mentioned to my husband that I had an idea of photographing local places in efforts to appeal to the local market. I have seen many shots that I think could be better done (lighting,exposure,composition). This post confirms my idea for a personal project. Thanks. Love the last sentence.:)
Good luck with your project,Pamela! It’s fun to discover the beauty of your region,too. There’s nothing quite like discovering something unexpected in your own backyard! I found a gorgeous little waterfall several years ago –and when I showed the photo to friends,they had no idea it existed…even though they’d lived nearby all their lives. There are thousands of hidden gems like that in every town. I hope you find them all!
For me local images make sense because they are available. The light is always changing. As a painter,I use my photos as references. You never know when the lighting is going to be special. Being local means ease of access.
Availability is a huge plus,Mike. You avoid the expense of travel,and you can return the location easily as many times as necessary in order to get a great shot. You’re absolutely right!