Category: Photography

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Short-term Business Plan for Fine Art Photographs

As a artist, what are you doing to prepare for the Christmas selling season?

That question was proposed on a major art discussion board on the day after the half-way-to-Christmas mark (June 26th). Bill at US PicturesI have been looking ahead to this “season” and have been putting things into place. Here is what I answered…

  1. I will have twice as many items offered for sale in twice as many places as last year. My primary POD (Print On Demand) service is Fine Art America [which is where my USPictures.com domain currently lands] but I have actually been using Imagekind for much longer.  I have also been adding inventory to RedBubble and will soon be adding Zenfolio into the mix. All four produce an excellent product and provide a wide array of product offerings for fine art photographs.
  2. I’m also beginning to organize images for my 2019 calendars – the ones for Ocean City, MD and the Indian River Inlet Bridge in Delaware have been popular in the past and I have another (hopefully) “hot” niche for this season, the Wild Ponies of Assateague Island. I would love to offer calendars at FAA but, alas, that is not to be. I use Zazzle for the calendar product line – along with jigsaw puzzles, clocks and ornaments.
  3. I should have at least a dozen more of my more popular images (prints and canvas only) available on Amazon within the next couple of months, bringing my total to 35-40 (or so). Imagekind promotes art pieces that have already proven to sell. I have several pieces that have sold there over the last 11 years.
  4. Continue to create daily Social Media posts on my Facebook Photography page and other Niche Pages. Twitter accounts for my photography and niche areas will have new tweets two or three times a week.
  5. I will also continue AdWords advertising. Continue? Ha! I already am – but didn’t know it – because someone else is paying for the ads. LOL (That will be the topic of another article.)

In summary, I am planning to have a good year.

How about you? What are you planning to do to enhance your holiday sales? (If you comment, please feel free to link to your own art website.)

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Do you buy your own art?

Yes, I buy my own fine art photographs.

I have actually heard that question a few times over the years and have even seen it posted on art forums every now and then. There is a story in here somewhere – maybe akin to “the cobbler’s children with no shoes” or the “lawyer dying with no will.”

Fine art photographs by Bill Swartwout Photography

Well, our home is certainly not like that. Here is recent addition to the living room wall at our beach home. Here are two new 36″x24″ canvas prints chosen from my selection of “beachy” scenes. They are on display above the couch and is a centerpiece of the room, opposite the stone fireplace.

The photograph on the left is of windblown surf and dunes near Fenwick Island State Park. The one on the right is a gorgeous sunset over Little Assawoman Bay. These can, of course, be purchased from the place I purchased them – from my online gallery at  BillSwartwoutPhotography.com.

We now have a total of five (5) prints on canvas in that side and two other in a smaller size. We also have four framed prints adorning walls in our dining room.

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Coastal Collection vs. Rolling Stone and Bill Swartwout Photography

Indian River Bridge graces the cover of Coastal Collection.

“…the thrill that’ll gitcha when you get your picture on the cover of the Rolling Stone.” (1972, Dr. Hook, written by Shel Silverstein)

My guitar playing will never get me on the cover of the Rolling Stone but my photography has gotten me close. One of my popular Indian River Inlet Bridge photographs is the front/back cover of the prestigious Ocean Atlantic Sotheby’s International Realty “Coastal Collection” magazine.Coastal Collection Magazine w Narrative

I am honored to have my photograph of one of my favorite places, the Indian River Inlet Bridge, grace the cover of this popular and sought after local magazine. Ocean Atlantic Sotheby’s International Realty is the premier real estate firm of coastal Delaware, from Lewes to Fenwick Island.

I do live here and I enjoy helping to promote my love of the area through my photography endeavors.  Hopefully, my images of this wonderful place will help others learn more about why we love living here.

Links:
Ocean Atlantic Sotheby’s International Realty
Coastal Collection Magazine Online
My original “Sunset Under the Indian River Inlet Bridge“