Best Sellers

I sold another photo. A 16x20 of Athabasca Falls in Jasper National Park. It was the third time I sold it and it has become my best seller.

Do you have a best seller? What do you think makes it so? I think for mine is its familiarity. The main attraction is that people can relate to it. They have been there; seen the falls for themselves. And I believe that is an advantage over images of unrecognizable places.

I will continue, of course, to shoot landscapes for their beauty but will also concentrate on finding those scenes that are special in a more personal sense.

Thank you for your replies.

Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada

I haven't yet sold many prints - I think I've only sold or given to friends at cost 9 or so. Three of the photos I've sold twice. One is of Peyto Lake, another is of the "Burmis Tree" in Crowsnest Pass and the third is of Mount Kidd in Kananaskis Country. The first two are fairly recognizable spots while the third isn't. I do think that many people will like certain photo's more just because they've visited there but I'm sure many other people like photo's based on their beauty alone.

In my experience there's some kind of "ping" in my best sellers. They have to be familiar subjects so buyers have a prior association with them, but then there has to be something extra to make it stand out. With landscapes it us usually POV or light, and with animals it has more to do with pose/activity and light. With animals it is almost mandatory that the subject appear to be making eye contact with the viewer. With people shots (for ads, etc), you need a mix of all the factors. Sad to say (because it runs against my personal grain) attractive people sell better than the nondescript or overweight. "Attractive" in human terms is much more broadly defined for men than women, with quite a range of criteria qualifying a man as "handsome," while beauty in women is directed more by the latest fluff from the fashion mags. Gotta add one more point on that issue before climbing off my soapbox: Having raised daughters, it sure seems to me that the whole point behind all the fluff is to make young women insecure if they don't wear the latest fashions, makeup and hair style.

Yup, I can get by with "ruggedly handsome," but if I was a woman they'd call me downright UGLY.

Thank you for the response, all.

I agree, Hank, there has to be something extra to make the photo stand out. Anyone can take a photo of a familiar subject. Anyone can also take a shot of a pretty, but unfamiliar, scene too. We draw upon our creativity and untold hours of practice to make that image just that little more special. I think the buyer can see the heart that we put into our work and perhaps that is what sells the best.

Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada

Hank wrote: Sad to say (because it runs against my personal grain) attractive people sell better than the nondescript or overweight.

I think for the most part anything attractive has a better chance of selling. This isn't restricted to people pictures. A pretty landscape scene, a portrait of a cute animal, a beautiful flower etc. are other such examples. Most people (serious fine-art collectors are a small minority) want to decorate their homes with attactive/beautiful/pretty pictures. Unfortunately, that is the truth.

My best seller is maple tree with a light coating of snow on it. Its an image that could have been taken 'almost' anywhere. The link to the image is below;

http://www.joshuaandersonphotography.com/PortSnowLadenTree4040.html

"I think for the most part anything attractive has a better chance of selling"

I would have to agree, Anil, although much depends on how the photographer handles the subject. When people can relate to the subject somehow in a personal way, or the photographer shows the subject in an unique way, I think the chances of selling are good.

A maple tree can be taken almost anywhere. Josh, the way you treated this commonplace subject is what has made it a good seller for you.

Thank you all for the replies.

Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada

My best sellers all seem to have an emotional element to them. One is a coyote in a snow storm looking straight into the camera, another is a twilight (blue) shot done at Spray Lakes Alberta, and I also have two horse shots with eye contact that are very popular. People seem to like all the others, but make an emotional connection with these few.

Wayne