Podcast Suggestion: How to Market your Portfolio to Galleries?

[pslove]

Hi Marko,
Fantastic Job with the podcasts. i found them through google and have been through almost all of them in reverse order. I normally shoot urban still life and have only recently branched out into shooting people so i've especially found the ones on portraiture very useful:)

I would love to hear a podcast on how to market yourself as a fine art photographer, specifically the best way to go about approaching galleries with your portfolio.

I'm at a point right now where i would like to start submitting a couple of projects to galleries but am starting from a point where i have no official photographic schooling and have no idea how to plug myself as an artist.

it would really be helpful if you could provide some tips on making the best of your portfolio, preferred portfolio print formats for galleries... whether it is necessary to have a website and the proper etiquette involved in approaching an art gallery. basic stuff, i know..but i think it would be really useful.

Jess

[Marko]

I like this idea pslove - I'll do it.
It may take a couple of weeks though.

I don't know your level of experience but my first tip would be to make sure the work you submit is as flawless as possible(and you'll only know if it is or isn't with experience) and unique.

The rest will come in the podcast!

Thx!
Marko

[mindforge]

You know you could get more generous with this too and just do; how to market your photography.

Love the podcasts though, I think I have listened to several of them twice and been through the whole list at least once. Great at work while checking plates before they go to press.

[pslove]

awesome! looking forward to it, Marko! thanks:P

[Marko]

Thanks so much for that mindforge!

How to market photography is such a broad topic though....it could easily be a series of 5-10 podcasts. I wish I had a clone of myself to do some of this work :)

I think I'm more likely to concentrate on the gallery portion for this podcast...but ya just never know what I'll throw in there.

Many thanks
Marko




You know you could get more generous with this too and just do; how to market your photography.

Love the podcasts though, I think I have listened to several of them twice and been through the whole list at least once. Great at work while checking plates before they go to press.

[mindforge]

Thanks so much for that mindforge!

How to market photography is such a broad topic though....it could easily be a series of 5-10 podcasts. I wish I had a clone of myself to do some of this work :)

I think I'm more likely to concentrate on the gallery portion for this podcast...but ya just never know what I'll throw in there.

Many thanks
Marko

So why not plan a series of 5 podcasts for it?

Marketing to Galleries... Where to Advertise... Keeping track of your Marketing... Selling Yourself as a Photographer... Complete Portfolio Ideas
.... there are so many ideas that can be ran with this one.

You said you could do it in 5-10... well, plan 5 of them out and you got good material for weeks on end.

Marketing ourselves is probably one of the most difficult things for artists of all disciplines from painting to photography to graphic design. I think focusing on this idea in a series would probably be really good for not just photographers out there... but for all artists. I have a pretty easy time getting my stuff out there when I want work because I work in advertising. But, out of everything, I think there are two skills that a lot of artists, especially budding photographers lack.... marketing/advertising skills and business skills (finance and project tracking).

I know that photography is about the hobby and the passion of doing what we like to do. I don't make money with my photography, I don't even want to advertise with it or anything...

If you want research help or anything for a series like this let me know. I am an advertising designer and my minor for my first degree (Business Admin B.S.) was marketing. My second degree, of course, is MFA in Graphic Design. So, I know quite a bit about marketing and advertising.