My World: Wild Trilliums

[Edward Bussa]

So... I was happily posting my new collection of images to the WWW for all to see when I began to feel guilty about not sharing explicitly with y'all. Just like family, its the guilt feelings that keep you coming back.

Seriously, this is my forum home on the web. I just don't feel like belonging anywhere else.

So when I discovered I had a cohesive set of work to show the world, how could I not come here and say something!?

But I've come to the Exhibition forum for a reason. I am pursuing online sales and perhaps exhibition with these images. I've even set up an online persona called "The Trillium Guy". My wife is a marketing type by nature and by trade, that was her idea.

I even set up an online storefront at FineArtAmerica[.com] here. I have applied with a local arts festival, actually the largest all-volunteer festival in the nation, to have a 10x10 booth in the art tent to gain exposure.

I set up a website at www.TheTrilliumGuy.com or www.TrilliumGuy.com that redirects to a Google+ site so my customers can easily connect with me (ha! what customers?).

I bought the book The 22 Immutable Laws of MARKETING to tighten my message.

All to what avail? Will I EVER sell EVEN ONE? I can't even get any of my friends OR family to buy!

Good thing I like challenges, right?

Take a look at the links I posted above - plenty there for you to ingest. Let me know what you think. Do you have experience? Please post your advice. Do you have an opinion? Please post your critique.

[Edward Bussa]

I know, we're not here to read, so where are the pictures! My bad... here's a nice sampling:

[Ben Rubinstein]

Ed, your stuff is marvelous. Incredible renditions and tonality. I love and I'm no flower guy.

However you're not asking about the quality of your work.

So let me ask you first. Where is your website? Real website. Where i can view galleries of your work, read about you and what you do and find out how to contact you? You need a real website, not a google plus thingy. That's like trying to market out of your facebook page. You need to show people that you're a serious artist not just yet another flickr jockey and that requires real presence.

Can I suggest you contact Asher about the gallery show that he's trying to get off the ground? Your work is certainly of a standard to be included and if he doesn't read this, tell him I said so :-P

[Edward Bussa]

I appreciate the feedback:

1. Get a "real website":

I should, you're right - I just haven't had the time, willpower and/or cash to make that happen. I will give it more thought.

2. Contact Asher about his show:

I will! Sounds like an opportunity!

Thanks Ben

[Jerome Marot]

I could see these selling if they are carefully framed and matted. It is the kind of unobtrusive images that people like to hang in their living room. I don't think it would sell easily on the web.

Look here. This is a german galleries chain which sells similar pictures. They are not on the fine art market with limited editions, they tend to favor selling large runs. There is also IKEA. They do sell similar pictures (although the link features orchids). Obviously, they sell immensely large runs.

More of IKEA. And here or here, here and here. Obviously, this is a style which sells.

Just as obviously, this is a style which has been done millions of times.

[Edward Bussa]

Interesting searches Jerome. I'm not opposed to a "large run"!

So, the question for me becomes, how do I get the attention of the purchasing agents within IKEA or say, Target?

Here in the mid-west town that I live, there is an artist that specialized in suspending Gerber Daisies and using a scanner to image them. Lots of clear details, very graphic with the black background. He eneded up signing a national distribution contract with Target. I would ask him, but I'm not sure he would divulge. But he might. I will reconsider calling him.

Ed.

[Mark Hampton]

Originally Posted by Edward Bussa

I know, we're not here to read, so where are the pictures! My bad... here's a nice sampling:

Edward - do these in B&W film on a 5/4 and contact print them - tone them sign and mat/frame them like jeromne suggests in a beautiful manner... make them look like diamonds - opps i left my thread !

[Asher Kelman]

Originally Posted by Ben Rubinstein

Ed, your stuff is marvelous. Incredible renditions and tonality. I love and I'm no flower guy.

Absolutely agree! These are wonderful. I have to spend more time, but the first impression is favorable. The big question is what marrket they belong to.

Originally Posted by Ben Rubinstein

Can I suggest you contact Asher about the gallery show that he's trying to get off the ground? Your work is certainly of a standard to be included and if he doesn't read this, tell him I said so :-P

This is for all! Before even considering submitting work for a show, we have to think of our business model and where one is placing oneself. Work that sells for $50- 240 cannot also sell for $600 to $10,000 or more. Gallery wall space backed up by curators is expensive to exist in a competitive real estate area. So unless the work is likely to be unique enough to command a handsome price, then it simply won't work. Also, I can only submit work in a collection I like and admire. At that point, it's the gallery's full time curators that take over and decide.

We are just considering, as a way of getting our feet wet, Ben's work hand printed as a platinum limited edition here in the USA. When I have worked out some mechanics and pricing, that will just say whether or not it's economically feasible. Someone who presents a signed printed limited edition that's ready to go, would be taking an easier path but it still has to work in the theme we'll choose. Each exhibition will have a different theme. so one might have to be prepare to wait until one's turn comes about. Could be 3 months or even 9 months or a year. So that means someone has to bear the cost of printing at least one set in advance. It's these mechanics that have to be worked out.

So for sure, think about what you might reserve uniquely for my tentatively planned shows, but don't spend any money or printing supplies just yet!

Asher

[Edward Bussa]

Hey Mark, thanks for venturing out!

Can you expand more on "do these in B&W film on a 5/4 and contact print them", I'm not sure I follow?

[Mark Hampton]

Originally Posted by Edward Bussa

Hey Mark, thanks for venturing out!

Can you expand more on "do these in B&W film on a 5/4 and contact print them", I'm not sure I follow?

Edward,

np. at work. will respond tonight .

[Mike Shimwell]

Originally Posted by Mark Hampton

Edward,

np. at work. will respond tonight .

Edward, I like these and am with Mark completely. I'll let him expand later

Mike

[Mark Hampton]

Originally Posted by Edward Bussa

Hey Mark, thanks for venturing out!

Can you expand more on "do these in B&W film on a 5/4 and contact print them", I'm not sure I follow?

Edward,

sorry for the interruption. there are a couple of things that lead me to the 5 / 4 camera / b&W and contact only.

Flowers are done and have been done almost to death, but this is not a negative - its a challenge.

i think the intimacy along with the hand crafted element - images looking jewel like with allot of white space may be a way that would set the work apart on an aesthetic level – hand printed and made all by you it become something more than an image.

a 5/4 mono rail will allow you freedom to focus on planes that you are already exploring but with more precision .. People will in this case looking to the world you create and find the focus... guided by your intent to an even greater degree.

i would also suggest you breed the flowers and try genetic experiments on the flowers - make it more than just the image ... tell us a story with them.
think of Mendel ..

Sorry if this doesn’t make sense.... i do hope it helps.. i think the work you make is beautiful.. i just don’t have any money to buy it !

also mike - i have no idea if you were thinking this way - if you were not please chime in mate.

cheers

[Mike Shimwell]

Yes, completely in line with you Mark, though the genetic experiments are going beyond where I'd got too - you're an artist Mark.

I think you're right about a monorail too - I'd just thought 5/4 field camera out of habit, but a mono would be more flexible and useful for this.

I just got sent a 5/4 contact print and it's just a very beautiful object, and made with nothing more than a 25 watt light bulb, a grade 2 1/2 gel and a sheet of glass.

Go for it Edward.

Mike

[Tracy Lebenzon]

What I've done is to approach local gallery owners and encourage them to show the works. Some galleries rent wall space, some sell based on commission, and some do both.

As suggested above, print and frame a series and also mount some on foamcore and wrap them in clear plastic bags, put a short bio on the back, and see about showing in some galleries. Within a few months you’ll have an idea if there is a market for the works.

There is a lot of competition for gallery space, but the owners are always interested in interesting & original work....

[Edward Bussa]

Thanks for the input, all, the contact print idea sounds so elegant. I love the idea. I love the contact print as a concept.

I guess my concern is depth of field. Lately I've been thinking about the Nikon 1 system simply because it offers an interesting trade off for depth of field. I don't have to max out my aperture to its difraction limit to get a little bit of DOF. Go bigger than what I'm using (APS-C) and DOF gets smaller, no? I'll have to check out some DOF calculators and see whats up.

The other thing I worry about is lower ISOs and shutter speed. I'm wondering what speeds are offered for the film. I was just looking through the collection the other day by ISO and most are shot at or around 800 - some at 400 and some at 1600 and I'm already having challenges with blur from movement... I could probably work around most of this though if I really wanted to!

I do like the White Border around the images. So far that is one of my favorite configurations.

Tracy, have you had any success with Galleries? I'm kind of curious who their customers are... does photography sell in that market?

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

Originally Posted by Edward Bussa

I guess my concern is depth of field. Lately I've been thinking about the Nikon 1 system simply because it offers an interesting trade off for depth of field. I don't have to max out my aperture to its difraction limit to get a little bit of DOF. Go bigger than what I'm using (APS-C) and DOF gets smaller, no? I'll have to check out some DOF calculators and see whats up.

Hi Ed,

If necessary, one can defy physics with focus stacking in postprocessing ...

Cheers,
Bart

[Mark Hampton]

Originally Posted by Bart_van_der_Wolf

Hi Ed,

If necessary, one can defy physics with focus stacking in postprocessing ...

Cheers,
Bart

in how many ways ?

everything can be in focus - can you unfocus stack?

i often thought ov ripples in time...

pray tell bart.

ta

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

Originally Posted by Mark Hampton

in how many ways ?

everything can be in focus - can you unfocus stack?

Ah, you're looking for the "beyond focus stacking 101"? It's called creating a depth map and using, e.g. Photoshop's, synthetic Lens Blur to apply it in postprocessing.

The first focus-stacking step is about getting enough DOF (more than physics allows in a single shot), not necessarily full DOF but it could be. Then using tools and/or skill to create a convincing DOF blur which reduces the DOF a bit again, but this time at the control of the photographer, not physics. The construction/application of a depth map can be facillitated by e.g. a Topaz Labs plugin called Lens Effects, but the Helicon Focus focus-stacking application also optionally outputs a depth map (a feature I requested).

Cheers,
Bart

[Edward Bussa]

Are there any digital cameras these days that do automatic focus bracketing?

[Tracy Lebenzon]

> Tracy, have you had any success with Galleries?

Yes.

> I'm kind of curious who their customers are...

Probably only gallery owners can answer this kind of question.

> does photography sell in that market?

Some does. My experience is that there tends to be a bias against photography in some galleries that sell traditional paintings and related.

[Edward Bussa]

Tracy,

What is your process for galleries? As in, how do you produce your prints and what is your presentation - matted and framed or some alternative?

[Tracy Lebenzon]

Hi Ed,

Sorry I missed this.

I do a variety of presentations, mostly what one would expect.

Some prints are "temporarily" mounted on foam core with clear corners and the assembly is put in clear plastic bags. These sell the most.

Some are matted and framed behind acrylic.

Some are veneered canvas and framed, not behind acrylic.

Some are gallery wraps.

All are numbered editions and have a bio page on the back.

I'm finding that the trick is to find the sweet spot in dollar value for the gallery and produce what is suitable for that range.

[Edward Bussa]

Thanks for the insight Tracy. I haven't encountered the temporarily mounted idea but then again, I need to get out more

I have been forever wondering why all the online print producers offer the permanently mounted option - what good is a print with a mount flush with the edges!?

Thanks again.

[Asher Kelman]

Ed,

Update us on the project. Any bites on your marketing?

Asher

[Edward Bussa]

Honestly, I haven't had the motivation to go from gallery to gallery. That is the next step though... Thanks for checking up - hopefully it will help spur me to take a step!

[Asher Kelman]

Ed,

Wish you a happy New Year. I'd like to see more trillium pictures!

I'm interested in all Tracy's marketing ideas. Wonder whether he does the mounting or has a service do it.

Asher

[Alain Briot]

The most important aspect of selling your work successfully is taking control of your own destiny instead of waiting to be discovered. This is the concept that changed my life as well as the life of many of my students.

[Asher Kelman]

Originally Posted by Alain Briot

The most important aspect of selling your work successfully is taking control of your own destiny instead of waiting to be discovered. This is the concept that changed my life as well as the life of many of my students.

I like this!


"The most important aspect of selling your work successfully is taking control of your own destiny instead of waiting to be discovered."


Asher

[Alain Briot]

Originally Posted by Asher Kelman

I like this!


"The most important aspect of selling your work successfully is taking control of your own destiny instead of waiting to be discovered."


Asher

Thanks Asher. Waiting is simply asking to be defeated. Nobody will show up unless you give them a good reason to! That's the subject of my first chapter in my Marketing book.

[Alain Briot]

'Life is too short to wait to be discovered!' ALain Briot