These two images were taken at a place called The Nun's Beach in the south of Ireland. I was wondering if I could get peoples views on selling landscape images from ill-defined or not well known/ recognisable locations (there's a better word/phrase that I'm looking for but it's not coming to me!).
Most people I speak to say they want or are looking for a photo of particular landmark or place. It seems to me that the market for landscapes purely as a pieces of art is quite small.
I personally don't like taking shots of the well known spots. You know the ones; wide angle, horizontal, sunset, local beach/mountain/river etc. There's nothing wrong with it, of course, and it can be a great challenge to get something original but I find the process and most of the results a tad boring. Don't get me wrong there are tons of amazing photographs of famous locations, many on this site, so I'm not saying this with any assumption of superiority; just my own preferences.
Does anyone have a similar experience with the genera? Do any of the Pro landscape photographers here find it more difficult to sell images of unknown locations?
Any CC on my own two photos would be greatly appreciated.
Selling photos of unrecognizable locations is absolutely more difficult. Part of making a sale is having the person make an emotional connection with the piece. So if they recognize a place, or have been there themselves, they already have that connection and your image leverages it to make your job as a seller so much easier. Personally, I have no problems with that. I think having a part of your inventory dedicated to iconic locations is smart because it basically funds the ability to shoot your passion and photograph those unknown spots. I think it's a realistic compromise many artists make.
Thanks for your comment, Ryan. What you say makes sense. Looks like I'll just have to suck it up and get those shots as well!
Hi Mike,
Just a couple of comments about the pics themselves. This is very subjective and the same RAW file can be processed to look a dozen different ways, and it really depends on whether you as a photographer want to stay true to the landscape you had originally photographed or whether you want to process it to appeal to people who might want to buy your pictures. First, the place is obviously gorgeous and I like what you have done with the foreground. I personally would have used a horizontal aspect ratio simply so I could get more sky and sunset/sunrise hues into the picture and a bit more of the rock formations. Perhaps softer pastel tones (pinks, oranges) would have lent a bit more appeal, but again, as I said before, it depends on whether you're shooting for yourself or for the marketplace.
My experience regarding your first point (well known landmarks vs. unknown locations) has been about 50:50. Keep in mind that people can buy a JPEG of a well known location from a stock photo site for just a few dollars. Sometimes the more obscure locations could work in your favour.
Hi Mike,
Further to my comment above, here's an excerpt from an Fstoppers post today: "For me, the two most important pointers were about quality vs. quantity and shooting iconic locations. First, I think it's so overwhelmingly important to showcase only your best work, not only to maintain your reputation, but as Heaton mentions, to build excitement when you do post, because your audience knows it's of high quality. Second, I think he makes a great point about exploring your home area and being careful when shooting iconic locations. You can take a technically perfect shot from the ideal location of Antelope Canyon or the Eiffel Tower, but the truth is that thousands of people before you have taken the same image just as well, so find a new angle or better yet, a new location. Don't overlook what's already around you."
The link is here: https://fstoppers.com/education/five-tips-becoming-successful-landscape-...
Hope this helps.
I think both of these images are quite sellable, Personally, I don't think it matters so much that they are not well known landmarks. More important, I think, is where you try to sell these. If you try selling them in the USA or, closer to home, Scotland, you're not likely to have any success. But tourists who are strangers to foreign places often only care that the image was taken in the country they visited. Knowing this is Ireland is probably a deal maker for a visitor interested in a souvenir of the country they visited. Often a tourist to Ireland has no idea if Nun's Beach is a popular iconic landmark or not. If you market this in a gift shop in Ireland that caters to tourists from outside the country, I doubt they'd care or even be aware that Nun's Beach isn't a stop on the Lonely Planet's "must see" list. Good luck.