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NYC photog makes $15K in one day selling Instragram prints


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I do like his photos but whenever I read a story like this I just think its hype, theres always something that does not ring true - a sensationalist story aimed at getting click throughs for a short period of time - am I just an old grouch? Who would pay 150 USD  for a 4x6? Its self publicity. I don't believe it.

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I do like his photos but whenever I read a story like this I just think its hype, theres always something that does not ring true - a sensationalist story aimed at getting click throughs for a short period of time - am I just an old grouch? Who would pay 150 USD  for a 4x6? Its self publicity. I don't believe it.

 

You may or may not be an old grouch, tig, but your stated point of view is spot on. 

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I fixed the link to the article in my original post.  The Forbes article must have been taken down.

 

I find $15k worth of Instagram 4x6 prints sold in a day also somewhat hard to believe.

 

But - I'd find it almost as incredible if he sold $1500 worth of instagram 4x6's in a day.

 

I haven't looked at this guy's work - Is he that good?  Or was he just in the right place at the right time and pushed the right buttons?

 

I have trouble trying to understand what might be driving the demand for this genre of images.

 

For lack of better insight I'd guess that the gross proliferation of iPhone images has driven down the

expectations/discernment of a large percentage of image buyers.  They've become so accustomed to

iPhone images that they consider them "good enough".

 

Hence the rise of Stockimo, etc. - that's going to fill the large and growing niche of "it's good enough".

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I fixed the link to the article in my original post.  The Forbes article must have been taken down.

 

I find $15k worth of Instagram 4x6 prints sold in a day also somewhat hard to believe.

 

But - I'd find it almost as incredible if he sold $1500 worth of instagram 4x6's in a day.

 

I haven't looked at this guy's work - Is he that good?  Or was he just in the right place at the right time and pushed the right buttons?

 

I have trouble trying to understand what might be driving the demand for this genre of images.

 

For lack of better insight I'd guess that the gross proliferation of iPhone images has driven down the

expectations/discernment of a large percentage of image buyers.  They've become so accustomed to

iPhone images that they consider them "good enough".

 

Hence the rise of Stockimo, etc. - that's going to fill the large and growing niche of "it's good enough".

 

Link to the original Forbes article.

 

Maybe the disclosure at the end of the article bears some relevance? ("Disclosure: I’ve known Daniel Arnold for about 20 years, and own several prints of his photos")

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Nothing would surprise me . . . a guy with 28,000 followers gets less than 100 of them to spend $150 on a print (or prints). Not the most outrageous claim I've heard this week.

 

Reminds me a tiny bit of the apocryphal tale of the farmer who couldn't sell his bales of hay (insert similar goods) at a particular price, so he lowered the price. Still no luck . . . he then went the other way and added a zero to the price . . . and sold out in a day . . .

 

dd

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My 'other job' is architectural design and I went to see a chap for a very small job and quoted him a price of £300 (which is really cheap for me). He'd had a quote of £1300 for the same job and was saying why should I use your services as this other chap was charging a lot more (for exactly the same thing actually) and my price was too cheap therefore by implication I wasn't any good!!

 

He eventually went with the higher price so it goes to show that sometimes it pays to charge more for our work!

 

John.

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My 'other job' is architectural design and I went to see a chap for a very small job and quoted him a price of £300 (which is really cheap for me). He'd had a quote of £1300 for the same job and was saying why should I use your services as this other chap was charging a lot more (for exactly the same thing actually) and my price was too cheap therefore by implication I wasn't any good!!

 

He eventually went with the higher price so it goes to show that sometimes it pays to charge more for our work!

 

John.

 

In consultancy and IT we talk about customers favouring suppliers who are "reassuringly expensive". It is a feeble assessment by buyers but that is how it is especially where there are big players (as in IT). It makes it difficult for the small guy to penetrate the market. As a member of consultancy teams I know I have lost (esp public sector) work because we were not expensive enough - a battle I fought and lost with my CEO.

 

If we don't value our work why should a customer? Best advice I had on setting price was from another independent consultant. Your price should be "the highest price you can ask for while looking the customer in the eye and not blink". I have used and shared it ever since. A lot of truth in it.

 

I am looking to take my photography well up market from where I currently am; easy as I am at rock bottom. ;)

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Thanks for sharing Phil, a great story.

 

Is there a contributor to Alamy that has made $15 k in one day? I suspect that there are few that have made that in a month!

 

Oh look, was that another pig flying past my window?!

 

dov

 

I think it was just my avatar!

 

John.

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I saw that story the other day.

I looked at the photos,saw he had 28,000 followers.

After thinking about this and doing some homework,I believe he did sell some prints,but I am not buying the $15,000 figure from an unknown of images that were of only fair quality and of strangers.

 

Only one image I would have bought from that whole collection and paid no more then $10 for a 4x6.

 

Keep in mind that Instagram and other social media sites can use and abuse your photos!

 

Read this article from a lawyer:

 

 

Promotional Benefit Or Rights Grab? Is social media synonymous with a loss of rights over your images

 

http://www.digitalphotopro.com/business/promotional-benefit-or-rights-grab.html

 

L

 

I believe this part of the story, Linda: "With zero idea how to pay his rent next month and photo work sparse. . . ."

 

I'm gonna jump on the F Train now and head over to Brooklyn. Obviously that's where things are happening.

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I saw that story the other day.

I looked at the photos,saw he had 28,000 followers.

After thinking about this and doing some homework,I believe he did sell some prints,but I am not buying the $15,000 figure from an unknown of images that were of only fair quality and of strangers.

 

Only one image I would have bought from that whole collection and paid no more then $10 for a 4x6.

 

Keep in mind that Instagram and other social media sites can use and abuse your photos!

 

Read this article from a lawyer:

 

 

Promotional Benefit Or Rights Grab? Is social media synonymous with a loss of rights over your images

 

http://www.digitalphotopro.com/business/promotional-benefit-or-rights-grab.html

 

L

 

I believe this part of the story, Linda: "With zero idea how to pay his rent next month and photo work sparse. . . ."

 

I'm gonna jump on the F Train now and head over to Brooklyn. Obviously that's where things are happening.

 

 

Ed, try not to pick any fights this time . . .

 

dd

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I saw that story the other day.

I looked at the photos,saw he had 28,000 followers.

After thinking about this and doing some homework,I believe he did sell some prints,but I am not buying the $15,000 figure from an unknown of images that were of only fair quality and of strangers.

 

Only one image I would have bought from that whole collection and paid no more then $10 for a 4x6.

 

Keep in mind that Instagram and other social media sites can use and abuse your photos!

 

Read this article from a lawyer:

 

 

Promotional Benefit Or Rights Grab? Is social media synonymous with a loss of rights over your images

 

http://www.digitalphotopro.com/business/promotional-benefit-or-rights-grab.html

 

L

 

I believe this part of the story, Linda: "With zero idea how to pay his rent next month and photo work sparse. . . ."

 

I'm gonna jump on the F Train now and head over to Brooklyn. Obviously that's where things are happening.

 

 

A friend of mine is producing the Brooklyn Fringe in July. Lots of good photo ops if you want Ed ;)

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Thanks, Alex. I don't tend to do events. They make me feel like an unpaid PJ. (I seem to be eliminating all sorts of activities.) 

 

I grew up in Brooklyn. In the last few years it's become the ultra-chic neighborhood of NYC. 

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Thanks for sharing Phil, a great story.

 

Is there a contributor to Alamy that has made $15 k in one day? I suspect that there are few that have made that in a month!

 

Oh look, was that another pig flying past my window?!

 

dov

Not through Alamy of course, but yes - and more. I had an exhibition opening night once that went very, very well.................! It might have been the wine that swung the sales though!

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When microstock first came on the scene there were suddenly a lot of PR stories about housewives making big money from their photographic hobby by selling family pictures as microstock. One even made $100,000 per year.

 

These are feel good, space filling, PR stories, concocted over drinks with a reporter repaying a favor. Not much fact checking going on.

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