Another thread inspired by a visit to Rockwell last Saturday. Last week I got roasted for an observation which came off the wrong way. This week I'll try to go easier. Anyway, in Rockwell you will find an art exhibit from MALANG that features artwork from around 5x5 up to around 24x36. Some are mixed media other Gouache. Prices for these artworks range anywhere from around P 50K for the smallest work up to around P200K for the largest. The works are also dated.

While I do like art, I would still hesitate plunking down over P 50K for a small piece by MALANG. However, I can assure you that many people do. There are artists in this country who have created a good loyal following that whatever they put out is immediately purchased by patrons, enough for these artists to make a very comfortable living. We can take Ivan Acuna for instance. Here we have a popular artists who, in my opinion, has over-extended his artwork, but can still probably command P1M for an artpiece. Now can you imagine a photographer here getting paid P1M for a photograph?

I guess it all goes back to day one in photography where photographers have bravely tried to promote their work as art. The educated world has matured nicely and has defintely elevated photography up to art status. In fact, in the art world today, photography is hot. In auction around Feb this year, and Edward Steichen original print was able to fetch over $2Million. The record before this was a photo of the Marlboro man that was sold for over $1M. The Marlboro Man? Yes, its true.

This leads me to my original question: Gallery Photography Prints- are there any Patrons in the Philippines? There seems to be a move in this country for photographers to exhbit their work in a gallery. I would surmise that photographers do this to uplift their worth by being able to say that they did in fact have an exhibit. What I would like to know is, are any of these works purchased by collectors or patrons of the arts?

Let's take the flavor of the month, Mr. Manny Librodo. From looking at the amount of Librodo threads on this forum, Librodo is one popular guy. On a recent trip to HK, I even saw him in the magazine of PAL Mabuhay magazine. In the back of the second issue of DPP Mag his exhibit is posted as a "Don't Miss" event. Surely, he must command a price for his work.

While I didn't attend the opening of his exhibit, I was able to visit the One Workshop Gallery quietly one of the rainy days after. I thought his work was good. Many images were striking. Then I asked myself, I wonder how his sales were? Some of his photos could even be purchased for decoration in house rather than a collectors piece because they were very colorful. But how well has Librodo sold? The owner Rosscapili has the answer to this question, but I wonder if he will ever share that information with us. I would say, that it would be successful exhibit for Librodo if he were able to sell at least P300K of his works. Did he? We don't know. Even if he did, he is probably one of the fortunate few. Are there any Librodo patrons out there? Or how about fine art photography patrons? I can safely guess that Librodo had strong attendance to his opening night, but probably by the same people who attended his workshop and not otential buyers for his priints.

Are there any patrons for photography art work? Can photographers make a living selling prints? Maybe that's why Manny Librodo cannot quit his day job as a teacher. He probably has a better chance to make it because he is in Thailand whch has a much stronger international community.

So what is a fine art photographer to do in this country?

From Gabriel Ang-
"While I didn't attend the opening of his exhibit, I was able to visit the One Workshop Gallery quietly one of the rainy days after. I thought his work was good. Many images were striking. Then I asked myself, I wonder how his sales were? Some of his photos could even be purchased for decoration in house rather than a collectors piece because they were very colorful. But how well has Librodo sold? The owner Rosscapili has the answer to this question, but I wonder if he will ever share that information with us."





Please set an appointment with me and i will be gladly tour you around the gallery, sayang i missed your visit at OWG. I could even tell you the inside info about the "prospect of selling fine art prints". I like the way you title this thread, was hoping it can be explore to lively discussion, but as i go further reading it i realized it changes color and intentions. Apart from Librodo, i can also arrange a meeting with you with Malang and Ivan who are both my colleagues (Malang is the father of Soler, the Godfather of my eldest daughter- i printed also some of Malang's print. Ivan Acuna is a fellow artist photographer- we had a show together in 1992).
I hope to meet you in person and probably with real name, pls dont go to OWG "quietly one of the rainy days after" please. Care for coffee?




:)

I don't understand what you mean by "other intentions". I was hoping this thread started discussion about whether there is any chance for a photographer to sell his or her prints to the general public. Artists have a better chance of doing it as it seems. I would like to hope that photographers have a chance here too one day. I don't have other intentions. And its my real name, and sometimes I just like to look around quietly and observe. Thanks for the response to this thread. I hope others can give their comments also.

I guess this is also a timely topic worthy of discussion. I'm sure lots of photographers are interested what the more experienced and in the know artists can share.

1. Pre-internet days, galleries are how artists market their work to the general public. Think of this as a marketing/distribution system. Certain patrons frequent select galleries. If you like them to see your work, you exhibit at those galleries. Furthermore, it adds a certain credibility to your work as having met certain "standards."

2. With the internet, any photographer can show his work, not only to the immediate community, but to the whole wide world. However, this increases competition for attention as photographers with galleries increase exponentially.

3. I guess to answer your question, do you require a local patron to support the artist? IMO, not necessary.

4. Can fine art photographer support himself solely by his photos alone? Very difficult. You have history to refer to, not only in photography, but also in the arts. The ones who benefit on the economic windfall basically are not the artists but the patrons who collect the artists work. Furthermore, some empirical analysis of returns on art is no bigger than that of stocks. :)

My two cents.

How about the Philippine situation? From Gabriel Ang's original post, is fine art photography here do have interested collectors/patrons? Will it really sell?

http://showbizandstyle.inq7.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view_article.php?article_id=11341



Prints are back


By Lito Zulueta
Inquirer
Last updated 00:21am (Mla time) 07/24/2006


Published on page C1 of the July 24, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.


IT IS NOT AS IF THEY HAD been gone, but prints have lately been marking inroads and assays that should amount to a celebrated homecoming or a new spring.


The recent nomination of Manuel Rodriguez Sr., who has acquired dual citizenship, to the National Artists pantheon seems to have confirmed the revitalized state of print affairs, as well as exhibits by Pandy Aviado, Ross Capili, Fil Delacruz, Raul Isidro, and other stalwarts of the print kingdom.


Credit for the comeback of print should perhaps go to the Printmakers Association of the Philippines headed by Isidro. The PAP has been holding annual group exhibits in key art places to widen the audience for prints. It has also toured the country to hold seminar-workshops for Fine Arts students and other aspiring artists.


Perhaps because the PAP artists have widened the appreciation for print, the print category has remained in a number of national art contests, putting print at par with painting and the other media.


Another good indicator of the increased renown and prestige of print is the show by young artist Janos Delacruz, “Tales from the Big City,” which will open tomorrow at 6 p.m. at The Crucible Gallery (4/F, Bldg. A, SM Megamall).


Crucible has been one of the few homes for printmakers in the country, and it is to its credit that it is giving space to and gambling on the works of a relative unknown.


Of course, it is not as if Delacruz was a complete greenhorn. If genes could kill, then Delacruz’s art should at least grip and rivet. Janos, after all, is the son of Fil, whose works in print and paint have been one steady development of ever-spiraling vision and ever-deepening craft.


Bright promise


Delacruz personifies the bright promise of printmaking in the Philippines. Barely into adulthood and having just finished Fine Arts at the College of Fine Arts and Design of the University of Santo Tomas, the 20-year-old artist has already won a caché of prizes that should make him one of the young artists to watch out for today.


Even when he was only 13, Delacruz already won the Jurors’ Choice prize at the annual Letray y Figuras painting contest of Instituto Cervantes. In 2004, he won the top prize at both the PAP Open Fine Prints and the AAP Annual.


Last year, he won second place in the Digital Art category of the Shell contest. When he graduated last summer, UST gave him the Benavides Award, an award for outstanding students.


His winning works showed that Delacruz’s strong suit was his graphic skills and rich imagination. He banked on these skills in his first solo, an exhibit of pen-and-ink drawings. In his new show, he builds on them while returning to the scene of his early success, print.


But there’s something new, of course. In “Tales from the Big City,” Delacruz turns to intaglio, perhaps a deepening process from his early experiments with lithography.


In intaglio, lines are cut into the surface of a plate and it is these lines that are printed. (In contrast, in woodcut, a favorite of Filipino print artists, the spaces between the lines of a design are cut away, leaving the lines raised in relief.)


It is easy to imagine the difficulty of the process, as Delacruz would use one hand to bury his burin or graver into a metal plate to draw the lines and forms, while his other hand would rotate the plate against the burin.


But the labor hardly appears in the final work. In one etching after another, Delacruz shows nearly effortless grace in conjuring images and specters in “Tales from the Big City.”


The images are surreal, strange and searing. They seem to represent the wild imaginings of a young man trying to make sense of the city’s jagged images and jarring sights and sounds.


What restrains the images from going overboard is the aquatint, which also provides a contrast to Delacruz’s obsessive etchings. Like his father’s legendary mezzotints, the young Delacruz’s works are a symphony of shades and nuances. They achieve a resonance that reaffirms the power of print.

On my last visit to the US this year in February, I made it a point to visit photography galleries while on business. I had the opportunity to visit very good galleries in Portland, Dallas, Miami, Soho NY, and Santa Monica / La Brea LA. My impression: photography is "hot" as Gabriel Ang stated. It seems that if you are good, you can make some serious money.

The gallery I visited in Portland was excellent and had photos of a large format photographer called Christopher Burkett. This was the first time I heard of this photographer. When I saw his images on the wall of the gallery, my jaw practically dropped to the ground. I didn't realize photos could actually turn out like this. Its was something extaordinary. All the prints were Ilfochrome landscapes that were just singing. Burkett's prints were selling for around $4000 and they were either all reserved or on waiting list!

I experienced the same in Los Angeles when I saw some Nick Brandt prints. If anyone here has not heard about Nick Brandt, I suggest you look him up. The brightest star in African wildlife photography had just come back from his latest safari and had new pictures to show. I missed Brandt's show by a few days but a staff member of the gallery that represents Nick Brandt in LA (called the Stephen Cohen Gallery) told me that they had just sold their latest Brandt print, a 30 x 40 inkjet on fine art paper for $15,000!

This gave me the confidence that there is indeed a market for good photography. Will this ever happen in country? I say it will, but will take more time. If some of our art patrons were with me during my visit to the US and saw the same photos, I bet they would have purchased a Burkett or a Brandt image. It will happen one day and the photography and printing will be stellar.

At least there is some sort of movement on this thread. I'm not surprised though that only a few answered because probably for the rest of the photographers here, being represented in a gallery and selling their prints is probably can't be comprehended.

I've read the Rosscapili article and it was nice. Unfortunately it has nothing to do with fine art photography. Intaglio prints are not photographic prints and the person in the article is not selling photography. But it more or less validates my opinion that people will support the arts here except for photography. Will it ever happen? I agree with N. Tuason that eventually it may in this country but its going to take some real serious photography to get peoples attention.

A. Umali points about the internet is valid but doesn't necessarily relate to this thread. Some photographers around the world try to sell their work on-line but I highly doubt anyone in this country would purchase a print from a Filipino photographer through the internet. Our country is small enoujgh that anyone can see a print in person. And a print is still a print. The internet cannot portray the sensual nature of a good print (aha, now I've got another topic of discussion:Grin: ). Sadly many of the people on this forum have no clue about a good print since many only view photos on-line.

So will we ever have patrons for photography work? Sad to say but probably not for a long time.

Hi Gabriel,

Interesting discussion. I do hope that Filipinos in general will one day accept photography as a medium of Art. Right now, in my opinion, if an art piece is not purely made by hand, it is still not considered a collectable art. What further adds fuel to the fire is nowadays, Fine Art Photographers like to use inkjet printers for total control of the output..however, the general public has this notion of an inkjet printer being a puny little office machine that they use to print documents with thaqt has no lifespan whatsoever (totally the opposite). So it will also be another hurdle trying to "educate" the buyers into plopping down their hard earned money for 1 8x10 print.( BTW, I personally love the output of the inkjet printers combined with matt paper ) Anyway before I steer away from what I have to say, I would also like to mention the opinion of the general public with photographers. Since photography is " cheap" in the Philippines, they expect anything related to photography to be cheap. So trying to sell an art piece will be tough however.....there are collectors out there (the smarter ones :Grin: ) They buy prints not as an investment but because they LOVE the photo. Just my 2 cents worth:)

Pilar, I've also experienced one before. A New York based Pinoy who has a couple of Doisneau, Sugimoto, Steichen (as he wrote in his email) inquired about buying a big print for his apartment mainly for decoration purposes since he doesn't have any Philippine images.

I just do hope that fine art photography will do take off in this shores.

Hi Gabriel...interesting points you have there.

Allow me to say something about me first. When I decided to mount an exhibit, selling prints was the farthest in my mind. I am just a hobbyist and I have no intentions to quit my job to turn professional. Why? The answer is simple: I am happy as a teacher. That's the reason probably why I decided to conduct workshops. Indeed I am a "flavor of the month" guy...I am only here for a month.

I have sold many pictures through the internet but not one of them by a Filipino buyer. Maybe because they find it quite expensive? Maybe because everyone feels that they can take good pictures if given the chance? Maybe because they feel that phtography is not really an art (compared to painting, etc.)?

And as to your question about fine art photography prints "buyability" in the Philippines ... I guess it would take sometime. Somehow, Philippines is a fairly young market arena. Thailand, actually, is more mature in terms of fine arts photography. They have so many exhibits by famous foreign photographers (based or not based in Thailand) and these somehow elevate the status of photography as an art.

And btw, thanks for visiting OWG to view the exhibit. I really wish I were there so that I can get some tips from you (about the art and business of photography).

Sometimes, especially for a hobbyist, the monetary gains is really just a major plus. It is not what drives one to pursue his/her passion. :)

Its great to have a response from the master himself, Manny Librodo. Thank you for gracing this forum and providing insights to this thread. Its quite sad how we Filipinos do not respect the arts as other countries do. Its also sad to see that those who purchase his works have not even been Filipino.

You don't have to exhibit just for sales as Librodo and R. Gomez have pointed out. But its sales of your work that define whether or not you are successful. Do you think artists paint simply because they like to do so and it gives them pleasure? Of course it does. But selling your work on a consistent basis is what provides the ultimate satisfaction. Having your work purchased s what validates you. No one wants to be the starving artist. I can wager a safe guess that every morning Librodo awakes, teaching psychology is probably the furthest thing on his mind. Now only if there was a strong enough community of art patrons could more photographers take their passion full time. Too bad it doesn't happen here in the Philippines.

Do you think artists paint simply because they like to do so and it gives them pleasure? Of course it does. But selling your work on a consistent basis is what provides the ultimate satisfaction. Having your work purchased s what validates you.

i dont think we can generalize.

some artists are really not for the money/fame.

they dont need any validation from anyone to reach ultimate satisfaction.

just thinking aloud:)

Hi Levi,

I don't think its generalizing. If you are photographer who shoots only for self pleasure and have no desire to exhibit and sell your prints then I call you a hobbyist and not an artist. Artists have this burning desire for recognition and it is the sales of their work that validates.

Hi Levi,

I don't think its generalizing. If you are photographer who shoots only for self pleasure and have no desire to exhibit and sell your prints then I call you a hobbyist and not an artist. Artists have this burning desire for recognition and it is the sales of their work that validates.

Is this the case for you? Are you then a hobbyist or an artist? :Grin:

. I can wager a safe guess that every morning Librodo awakes, teaching psychology is probably the furthest thing on his mind.

don't bet on that....didn't he say he's happy to teach? maybe the safest bet is not to think what he's really thinking.

Is this the case for you? Are you then a hobbyist or an artist? :Grin:

A good question Rosalie. I have the yearning desire to sell my photographs. I was fortunate enough to do so while in the US. This was during the dark room air dried fiber days. Never made much out of it unfortunately, but the desire is there. Now back in Manila, and with the onset of digital photography, I find myself playing catchup. I'm making a good study of it and this forum and the DPP magazine have indeed helped. So, back to your question. At the moment hobbyist....but hoping to break out everntually and sell prints! :)

Its great to have a response from the master himself, Manny Librodo. Thank you for gracing this forum and providing insights to this thread. Its quite sad how we Filipinos do not respect the arts as other countries do. Its also sad to see that those who purchase his works have not even been Filipino.

You don't have to exhibit just for sales as Librodo and R. Gomez have pointed out. But its sales of your work that define whether or not you are successful. Do you think artists paint simply because they like to do so and it gives them pleasure? Of course it does. But selling your work on a consistent basis is what provides the ultimate satisfaction. Having your work purchased s what validates you. No one wants to be the starving artist. I can wager a safe guess that every morning Librodo awakes, teaching psychology is probably the furthest thing on his mind. Now only if there was a strong enough community of art patrons could more photographers take their passion full time. Too bad it doesn't happen here in the Philippines.

Where was it written that the sale of one's work is the definition of one's success? Painters paint because they have the passion for it. I don't think they decide to paint as a means to make money because it's a pretty known fact that it takes years before one gets recognized, sometimes it happens after one's death (think Picasso).

Please do not think for other people. Based on Manny Librodo's post, if teaching psychology was the farthest from his mind, then why go back to Thailand to teach? :)

don't bet on that....didn't he say he's happy to teach? maybe the safest bet is not to think what he's really thinking.

What's wrong with saying something that's on your mind? Am I personally attacking Librodo? Of course not. If I guess incorrectly what is in Librodo's mind then so what? If he replies back and says that it is his passion to be the best psychology teacher in Bangkok then that is what he wants to be. But having seen Librodo's photos, I sense that inside the man is an artist. His photos speak it. And I bet you it consumes him.

Where was it written that the sale of one's work is the definition of one's success? Painters paint because they have the passion for it. I don't think they decide to paint as a means to make money because it's a pretty known fact that it takes years before one gets recognized, sometimes it happens after one's death (think Picasso).

Please do not think for other people. Based on Manny Librodo's post, if teaching psychology was the farthest from his mind, then why go back to Thailand to teach? :)


Sensitive are we not Rosalie? Picasso only recognized after his death? Picasso was one of the greatest artists of all times and was very very popular while he was alive! Maybe that's why he couldn't be in Spain when he painted Guernica because Franco wanted him killed. So I would say he was quite a popular artist.

Artists paint because it is their passion yes. But what also drives them is the need to be recognized. You can't name too many artists who became famous after their death because someone stumbled upon a locked up attic and disovered their work. It doesn't happen. All the great artists were popular when they were alive and they got even more popular when they died.

Sensitive are we not Rosalie? Picasso only recognized after his death? Picasso was one of the greatest artists of all times and was very very popular while he was alive! Maybe that's why he couldn't be in Spain when he painted Guernica because Franco wanted him killed. So I would say he was quite a popular artist.

Artists paint because it is their passion yes. But what also drives them is the need to be recognized. You can't name too many artists who became famous after their death because someone stumbled upon a locked up attic and disovered their work. It doesn't happen. All the great artists were popular when they were alive and they got even more popular when they died.


I agree Picasso was very popular when he was alive.....especially to the ladies:Grin:

BTW, all the best and great photographers during Picasso's time like Irving Penn, Yusuf Karsh. Alfred Neuman all photographed him.

Oh and as an artist, I would love to be recognized by the public and have them buy my photos either as a collection or becasue they simply must have it:) In my opinion, it does recognize you as an artist and that would elate any artist to the next level.

Hi Levi,

I don't think its generalizing. If you are photographer who shoots only for self pleasure and have no desire to exhibit and sell your prints then I call you a hobbyist and not an artist. Artists have this burning desire for recognition and it is the sales of their work that validates.

Hi Gabriel

Again, thats generalizing... that all artists are yearning to be recognize.

I guess thats your personal definition and I do respect that.

But I personally know a number of artists (theater/stage) who really doesnt care about fame/money.. as long as they perform (i guess release their passion):)

@Levi - the phrase "dedicated and passionate about their work" best describes it. Recognition is just a "consequence":)

@Levi - the phrase "dedicated and passionate about their work" best describes it. Recognition is just a "consequence":)

exactly!!! :)

@Levi - the phrase "dedicated and passionate about their work" best describes it. Recognition is just a "consequence":)

Couldn't have said it better... :)

Sensitive are we not Rosalie? Picasso only recognized after his death? Picasso was one of the greatest artists of all times and was very very popular while he was alive! Maybe that's why he couldn't be in Spain when he painted Guernica because Franco wanted him killed. So I would say he was quite a popular artist.

Artists paint because it is their passion yes. But what also drives them is the need to be recognized. You can't name too many artists who became famous after their death because someone stumbled upon a locked up attic and disovered their work. It doesn't happen. All the great artists were popular when they were alive and they got even more popular when they died.

Ok, just realized I phrased that wrong. What i meant was sometimes the height of one's recognition is at his death. That's why the value of their paintings go up tremendously. :) I guess I just don't agree with you that recognition=monetary gain. It doesn't always follow.

From Gabriel Ang-
But its sales of your work that define whether or not you are successful. Do you think artists paint simply because they like to do so and it gives them pleasure? Of course it does. But selling your work on a consistent basis is what provides the ultimate satisfaction. Having your work purchased s what validates you. No one wants to be the starving artist. I can wager a safe guess that every morning Librodo awakes, teaching psychology is probably the furthest thing on his mind. Now only if there was a strong enough community of art patrons could more photographers take their passion full time. Too bad it doesn't happen here in the Philippines.[/QUOTE]




There are 2 types of artists photographers, one who create fine art photos for their stomach, and one who creates for their soul. You have to choose your direction. If you want to exhibit prints and expect to sell right away because for you a sold out show is a "succesful" show, then why dont you just follow the dictates of your stomach rather than your soul!...the formula is right there already in your face right, might as well exhibit saleable images (like a beautiful flower on a vase, a puppy with cute ribbon, a cute lil girl with rosy cheeks etc) to match the color of their sofas or maybe the curtain of the buyers. That's the short cut to having a "succesful" show?. Now if you follow the dictate of your soul, do you think buyers will instantly buy your prints? Of course not, coz they will check your resume, body of works, accomplishments before they decide to buy it, and it takes a lot of "exhibit investments" to do that! During my first solo exhibit in 1981 i had only 4 paintings sold out of 16. I never realized that i will sold at first, but i didnt waiver to continue exhibiting every year (my recent this year is my 33rd solo, forgive me for making myself as an example). Every first solo exhibit like Librodo's and other artist photographer is an investment for the future. Only time will tell if the artist succeed or not, but not now. You have to educate each year your audience and be consistent for you to gain credibility as an artist. Every exhibit has its own purpose and blessings i guess like the photographer maybe commissioned to do a portrait when someone interested saw his works, invite to conduct a workshop, but what is important is he leaves his marked in every viewer of his show which you cant achieve through sales alone. The artist exhibitor connects, and that's priceless! Again, seeing the sales as accomplishment is tantamount to prostituting your fine prints and visions already...you might end up selling (nilalako) in the street your prints just for you to declare the your show is sold out
:Thinking:

this is a very interesting thread.. i read the whole discussion through!

I can appreciate 2 views here:
On the one hand, having patrons for your pieces puts a tangible value to your work. I would describe it as an absolute value because the price tag is not necessarily relative to people tastes. I know that some buyers have to remind themselves that an important factor in one's decision to invest in an art work is personal taste. In other words they have to like it too.

Oil paintings by the local masters fetch millions a piece and continue to appreciate in value hence, the reason they are likened to investment instruments. - Valuations can easily skyrocket because as an art trader puts it: "that piece is one of a kind!" (I can't say the same for prints but that's another story).
On the other hand, the value of Art is not necessarily limited to monetary valuations. Having an appreciative audience or a following for that matter for one's work already validates the artist and affords one due recognition. The value extended to a piece by such an audience and by the artist though perhaps fleeting and relative lend the work intrinsic value.Therefore, I think both arguments are valid. However, the first may be of greater worth since society in general puts greater importance to things with economic value.I also appreciate the point ross made that in order to develop the market for photogrphic art prints, it will require a deliberate and long-term effort by the artists and practitioners in the field.

:)

I want to thank everyone who contributed to this thread. This is exactly what I was hoping to get out of this DPP Forum; to get lively and educated conversation about photography and everything that relates to it. What started out as my musings about not having a market for Fine Art Photography evolved to a discussion about photography as art and what defines a successful photographer/artist. I'm not trying to be controversial here, I just want to hear other personl's views and hopefully together we can all change the face of photography in this country.

Just yesterday I was surfing through the internet when I stumbled on an article about a photographer called Jill Greenberg. She is having an exhibit in a Los Angeles Gallery called "End Times" of her new work....cherubic looking children crying. Greenberg's work is controversial because get this, to make the children cry on set, she had to resort to tactics like taking away their lolipop. Many Americans are outraged at such a travesty. I saw the pictures and they look nice but are they worth the $4,500 that Greenberg commands for these prints? The art collectors in America think so. Hopefully we can get to this level one day in the Philippines; but to do so will take a serious effort from everyone.

please allow me to express my 1 centavo worth ...

if my photos were selling well, and if i generated at least a reasonable income from them, well i certainly would call myself successful.. if my photos command big prices and i'm able to sell them briskly despite, then i'd certainly call myself very successful...

i'm thinking now, are there serious photographers who truly don't want to sell their photos? are there those who simply exhibit but are not interested to sell their work at all? is recognition and admiration their true objective? i think not for i have yet to meet such a person. well, i'm still an infant in this industry, maybe one day soon :)

recongnition doesn't have to be monetary. a simple tap on the back, "Pare, ang galing mo naman pa-kiss nga!" is still recongnition. a thousand more of that would probably be what you'd call a rousing success.

anways, i think an artist will always be an artist -- recognition or none -- no matter what. passion? yes. yearning for sales? sure. but in the end, it is the moral, social or spiritual connection with the community brought about by his works that elevates his recognition as an artist. it is important to connect, to communicate, to change people. but these people don't have to pay the artist to be able to do that.

the gift of celebrating the arts isn't reserved only for those who can pay.

peace! :)

I hear you Ryan although you stray from what the original intent of this thread was meant to be. I was simply asking and musing whether or not there are people in this country who would pay for photography as art. There are many successful photographers worldwide but it seems we hardly have any here. We have artists who can make a living out of art but why not photographers. I say, if you can here, you are lucky.

Is this such a touchy subject? Maybe it is. Maybe we all don't want to admit that selling your work locally is possible. Its easier to say that artists are artists and don't care about money. I would love one day to see a photographer here who exhibits and every time that person does, the show gets sold out. This will happen eventually but when i don't know.

I started a thread last week about Richard Larrios's exhibit. I did not have the chance to visit but was asking around whether or not he had a good show. Now according to the article in DPP mag, Larrios has had success selling his work. He sold some images to Adobe is what I read. So it would be safe to assume that Larrios did not exhibit solely for that pat on the back as you say from all his local artist friends. I'm sure he's heard enough "ang galing mo pre" from the same people. He exhibited to be able to sell his work and reach out to a different crowd. Now looking back at my thread, there were no comments to it. How come? Is this a sensitive issue? Maybe it is to many. Here is one of our better photographers and I can sense that he had a poor show. If he can't do it then who can?

When are people in this country going to accept good photography as art? I have seen good photography here and know that many times it is more difficult for that photographer to take that photo than it was for some artists to slap some paint on a canvas. Its a sad thought.

I joined the Art Exchange of Lumiere on three occasions already. A good majority of those who participated in the sale were photographers.

Everyone who bought our prints had questions - but the most often asked questions were:

1) Where did you shoot this?
2) How many prints will you be producing of this image?
3) How much?
4) What's your last price?

There is a market. But I suppose I'll only find out in the long run if I can actually make a living out of selling my images as fine art prints.

this is my first post. i have been reading quite intently the posts of this types and not so much on gears and techniques. this is my favorite line, "people think that if they make better burgers than mcdonald's, they can beat them". i previously thought that this idea is only good for consumer items and not on the art realm. interacting more with people on the art realm made me appreciate that this rule also follows in the art world.

"selling" and "art" could never be placed on level grounds. selling requires a diferent set of skill sets as a creative artform will require yet another set. i bet all of us knows of a photographer or an artist whom we consider more artistic but is outsold by someone with superior selling skills.

this is actually my dillema. would u choose selling at a higher price and sell quite a respectable number with personal recognition (art-strategy) or sell at a lesser price with brisk transactions at 10x the income with company recognition (craft-strategy)?