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SUCCESSFUL FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

SUCCESSFUL FINE ART
PHOTOGRAPHY

How to Market Your Art Photography

In avr COEDS DAW IES

images
PRESS INC.
Successful Fine Art Photography
Copyright© 1992 Harold Davis. All rights reserved. No part
of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any
electronic means, including information storage and retrieval
systems, without permission in writing from the publisher,
except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a
review.

Each of the photographs in this book is copyrighted in the

name ofthe individual photographer as indicated in the credit
line. The rights to these copyrights remain with the copyright
holder.

All brand and product names used in this book are trademarks
or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

First Edition.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 91-078250

ISBN: 0-929667-14-X

Published by:
Images Press
7 East 17th Street
New York, NY 10003
212-675-3707

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

Cover Photograph: Autumn Leaves © Harold Davis 1987.

Cover Design: Phyllis Hopper.

Edited by: Sandra Coffin.

Design and Typography by: Phyllis Hopper and

Wilderness Studio.

1254567
8-9 10
Acknowledgements
Many of the people whom I have met through the Murray; Joan Pancoe; Luke Powell; Ron
course of my life and work as an artist, photogra- Pramschufer; Lilo Raymond; Andrew Reed; Yancey
pher, business-person, and writer have taught me Richardson of Lumina Inc.; Julie Saul of Lieberman
many valuable things. Without their guidance I & Saul; Carole Schaffer; John Sexton; Robin L.
would have had neither the strength nor knowl- Simmen of Amphoto; Lucia Siskin of the Interna-
edge necessary to successfully complete this project. tional Center of Photography library; Cheryl
To all those who have shared their experience with Sokolow of Aperture; Eve Sonneman; Guy Stricherz
me over the years and helped me on my path: of CVI Lab; Carla Swiggum ofImages of Nature;
thanks! Charles Traub; Jerry Uelsmann; Jim Vazoulas of
K&L Custom PhotoGraphics; Jerry Vezzuso; Emily
For contributions specifically to this book, I should L. Vickers; Merryl Wilson; Helene Winer of Metro
like to acknowledge: Adrian Alganaraz of Dryden Pictures; Neil Winokur; Molly Wood of Small
Framing; Julie Barclay; Bonni Benrubi; Linda Corp.; Paul Yafcak of My Own Colorlab; Nick
Benedict-Jones of Polaroid Corporation; Marilyn and Susan Zungoli.
Bridges; Steve Carter; Jeff Cason; Tom Cavalieri;
Allan Chasanoff; Melissa Clark of WordPerfect This book is dedicated to Phyllis, who makes my
Corporation; Elijah Cobb; Sandra Coffin; Bill life complete.
Coleman; Arthur Danto; James Danziger; Martin
Davis; Lou Wesero: Bernard s-Pllis: Micacla
Garzoni of Polaroid Corporation; Peter L. Gould;
Timothy Greenfield-Sanders; Claudia M. Gropper
of Christie's; Barbara Hitchcock of Polaroid Cor-
poration; Barbara Hopper; Kenneth D. Hopper;
Edwynn Houk; Nancy Kaszerman; Daile Kaplan
of Swann Galleries; Marcia Keegan; Chuck Kelton;
John T. Kesich; Michael Lasky; David Leith of the
International Center of Photography library; Betty
Levin of Corporate Art Directions; Simon
Lowinsky; Peter MacGill of Pace/MacGill Gal-
lery; Jay Maisel; Michael A.F. Malcolm of Simon
Lowinsky Gallery; Irene Malli of CVI Lab; Dr.
Avery Manchester; Tom Mangelsen; Margaret
Mathews-Berenson; Steven Mazur of Dryden
Framing; Laurence Miller; Lloyd Morgan; Felicia
The Dance of Sp ring, © Harold Davis 1984
Foreword
JE is not easy to make a living as a fine art photogra-
pher. To do so requires tenacity, inspiration, craft,
vision, business-sense, and much hard work. It is far
more difficult to become well-known as a photographic
artist. As one art dealer I interviewed for this book put
it, this is comparable to making it as a movie star. Before
going any further, the reader should be aware that the
frustrating vocation (or avocation) of creating photo-
graphs which come to be marketed as art should not be
undertaken primarily for financial gain.
Granted that few photographers will ever get rich selling
art prints of their work, a revolution has taken place over
the last decade in the world of art photography. Or
rather, several revolutions. The base of public interest
in, and support of, quality photography has tremen-
dously broadened. And, while the worlds of photogra-
phy and high art do not entirely intersect, there is no
doubt today (as there most certainly would have been
twenty years ago) about photography’s acceptance as
fine art. Factors leading up to these developments
include the coming of age of the post-World War II
generation which was plugged into visual imagery from
an early age, the 150th anniversary of the discovery of
photography, and economic trends in the art “industry”.
Economics, in fact, have created a situation in the art
world where photography, long a deserted step-child,
may now be getting almost more than its fair share of
attention. One net effect is that it is now possible to
make a living solely as a fine art photographer in a
number of different ways. (In another novel develop-
ment, photographers are becoming accepted today as
artists by the high art world without first developing
reputations as photographers.)
The purpose of this book is to detail all aspects of
marketing photographs as art in the context oftoday’s
world. A constant theme, and one that will be
returned to throughout the book, is the creation of
photographs which are worthy of consideration as art,
and how to recognize them. The different kinds of
prints, and how to make them, are described.
Editioning, mounting, and framing are discussed.
The various markets for photographic art are exten-
sively analyzed, with much material on the workings
of the photography and art worlds. Numerous other
topics of interest to the art photographer, such as
grants and non-profit funding, are covered.
In addition to photographers at every level, this book
should be useful to visual artists (whatever their media)
and those interested in promoting photographers and
artists. It is also intended to be of interest to collectors,
dealers, and those merely curious about the art and
photography worlds.
In researching this book, I have satisfied my own
curiosity. More importantly, I have attempted to act as
your eyes and ears and ask the questions you would have
asked if you had access to the most interesting, influen-
tial, and powerful people in the art photography world.
Successful Fine Art Photography contains a wealth of
information. If by reading it you are helped along your
path as a photographer and artist even alittle, then I have
succeeded.
Harold Davis
New York, NY
January 9, 1992
Contents
ZT Introduction 16 Working with Labs 42
Offset Reproduction Posters and Prints 43
What this Book Covers 20 Polaroid Prints 44
Overview of the Markets 2/ Alternative Processes 45

VE Creating Imagery for the Fine Art 4 Mounting and Framing 4

Market 22
Archival Framing 46
The Markets 22 Matting and Mounting 47
Appropriateness 24 Basic Styles of Framing Photography 48
Image Creation 24 Framing for Sale at Arts and Crafts Shows 48
Interview with Marilyn Bridges 27 Framing Corporate Art 49
Editing 30 Interview with Adrian Alganaraz, Dryden Framing 49
Submissions to the Art Market 30
Duplicating Slides 31
Using a Delivery Memo (with Sample) 32 a) How to Edition Photographic Prints 52
Sample Art Submission Cover Letter 33
Open vs. Closed Editions 52
Impact on Pricing 53
3 Kinds of Photographic Prints 36 Where and How to Sign Prints 54
Sample Limited Edition Photograph Publishing
Black and White Prints 37 Contract 55
Ektacolor and Cibachrome Prints 38
Interview with Paul Yafcak, My Own
Colorlab 39 6 The Markets for Photographic Prints 58
Dye Transfer Prints 41
Interview with Guy Stricherz, CVI Lab 41 The Historical Context 58
Interviews with: How to Reach this Market 83
Jerry Uelsmann 6/ Murals and Architectural Installations 84
Helene Winer, Metro Pictures 63
Which Market is Right for You? 64
Profile of John Sexton 65 9D The Role of the Art Consultant 86
Interview with Timothy Greenfield-Sanders 67
Pricing Considerations 68 How the Consultant Works 86
What Corporations Look For 87
Selling through Consultants 88
Ve Selling Prints through Arts and Crafts Interviews with:
Fairs 70 Betty Levin, Corporate Art Directions 89
Margaret Mathews-Berenson 9/

Setting Up a Fair Exhibit that Works 70

Economics 7/
Best Locations and Best Fairs 72 10 How the Fine Art World Works 92
Trade Art Shows 74
“Tourist” Towns 74 Art Galleries and Dealers 92
Interviews with: Selling Prints through Art Galleries 94
Lou DeSerio, Lou DeSerio Gallery 75 Creating a Market for the Work of the Artist 94
Nick Zungoli, The Exposures Gallery 76 Auctions 95
How to Approach Galleries 96
Sample Resumé 97
8 Architectural and Decorative Uses for The Artist’s Resumé 98
Photography 80 Interviews with:
James Danziger, James Danziger Gallery 99
Different Kinds of Wall Decor 80 Peter MacGill, Pace/MacGill Gallery 100
Interview with Jim Vazoulas, Ke*L Custom Julie Saul, Lieberman & Saul 102
PhotoGraphics 81 Arthur Danto 104
 Simon Lowinsky, Simon Lowinsky Gallery 105 ilSo) Making a Living as an Artist 134
Yancey Richardson, Lumina Inc. 106
Bonni Benrubi, Fine Art Photographs 108 Sources of Income 134
Edwynn Houk, Houk Friedman Gallery 110 Teaching 135
Laurence Miller, Laurence Miller Gallery 110 Interview with Charles Traub 136
The Artist-Dealer Relationship 112 Commercial Photography 137
Gallery Representation Checklist 113 Interview with Jay Maisel 138
Contractual Matters 1/5 Maintaining a Career as an Artist 14/
Consignment Agreement and Receipt 1/6 Interview with Felicia Murray 1/42
Staying Creative 143
Copyright and Ownership of Imagery 144
lel The Successful Exhibition 718 Estate Planning 145

Different Kinds of Exhibits 778

Working with a Gallery 122 14 Grants, Foundations and Other
Designing an Exhibit 122 Funding Sources 146
Invitations, Openings, and Advertising 122
The Press Release 124
Getting the Most Mileage from Your Exhibition 124 HS) Conclusion 148
Sample Press Release 125

16 Resources and Bibliography 152

12 Offbeat Strategies 128

Kiosks in Airports, Co-op Galleries, and Direct Mail 129 1/ Glossary 164
Own Your Own Gallery 129
Creative Marketing 130
Profile of Tom Mangelsen /3/ Index 168
Autumn Along the Delaware, © Harold Dav 1s 1988.

Il
Interviews and Profiles

Adrian Alganaraz, Dryden Framing 49 Margaret Mathews-Berenson 91

Bonni Benrubi, Fine Art Photographs 108 Felicia Murray 142

Marilyn Bridges 27 Laurence Miller, Laurence Miller Gallery 110

Arthur Danto 104 Yancey Richardson, Lumina Inc. 106

James Danziger, James Danziger Gallery 99 Julie Saul, Lieberman & Saul Gallery 102

Lou DeSerio, Lou DeSerio Gallery 75 John Sexton 65

Timothy Greenfield-Sanders 67 Guy Stricherz, CVI Lab 41

Edwynn Houk, Houk Friedman Gallery 110 Charles Traub 136

Betty Levin, Corporate Art Directions 89 Jerry Uelsmann 61

Simon Lowinsky, Simon Lowinsky Gallery 105 Jim Vazoulas, K&L Custom PhotoGraphics 81

Peter MacGill, Pace/MacGill Gallery 100 Helene Winer, Metro Pictures 63

Jay Maisel 138 Paul Yafcak, My Own Colorlab 39

Tom Mangelsen 131 Nick Zungoli, The Exposures Gallery 76

k2
Sample Forms, Letters, Documents
Art Submission Cover Letter 33

Consignment Agreement 116

Consignment Receipt 117

Delivery Memo 35

Gallery Representation Checklist 173

Limited Edition Photograph Publishing Contract 55

Press Release 125

Recipe for Art World Success 94

Resumé 97
Reproductions
Zeke Berman Early Autumn Ice 151
Untitled, Diptych 102 Island in the Sky 159
Rural Memories, Chair, Vermont 51
Rural Memories, Rowboat, Maine 19
Marilyn Bridges
Cerne Abbas Giant, Dorset, England 28
Ha-ak, Blythe Site #1, California 29 Lou DeSerio
Cathedral Rock 76

Chris Callis
Jay Maisel 139 Timothy Greenfield-Sanders
Robert Mapplethorpe 68
Cage, Johns, Cunningham 127
Henri Cartier-Bresson Jodie Foster 69
Easter Parade, Harlem 60 Cindy Sherman 69

Bill Coleman Dorothea Lange

Sunbeam... 73 Migrant Mother 95

Harold Davis Annie Leibovitz

Autumn Along the Delaware 11 Jodie Foster, Malibu 99
Autumn Island 150
Autumn Leaves Cover
The Dance of Spring 6 Jay Maisel
Denali, the Great One, Alaska 26 Man with Rope 140

i a a
14
Tom Mangelsen Cindy Sherman
Polar Dance 132 Untitled 65

Ray Metzker Jerry Uelsmann

Mykonos 111 Untitled 62

Joel Meyerowitz Neil Winokur

Hartwig House, Truro 98 Zorba 27

Luke Powell Joel-Peter Witkin

Lavender Flowers Near Maimana, Afghanistan 155 Pygmalion 101

Man Ray Nick Zungoli

Margaret 109 Lifting Fog, Tenny’s Pond 77

John Sexton
Rock Shoreline, Dusk, Pemaquid Point, Maine 66
Pfeiffer Beach, Dusk, Big Sur, California 121
Rice Field and Pine Forest, Tohoku, Japan 174
 What This Book Covers
Overview of the Markets
16 Successful Fine Art Photography
ne of the simplest and most direct ways for a
O photographer to make money from his or her
own imagery is by marketing photographic prints of
the work. Because prints can be made one ata time,
they do not necessarily require a huge investment.
Elaborate equipment is usually not needed. Often,
photographers choose to make their own prints.
Even if they do not, and decide to work with a lab
or printmaker, the cost of making a photographic
print can be very low indeed.
What is truly wonderful about making a living from
marketing one’s own prints is the amount ofcontrol
one has. Generally, no one will be telling you what
to do. Your final product - your original print - will
be as great, or as awful, as you make it. You do not
have to answer to a committee: the responsibility is
yours alone. At its best, art is a reflection of the
vision, view of the world, and true self of the artist.
The creation ofart prints presents the opportunity
for fully realizing this ideal.
Once you have learned how to do it, the sky is the
limit! Your work will look as good as your tech-
nique, talent, aesthetic vision, ambition, and energy
let it.
The photographer - or artist - who knows how to
make quality prints from his or her work and how
to market those prints becomes like a “factory” with
outlets for the products it makes. The factory is
yours alone and you can do what you want with it
- as long as people continue to want the prints you
make. Unlike the world of the commercial photog-
Introduction
rapher - where decision making is often handled by
a team including art directors and clients - the world
of the fine art photographer is not one ofcollabora-
tion. For better or for worse, the mistakes you make
are all your own. It takes a special kind ofperson to
enjoy this. But if you are one, you will be entering
a universe where there is no need to listen to other
people telling you what to do, or to help promote a
(possibly disgusting, degrading, or deadly) product.
Your primary purpose will be to create works of
aesthetic vision and integrity that reflect your high-
est self.
In all spheres oflife, the clarity with which goals are
perceived, and one’s willingness to take the small
steps necessary to achieve those goals, has tremen-
dous impact on their actual accomplishment. Just as
your art should serve as a reflection of self and
personal goals, your practice of the business of art
serves to empower your art. It is my intention to
present clear goals, paths, and methods for the fine
art photographer (of any level).
This book is largely based on my many years of
experience asa fine art photographer, marketing my
own prints. While I was still in graduate school, I
had an exhibit of my images of Evolution Lake in the
High Sierras at the gallery which Jacob Deschin
then ran for Modernage photographic labs. I loved
seeing my work on the walls. I also sold a few prints.
That was it for me. I decided that if Ihad a chance
to makea living selling my prints as art then I should
definitely go for it. I wish that the information this
book provides had been available to me then,
because it would have saved a lot of time and energy.
My first step was to learn to make my own color
prints. After I had some good ones, I made a
portfolio of 20X24" prints which I showed to
anyone who would look at them. My degrees were
in computer science and law, and I had neither
connections of any sort in the photography or art
worlds nor a clear idea ofastrategy. I did not know
to whom my work should be directed, or where it
might fitin. I think that I also believed, naively, that
ifone simply did good work, and showed it to people
with influence, that would be enough.
I sought out Ansel Adams, who was very kind to me
when I visited him at his home in Carmel, Califor-
nia. He ran his arthritic gnarled hands over my
prints. It was as though he was looking at the
imagery with his hands. He made one suggestion:
“Why don’t you sign your prints with a stylus
directly on the prints?” (I had been signing on the
mat in pencil.) I also remember showing my port-
folio to John Loengard, who was then the picture
editor at Life Magazine. He took one quick lookand
said to me, “I think Ansel Adams is boring.”
For all the rejections - and there were many - there
were the editors who used images, the art dealers
who helped me or gave good advice with no benefit
to themselves, and those who just plain encouraged
me. This sometimes took what seemed to me at the
time a peculiar form; for example, the picture buyer
from an ad agency who viewed my hundred or so
best wilderness photographs and said to me, “Well,
Introduction 17
 we can't use these but youre sitting on money.” It
was meant to be complimentary. Of course, money
had not entered my mind when I created these
images. But! did want to learn to make a living from
my work.
I did not understand something that seemed to
happen a lot; namely, someone at some kind of
institution would encourage me, I would return
with a revised portfolio or work I had done on
speculation, only to come up against a brick wall. In
retrospect, I think what was happening was that
many people in the photography world liked me and
my work, but had no idea how a young contempo-
rary person, who was basically only interested in
creating photographs to please himself, could make
a living from those photographs, however good they
might be. In other words, there had just started to
be money in the fine art prints of photographers like
Ansel Adams, but the idea that young photogra-
phers without the benefit of an Adams reputation
might be able to make a living as artists was novel.
Adams, Edward Weston and other great photogra-
phers had spent their lifetimes creating imagery
with very little in the way of material rewards until
the ends of their lives (or posthumously). Up until
the mid-1970s you could buy top notch prints by
any of the masters for $50 to $100. There was also
a (not entirely unreasonable) feeling that young
people who were devoted to photography should be
prepared to toil without substantial material re-
wards in the back vineyards of the photography
world before expecting recognition. Certainly, the
marketing of the prints ofa contemporary unknown
would have to be done in new ways, and new
methods would have to be sought and developed.
In any case, two years after I started showing my
portfolio, I had a solo show on 57th Street in New
York City at Arras Gallery. Arras, an art gallery
rather than a photography gallery (there will be
more about this important distinction later in this
book), was run by a somewhat iconoclastic lady
named Adele Seigel. Adele happened to have an
empty slot in her schedule due to a cancellation,
which she put me in right away. I remember her
18 Successful Fine Art Photography
telling me, “I really don’t care what the medium is,
or what process the artist used to create it. I care
what the work looks like.” Truer words of wisdom
have seldom been heard in the art world; Adele was
more open to showing my work as art than most
photography galleries were.
A series of events surrounding my exhibition at
Arras Gallery served to put me on the map and give
me credentials as a professional fine art photogra-
pher. (Occasionally, I have to be very clear with
someone that the phrase “fine art photographer”
means photographer as artist, rather than photogra-
pher who photographs art.) One of these was the
publication of my first fine art poster by David
Lingwood at Modernart Editions. The poster, of
water lilies, announced the Arras exhibition. An-
other was the review by Owen Edwards in American
Photographer. This review reproduced the poster,
which it praised highly, but damned the bulk of my
work as derivative and not quite ready for presti-
gious display. This hurt greatly, but Adele Seigel
commented, “As long as they spelled your name
correctly.”
The bottom line is that a well-publicized exhibition
is the best device for self-promotion available to a
photographer. The fact is, strangely enough, that
the commercial photography world, as well as the
art world, pays a great deal of attention to such
exhibits.
I went on to discover that the largest market for my
original prints was through art consultants to corpo-
rations. There are certainly other important mar-
kets for photographic prints, but work in my style
was best handled in this way.
The photographer who successfully deals with the
art world must confront the myth of the artist. In
order to confront this myth, one must first be fully
conscious of it. In this deadly stereotype, the artist
is an inebriated bellicose child whose brief but
brilliant life is illuminated by occasional flashes of
divine inspiration. Good artists starve, so the myth
goes. Woody Allen has poked fun at this way of
Rural Memories, Rowboat, Maine, © Harold Davis 1987.

Introduction UG)
 thinking in his marvelous sketch, “If the Impres-
sionists Had Been Dentists” in which Vincent Van
Gogh is a dentist constantly complaining to his
brother Theo that his bridge work is not appreci-
ated. Allen’s piece is particularly hilarious because
nobody expects or wants dentists to be anything
other than competent hard-working professionals.
The same thing should be true for artists with the
caveat that competence includes a mote of creativity
and inspiration. The beneficiaries of the myth of
the childish and starving genius artist are art
dealers and art world parasites. As photographers
dealing with the art world we should strive to be
professionals in our business dealings. Most cer-
tainly we are not children, should not behave as such
in our professional relationships, and should expect
to be treated as adults when it is time to negotiate
contracts or make other business arrangements. Any
artist who is willing to accepta dealer as being in loco
parentis with no further questions asked fully de-
serves what he will get.
Each photographer who has successfully created a
career as an artist has done so in a unique way.
Therefore, in addition to reproductions of my own
work, I am including examples of other successful
art photography, particularly work by photogra-
phers discussed or interviewed in the book. The
book will discuss in detail how they do what they do,
and how professional work as a fine art photogra-
pher has been integrated with careers in commercial
photography, teaching, and with having work re-
produced by mass technologies. In fact, the basics of
everything that you need to know to make a living
as a fine art photographer, from theory to practice,
will be presented in this handbook. Where further
reading and research are necessary, I have provided
a resource section and bibliography at the end of the
book which suggests other books and helpful orga-
nizations to contact for further information. It also
lists businesses that provide services you may need,
and those that you will need to know about in order
to market your prints.
The rest is up to you. I believe that the way to move
mountains is to just do it anyway. In other words,
20 Successful Fine Art Photography
to get started, get started. Reading this book care-
fully isa good first step. Itattempts to share all I have
learned from my experience as a successful fine art
photographer in a very detailed way. But, do not
stop after reading my book. Take your ambition and
artistic vision and make something out ofit! Castles
in the air are wonderful indeed. Now, one step at a
time, build a foundation under the castle.
What This Book Covers
In this book you will find:
- Reproductions of photographs that have worked
in the fine art market; an analysis of why they work;
interviews with and/or biographies and discussions
of photographers who have been successful in this
market such as Ansel Adams, Jay Maisel, Marilyn
Bridges, John Sexton, Cindy Sherman, and Jerry
Uelsmann; discussions with prominent “gatekeepers”
to success in the art world, including art consultants,
art dealers, and curators; what these people and
businesses look for in photographs; how to contact
and submit work to them.
- A step-by-step guide to the different kinds of
photographic prints; how to make them; how to
work with labs to have them made; how to sign and
edition prints; how to present and frame them;
different kinds of installations.
- How to choose imagery; how to price photo-
graphic prints for different markets; a thorough
analysis of the various markets for fine art photo-
graphic prints and how each market works.
- Obtaining an exhibition; the actual work that
goes into promoting and hanging a show; how to get
the most long-term benefit out of having an exhibi-
tion.
- The nuts and bolts oflife as a fine art photogra-
pher.
- A comprehensive Resources Section that includes
suppliers, lists further reading material, and pro-
vides concrete suggestions for marketing your work.
The Different Markets
It is helpful to divide the market for fine art
photographic prints into three general groups of
final “consumers” of prints. (As with all generaliza-
tions about the real world, of course, some buyers of
work defy this ready characterization.)
The first category is represented by purchasers of
prints who buy their work at arts and crafts shows.
These are real people who buy the work for their
home, or as gifts.
The next market is that of wall decor for corporations.
There is a broad range of acceptable imagery. The
only clear exclusions are for photographs which are
controversial or involve politics or nudity. Corporate
buyers often look for pleasant upbeat work that still
says “art.
Finally, there is the upper-end art market for pho-
tographic prints. In this stratospheric world, an
exhibiting photographic artist sells prints through a
well-known art dealer. Publicity and a considerable
reputation are required.
My primary purpose in writing this book is to share,
in as unselfish a way as is possible, all that I know
about the mechanics of selling to these markets. My
intention is to be useful. It is my beliefasa photog-
rapher and artist that I can only be enriched by good
work created by others, and by other photographers
who succeed in making a living from their imagery.
eee
If you learn from this book and from your own
experience marketing your work, my hope is that
you will feel committed to passing this experience
on to other photographers.
Within this overall purpose, it is also my intention
to use the opportunity that the creation ofthis book
presents to indulge my interest in how systems
work. Specifically, I am concerned with a detailed
examination of the mechanisms of the art world.
How does the world of photography relate to the
world of art? How are reputations created and
maintained? How are the prices of photographic
prints manipulated? This is particularly interesting
in the context of the brief amount of time that
photography has been accepted as a fine art form.
No work ofaphotographer is accepted as fine art in
avacuum. | hose photographers who have achieved
this acceptance in their own lifetimes generally have
an acutely honed sense of time, place and social
context. In most cases, their work is very, very good.
Also, many fine art photographers use their reputa-
tion to obtain lucrative and interesting commercial
assignments. And, it is probably impossible to get
the reputation required for sales of work as art
without publication of the photographer's work in
reproduced form. How to do this forms the content
of my previous books: Publishing Your Art As Cards
e Posters (The Consultant Press, 1990), and the
Photographer's Publishing Handbook (Images Press,
1991):
Within this larger context, marketing fine art prints
isa superb way for the photographer who is commit-
ted to a unique and creative vision to take control of
his or her own destiny. @*
Introduction 21
 The Markets hotography that is marketable as art ranges
from pleasant (for example, images of fruit
Appropriateness and vegetables that would look nice in a restaurant)
Image Creation through powerful but restful landscapes and com-
positions (an Ansel Adams photograph) to dubious
Interview with Marilyn Bridges and disturbing avant garde art world concoctions.
Editing Photography that has been successful in these mar-
kets has been originally intended as advertising,
Submissions to the Art Market fashion, journalism, landscape, personal diaries,
Duplicating Slides and stock (among other things) as well as art.
Possible subject matter is also extremely diverse,
Using a Delivery Memo (with Sample)
ranging from abstract photographs which are essen-
Sample Art Submission Cover Letter tially about the medium of photography from a
formal point ofview to nitty gritty realistic views of
contemporary life. Although categories are not
always precise, and some work fits in more than one
category, as noted above, we will label the three
“Consumer”, “Corporate Decor”, and “High Art’.

The Markets

Consumer photography is bought directly by people

for their own enjoyment at street fairs, through
galleries, from the artist directly, or in other ways.
The subject matter and sophistication of work that
succeeds with “real people” varies enormously, but
these people have to actually like it enough to shell
out their bucks for it (this also means that, generally
speaking, itis priced at the low end ofthe spectrum).

In order to reach this market, the photographer must

be prepared to interact with the general public. Prints
are often sold framed, and are generally fairly reason-
a
Sees

Ay Successful Fine Art Photography

Creating Imagery for the
Fine Art Market
ably priced. The major criteria for imagery is that it be
genuinely liked enough for people to buy the work.
For example, landscapes, sailboats, and antique cars
are appropriate subject matter. Before dismissing this
market, readers should note: (1) Itis possible to make
a very good living this way without acceptance from
any existing power structure; (2) This is a potentially
very large market; (3) Individual purchasers of prints
can be reached in a variety of ways that have no
connection to street shows including (but not limited
to) sales through department stores, kiosks in airports,
and direct mail.
Photography which is purchased for decor is some-
times dismissed as easy-listening art. As with con-
sumer photography, people have to actually like it,
and want to put it on walls that are looked at.
Successful decor photography is often soothing. But
this does not mean it is bad. Only very good
photographs will be successful in the decor market.
Corporate art buyers and consultants tend to regard
themselves as sophisticated about art. Photography
which is successful in this market tends to combine
the pleasant quality of decor with the sophistication
required for possible or actual success in the high art
market. The possibility of the photographs being or
becoming a good investment is important to this
market.
Photographers break into this market by selling
their work through art consultants, interior decora-
tors and architects, and, less commonly, by going
directly to the corporate buyer. Some form of art
world reputation is a helpful, but not necessary,
credential for sales to this market. Some kinds of
pieces for this market are commissioned, particu-
larly when architectural installations are involved.
In this case, the photographer may be called on to
give input on framing and mounting and to include
in the imagery iconographic elements that are rel-
evant to the client. More often, work is selected
from the photographer’s library. Usually, the pho-
tographer provides the print and the art consultant
frames the piece. While print prices are generally
higher than in direct sales, this remains a very price
conscious market.
The high art market is defined by critics, dealers,
galleries, auction houses, and other artists. It is a
roulette game in which success is hitting the jackpot.
The odds are against it, but if you do catch on you
can make it big. Photography that has been success-
ful as art ranges all over the place. It is generally very,
very good. It can be quirky, personal and obscure.
Money, and the role of art as an investment, is
crucial to this market.
Prices may be established by auction results. Often,
substantial prices are not obtained until after the
photographer is dead and no longer producing.
Prints may be purchased for investment purposes in
addition to, or instead of, the pleasure they give the
purchaser. The best material for this market is
controversial, original, and highly intelligent. In
this context “decorative” is an insult. Work tends
not to be pretty. Considerable luck and art world
savvy are required to break into this market.
Creating Imagery for the Fine Art Market 23
 There is much more to creating photographs that
will sell as fine art than understanding the markets.
While understanding the markets is crucial when it
comes to selling your work, it is fundamentally
unhelpful to the creative process.
Visual art, like other kinds of art such as music or
literature, should say something about life.
Since the life the artist knows is the life of art, often
art itselfisthe subject ofart.
External success in the arts can be unrelated to the
ultimate quality of the work. This can create an
extremely frightening situation for artists because it
is impossible to truly judge the quality of work until
long after the fact. An artist might put many years
into a body of work, only to realize at the end ofhis
life that it was not good enough.
Appropriateness
Photographs must be appropriate for the market to
which they are being sold. Anything that people will
actually buy that you can get to them at a price at
which you still make money is appropriate for the
direct consumer market.
Photography for the decor or corporate markets
must be pleasant. While nudes and erotic work can
be sold to some direct consumers, they are not
appropriate for the decor or corporate markets.
Political or controversial topics should also be
avoided. Often, successful imagery is escapist in
nature. Ifabusiness person places art on the wall in
lieu of awindow, it will be something nice to look
at, a place one would rather be.
Ina word, photographs that sell directly to consum-
ers, or as decor or corporate art, are beautiful, which
means they must be technically rather strong with
a good eye for composition.
Vendors of photographs to decor markets, corpo-
rate art consultants, or corporate art buyers must be
24 Successful Fine Art Photography
organized and personable. They must understand
the pricing structure of the industry. They must be
prepared to deliver work in a timely way at the
agreed upon price. They must be knowledgeable
about the different possible kinds ofprints and able
to create or supervise the creation of superb photo-
graphic prints (see Chapter 3, Kinds ofPhotographic
Prints).
Photographs intended for the high art market must
be distinguished, powerful, obsessional, highly cre-
ative and unusual or beautiful - in a word, “extraor-
dinary”. The creator ofsuperb artistic photography
must have sufficient self-confidence to perceive the
value of the work before anyone else does and to
present it in very concise form. Ifabody of work is
truly good, a few examples should be able to repre-
sent it and function as a teaser for the rest of the
work. The would-be vendor of high art must also
understand how the art world operates and have a
flair for self-promotion.
Image Creation
Whether photographs are created intentionally to
be art, or the art market is ancillary to the original
purpose for creation, photographs that are to be
successful as art must have appeal, personal touches
of the creator, passion, individuality, and unique-
ness. There is no magic formula for how to do this.
Generally, it is best to divorce marketing from
creating work. Photographs will probably come out
better if the creative act is set apart as much as
possible. Since this is a market without formula, you
will do best if you create work that is uniquely yours
and that you care about. You can then decide in the
editing process, discussed below, which segment of
the market for photography as art is appropriate for
your work, if any are.
The technical, or “how to”, side of photography is
not that difficult. Practical photographic applica-
tions involve no mathematics beyond the High
School level: the most complex commonly-used
algebraic formula is for the Bellows Extension Ex-
posure Factor and involves simple squares, square
roots and division.
The technique of photography is best learned
through workshops, books specifically concerned
with the technical side of photography and, most of
all, simply by doing. In order to learn by doing, learn
to scrutinize photographs, those you have created
and those by others, with an educated and critical
eye,
Specific technical information regarding things such
as film stock goes out of date with alarming speed.
Therefore, it is generally best obtained when you have
a specific need, for an actual project or application.
What can be said about becoming a more creative
photographer and a better (and more marketable)
visual artist? A willingness to play, to use one’s
intuition, and to take chances is required.
A good starting place is to look carefully at the work
of photographers who move us. One of the best
ways to learn about making images is to look at great
images.
What is it about a photograph that can move us to
tears? And sometimes beyond to resolution and
epiphany? Some of it is humanity. Some of it is
voyeurism. The context of a photograph is a very
important, and potentially very deceptive, topic. But
a seldom directly stated fact is that a tremendous
amount of the power of photography comes from
being in the right place at the right time. For example,
my photograph of “Denali, the Great One, Alaska”
took seventeen days of camping in the rain at Wonder
Lake in Denali National Park before the light was
right. Any photographer who had been there on the
seventeenth day when the mountain finally appeared
would probably have been capable of creating a won-
derful image. And yet, this photograph has sold over
and over again, as a print to both individuals and
corporate collections, as a fine art poster, and for use
as a book cover, in calendars and in other print media.
Much of my success with the Wilderness Studio
imagery comes from having figured out where was
likely to be most beautiful and arranging to get there
with my camera (it’s a tough job, but someone has to
do it!) Ansel Adams has told the story of how he
created “Moonrise over Hernandez, New Mexico”,
possibly his most famous photograph. He was driving
along the highway and saw the moon rising. He just
had time to get out his camera, set it on the tripod and
make one exposure. Fortunately, he knew by heart the
exposure value of the moon so he had no need for
metering. A few of my more successful images have
happened in a similarly rushed fashion. I just hap-
pened to be there, driving by, saw the scene, and
snapped an exposure.
A very different kind of example of the extent to
which photography is dependent on time and place
is presented by 129 photographs of Heinz Jost, a
German soldier, taken during the course of one day
(his birthday) with a crude camera given him for his
birthday and amateurish technique in the Warsaw
Ghetto in September of 1941. These are the most
basic of snapshots, images made with little technical
facility and not much eye for composition. They
were forgotten in a drawer for forty years. Their
impact is that of a powerful emotional blow, show-
ing us the Hell that was the Holocaust. This impact
has nothing to do with photographic technique.
While I am not ignoring the myriad, complex
factors besides those of time and place, including
the powers of observation and technical facility of
the photographer, the implication of this is that to
take great pictures we must, one way or the other,
set up our lives to be present when the possibility of
great pictures is happening. “Luck” is certainly
related to this. Certain great photographers always
just seem to be in the right place at the right time.
Great artists and photographers will follow the path
they are meant to follow wherever it takes them.
One conceptualization for this that works for many
artists is to think of oneself as being a channel open
to messages from a higher power of some sort.
If you want to create photographs of death, dying
and suffering, you will need to find wars, famine,
Creating Imagery for the Fine Art Market 25)
 ee
SOHNE
De
Denali, The Great One, Alaska, © Harold Davis 1980.
epidemics or other human misery. If you want to
create photographs ofpristine beautiful landscapes,
you must first find the landscapes.
Neil Winokur uses a 4X5" camera and vibrant
cibachrome prints to capture images that consist of
the artifacts oflife. A tableau of his was featured on
one wall of the recent exhibition “Pleasures and
Terrors of Domestic Comfort” at the Museum of
Modern Art in New York. Each piece - a separately
framed print - is part of this composite self-portrait.
Subject matter ranges from full frontal portraits of
himself, his wife, and his cat Zorba to objects that
have been important to various stages of Winokur’s
life such as the knife he used for Thai cooking, drug
paraphernalia, an old Elvis record, a slide rule (he
was a math major in college), and his parents’
wedding portrait.
26 Successful Fine Art Photography
oe
Winokur has always “wondered what makes art
rather than a snapshot. It’s a very thin line. Prob-
ably, the people taking snapshots just aren’t think-
ing the same way. Most people don’t think about
art, period. Outside of New York, how many people
go to museums, and, if they do, how much ofwhat
they see is contemporary?
“T started the self-portrait because my mother had
died and I became the repository ofalot of memen-
tos. Objects have the power of icons for me. The
baseball glove I used in the self-portrait was not the
actual glove I had asa child, but it was similar. Many
people have commented that they see their own life
in the objects in the self-portrait. There are objects
from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s; they are
iconographic elements within the experience of
many of us who have lived through those decades.
“T like to do large portraits of people surrounded by
their objects. I let my subjects decide which objects
to bring in, but then I pick and choose which to use.
The result is a totem of the person. The reason for
presenting it as a number of prints framed sepa-
rately is that I get to control the size and relative
importance of the objects. When you photograph
an object by itself, you don’t know its scale. Once it
is in the frame with something else, relative size and
importance become apparent.”
The good photographer is the quintessential voy-
eur. Sometimes the photograph is about light and
dark, shadow and line, and color. This is thought of
as an image that is mainly about “formal” concerns.
Always, when it works, it is also about obsession,
and the photograph functions so that we can project
our obsessions on it. “Project” means to take some-
thing that is inside us, and see it as coming from an
external object. Photographs can be excellent pro-
jective devices; photographers who create images of
extraordinary power use this.
Even the very words, “light”, “dark”, “project”,
which are technical photographic terms, suggest
good and evil, and psychological projective devices.
Without darkness there is no light, just as without
fear there is no hope, and in the absence of the
possibility of loss, no possession.
If the reader wishes to expand his or her artistic
creativity, various different approaches towards
photography need to be tried. Broader and deeper
questions must be examined. Inner and outer jour-
neys need to be undertaken. What is the appropriate
role ofthe artist? What is projection in the artistic
context? How is it done and how do we respond to
it? What is the nature of the unconscious, both of
artist and audience, and what is its relation to
creativity? What is the nature ofspirituality in art?
Many gifted photographers, whose work has been
successful as art (for example, Ralph Gibson), have
found that both writing about what they are doing
and keeping a journal are very helpful.
Obviously, it is extremely difficult to create great
photographs. The attempt to communicate how to
do so is a little like telling a musician to play “with
feeling”. We know it when we see it or hear it, but
do not necessarily know how to do it again, let alone
teach others. Much ofthe talent involved is innate,
or comes from hard won life experience, and the
talent of two real artists is never exactly alike.
Interview with Marilyn Bridges
“Being an artist is dangerous,” states Marilyn Bridges.
“Tt is risky. Fine art photography is photography
with feeling and emotion which is from the heart
and not following a formula. I take the pictures that
make me feel. Showing your art is showing your
insides. If people don’t like your work you can easily
think that they don’t like you.”
Bridges, who has a pilot’s license, knows about
many kinds ofrisk taking and danger from personal
Zorba, © Neil Winokur 1990.
Creating Imagery for the Fine Art Market
Cerne Abbas Giant, Dorset, England, © Marilyn Bridges 1985.
experience. She photographs the landscape from
small airplanes flying slowly at low altitudes. Her
moody, emotional black and white prints record the
markings that humanity has made upon the earth.
Her subject matter ranges from the ancient and
mysterious, such as the Pyramids of Egypt and the
Nazca lines of ancient Peru, to artifacts ofAmerican
industrial culture. Bridges feels that “what man
leaves behind is a great way to learn about ancient
civilization and about ourselves. Our treatment of
our landscape is a reflection of how we treat our-
selves and our sense of self-worth.”
The photographs that make up her most recent
Successful Fine Art Photography
book Planet Peru: An Aerial Journey Through A
Timeless Land (Aperture, New York, 1991) were
taken in the course ofeight trips to Peru. Besides the
normal dangers of travelling in Peru - terrorist
activities, cholera epidemics - Bridges confronted
the peril of doing her kind of flying in poorly
maintained aircraft in the hazardous conditions of
the High Andes. Often, her pilot would bring the
mechanic aloft. In case ofan emergency landing, the
mechanic could makea repair before guerrillas came
along. Also, having the mechanic in the air was some
guarantee that the plane was air worthy. Bridges’
pilot in the Machu Picchu region - whom she insists
was an excellent pilot - died in a crash in the area a
month after she finished flying with him.
In Egypt, Bridges could find no small planes to hire.
Ata loss for any other alternative, she marched into
an Egyptian Air Force base and got a general to take
her up over the pyramids. She prefers to photograph
in the early morning and late afternoon when
shadows are intense and light is indirect; her only
chance in Egypt was in the middle of the day. The
flat, evenly-lit result turned out, she feels, to be very
appropriate for the subject matter.
Bridges enjoys taking risks. She is not easily intimi-
dated. As the middle of three siblings and the only
girl, she had to learn to stand up for herself from an
early age. She states: “A time of risk taking may be
dangerous, but itis alsoa time to stretch and expand.
You take a leap, or are pushed, and go into a new
realm. I am not one to let fear stand in the way. Fear
is an illusion. It is a present state of mind based on
the projection ofa future possibility. |am not afraid
of death. What counts is living one’s life so as to be
fully alive.
“The current book I am working on is on the Ameri-
can landscape and is about my way of looking at
America, the isolation and humor, joy and heaviness.
“Someone who is interested in a life
of fine art photography should also
develop the other aspects of their
being.
“Learn to listen to what your work
seems to do to people. Listen to
people like curators and gallery staff
when they talk to you. Take their
remarks like going to school, alearn-
ing experience, and try not to get
defensive. The point is just to listen.
Sometimes people can see things in
Ha-ak, Blythe Site #1, California, ©
Marilyn Bridges 1981.
your work of which you are not conscious.
“One must focus on a theme or an area. In the fine
art world, to be too scattered will work against you.
For example, I haven’t jumped back and forth
between color and black and white.
“In terms of money, what is important to me is to have
enough to fly and travel and continue my work. I have
lived at all levels - sometimes with no money at all. I
am more comfortable now, but if I'd wanted to get
rich I would have gone into commercial photography.
“ve been fortunate in receiving fellowships and I
would encourage people to apply. I used the
Guggenheim I received the year after I got my
M.F.A. to renta plane and fly down to the Yucatan.
There were no navigation aids, and we knew that if
we went down in the jungle we would probably
never come out. At that point I had never flown
myself. The pilot had me fly while he read the maps.
You learn fast when you know that doing it right is
the only alternative.
“T enjoy flying and travelling tremendously. The
fact that, through my work, I can share this makes
me happy.” $%
Creating Imagery for the Fine Art Market 29
 Editing
If we are not to worry about the markets when we
create our images, rather taking pictures simply
because we are passionate about them, then the
editing process should be where thoughts of the
marketplace first come in.
It is always appropriate (but not always easy) to be
highly critical when editing your work. It helps to
leave a bit of time between the taking of the
photographs and the editing of the take. Once the
passion has worn off, you may be able to be a bit
more objective. Remember, to be successful with
photographic imagery intended for the art market,
one superb image will do better for you than many
almost great ones. You will be better off not hiding
the truly great imagery in a forest of close-but-no-
cigar photographs.
If being objective about your own work is not
something you prove able to do, you may be wise to
enlist the help of outside visual professionals. Pic-
ture editors and graphic designers see many photo-
graphs; they have usually learned to put aside
personal feelings in order to edit professionally. This
kind of visual professional is more likely to be
helpful than another photographer, with whom you
may risk jealousy or fear of hurting your feelings.
Whatever help you have, and whomever you go to
for advice, you are the bottom line decision maker
about your own work.
Editing is vital to performance as a top-notch
photographer. Some observers feel that good edit-
ing is actually more crucial to the final result than
the taking of good pictures in the first place. In any
event, the ability to quickly evaluate (or “read”) a
contact sheet or rough take of slides is extremely
important.
When you edit, consider the marketing context.
Even the greatest photographers take many more
pictures than they will ever use. A small percentage
30 Successful Fine Art Photography
of exposures taken by professionals, particularly
those who aspire for recognition as artists, are ever
printed.
Arrange to have good conditions for editing. If you
will be looking at transparencies, get a good light
box and first rate loupe. If you are examining work
prints and contact sheets, have good light to view by.
Editing is the most important part of the entire
image creation process. Many people will spend
thousands of dollars for a good camera and lens
system but begrudge the hundred dollars it costs to
buy a quality editing loupe. This makes no sense.
The larger the print the more crucial is the quality
and sharpness ofthe original. This is another way of
saying that art print reproduction ofphotographs is
a critical usage. Much of the market for decor and
art is for large scale prints, greater in size than
30X40". At these percentage magnifications, any
flaw and lack of sharpness in the original will show
in the print. Also, art is something that people look
at carefully on the wall. All in all, photographs must
be technically superb to succeed as art. (Note that
some art imagery is intentionally blurred, or grainy,
or otherwise manipulated in order to create a spe-
cific effect. This is another story.)
Submissions to the Art Market
Many, if not most, art dealers and galleries require
initial submissions to be made with 35mm slides
(also called transparencies). Original slides should
never be submitted to an art gallery or dealer.
Galleries deal with many, many slides of art work in
various media. They do not tend to think ofslides
as being potentially valuable originals, nor do they
have the time to treat submissions with the care that
this value would imply. So, only submit duplicate
slides. If your original photographic media is trans-
parent film, such as Kodachrome, in any size for-
mat, and you do no manipulation after the original
exposures, you can have duplicates made directly
from the original transparency. On the other hand,
your work may consist of black and white prints or
manipulated color prints.
Examples of manipulated color prints include prints
that have been hand painted on or used in photo
collage. In these cases you will have to re-photograph
your prints with slide film. It is easiest to use a copy
stand for this kind of work. You can either shoot
multiples of each print, or make duplicates from the
best slide of each. It is a good idea to photograph prints
with a small white border so that it is clear to viewers
that they are looking at a slide of aprint. By the way,
slides of black and white prints done this way look
fantastic and work well for projected presentations as
well as gallery submissions.
Do not send too many duplicate slides. Normally,
twenty (which is a page of slides) is enough for an
initial submission. If the gallery likes your work,
they can always ask to see more (or better yet, to see
a portfolio of your prints).

Duplicating Slides
“Good original slides dupe best,” states Barbara Rosen of Replichrome, a slide duplicating company
based in New York. “While there is no substitute for a properly exposed original, under-exposed
slides can be lightened-up in the duping process. There is just not much you can do to correct an
over-exposed original. There is no way to add color which isn’t there.”

Slide duplicating services come in two varieties: machine and custom. Machine dupes are
considerably less expensive, but no individual corrections are made. A typical machine dupe costs
less than $1.00. Kodalux is probably the best supplier ofthis kind of dupe (request it at your local
camera store) but other less expensive services can be found in the advertisements in the back of
photography magazines.

If you send your slides to a machine or custom duping lab, make sure they are properly insured.
Fedex, for example, has a maximum limit of $500.00 per package. Registered, insured U.S. mail
will probably be best. Working with a lab near you, in addition to saving you mailing costs, has the
advantage that it is easier to get poor dupes re-shot.

It is possible to make 35mm dupes yourself. The least expensive way is to use a bellows with a slide
duplicating attachment and a tungsten light source. While the equipment costs less than $400.00,
the results are not all that good. Beseler makes a slide duping machine with a dichroic light source
which costs about $1100.00. It is a little tricky to use, but can produce excellent results.

A good custom dupe made at a lab will generally cost $3.00 and up, with a discount given for
multiple dupes from the same original. As noted above, it makes sense to have your dupes made
at a lab close to home so that it is easy to have them re-do ones that don’t come out well. Ms. Rosen
notes that “since, at Replichrome, all we do is make slide duplicates, we are able to make custom
dupes which are as good as you can get anywhere, for a lot less money. We are nota full service lab;
duping is all we do. A first dupe from an original costs $1.75 at Replichrome. Hundreds, if not
thousands, of our customers are artists and photographers who are using these duplicate slides for
presentations to galleries.”

Creating Imagery for the Fine Art Market

 Slides should be submitted in plastic slide sheets.
They should be neatly labeled. If possible, use a
typewriter or a computer program that generates slide
labels. Information on each slide should include your
name, copyright notice, title of the work, media
(“color photograph”, or, if it is a slide ofa print, the
kind ofprint, e.g., “manipulated cibachrome print’),
and, if the slide is ofa print, its dimensions. A full
copyright notice consists of the word “Copyright”
followed by the © symbol, the date, and the artist’s
name. For example: Copyright © 1992 Harold
Davis. It is also proper to abbreviate the notice as
follows: © Harold Davis 1992. The year in the notice
should be the year of the first publication ofthe image
or of its formal copyright registration. If your photo-
graph has neither been published nor registered, put
down the current year on the notice. (While not
technically as correct, it will probably cause no harm
to omit the year from the notice, for example: ©
Harold Davis. You may wish to do this so as not to
date submissions which would otherwise be timeless,
e.g., nature photography.)
Slides should be accompanied by two copies of a
Delivery Memo (see sample), a cover letter (see
sample), resumé (see sample), copies of reviews, and
a S.A.S.E. (unless other arrangements, such as an in-
person pick-up, for the retrieval of your slides have
been made). For more information on the prepara-
tion of the accompanying material, see “How to
Approach Galleries” in Chapter 10, How the Fine
Art World Works.
The entire presentation should be well packaged,
neat, and professional. Give some thought as to how
it will be for the person opening the package, and try
to make this a pleasant experience. While color
coordination of packing materials is not required, at
least your presentation should be well organized and
easy to re-package.
Should you be able to arrange to show your original
prints in person to a dealer or gallery director, or get
invited to return with original prints following an
initial submission of slides, remember that less is
more. The goal is to leave your audience hungry for
oe Successful Fine Art Photography
more work, not to bombard them to the point of
stupefaction. All too many artists bring all their
good work to such a presentation and then have
nothing left to show when the dealer or gallery asks
to see more. An important requirement for selling
to the high end art market is to realize how good
your work is. If you cannot do this first, probably
nobody is going to discover you in an impoverished
photographer’s garret. And, if you really know how
good you are, ten extraordinary prints are certainly
more than enough for a first presentation. If you
have that many that are truly good, do not dilute
them.
Keep print presentation boxes simple. An old paper
box works fine and perhaps shows that you made the
prints by hand. Otherwise, a simple but elegant port-
folio box for prints is appropriate. Prints can be
presented either mounted or unmounted and matted
or unmatted (see further discussion in Chapter 4,
Mounting and Framing), but if they are larger then
16X20" in size will probably be too heavy to carry
around unless they are not mounted or matted. In this
case you will want to protect the prints, either by
placing each print in its own clear plastic envelope or
by placing acid-free interleaf paper between the prints.
A final and important note: in the long run, courtesy
and consideration are the best sales technique anyone
can have. This is as true for marketing your photogra-
phy as art as it is for selling in general. It does not
matter that gallery personnel have been rude to you.
Ultimately, politeness on your part will pay.
Using a Delivery Memo
On page 35 isan example ofa Delivery Memo that
I would use to accompany an initial submission of
slides to an art gallery or dealer. Always make three
copies. Start a file for the art gallery or dealer, and
place one copy in the file. If possible, get the dealer
to sign and return a copy for your records. In any
case, make it part of your standard operating
procedure to send two copies along with the
submission, one for the dealer’s records, and one
 Sample Art Submission Cover Letter

Harold Davis
Wilderness Studio, Inc.
2673 Broadway, Ste. 107
New York, NY 10025
212-642-5123
FAX 212-663-6144

Date

Ms. Eliza Doolittle

Director
Corporate Gallery Deluxe
12 Soho Street
Trendville, NY 66666

Dear Ms. Doolittle:

I enjoyed meeting you at the Fliigelhofen opening last week and appreciate your expression
of interest in my work. As we discussed, I am sending you some duplicate slides for you
to review.

In addition to the twenty duplicate slides, I am enclosing a resumé, some reviews of

exhibitions of my work, a S.A.S.E. for the return of my material, and two copies of my
standard Delivery Memo. As you will note, the holding fee provision in the Delivery
Memo has been waived. Should you wish to keep the slides for your files, you may
certainly do so; simply sign and mail me one copy of the Memo.

Of course, I would be delighted to show you more of my work. I would particularly

appreciate a chance to show you my handmade Cibachrome prints. Please let me know if
you would like to set up an appointment, or if I can provide you with any other informa-
tion about my work.

Sincerely,

Harold Davis

Enclosures

Creating Imagery for the Fine Art Market 33

 to return to you signed. This procedure works
whether you are sending in your submission by
mail or bringing it in person. If you bring a
submission in person, leave with your delivery
memo or some other signed receipt. Terms on the
Delivery Memo are certainly negotiable (for ex-
ample, in the sample Delivery Memo presented
below, the holding fees have been waived) but a
business-like attitude towards paperwork and pro-
cedure is a must. Precise record keeping is very
nn
34 Successful Fine Art Photography
important. If you always document submission
transactions, then you will certainly do so the one
time your slides are lost, increasing the likelihood
of being compensated for the loss of your prop-
erty. Photographers and artists who document
such things and follow sound business practices
gain the respect of art dealers and galleries. Also,
you may have many submissions out at one time.
This way you will still be able to keep track of
them. &
Eee eee
 Delivery Memo

Ms Eliza Doolittle Harold Davis

Director : :
Corporate Gallery Deluxe WG
CT Cos Ss
titio TiC
12 Soho Street 2673 Broadway, Ste. 107
Trendville, NY 66666 New York, NY 10025
212-642-5123
212-663-6144 FAX

Enclosed Please Find:

Subject / Description Format: Contacts

General selection of Harold Davis color landscapes

Duplicate slides submitted per discussion
for your files; holding fees waived; to be
returned upon request; Thank you.

Kindly check count and acknowledge by signing and returning one copy. Count shall be considered accurate and quality
deemed satisfactory for reproduction ifsaid copy is not immediately received by return mail with exceptions duly noted.

Total Black & White:

Total Color: 20

Terms of delivery:
1. After 14 days the following holding fees are charged until return: $5.00 per week per color transparency and $1.00
per week per print. 2. Submission is for examination only. Photographs may not be reproduced, copied, projected, or
used in any way without (a) express written permission on our invoice stating the rights granted and the terms thereof;
and (b) payment of said invoice. The reasonable and stipulated fee for any other usage shall be three (3) times our normal
fee for such usage. 3. Submission is conditioned on return of all delivered items safely, undamaged, and in the condition
delivered. Recipient assumes insurer’s liability, not bailee’s, for such return prepaid and fully insured by bonded
messenger, air freight, or registered mail. Recipient assumes full liability for its employees, agents, assigns, messengers,
and freelance researchers for any loss, damage or misuses of the photographs. 4. Reimbursement for loss or damage shall
be determined by the value of the photographs, which recipient agrees shall be no less than a reasonable minimum of
$1500.00 for each transparency except as noted above. 5. Objection to these terms must be made in writing within five
(5) days of the receipt of this Memo. Holding the material referenced herein constitutes acceptance of these terms. Article
2 of the Uniform Commercial Code is hereby incorporated by reference into these terms. 6. Any dispute in connection
with this Memo including its validity, interpretation, performance or breach, shall be arbitrated in New York, NY
pursuant to the rules of the American Arbitration Association and the laws of the state of New York. Judgement on the
Arbitration award may be entered in the highest Federal or State court having jurisdiction. Recipient shall pay all
arbitration and Court costs, reasonable Attorney’s fees, plus legal interest on any award or judgement. 7. Recipient
agrees that the above terms are made pursuant to Article 2 of the U.C.C. and agrees to be bound by the same, including
specifically the above Clause # 6 to arbitrate disputes.

*** ACKNOWLEDGED AND ACCEPTED:

Creating Imagery for the Fine Art Market 3D

 Black and White Prints
Ektacolor and Cibachrome Prints
Interview with Paul Yafcak,
My Own Colorlab
Dye Transfer Prints
Interview with Guy Stricherz, CVI Lab
Working with Labs
Offset Reproduction Posters and Prints
Polaroid Prints
Alternative Processes
eee
36 Successful Fine Art Photography
photographic print is a reproduction of a
photographic original made by exposing it to
alight sensitive print media. Most, although notall,
black and white photographic originals are “nega-
tives”. Color originals are either transparencies (also
called chromes, a kind of positive), or negatives.
Most, although far from all, photographic printing
media are fiber-based papers which trap light with
a silver-gelatin emulsion. The various technologies
for creating color photographic prints will be dis-
cussed below. “Contact” prints or sheets are made
by directly exposing a negative to paper. Enlarged
prints, or “enlargements”, are made by projecting
light through the original, using magnifying lenses,
onto light sensitive photographic paper. The equip-
ment used to do this is called, logically enough, an
enlarger. In other words, the creation of a run-of-
the-mill photographic print involves exposing a
magnified negative on a piece of photo-sensitive
paper using an enlarger and then developing the
image using appropriate chemistry. Generally, this
exposure must take place without exposing the
photographic paper to miscellaneous light, in a
darkroom.
One master printmaker notes: “It is important to
understand that the way the artist sees is not neces-
sarily the way the camera sees. A print is an interpre-
tation of the way the artist sees. A one-hour photo
place gives a machine’s interpretation. An artisan
who is good at making prints for others interprets
the work of the other person, printing in that
person’s style. In the end, this requires a great deal
of manipulation.”
Kinds of Photographic
Prints
Black and White Prints
The most common kinds ofblack and white print-
ing papers are based on silver bromide or silver
chloride chemistry. Silver-based gelatin emulsion is
used to coat some kind of paper. When the paper is
exposed, the light-sensitive chemistry causes silver
grains in the emulsion to capture and retain images
contacted or projected onto it.
Paper itself is termed either fiber-based or resin-
coated. While resin-coated papers are based on
fiber, they have an essentially plastic feel. Their only
advantages are economy and speed of processing.
Resin-coated black and white prints are not suitable
for presenting to the fine art market.
Fiber-based papers come in various levels of qual-
ity; the most suitable for the fine art market are
called premium, or exhibition, papers. Premium
papers are available only on double-weight or
heavier stock and deliver a rich image due to a
higher content of silver. Some premium papers
are Ilford’s Galerie, Kodak’s Elite, and Oriental’s
New Seagull.
Chuck Kelton, one of New York’s leading black and
white printmakers, observes that in some ways fine
printmaking is becoming more difficult. “People
have become more critical,” he states. “At the same
time, there is a general trend towards less silver
content in paper. This is for economic and environ-
mental reasons, but it makes it harder to get ex-
tremely rich prints.”
Kelton advises photographers who are working with
printmakers that they must know what they want
first. “A printer is not your collaborator. I will work
with you in your own style. There has to be a
dialogue between photographer and printer.” He
pleads with potential customers to come to him with
plenty of time: “Too often photographers come
here with only two weeks to make one hundred
prints foran exhibition. This should take six months.
How can I possibly do the work justice?”
Ultimately, Kelton notes, master printmaking re-
quires clear vision and good communication on the
part of the photographer.
Many kinds of manipulations that have profound
visual results are possible in the darkroom. For
example, photographs can be dodged, burnt, and
multiply exposed. The overall appearance of blacks
and grays can be altered by using additives in the
developing chemicals, or by using a toner in an extra
step in the processing. While one need not be a
technical darkroom wiz to create wonderful prints
that are marketable as art - Henri Cartier-Bresson is
said to have never made his own prints - it is
important to at least be aware of some of the
possibilities and what goes into good exhibition
level prints.
Astute collectors, dealers, and consultants will want
to feel sure that prints have been processed with due
regard for archival standards so that they will last. As
opposed to color prints, black and white prints are
an inherently stable medium, provided they have
Kinds ofPhotographic Prints
 been made correctly.
There are many other kinds ofblack and white (or
monochrome) prints besides those based on silver
gelatin emulsion. Some of these are primarily of
historical interest. While there is no huge market for
contemporary prints made by archaic processes,
there might be a niche audience of collectors for a
photographer who had learned how to make, for
instance, authentic daguerreotypes (a nineteenth-
century process using iodine, mercury and gold
chloride to produce a one-of-a-kind image reversed
from left to right on silver plate). Some historic and
alternative processes will be discussed briefly in the
“Alternative Processes” section of this chapter.
Finally, the discussion of black and white prints for
the art market would not be complete without
mentioning platinum prints and palladium prints.
Both papers are not in commercial production and
must be prepared by photographers themselves.
The chemistry is based on the light sensitivity of
ferric salts applied to a paper which has been coated
with a platinum or palladium emulsion. These
prints are beautiful, soft, and delicate, with a matte
surface. They are expensive to make (palladium,
which generally produces brown-toned prints, less
so than platinum) and generally considered to be
archivally superior to silver based prints.
Ektacolor and Cibachrome Prints
Ektacolor paper is manufactured by Kodak. Prints
made on this paper are also known as Type-C (the
C is short for “Color Coupler”) prints. Type-C
prints are made from color negatives. (This means
that to make a Type-C print from a transparency,
which is a positive, an internegative must first be
made from the transparency.) Type-C paper con-
tains three separate emulsion layers, one for each of
the primary colors. Each emulsion layer also con-
tains chemical color-couplers that form dyes when
the exposed silver in the layer is developed. After
development, the silver is bleached with acid, leav-
ing only the dye image behind.
38 Successful Fine Art Photography
Cibachrome paper and chemistry is manufactured
by the Ilford Photo division of the Ciba-Geigy
Corporation. Cibachrome is a positive-to-positive
process, meaning that prints are made directly from
transparencies without an internegative. (If the
original isacolor negative, a transparency must first
be made.) The paper contains three silver emul-
sions, one for each of the primary colors. The
cibachrome process is one of dye destruction, mean-
ing that the dye that is not wanted is bleached away.
Cibachrome and Type-C are the two most appro-
priate (meaning commonly specified and used)
color prints in the art world.
In theory, either kind of print can be enlarged and
processed in a home darkroom. However, a dry-to-
dry automated processor, which is generally avail-
able for use at color darkroom rental facilities,
makes it possible to produce prints more quickly
and easily. A processor also helps to make consistent
results possible. The bottom line is that without
professional equipment such as a large format en-
larger with a dichroic light source and an automated
processor, good results cannot reliably be antici-
pated.
As compared to Type-C prints, Cibachromes are
glossier and appear almost to be on some kind of
plastic rather than paper. Type-C prints have a
comparatively even range of color, resulting in
flatter and more subtle images. Cibachrome is a
higher contrast material, meaning that images ap-
pear brighter and more vivid. However, it doesn’t
always capture subtlety.
Type-C prints are made from color negatives or
internegatives. Since all the primary colors are in the
one negative, results can easily be manipulated by
the printer. Cibachromes, however, can only be
controlled and manipulated by masking, which can
be tricky and doesn’t always work well. While one
advantage of the cibachrome process is that it is
positive to positive, thus in theory eliminating a
generation and enabling the final print to be sharper,
this turns out not to apply to Cibachrome prints
which are 20X24" and larger. For technical reasons,
a 8X10" inter-chrome must be made in order to
insure good results.
Generally, if you want a pleasant, even reproduc-
tion, T'ype-C prints will be better than Cibachromes.
However, for vivid, bright colors, it is hard to beat
Cibachromes.
Cibachromesare slightly more expensive than Type-
C prints.
Another issue involves the longevity of the prints.
While no material made of color dyes that is dis-
played in lighted conditions can possibly be totally
permanent, the claim is made that Cibachrome
prints, due to their chemistry and dye-destruct
nature, are more archivally sound than Type-C
prints. How important this is asa marketing consid-
eration will depend on the market to which one is
selling and the individual customer. Opinions vary.
One prominent corporate art dealer states, “I can-
notin good conscience recommend ‘C’ prints to my
customers because they are not archivally stable. If
their budget does not extend to dye transfer prints,
I suggest Cibachromes as the next most permanent
option.”
However, a leading vendor of photography for archi-
tectural installations observes that “when you say
decor, archival properties are not going to be your
primary concern. Any chemically produced photo-
graphic material is going to be affected by light. If you
intend to display these pieces, they will eventually
fade. The only truly archival way to keep photography
is to store it in a dark, humidity- and temperature-
controlled closet and never take it out.”
In fact, the Museum of Modern Art in New York
buys both Type-C and Cibachrome prints for its
permanent collection. The museum’s policy is to
obtain a second copy when they buy the first and
place this extra copy in perpetual dark, cold storage.
The truth is that both Type-C and Cibachrome
prints are relatively new media; their long term
archival stability is ipso facto unknown.
A particular job, purchase, or commission may
require prints ofaspecified kind due to economics,
technical environmental considerations (for example,
C-prints are most easily applied directly to a wall),
or predilections of the collector or client. Other-
wise, the decision will be up to the photographer. It
should probably be made primarily on aesthetic
rather than archival grounds.
Interview with Paul Yafcak,
My Own Colorlab
Paul Yafcak and Jerry Vezzuso are the owner and
manager, respectively, of My Own Colorlab, Inc.,
New York’s first, and probably best-known, color
darkroom rental facility. Both are also photogra-
phers. Before he founded My Own Colorlab, Yafcak
worked for a number of commercial labs. Vezzuso
was in-house photographer for the La Mama The-
ater Company and is the author and photographer
of New American Haircuts (Ballantine, New York,
1985).
The decor at My Own can only be described as
eccentric: walls are hung with a rotating collection
of kitsch and pop artifacts. Open a door to a closet,
bathroom, or darkroom and you're liable to find
strange bits and pieces of advertisements, automo-
bile parts, or Richard Nixon memorabilia.
Yafcak states: “We rent color darkrooms with
professional equipment. My Own is a vehicle for
photographers to make their own color prints to the
quality they desire.” Most of the darkrooms are
equipped with Super Chromega 4X5" enlargers,
although there is also an Omega 8X10" and a Leitz
enlarger available. There are two 30" Colenta paper
dry-to-dry processors for Ektacolor prints (the maxi-
mum possible print size using these machines is
30X60"). Exposed paper is carried in light-safe
boxes to the processing room, where it is fed into the
Colenta. Twelve minutes later the fully developed,
Kinds of Photographic Prints BY
 fixed, and dry print emerges without any need to
handle noxious color chemistry. Since Ektacolor
(Type-C) prints are made from negatives, photog-
raphers who shoot transparencies must have
internegatives made before they start printing at My
Own Colorlab.
How tough isit to learn to make color prints? Yafcak
says: “If you know black and white printing, you
have the basic mechanics. We will put an arm
around you and walk you through the color negative
process. It takes a couple of hours.”
Vezzuso adds: “Someone who can print in black and
white can print in color. Individual lessons are
available on a one-to-one basis, with a four hour
course suggested. After four hours, you should
certainly understand the process and how to go
about learning anything more you need.”
With a little experience on the part of the maker,
prints made at My Own Colorlab should cost about
one half of what quality custom prints would cost at
a good lab. However, this depends on the individual.
Vezzuso notes: “Color correcting is a notoriously
fluky skill and some people just have it. Those who are
not as skillful at this aspect ofcolor printing often rely
on the skill of the employees, who are always available
to help and glad to provide it.
“Making good use of the facilities, and making
prints that are less expensive than those available
commercially, requires organization, good record
keeping, and efficient combining of work so that
you don’t come in just to make one print. We have
a number of renters who are professional color
printmakers, for example, Carol Fondé, who works
for clients such as Bruce Davidson, Hiro, and the
New York Times Magazine. These professional print-
ers know to always reserve the same enlarger (the
color balance will be different on each one) and will
have a pretty good idea of the filter pack for any
given negative.”
Yafcak observes: “There are quite a few photogra-
phers who are well known as fine artists who print
40 Successful Fine Art Photography
at My Own Colorlab. For example, Joel Sternfeld
and Jan Groover, who has had a retrospective at the
Museum of Modern Art and is represented by the
Robert Miller Gallery on 57th Street. What these
people tend to like is the simplicity - the equipment
is already set-up and available, chemicals don’t have
to be mixed - and that they can get exactly what they
want without fighting across a lab’s counter. You
don’t have to compromise at My Own Colorlab. If
itcan be done, youcan do it if you are willing to take
the time and effort. This lack ofneed to compromise
is probably the most important benefit of making
your own color prints. Additionally, after you've
been printing for a few years you certainly will be
able to deal much more effectively with a lab who is
doing it for you.”
Vezzuso adds: “I think the most important thing
here is the camaraderie and networking. A young
pro might be renting a darkroom next to an estab-
lished photographer who has been around for a
while. A lot ofexcellent advice goes back and forth.
The atmosphere is one that makes for respect of
what everyone is doing - be they amateurs, profes-
sionals, printmakers, or famous artists. We had one
amateur renter recently from Connecticut named
Karen Klugman. She had been making prints in a
drum at home and wanted to make larger prints.
When I saw her 30X40” prints that she made here,
I suggested she take them by the Museum of
Modern Art. That night she called me; the Museum
had purchased one ofher prints for the permanent
collection.
“Many photographers come here to do their port-
folios. In addition to being able to print their book
for less than it would cost commercially, they also
get some savvy input.
“Most people don’t want to spend $20,000 for a
processor, pay for the electricity, filtered water, and
deal with the toxic chemicals. Once you’ve had a
taste of dry-to-dry processing in twelve minutes, it
is hard to go back. That, combined with the great
sense of camaraderie and shared interests, explains
why we are so successful.” &
Dye Transfer Prints
Dye transfer prints are the Rolls Royces of color
exhibition prints. They are rich in color and beau-
tiful as well as being archivally stable. Composed of
multiple layers of subtractive color matrixes which
are registered on top of one another carefully, they
can be easily retouched by hand. Until the recent
advent of electronic retouching this meant wide-
spread use of dye transfer prints by advertising
agencies.
Three separation negatives, one for each of the pri-
mary colors, are made from a transparency. Each
negative is contact printed or enlarged on a sheet of
gelatin-coated matrix film which has been key-punched
for accurate registration. The gelatins are put one each
in rocking tubs of cyan, magenta, and yellow aniline
dyes. The dye is absorbed by the gelatin matrixes,
which are then put down successively on the dye
transfer paper using registration pins in marble or glass
blocks to assure precise alignment. Only the dye
transfers (hence the term “dye transfer”), not the
gelatin, so each matrix can be used to make many
prints. However, what the final print will look like is
not clear until all three matrixes have been transferred.
Colors are manipulated using chemicals in the dye and
rinse baths. Careful records must be kept so that
changes can be accurately made (records are also
important for re-printing at a later time). Often, the
process must be repeated as many as twenty times to
make one good print.
Dye transfer prints are wonderful but expen-
sive. They are more suitable for editioning
(see Chapter 5, How to Edition Photographic
Prints) than most other kinds of photo-
graphic prints because they are made from
separations in a repetitive process; after you
have the first good print, subsequent prints
will be more or less the same, and easy to
Trene Malli of CVI Lab making a dye transfer
print.
make. Dye transfer are the only color prints made on
true (non-resin coated) fiber-based paper stock.
There are fewer and fewer sources for good dye
transfer prints. This is definitely the upper end color
print of choice for sale to the fine art market;
however, it is often too costly for the customers.
Interview with Guy Stricherz,
CVI Lab
Guy Stricherz is the owner of CVI Lab, which
Stricherz and Curt Rowell founded in 1981. CVI
(short for “Chromatic Vision Imaging”) is one of
the finest contemporary producers of dye transfer
prints.
“Dye transfer print making is really a dying tradi-
tion,” says Stricherz. “When I first came to New
York, I went to work in commercial labs. This was
the primary context in which dyes were made. I felt
the need for an atelier that produced dye transfer
prints in collaboration with photographers.”
He had taught himself dye transfer printing and then
hitchhiked from the state of Washington to New York
City. Before opening CVI, which he and Rowell
designed and built from the ground up, he worked for
Frank Tartaro, a legendary dye transfer printer. He is
passionate about the quality ofthe prints CVIproduces,
as well as committed to the dye transfer process.
Harold
©
Davis
1992
Kinds of Photographic Prints 4]
 Stricherz states: “Our customers are primarily fine
art photographers, galleries, and museums. Although
a limited percentage of our business involves “sur-
gery” - correcting and retouching - primarily people
come to us to obtain the finest possible color print.
Dye transfer prints are the finest color prints in
terms ofthe tonal and color range and because they
are fully fiber based. They are extremely luminous.
They are durable. Perhaps a good analogy is to state
that dye transfers are to other kinds of prints as oil
paintings are to acrylic paintings.
“Tt is important to us to communicate well with our
customers and do what we say we will.
“One of my favorite jobs was printing Bruce
Davidson’s subway imagery. These prints - the
making of which helped put us on the map -
presented a huge range of technical challenges.
Bruce desired rich, deep blacks, without losing the
range ofsubtle colors in his imagery. I also enjoyed
the challenge of making 30X40" prints for Hiro of
his beta-fish imagery. The originals were 35mm
Kodachrome, and the percentage enlargement was
very great since these fish were so small. Every flaw
would show. We made twenty-four different prints,
in editions of twenty, of this work.
“My conception of CVI Lab as an atelier means that
we can concentrate on making the best prints
possible without being burdened by the pressures of
rapid turnaround that burden commercial labs.”
The primary purpose of photographers having
prints made at CVI is for exhibitions. A 20X24"
print costs $800 for the first print and $200 for
subsequent prints (as of 1991). These strato-
spheric prices lead to many photographer-cus-
tomers having backers. A backer might be an
institution such as Eastman Kodak. Other pos-
sible backers are galleries, publishing companies,
museums, and wealthy individuals who are inter-
ested in the photographer’s work. The bulk of
printmaking at CV] is financed by fine art photog-
raphers themselves. “While the initial print price
seems high,” notes Stricherz, “if you make an
42 Successful Fine Art Photography
edition offive, the unit price comes down to $320,
which is a lot less steep. One strategy that has
worked well for some of our customers 1s to pre-
sell the first print (perhaps at a discount) to cover
the costs of making the entire edition. Sometimes,
photographers who are having an exhibition mix
our prints in with other kinds ofprints that are less
expensive.
“Tam committed to fine art photography, and I love
the dye transfer printing process. Unfortunately, we
are not ina position to subsidize photographers. We
work on a 50% deposit, 50% on delivery basis, and
have found that sticking to these terms saves a lot of
headaches.
“Some work does not need subsidization. For ex-
ample, we did an edition of seventy-five prints for
Galen Rowell of his “Rainbow over the Dalai
Lama’s Palace”, all of which sold.
“But, for fine photography which would not other-
wise be printed in a top quality way, I would like there
to be more corporate backing (and perhaps even some
kind of non-profit institution created specifically for
that purpose) of dye transfer printmaking in an atelier
atmosphere such as CVI’s.” =
Working with Labs
The best way to choose a lab is listen to other
photographers. In particular, do not patronize a lab
which has a bad reputation among professionals. It
is often the case that a lab with a big promotional
budget and high prices produces work that is no
cleaner or better than that done at a more modest
facility.
Photographic processing and printing requires good
record keeping, cleanliness, and precision, as well as a
printer with a good eye. Look for an establishment
whose facilities indicate the possession of these traits.
Once you have found a lab you like working with,
do not needlessly jeopardize the relationship. If you
have a problem with a job, be courteous and non-
abusive when pointing it out; everyone makes mis-
takes sometimes.
It is a good idea to keep current on your account
with labs and printers. This helps to make your
business desirable to them. If you have established
a relationship oftrust, your lab should be willing to
do work for you on credit ifa big commission comes
along.
Jim Vazoulas of K&L Custom PhotoGraphics, one
of New York’s largest and most respected full
service photographic labs, states: “A professional
photographer seeking to get the best results from
a lab should not pretend to know everything. You
should communicate to the department manager
or technician assigned to discuss your work ex-
actly what it is you are looking for in visual terms.
Ask the technician for recommendations. Let him
explain why a certain paper can produce an effect
better than another paper. If there is a doubt as to
whether a Cibachrome or a Type-C print will
come out better, let the technician give you the
benefit of his experience of having been involved
in making thousands of different prints. Let him
know if there are any special effects such as
burning or dodging you'd like to see. In the
absence ofinstructions to the contrary, your im-
age will be printed as it appears in the negative or
transparency. If you wish to correct specifics - for
example, lighten faces and darken the background
- you must mention this. Photographers have a
tendency to be so closely involved in a subject,
what it was like to be there, the way it was shot, the
lighting, exposure, and so on, that by the time they
get to explaining it to a technician they have lost
their objectivity and are not able to very clear
about what exactly they want.
“If possible, view a test on a large print before it is
run. If you are not happy with it, say so. When you
view the final print, approve it if you like it. If not,
try to be very specific when you discuss it further.”
Bear in mind that labs will generally have no liability
for loss or damage to your original material other
than replacing it with comparable unexposed film.
ASMP members can obtain special lab insurance
through that organization. However, if possible, the
best insurance is to create multiple originals in the
first place. Why take chances? Any photographer
who is marketing work as an artist has spent a
lifetime getting to a place where they can create
powerful images. Film for a second original is a
negligible part of the investment involved.
Many master photographic printmakers work on
their own rather than as part ofalab. Perhaps they
are photographers who make a good living by doing
high quality printing for others. Generally, these
people will specialize in making one kind of print.
If this kind of print requires technology beyond the
capabilities of their own darkroom, they will rent
space at a commercial lab with the facilities they
need.
Free-lance printmakers can be found by asking
other photographers, through the placement offices
at art schools, and through ads in specialty publica-
tions such as Photo District News or posted in
camera stores. A personal referral is best; do examine
the printer’s portfolio and make some trial prints
before engaging the printer for an extensive and
important project.
If you are lucky enough to find a printer who does
good work with whom you get along, treat the
relationship with respect as you would a partnership
or marriage. Ansel Adams once said, “The negative
is the score, the print is the performance.” It pays
to treat your performers well.
Offset Reproduction Posters and Prints
Offset is short for photo offset lithography. It is the
world’s most commonly used volume printing pro-
cess for the reproduction ofimagery and text of all
sorts, including photographs.
A color photograph is separated into primary colors
Kinds of Photographic Prints 43
 and black. From these four separations, plates are
made. Ona high speed printing press, ink is “offset”
from the plate toa blanket to the paper, one time for
each color. Placement on the paper is carefully
registered so that the resulting reproduction appears
sharp.
This process is capable of great versatility, quality,
and uniformity. Unit costs are extremely low once
quantity gets high enough. However, the minimum
commercial run is at least 500 copies, and the
minimum economically-practical run much greater.
Offset presses can be used to produce reproduction
prints of extraordinary quality. For example,
MacArthur fellow Richard Benson uses offset to
create “virtual facsimiles” of vintage prints. How-
ever, this kind of virtuosity requires great skill,
patience, and access to expensive presses. Given
these prerequisites, offset is a printmaking medium
of unlimited potential.
Apart from its potential as an artistic medium, offset
is the lingua franca of the visually literate world.
Probably the only way to become a widely known
photographic artist is via offset reproduction of
one’s work in books, cards, magazines, posters, and
other printed media. This fact alone implies that
every photographer and every artist should thor-
oughly understand the offset process and how to
prepare photographs for reproduction. In the long
run, no artist is likely to achieve substantial sales or
recognition without having work reproduced in
printed form.
One kind of offset reproduction is particularly
relevant to the fine art context and deserves mention
in this overview: the fine art poster. The fine art
poster is an offset reproduction ofaphotograph or
other work ofart with the added element of graphics
and/or a border. Of course, reproduction of one’s
work in a fine art poster is a good way to gain
reputation as an artist, as mentioned above. In
addition, these posters have become a significant
income source in their own right for photographers.
Today, they are also an extremely important re-
44 Successful Fine Art Photography
source for corporate art consultants and decorators.
They are the most commonly used form of low-end
decor. You will find fine art posters in offices, hotels,
restaurants, hospitals, and elsewhere. These fine art
posters are very often reproductions of photo-
graphs. The average retail price is $30.00. To the
uneducated, they do not differ from fine art prints
and are sometimes, intentionally or otherwise, sold
as such. (But note: the distribution system for
posters does not work the same way as for fine art
prints ina number ofrespects. Photographers should
not expect to sell their posters directly to art consult-
ants, dealers, or galleries.)
For further information on the offset process, the
relationship between becoming published via offset
and gaining a reputation as an artist, fine art posters,
and related topics, see my previous books, Publish-
ing YourArtAs Cards & Postersand the Photographer's
Publishing Handbook.
Polaroid Prints
Polaroid (also called Polacolor) prints are one-of-a-
kind instant prints produced on material made by
the Polaroid Corporation. These prints range in size
from approximately 3X5" to 20X24" prints, which
are made on a gigantic studio camera available from
rental facilities that Polaroid has established.
Due to their uniqueness and beauty these prints are
eminently collectible.
Polacolor prints are manipulable for a very brief
period after exposure. Sometimes this is done im-
mediately with dental or other tools into the devel-
oping print.
It is also possible to transfer developing Polacolor
prints onto watercolor paper or some other base.
The effects of transferring Polacolors, or manipulat-
ing them, is somewhat unpredictable. The resulting
image often has a diffused, or soft look, rather like
that of an impressionist painting.
Alternative Processes
There are many other kinds of prints and alternative
processes that work with photographic originals. Some
of these are historic processes that are no longer widely
used (ifthey ever were). Others involve using the latest
technologies for artistic purposes.
The bottom line ts that, ifa printing process works
for your imagery, you have access to the equipment
required, and are prepared to master what is in-
volved, then go for it.
do murals for corporate lobbies using a photo-
collage technique. He takes many pictures of
related subjects (for an automotive parts com-
pany, he photographed cars, hubcaps, engine
blocks, etc.) using color negative film. He then
brings the film in to a Photomat (or equivalent)
mass processor and has 3X5" prints made. The
resulting prints are pasted together in patterns to
make a giant mosaic.
Other photographic artists have transferred photo-
graphs onto canvas and painted on top of them.

Some examples of what are essentially photo- Below you will find a listing of some alternative
graphic processes are so idiosyncratic that they kinds of prints and processes. Books listed in the
have no name oftheir own. For instance, photog- Resources Sectioncontain more information on them.
rapher Tetsu Okuhara has been commissioned to o&

Color Ink Plots
Possible output media for a photo-
graph that has been digitized via
scanning. Plotters use “pens”, each
equipped with a different color ink.
Color Postscript Printers
These are laser printers that have
been equipped with four engines,
one for each of the primary colors
and black. A digitized image must
be input. Output will be fairly low
resolution. (The electrostatic en-
gine, using toner, is conceptually
the same as that found in copier
machines.)
Copier (“Xerox”) Prints
Prints made on a copier, particu-
larly a color copier. While not of
high resolution, the result can be
interesting. Copier prints have been
exhibited and soldas art. Color copy
machines can be fitted with an at-
tachment so that they reproduce
projected color slides. Copy shops
set up this way will sometimes rent
time on their machines.
Cyanotype Prints
The cyanotype process creates nega-
tive to positive prints which are
commonly called “blueprints”.
Daguerreotypes
A nineteenth century process using
iodine, mercury and gold chloride
to produce a one-of-a-kind image
reversed from left to right on silver
plate.
Hand Colored Prints
Prints which have been painted on
after their creation, usually with
photo-retouching pigments.
Panoramic Photography
Photographic imagery which in-
cludes a field of view greater than
180 degrees. This can be achieved
by piecing together conventional
photographs or through the use ofa
special panoramic camera such as
the Globuscope or Widelux.
Photo-collage
Photo-collage involves pasting to-
gether smaller prints (or pieces of
prints). David Hockney is perhaps
the best known contemporary prac-
titioner of this technique.
Scanamurals
Scanamurals are four-color com-
puter images spray-painted on fab-
rics, such as canvas and vinyl, from
a transparency. Scanamurals are of-
ten used in architectural installa-
tions. See Chapter 8, Architectural
and Decorative Uses for Photogra-
phy.
Stereo Photographs
Stereo images attempt to present
three dimensions. These images
must be taken with special cameras,
and viewed through special devices.
Thermal Dye-Transfer Prints
Kodak has recently brought to mar-
ket a thermal dye-transfer printer
suitable for use with digitized color
photographs. Although these prints
are limited to 11X14" and smaller,
the results are astoundingly good.

Kinds of Photographic Prints 45

 Archival Framing ¢ raming is extremely important to the ultimate
appearance and marketablility of an original
Matting and Mounting photographic print. Work which is intended to
Basic Styles of Framing Photography survive should be framed archivally. There are
standard ways of framing photography which is
Framing for Sale at Arts and Crafts Shows planned for specific uses - for example, as corporate
Framing Corporate Art decor - but the bottom line is that many framing
decisions are a matter of personal taste. These
Interview with Adrian Alganaraz,
decisions will have to be made on the basis of the
Dryden Framing preferences of yourself, your framer, and your
clients.

Archival Framing

Archival framing requires the use ofacid-free mate-

rials throughout the process. Obviously, this is
somewhat more expensive than framing without
regard to the stability of the materials used; how-
ever, it is a necessity when dealing with art that is
valuable, or which one expects to last.

The emulsion of the print must be protected from

direct contact with the glass or plexiglass covering.
This is done with a mat that is at least 4-ply and/or
with a spacer that fits between the print and the
frame, keeping the print away from the glass.

The print is attached to the back board with hinges

made out of special tape or placed into corners that
have been created. The mat (which goes over the
print) is then taped to the back board. In its most
basic configuration (see below) this is known as a
“book mat” or “folder mat”.
sae

46 Successful Fine Art Photography

Mounting and Framing
The whole assembly is then placed into a frame,
from the rear. If structurally necessary, the frame is
reinforced to bear the weight of the art using a
“strainer” placed in its rear. Care must be taken to
make sure that dust and other atmospheric elements
will not be able to penetrate the frame and damage
the art.
Matting and Mounting
Most knowledgeable framers believe that truly valu-
able pieces ofart should not be mounted principally
because it is often irreversible. As Adrian Alganaraz
of Dryden Framing notes, nobody would ever even
think of mounting something such asa Jasper Johns
lithograph. However, photographs are often
mounted because when they are not mounted they
wrinkle. In fact, not only do they wrinkle, but the
pattern of wrinkles change with changing humidity.
The larger the print, the more of a problem this is.
Wrinkles in a framed print may offend corporate art
purchasers or others who like their art to be pre-
sented ina very slick way. However, the bottom line
on mounting, as Max Hyder writes in Matting
Mounting and Framing Art, is “don’t do it unless you
absolutely need to.” Hyder states that for him,
waviness in paper that results from humid atmo-
spheric conditions is “as natural as molting birds or
shedding dogs.” The paper will generally become
flat again when the humidity returns to normal.
However, with photographs the waviness problem
is exacerbated by the highly reflective surface in-
volved, particularly when lighting is from spot lights
that are close and above the art, for example, in a
long corporate corridor. In this kind of situation,
the client may insist on mounting for aesthetic
reasons, and there is little one can do but make sure
the person doing the mounting is competent.
It should be noted that mounting is more of a
problem with color prints than with black and white
prints. There is a long tradition of successfully
mounting black and white prints, and their surface
is less likely to be permanently damaged by a dry
mounting press.
Generally, whether they are mounted or not, prints
need to be matted before they are framed, although,
as noted above, it is acceptable to used a spacer to
keep the surface of the print away from the glass. It
is advisable to use 4-ply or even 8-ply mats. Using
thicker mats helps to insure that the emulsion
surface does not touch the glass and gives added
depth to the appearance ofthe finished piece. Don’t
use thicker mats when transportation weight is a
critical issue; for example, in a large matted presen-
tation portfolio. Also, you may wish to use 2-ply mat
board when presenting prints for resale where it is
important to keep prices low.
There are many, many colors of mat board to choose
from, and numerous styles of matting. Overmatting
- the placing of amat on top ofanother with a small
amount of the undermat showing through - is one
frequently used option. The best advice is to use
quality materials. It will be apparent that you have.
Mounting and Framing 47
 Also, matting should be thought of as a background
for the art, not competition. Particularly with photo-
graphs which are striking images in their own right, it
is a mistake to try to get too jazzy in the matting.
Basic Styles of Framing Photography
Bear in mind the basic premise that photographs
should be framed simply. Generally, the image is the
action, not its frame.
The basic style of framing a photographic print as
high art is outlined above. Using archival materials,
an unmounted print is book or folder matted using
material that is at least 4-ply. There is a wide choice
of appropriate moldings available. These include
numerous kinds of wood, which can be finished in
different ways. Metal section frames, particularly in
black or silver, are also excellent and popular choices
for framing photographs.
Another possibility is to place the print ina so-called
plexiglass box. (Do not make the mistake ofinsert-
ing the print in such a way as to touch the emulsion
against the plexiglass. As the humidity changes, the
emulsion will attach itself to the plexiglass. There
must always be adequate space between the print
and the external covering surface.)
Box mounting involves mounting the photograph
to a rigid surface, generally a piece of wood. The
mounted photograph is then attached in the rear to
a wood frame which is covered with decorative tape.
This method of presentation is suitable for decora-
tive and architectural installations. The lack of glass
or other reflective surface between the viewer and
the print does help to create a viewing experience of
greater immediacy. It is possible to apply some
protective coatings to the surface of prints treated in
this way. However, obviously a print that is not
protected with a surface of glass or plexiglass is
vulnerable, not only to environmental hazards, but
also to human vandalism.
Another option, which is suitable for architectural
48 Successful Fine Art Photography
and decor use, is to rear mount the print to a piece
of plexiglass. The print is mounted directly, and in
such a way that it can never be taken apart, to the
plexiglass. The plexiglass is then trimmed to the
exact size of the print. To give the appearance of
depth (which is one of the desirable effects of box
mounting), the assembly can be attached to foam
core or some other surface. The resulting object will
not only be protected from dust, grease, and human
finger prints, it will also be much lighter than ifit
had been box mounted.
Generally, glass is better than plexiglass. It is more
optically clear, and less susceptible to scratching.
However, 24X30" is about the maximum practical
size for glass. In larger sizes, glass gets very heavy.
Also, it can crack if the frame it is in shifts. Over
24X30", specify plexiglass.
Framing Art for Sale at Arts and Crafts
Shows
Special care must be taken with photographs which
are being framed for arts and crafts shows so that the
framing appeals to potential customers. It is not
desirable to lose a sale because of the framing. Of
course, one can always offer to frame another print
of the same image to the customer’s specifications
and ship it to them later, but this does take the
“impulse” out of impulse buying.
Also, the cost of the framing becomes extremely
important. One cannot expect to buy framing at a
retail framing shop and then turn around and sell it
at a profit. (By-the-way, so-called “do it yourself”
frame shops are usually no less expensive than hiring
a framer.) Most photographers who make a substan-
tial portion of their living this way will have to bite
the bullet and learn at least a modicum offraming
skills themselves.
Matting using one or more overmat in an attractive
decorative color scheme is more appropriate for this
market than any other. It is common to display
prints which have been matted and/or overmatted
in a bin. Usually, the prints are protected with
shrink-wrapping, or by placing them in plastic
sleeves or envelopes.
In addition to cost, weight is a real factor with prints
that are displayed at arts and crafts shows. Not only
do you hope to see people walk away with them (and
nobody is too happy carrying away something that
is very heavy), you must set them up and take them
down frequently. For reasons of both cost and
weight, this is the one situation in which you may
wish to use 2-ply mat board rather than the more
generally appropriate 4-ply or thicker. Also for
reasons of weight, you may wish to use plexiglass
rather than glass even on smaller prints.
Be sure to label the backs of prints and frames with
your name, address and telephone number. Once
somebody buys a print of yours, you should con-
sider that person a collector of your work, and that
person probably considers you “his horse”. The
collector who has already purchased your work has
a vested interest in believing that he made a good
decision and that your work is good. He is more
likely than anyone else to buy more of your work.
Make the job of finding you easy.
Framing Corporate Art
Generally, when you sell photographs to corpora-
tions through art consultants or galleries, they will
be responsible for the framing. Sometimes, how-
ever, the corporate client may request the
photographer’s input.
Corporations tend to prefer their art smooth, sleek,
and well-organized. The type of framing they select
generally corresponds to their choice of art (see
Chapter 9, The Role of the Art Consultant). Vhe
preference is for wrinkle-free mounting. If the
photographs are part ofa collection, the corporation
will want them archivally matted and framed in
metal or wood. Frames will be expected to conform
to the style of other frames in the corporate inven-
tory.
If the photographs are conceived of as primarily
decor, box mounting will often be expected. Be
aware that large box-mounted prints can be ex-
tremely heavy. Depending on the kinds of walls
involved, installation may not be at all trivial. It is
best to warn corporate clients of this and suggest
alternatives. If the client insists on box-mounting
large prints, try to involve an experienced installer.
And make sure beforehand that you will have no
liability if anything goes wrong.
Interview with Adrian Alganaraz,
Dryden Framing
Adrian Alganaraz is the president of Dryden Fram-
ing, which is well-known for its quality framing.
“We do a lot of photography,” he states. “I like
working with photographers. They are fussy and like
things neat.”
In addition to working with photographers, Dryden
has done framing for art consultants, collectors, and
institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum.
“Generally,” observes Alganaraz, “photographs
should be mounted, matted, and put under glass in
a nice simple frame. The matting and the mounting
are the most important part. It is quite popular to dry
mount fine art photographs. The alternative is either
to book mat - tape the mat to a back board on which
the photograph has been attached with corners made
of rag board - or to attach the photograph to the back
board with mulberry paper hinges.
“Type-C and Cibachrome prints will appear wavy if
they are not mounted. Particularly in a corporate
environment, where they like things neat, this is
frowned upon. However, if someone brought in a
contemporary graphic such as a Jasper Johns print
you would never mount it, even if it was going to
look wavy. Photographs are a much newer medium.
It is currently acceptable to mount them using
archival mounting tissue on rag board. In the future,
it’s quite possible that the emulsion in mounted
Mounting and Framing
 prints will crack due to different expansion and
contraction rates in the print and the material on
which it is mounted.
“Avedon prints are backed with linen which provide
support so the print does not buckle yet allows the
paper to breath.
“Really good black and white prints on heavy paper
should probably not be mounted.
“Cibachromes mount well on plexiglass or styrene.
“While I - and most framers - do not like to mount
photographs because it is difficult to do right and a
mistake can damage the art work, I will do as the
client requests.
“Rag board acid-free mat should be used. The color
of the mat should not compete with the photo-
graph. Possible choices are white, off-white, ivory,
cream, and, very occasionally, black or dark grey. It
never stops amazing me when people try to pick a
mat to match the color of their sofa.
“If photographs are being prepared for resale, two-
ply board may be used. It is less expensive and less
heavy. But, in a frame, at least 4-ply mat board
should be used, if for no other reason than to
separate the print from the
glass. These days, we are see-
ing more and more 8-ply
mats. Prints must not touch
Steven Mazur preparing a
book mat for a photographic
print at Dryden Framing. Harold
©
Davis
1992
50 Successful Fine Art Photography
the glass - if they do, condensation will affect the
emulsion.
“Picture framers should have an opinion about how
work should be framed. My expertise and my eye ts
what I am selling. I am not just an order taker.
“Generally, for photographs I am going to recom-
menda nice and simple frame. Metal section frames
made of anodized aluminum are a good economical
frame. Natural woods, such as cherry, ash, and
maple, look great on photographs. Black-stained
ash also looks nice. Then there are the welded
aluminum and brass frames originally designed for
the Alfred Steiglitz exhibition at the Museum of
Modern Art in the late 1950s by Robert Kulicke.
Minimal art looks great in these frames.”
Alganaraz’ father was cabinet maker, and he grew up
around wood. “I continue to try to see who ts doing
good work, and to learn,” he states. “It’s a real
education to take other framers’ frames apart and
see how they have put things together.
“People mostly come to us by word of mouth.
Quality framing is not an impulse purchase. I love
to work with people who are educated about fram-
ing and know what they have when they bring
something in to be framed.” 2
Rural Memories, Chair, Vermont, © Harold Davis 1987.

Mounting and Framing oil

 Open vs. Closed Editions
Impact on Pricing
Where and How to Sign Prints
Sample Limited Edition Photograph
Publishing Contract
52 Successful Fine Art Photography
( raditionally, prints, being multiples made up
from a single master where each print is a
replica of every other print, have been "editioned"
- that is, produced with an indication of exactly how
many prints have been made from the master. With
most kinds of photographic prints, the situation is
somewhat more controversial because no two are
exactly alike even though they are made from one
master negative. Considerations of editioning pho-
tographic prints mostly involve issues of marketing.
Open vs. Closed Editions
An open edition is one in which there is no limit as
to how many copies may be produced. A closed
edition is one in which there is a limitation on the
number of copies that may be produced. An ex-
ample of an open edition is an offset poster, which
may be printed in large quantities, and printed again
and again, so long as there is a market for the poster.
The classic example of the closed edition is a hand-
pulled lithograph made from a stone plate. After
several hundred of these have been made, the stone
is destroyed and no more can ever be made.
The situation, however, becomes somewhat more
confusing with photography. For one thing, there is
an understandable reluctance to destroy negatives.
The same negative that is the master for an edition
of prints may be used for other purposes (for
example, to reproduce an image in a book). The
owners of the copyrights to photographs (who may
or may not be the artist) do not wish to foreclose
How to Edition
Photographic Prints
their other options. If the negatives are not de-
stroyed - and my opinion is that they never should
be - what guarantee does anyone have that more
prints won't be made?
Another serious problem revolves around the ques-
tion of what exactly is meant by limiting an edition.
Photographic negatives can be used to make many
different kinds of prints in a wide variety of sizes.
This is not the case in the example of the classic
closed edition of etchings or lithographs where the
master plate or stone can be used to make only one
size final prints. Thus, Jane Doe photographer
might do a limited edition of twenty 16X20"
cibachrome prints from a negative, and a year later
make a 30X40" cibachrome print and a 16X20"
type-C print, and explain it away stating that the
limitation to twenty was only on 16X20" cibachrome
prints. In fact, many well-known photographers,
notoriously Ansel Adams, have abused the under-
standing oflimited editioning and produced prints
only slightly different in size from a supposedly
completed limited edition.
The only answer here is communication. This
means full and complete disclosure on the part of
artists and dealers about what they are committing
themselves to, along with a serious effort to educate
collectors.
Readers should be cautioned that before agreeing to
produce a limited edition of photographs they
should get expert advice. There are many intricate
issues involved, and much may be subject to nego-
tiation. The sample contract reproduced at the end
of this chapter is meant to be suggestive rather than
exhaustive; it cannot be used without thought. Not
all possible arrangements are covered. For example,
a publisher might buy outright, upon delivery, an
entire edition printed by a photographer. This is
potentially a very advantageous scheme for both
parties, but it is not contemplated in the contract
presented here.
This sample contract is a tool for further education.
It covers many of the more common arrangements
in limited edition publishing. However, do not
copy it blindly. Ifin doubt, get expert advice.
Impact on Pricing
Editioning is about marketing. The world ofcollec-
tors responds to rarity, and limiting an edition of
photographs is an attempt to signal to this world that
the prints in question are rare. In fact, most photog-
raphers do not want to print any one image more
than a handful of times in any case. But photogra-
phers whose work is not presented as limited gener-
ally are not able to command prices as high as those
that do.
The only time that editioning photographs makes
sense in theory is when all the prints in an edition are
produced at one time. This generally happens only
when a portfolio is produced. In all other cases, for
example when a photographer is printing for an
exhibition of current work, an indication that edi-
How to Edition Photographic Prints 53
 tions are limited is a polite fiction to help with
marketing.
This fiction is particularly helpful to sales when the
size of the edition is small. As gallery owner Laurence
Miller notes, “ifthe photographer wants his work to
sell in the marketplace, he should respect rarity.” By
and large, it is of less importance to the corporate
and decor markets.
Photographer Bill Coleman is unhappy that he
started out editioning his highly successful imagery
of the Amish. He has sold out entire editions of some
of his more popular photographs. Had he realized
the consequences when he was first starting out, he
states, he would not have limited editions. How-
ever, the fact that he can no longer sell many ofhis
popular images compels him to go out and create
more successful imagery, an impetus to spending
time in the field that he appreciates.
Where and How to Sign Prints
An artist’s signature can be like a trademark. In and
of itself, with no art attached, the signature can
become valuable. Where and how to sign prints is
a tricky business and should be given some thought.
Unless the artist is so famous that his illegible scrawl
is recognized in every art-literate household, the
signature should legible. Very likely, it will be the
only thing connecting you to your creation. If
strangers see your print, you should want them to
know you created it. Apart from the importance of
taking pride in your creations, froma business stand
point you want potential customers to know who to
contact for more of the same. Prints hanging in
ese
54 Successful Fine Art Photography
corporate collections (where, by the way, they have
a surprisingly vast audience) usually do not bear
credit lines as magazines do. The first rule of
signatures is make it legible.
Some prints should not be signed. Where a visible
signature on the front ofthe print will detract from
the intended aesthetic purpose of the print, sign it
on the back instead. You will have to use your
judgement about this. Signatures should not be so
big that they compete with the photograph, or ina
color that clashes. Often, box mounted prints that
are used as site-specific decor should not be signed.
The client can be consulted as to his preference in
this situation. The word here is sign appropriately.
It is worth putting some time into developing a
signature that is elegant as well as legible.
The signature, generally in indelible ink, must be
firmly attached to the print. As Ansel Adams
advised me, it is probably best to sign directly on the
print. Ifa print has been irrevocably mounted on
archival board, then it is appropriate to sign the
board below the print. A signature on archival board
may be done in pencil. However, it is nota good idea
to signa mat. Mats and prints can become separated.
Your print might then have to go through all
eternity without its creator's name.
Some print surfaces, particularly those of color
prints, may not absorb ink very well. You will have
to experiment. Ink from a bottle applied with a
fountain pen or direct stylus will generally work,
provided you are very careful to let it dry before
touching the print. An extra fine point metallic
marker looks good and works well on Cibachromes,
which are otherwise difficult to write on.
 Limited Edition Photograph Publishing Contract

| AGREEMENT made as ofthe ___ day of ___, 19__, between {hereinafter

referred to as the “Photographer” ],located at and
[hereinafter referred to as the “Publisher”], located at

It is the intention of the parties hereto to create a limited edition of photographic prints using the
work of the Photographer to be promoted, distributed, and marketed by the Publisher.

1. The Photographer hereby agrees to create, or oversee the creation of, a limited edition of
photographic prints [hereinafter referred to as the “Edition”] in the medium and size, and of the
image(s), specified in Paragraph 2. The Photographer warrants that he is the sole owner of the
photograph(s), image(s), and copyright(s) thereofto be used in the Edition, and that no prints shall
be created except as specified in Paragraph 2.

2. The Edition shall consist of:

Title:
Number of Different Images:
Description of Each:
Kind of Print:
Size(s):
Number of Prints:
Photographer’s Proofs:
Publisher’s Proofs:
Printmaker’s Proofs:
Year Printed:

The Photographer shall date, sign, and number the prints.

3. The Photographer reserves all reproduction rights to the photographs used in creating the edition
and any and all statutory and common law copyright ownership in the imagery. The Photographer
grants to the Publisher the non-exclusive reproductive rights to the imagery used in the Edition for
promotional materials such as catalogs and advertisements for the Edition, provided that such
promotional materials are not themselves offered for sale. The Edition, and any reproduction of
imagery therefrom as agreed to in this paragraph or otherwise approved by the Photographer shall
bear a copyright notice in the Photographer's name, as follows:
© [Photographer’s name] 19__.
The Publisher shall register the copyright to the imagery in the Edition with the United States
Copyright Office within ninety days of publication of the Edition.

4. Costs of Creating the Edition and Payments to the Photographer. [Delete the paragraph that does
not apply. Both parties should initial the deletion. ]

How to Edition Photographic Prints a]

 A. Photographer shall personally create the
prints in the Edition. The Publisher shall pay the
Photographer anon-refundable advance of $___
upon the signing of this agreement to cover the
expenses of creating the Edition. The Publisher
shall also pay the Photographer $____per print in
the Edition (fora total of $__) upon their delivery.
B. The Photographer shall supervise the
printmaker who creates the prints in the Edition.
All fees and expenses shall be paid to the printmaker
by the Publisher, who will be responsible for all
expenses involved in the creation of the Edition.
In addition, the Photographer shall receive a non-
refundable advance against royalties of $ >

In addition, the Publisher shall pay the Photogra-
pher a royalty of ___% of the Publisher’s net
proceeds based on the Edition print pricing struc-
ture specified in Paragraph 5 .
payable one-half on signing this contract, and
one-half
on signing the prints for the Edition. The
Publisher shall also pay the Photographer a roy-
alty of __% of the net proceeds to the Publisher
based on the pricing structure specified in Para-
graph 5 below.

5. The initial retail price for each print in the edition shall be $__. Wholesale prices (normally 50%
of retail prices) may be reduced by 10% without notification to the Photographer in order to
accommodate trade courtesy discounts. In addition, the Publisher may discount prints in any way
in order to encourage trade sales, provided that said discounting is agreed to in advance in writing
by the Photographer. The Photographer’s royalty shall be __% of the Publisher’s net receipts, which
are the monies actually received by the Publisher. All monies payable to the Photographer shall be
paid, after the subtraction of advances, within ninety days of the sale by the Publisher, along with
an accounting showing the sale price, name and address of purchaser, number of prints sold, and
inventory remaining.

In order to encourage early sales, the Edition shall be marketed with a set-up discount structure.
[Delete clause if not applicable.] This structure is as follows:

Number Retail Price

$
$
DeP eee

6. The Photographer shall have sole artistic control over the creation of the Edition. All artistic
decisions shall be made by the Photographer. The Photographer shall have no obligation to sign the
Edition until satisfied with its quality. If a printmaker is to be selected by the Publisher, the
Photographer shall have a right of approval over this selection.

7. The Photographer shall receive ___ proofs of the Edition, which he shall be free to sell in any way.
The printmaker shall receive ____ proofs of the Edition, which he shall be free to sell in any way. The
Publisher shall receive proofs of the Edition, which he shall be free to sell in any way, except
not prior to the termination of this agreement as provided in Paragraph 8 below.

56 Successful Fine Art Photography

 8. The Publisher shall have the exclusive right to sell the Edition worldwide [change if applicable]
fora period of _____ years from the date of this agreement. Thereafter, the term of the agreement
shall automatically renew for one year periods unless written notice of termination is given by either
party thirty days in advance of the renewal commencement. The Publisher’s right of exclusivity
applies only to this Edition, and in no case to any other work of the Photographer, or other
reproductions made using the imagery in the Editions.

Title in each print shall remain vested in the Photographer until such time as he has been paid in
full under Paragraph 5 of this agreement, in which case title will pass directly to the purchaser. In
the event of termination ofthis agreement under this Paragraph, title in___ % ofthe Edition shall
pass to the Publisher, and the balance of the Edition shall remain the property of, and be returned
to, the Photographer.

9. The Publisher shall be responsible for loss or damage to the Edition from any causes whatsoever
from the date of delivery to the Publisher to the date of delivery to any purchaser, or, if this
agreement is terminated pursuant to Paragraph 8, until the return of the Photographer's portion
of the Edition to the Photographer. Publisher agrees to maintain insurance on the Edition at the
wholesale price as specified above, and shall divide any insurance proceeds as though these were
net proceeds pursuant to Paragraph 5.

10. The Publisher agrees to spend $____ in advertising to promote the Edition. The Photographer
agrees to have his name, image, likeness, words, and images from the Edition used in said
advertising and promotion, provided that the Photographer shall be entitled to prior approval on
the content of said advertising and promotional material.

11. Neither party shall have the right to assign this agreement without the prior written consent
of the other party, except that the Photographer shall have the right to assign monies due him under
the Agreement. This agreement constitutes the entire understanding between the parties, It can
only be modified by a writing te by both parties. This agreement shall be governed by the laws
of the State of

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the parties hereto have signed this agreement as of the date set forth
above.

Photographer Publisher
Company Name

By
Authorized Signature, Printed Name, Title

© Harold Davis 1992

How to Edition Photographic Prints

 The Historical Context
Interviews with:
Jerry Uelsmann
Helene Winer, Metro Pictures
Which Market is Right for You?
Profile of John Sexton
Interview with Timothy Greenfield-
Sanders
Pricing Considerations
_———
eee
58 Successful Fine Art Photography
n understanding of the past is important to
understanding the present and also for pre-
dicting the future to one’s advantage (to the extent
that one can). It can also be very helpful when
talking to art world types. To analyze the contem-
porary art photography scene, and where any
individual’s work might fit into that scene, it helps
to understand the various traditions that, braided
together, make up the complex world ofart photog-
raphy. This short section on the historical context is
only a starting place.’ It is no substitute for doing
your own research: go to galleries and museums,
look at old prints and photography books. Educate
yourself! Bear in mind that orthodoxies, trends, and
schools of art are ephemeral. In the long run, your
own concerns and style are what matters most. Artist
Jerry Uelsmann observes, “I’ve seen abstract expres-
sionism, pop art, op art, and minimalism, to name
a few, come and go.”
The Historical Context
In the early years of this century, the prevailing
photographic mode was pictorialism. Pictorialism
attempted, through use of soft-focus techniques
and the portrayal of literary and genre subject
' For help with the structure on this section on the history of
photography in the twentieth century, I am grateful to Julie
Saul for her excellent exhibition catalog Photography in America:
1910-1983, The Tampa Museum, 1983.
The Markets for
Photographic Prints
matter, to emulate late nineteenth-century paint-
ing. In 1902, Alfred Steiglitz founded the Photo-
Secession group, and in the next decade established
pictorial photography as a fine art. Later, Steiglitz
and others within the Photo-Secession movement
broke with the aesthetic ofpictorialism and turned
in the direction of straight photography. Advo-
cates of straight photography took sharply focused
photographs of modern subject matter. They were
influenced by avant-garde art suchas that of Rodin,
Cezanne, Matisse, and Braque (first exhibited in the
United States at Steiglitz’s gallery “291”).
In 1922 Steiglitz exhibited a series of ten small prints
of clouds which he called equivalents; his intention
was to enable the viewer to relive an equivalent
emotion to that expressed in the photograph.
Meanwhile, there was cross-fertilization between
fine artand commercial photography. Photography
was becoming accepted as a leading medium for
commercial illustration, and fine art photographers
were beginning commercial practices in order to
make a living. Commercial photographers were
deeply influenced by straight photography and
cubism. In Steiglitz’s view, there was a dichotomy
between commercial intent and the freedom of
expression necessary to create art. However, with
amazing rapidity, work that was created as commer-
cial photography has been accepted as art. It has
become recognized that there can be successful
creative intent behind photographs that were made
for commercial purposes, and numerous originally
commercial photographers - Richard Avedon, Irv-
ing Penn, Edward Steichen, Ralph Steiner, to name
a few - have been accepted as fine artists.
In 1932, a group including Ansel Adams, Willard
Van Dyke, and Edward Weston founded the f64
group in California. The term f64 refers to a small
aperture opening on a lens. The smaller the aper-
ture, the greater the depth of field, meaning more
of the picture is in focus and apparently sharp.
Generally, members of the f64 group used large
format tripod-mounted cameras, and contact-printed
their images on glossy paper which were then
mounted on pure white board. Subjects photo-
graphed by f64 members tended to be nature
oriented: landscapes, close-ups, and nudes. Ansel
Adams is noted for the technical perfection and
wide tonal range ofhis landscapes. In the 1930s he
developed the zone system which established a
system for measuring and pre-visualizing tonal val-
ues.
Photojournalism as we know it also developed in the
1930s. Technical advances, including the introduc-
tion of miniature 35mm cameras which could be
hand held, played a part in this, as did the formation
of the Farm Security Administration Photography
Section (FSA) in 1935 and Life Magazine in 1936.
Most of the famous photojournalists of the 1930s and
1940s, including Margaret Bourke-White, Robert
Capa, Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, and W. Eu-
gene Smith, worked for one ofthese two institutions.
In 1947, photojournalists, including Henri Cartier-
Bresson and Robert Capa, founded Magnum, the
international cooperative picture agency.
The Markets for Photographic Prints De)
 In the 1960s and 1970s it became recognized that
photography’s “‘fine art’ tradition and its ‘func-
tional’ tradition [were]...intimately interdependent
aspects of the same history.”* In 1978, John
Szarkowski, Curator of Photography at the Mu-
seum of Modern Art in New York, presented an
influential discussion of American photography
since 1960 along with an exhibition of photo-
graphs.° He observed a decline in the opportunities
for commercial photojournalists along with a loss of
faith in the objectivity of photojournalism, the
demise of picture magazines, and a rising belief in
photography as a creative vehicle for personal ex-
pression in the tradition of Steiglitz and Weston.
Szarkowski identified two approaches to photogra-
phy in recent years, which he termed respectively
mirrors and windows. Windows photographers
look out at the world and explain, observe, and
classify. The stance behind the imagery can range
from humorous to rageful; techniques used vary
widely. Well-known windows photographers in-
clude Robert Frank, Diane Arbus, Gary Winograd,
Larry Fink and Bruce Davidson.
ardent environmentalist, he was a passionate advo-
cate of high technical standards in photography and
printmaking, and an eloquent leader, both by word
and example, for all fine art photographers.
It was only towards the end ofhis life, however, that
Adams’ prints began their substantial rise in value.
For most of his life, Adams’ prints could be pur-
chased for nominal sums. Adams supported himself
and his family through his books, his teaching, by
doing commercial work, and through managing a
gallery in Yosemite Valley.
As photography became accepted as a valid and
important medium by the mainstream art world in
Easter Parade, Harlem, © Henri Cartier-Bresson
1947, Courtesy James Danziger Gallery.

Mirrors photographers primarily work in the fine art

tradition and seek to express their inner life through
their work. Famous photographers in the mirrors
classification include Harry Callahan, Paul Caponigro,
André Kertész, Aaron Siskind, and Minor White.
=
Ansel Adams is undoubtedly the most important
photographer of the century in terms of creating a
body of photographic work that has been accepted
by a large, general public as fine art. His work has
|
come to be priced commensurate with this evalua-
tion. Adams’ long career towers over the field of
fine art photography. An indefatigable teacher and

* John Szarkowski, The Photographer's Eye, Museum of

Modern Art, New York, 1966, p. 4.

> John Szarkowski, Mirrors and Windows, American

Photography Since 1960, Museum of Modern Art, New
York, 1978.

ee eee

60 Successful Fine Art Photography

the 1980s, the context broadened to include the
concerns ofthe larger art world. These were prima-
rily, but not limited to, issues involving surrealism,
modernism, post-modernism and conceptual art.
The main thrust of modernism is the idea embed-
dedin the image, not the craft involved in making
it, nor consideration ofpolitical issues. The ultimate
extension ofthis is the totally white (blank) canvas
or print. Post-modernism rejects (or goes beyond)
modernism as sterile. Modernism has come to the
end ofits line and said all that it can say, according
to post-modernist doctrine. Where to next? Per-
haps work with social consciousness and a political
agenda will next be critically approved.
In 1991, in an exhibition at the Museum of Modern
Art titled “Pleasures and Terrors of Domestic Com-
fort”, curator Peter Galassi displayed work by photog-
raphers such as Lee Freidlander, Nan Goldin, Joel
Sternfeld, and Neil Winokur. The exhibition served
to illustrate Gallassi’s thesis that post-modernism,
which he defined as the use of the ubiquitous material
of media culture as the primary focus of works ofart,
comes together with photography in the documen-
tary tradition in the depiction of domesticity. In his
notes to the exhibition, Galassi stated that “the many
voices assembled here have a good deal to say, indi-
vidually and collectively, about the current state of the
American Dream - the tenacious American expecta-
tion - of domestic happiness.”
Bear in mind that all these strands (which are
essentially only mentioned here by name, although
there is some further discussion in some of the
interviews) are alive and well in the intersecting art
and photography worlds today. A gallery, however,
is likely to be most sympathetic to work in one
tradition, anda wise photographer is aware of which
one before approaching the gallery.
There is a broader context beyond the art world at all.
Democratic, entrepreneurial America needs things to
go on its walls. The modern fine art poster industry
has emerged to fill this vacuum. Tourist art, art which
reminds visitors of pleasant memories of places vis-
ited, thrives (see further discussion in Chapter 7).
The important thing is to try to understand where
you belong in these various contexts, and to be able
to articulate your position in a knowledgeable way
if necessary.
Interview with Jerry Uelsmann
Jerry Uelsmann’s manipulated imagery, created in
the darkroom using multiple printing techniques, is
about transformation and transcendence. He has
created black and white images of granite boulders
containing secret woodlands paths, gigantic hands
coming out of the sea clasping a rock in front of an
oncoming storm, women contained in spheres or
other objects, or floating in the sky, and ornate
rooms with cloudy skies for ceilings. His compo-
nent imagery - that is, the parts that make up the
complete images - are largely taken from nature.
Uelsmann states that, back in the 1960s, “I was one
of the few people who began challenging” the idea
of the “very conservative, purist aesthetic” of the
unmanipulated photographic print. He states: “I
feel like I was the guy who kind of started the little
trickle that said, “Hey, we don’t have to just make
straight photographs that are totally camera con-
ceived.” In this respect, Uelsmann’s work has had
great influence on the generation of photographers
that came of age in the 1980s. Uelsmann observes
that “in retrospect, the fact that my work still
looked like purist work, with the kind of full tonal
range emphasized by the f64 school, made it easier
to accept. Now, the field is wide open, which I think
is much more healthy.”
Uelsmann has taught at the University of Florida
since 1960. In 1967 he received a Guggenheim
Fellowship and hada solo exhibition at the Museum
of Modern Art in New York. Since that time, his
work has been exhibited, published, and collected
widely. “Initially,” he states, “there was no market
for fine art photography. Most people supported
themselves by doing commercial work or by teach-
ing. People did their personal work in their spare
The Markets for Photographic Prints 61
Untitled, © Jerry Uelsmann 1991.
time because they truly loved the medium not
because it was an easy way to create images which
could gain acceptance in the art world.
“Teaching has been good for me; it is part of who I
am. I have received a lot of support from faculty and
students. In any case, the options were limited in the
1960s. Time and time again you would see an-
nouncements soliciting art for exhibitions with the
statement, ‘All media except photography.’
“The downside to teaching ts that it can be draining.
[’mamazed at the amount of work Idid in the 1960s
when I had a heavy teaching load. I would spend six
Successful Fine Art Photography
hours on campus and then come home and do
something. You can’t wait for lightning to strike;
you must create proper conditions. I incorporated
a schedule and work ethic into my routine. Today,
lama Graduate Research Professor and do not have
to spend so much time actually teaching. The
department has expanded and there are now three
photographers. But the routines I developed early
continue to serve me well.”
Teaching remains an important creative outlet for
Uelsmann, who states that “in the academic
environment...it is a relief to see the heightened
awareness and excitement generated by the photo-
graphic experience. For many students, photogra-
phy offers another system of learning and under-
standing. I am convinced that an hour spent wan-
dering with one’s camera can be more valuable than
an hour spent in the library. While many of my
students have succeeded in photography and pho-
tographically related professions, the hidden agenda
of my courses has always been to make people more
sensitive by giving them another way ofrelating to
the world.
“T have worked very hard to create conditions where
I could be the final judge of my imagery. The idea
that an art director would have input into the
creation of one of my images disturbs me. That is
why, when people ask, I say that I do not do
commissioned work. If something I’ve already done
fits in with a commercial campaign, that’s fine.
“People have to have a degree of commitment to be
an artist. | hate the myth of the child-like artist.
Mostartists I know are bright, hard-working people
who are concerned with ideas and have extensive
awareness of what is happening in the world.
“T feel that I am the beneficiary of serendipitous
events in my career. I was truly lucky that Minor
White was teaching at Rochester Institute of Tech-
nology when I went there. I had gone to R.I.T. to
be acommercial photographer. I had a very limited
perception of what a photographer could be. It
never occurred to me that I could make a photo-
graph for personal reasons. I was also fortunate to be
the one photographer in a department of artists at
the University of Florida. Non-photographers were
used to thinking of art in terms ofpost-visualization
and they were accepting of me doing the same thing.
“T am pleased with my career. | have managed to
exist outside of New York and maintain a profile,
but I am not a celebrity. My privacy is intact.
“Looking at today’s generation of photography
students I see a real change. Students used to want
to work within the photographic tradition of Steiglitz,
Weston, Adams, etc. More and more now we are
seeing a broader base of photography students who
bring to the field concerns with general art world
concepts such as post-modernism.” %
Interview with Helene Winer,
Metro Pictures
Helene Winer is the owner and director of Metro
Pictures, a gallery in New York’s Soho art neighbor-
hood.
Something about this gallery's architecture and lavish
interior space, or the kind of art displayed and the way
it was presented, had always made me feel intimidated
and put-off when I visited this gallery over the years. I
was therefore relieved to find Winerastraight forward,
intelligent person who looked mestraight in the eyes and
spoke in a language which I could understand, void of
art world jargon.
Winer states: “My concern is just the art and how it
is presented. We represent three artists who use
photographs: Louise Lawler, Cindy Sherman, and
Laurie Simmons. They come from an art context,
having been educated at an art school or in a
university art department and use photography as a
means to an end. They are part ofthe tradition that
began with conceptual art in the 1960s. The photo-
graph was a document ofthe physical manifestation
of the art rather than a ‘high’ art object in-and-of
itself.
“There were always high artists using photography.
However, no artist who took themselves seriously
would be strictly a photographer. For example, Man
Ray thought he was earning a living as a photographer.
“The content of Cindy Sherman’s work is cultural
mythology. She manipulates not the photograph
but the scene - or the way she places herselfin the
scene. Her art is able to tap into things that you
know, but don't know that you know. It ranges
from charming, loving, and benign through historic
to grotesque and ghoulish, touching on things that
The Markets for Photographic Prints 63
 haven’t quite surfaced. She observes things as chil-
dren do, learning about her inner and outer land-
scape. She is an extraordinary and unusual artist
whose work is about what it’s like to be a conscious
person. I have known her work since she was
twenty-two (she’s now about thirty-six) and it keeps
getting better and more difficult. Of this new
generation of artists using photography she is the
first to get equal status from sources not into
photography. Sherman’s work bridged the gap be-
cause it is so remarkably seductive both intellectu-
ally and visually. European museums have been
quicker to buy photographs made by artists they
care about. I think that one of the reasons for the
reluctance to accept photography is because it is
hard fora photograph to appear to be a masterpiece.
Even a big photograph has a cool, detached nature,
a flat surface, and is thin.
“T have represented Sherman since the gallery opened
about ten years ago. We are her exclusive dealer. All
requests for use of her work, and all business transac-
tions, go through the gallery. We also keep records and
biographical information, and deal with the press.
“Marketing is not the issue in a gallery like Metro
Pictures. We are involved in the process of supporting
the careers of major artists. You simply cannot fabri-
cate the credibility that facilitates a career like
Sherman’s. Things can apparently be manipulated for
a time to hype someone. But good artists get ac-
quainted with the system and hook up with a gallery
where the context is appropriate. What happens with
a serious artist is that a consensus appears among other
artists, critics, curators, and museum people that this
is influential work that makes a statement. The artist
becomes well-known. All the gallery can do is protect
the art and take it seriously by management, not
manipulation. I’m not trying to pretend that this is a
high-minded salon where we don’t sell art. We do.
But, our primary interest 1s protecting the careers of
our artists. Perhaps the misunderstanding in this area
exists because the 1980s were such an extravagant era.
So many galleries opened up to ride the wave.
“I have tried to pick artists who are going to be
64 Successful Fine Art Photography
important artists oftheir generation. Some of these
artists use photography.
“Unfortunately, it is not possible for me to look at
unsolicited work. Artists should realize that gallery
directors are busy people who are not public ser-
vants. Don’t harass them.
“Do make sure you start showing your work. New
galleries who are looking for work are a good place
to start. Artists should do their homework before
presenting work toa gallery. Try and target the right
galleries for your work.
“Other artists are in many ways the best outlet for
showing work. Something often happens bottom-
up if other artists genuinely respect your work. It is
not realistic to latch onto a dealer and expect them
to adopt you.
“Almost every field other than art has a way to be
successful at a middle level. If you can’t be a
neurosurgeon, at least you can be a well-liked
general practitioner. There is very little in the way
of middle ground in the art world. Most artists are
simply not very good, and should have an alternative
way of supporting themselves that is satisfying. If
your aspirations are to participate in the rarified area
of the art world, it can be terribly disappointing.
There is no test to take, and some people who make
it seem like they shouldn’t have.” %
Which Market is Right for You?
Which market is right for you? Don’t knock your
head against stone walls. No is no. Realize that for
good work, there will usually be a way - but it may
not be the way you anticipate.
As in the book publishing industry, in the art world
“over-the-transom” submissions rarely succeed.
Important decision makers are so busy, and so
deluged with material, that they usually will not give
work proper attention unless it has been recom-
mended by someone that they know.

Untitled, © Cindy Sherman 1990, Courtesy Metro
Iie rures:
Do not expect to be “adopted” by an art dealer or
gallery. That’s unrealistic and not their job. However,
as educator and photographer Charles Traub notes,
“Tt is the greatest thing on earth to have a good gallery
solidly behind you.” Since this cannot normally be
anticipated as happening to most artists, artists must
be creative about money. Exhibitions often cost more
than they generate in sales. Even a well-conceived
exhibition at a prestigous venue will not generally lead
to a situation where an artist can make a living solely
off the sales of his work.
Ifyou want or expect your work to be taken seriously
as art, the work itself must be clear about what it is
saying. Gallery owner Laurence Miller puts it this
way: “An artist cannot mumble.”
Get out there and know the scene. Be educated
about art history, photographic history, and the
current art scene. Identify your own place in it.
If your concerns are primarily photographic, seek
representation froma photography gallery. This can
be broken down further. If you work in the f64
tradition - large format, black and white prints with
extensive tonal range, imagery of nature - approach
galleries that are primarily interested in this sort of
work. This sort of gallery will probably deal in prints
by Adams, the Westons, and others oftheir school.
If your concerns are more “windows” oriented in
the tradition of Robert Frank, Larry Fink, etc., seek
representation by a photography gallery that is
sophisticated, probably ina big city, and appreciates
this kind of thing. If your interests are really more
related to the art world than the photography world
and you just happen to be using a camera, approach
art galleries who do handle photography. If you
could care less about the kinds ofissues discussed in
the section on “The Historical Context” and just
want to make pretty pictures, consider selling your
work via the alternative channels discussed in the
next three chapters.
Profile of John Sexton
John Sexton was Ansel Adam’s assistant from 1979
through 1984. Today he lives in Carmel Valley,
California and is respected as a photographer, mas-
ter black and white printmaker, and workshop
instructor. He prefers, he states, to “photograph the
message of our natural environment, responding
most often to small pieces of the whole. From soft
fog ina pine forest to the elegant detail of acorn lily,”
his finely crafted, large format images are “distin-
guished by a tonal delicacy, formal elegance and
sense of mystery.”
Sexton gives between thirteen and eighteen photog-
raphy workshops each year which emphasize print-
ing technique and mastery of the Zone system. In
addition to his extensive activity as a teacher, he is
The Markets for Photographic Prints
Rock Shoreline, Dusk, Pemaquid Point, Maine, © John Sexton 1987;
see other reproductions of Sexton photographs on pages 121 and 174.

a consultant to Eastman Kodak Company and the
Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust.
His work has been exhibited and collected exten-
sively and appeared in major national ad campaigns
for prestigious photographic products such as Nikon
Large Format Lenses and Kodak Elite paper.
Sexton has probably received the most attention for
his book Quiet Light: Fifteen Years of Photographs
(Bulfinch Press/Little Brown, Boston, 1990) which
ARTnews called a “stunning achievement”. In ad-
dition to receiving critical acclaim, the book has sold
quite well - unusual indeed for a monographic
collection of exquisitely understated finely crafted
black-and-white images.
Clearly, ithas helped Sexton’s career to have worked
in the tradition of his longtime friend and mentor
Ansel Adams. The fact is, however, that John Sexton
is a masterful printmaker in his own right. He is
concerned with perfection in every aspect of his
work, from image creation through printmaking to
the design and layout of Quiet Light.
Sexton states, “I have never felt photography to be

Successful Fine Art Photography

a competitive sport. Thatis why! don’t particularly
like photography contests. When I have been in-
volved in judging contests, I try to give feedback to
participants about what works and what doesn’t,
and why, in a way that won’t hurt their feelings.
“Many people helped me when I was getting started.
Leading workshops gives me a chance to give back.
It is important to me to help other photographers,
but also, those taking my workshops always teach
me a great deal. They ask questions and put things
in ways I never would have thought of. However,
time is the limiting factor for me, and I am trying to
cut back on workshops somewhat.
“T find the current emphasis on technique more and
more distressing. Of course, technique is impor-
tant, but it is a means to an end. The thing to strive
for is a blending of technique and photography.
“The relationship of the photographer to his subject
matter clearly shows in his photographs. If you pho-
tograph what you care about, then you will care about
your photographs. Boring photographs come from a
secondhand relationship with the subject matter.
“The bottom line is caring and quality. I believe
that, in the long run, the good guys win. By this I
mean thata photographer who struggles with his art
and technique, who cares, who struggles with the
marketplace to produce his work in a quality way,
will ultimately make money.” %
Interview with
Timothy Greenfield-Sanders
Timothy Greenfield-Sanders is the only photogra-
pher to have had one-person shows at both Leo
Castelli Gallery and Mary Boone Gallery.
Greenfield-Sanders states that he has no formal
training in still photography; after receiving his
M.E.A. from the American Film Institute, he turned
to still photography. Greenfield-Sanders began his
career in the late 1970s by photographing abstract
expressionist painters. He photographed most of
the aging artist-members of the New York School
with a 1905 Fulmer & Schwing 11X14" view
camera equipped with an vintage lens. “I became
known in the art world,” he says, “as the guy doing
the portraits with the antique camera.”
As the seventies passed into the eighties, Greenfield-
Sanders expanded the scope of his portraiture to
include the entire contemporary art world - artists,
dealers, collectors, and critics. Walter Robinson, in
Art in America, noted that everyone in a Greenfield-
Sanders portrait “ends up looking just like they ought
to - glamorous, bohemian, intellectual. The effect is
quite marvelous... . [I]t seems that even the most
radical talents still willingly submit to convention
when it comes to getting a good (most of the time here,
exceptionally good) picture of themselves... .”
In 1986, Greenfield-Sanders was commissioned by
Comme des Garcons to create a series of portraits
of “anyone I wanted in the art world wearing their
clothes.” This campaign was tremendously success-
ful and led to a celebrity portrait campaign for
Barneys. While Greenfield-Sanders continued to
do personal fine art work, he had moved one foot
out ofthe world offine art and galleries and into the
world of advertising and commercial assignments.
In 1988, Poloroid Corporation gave him a grant to
use their 20X24" camera. Work which was funded
by this grant was exhibited at the Mary Boone
Gallery. Shortly thereafter, he did a series of por-
traits of celebrities wearing Barneys New York
clothing using the Polaroid camera. Greenfield-
Sanders is now in considerable demand asa portrait-
ist of Hollywood types as well as art world denizens.
For example, Tri-Star Pictures commissioned him
to do Polaroid portraits of Dustin Hoffman and
Robin Williams in their costumes for the movie
Hook. Greenfield-Sanders states: “Artists - and oth-
ers - whom I photograph know they can trust me.
They won't be embarrassed.
“The commercial assignments have made me a
The Markets for Photographic Prints 67
 Work by an unknown pho-
tographer offered for sale on
the street is worth what
someone will pay for it -
generally not very much.

Photographers who are rec-

ognized as important artists
and represented by main-
line art galleries get the best
prices for their prints. Pho-
tography galleries that act
like art galleries (Pace/
MacGill is a good example;
see the interview with Peter
MacGill for further discus-
sion) do next best. Photog-
raphy galleries who are stuck
in the rut of the photogra-
phy ghetto do not do so well
- $1000.00 retail is probably
the most that they will get
for a print. The same is also
about the effective maxi-
mum for prints sold through
consultants to corporations.
Bear in mind that there is
usually a 50 percent sales
commission and that the cost
of producing the printcomes
from your share. Nobody is
Robert Mapplethorpe, Silver Print,© Timothy Greenfield-Sanders 1982.
going to get rich selling
through old-fashioned pho-
tography galleries or con-
sultants, but a sizeable por-
better photographer, and | am appreciative of them. tion of a living can be made this way if there are
It is important to me to continue doing my own enough sales.
work. | also bear in mind that the reason that people
come to me is that they want me to do my “look”, Least attractive in terms of prices that can be realized
which is a personal thing, and originated with my is selling work directly through arts and crafts shows.
self-assignments.” While this can to some extent be offset by the lack of
a middle-person’s commission, it is rare to see prints
in this context sell for more than $200.00 each.
Pricing Considerations
Fine art posters typically retail for about $30.00. A
Rare prints by established artists are very valuable. detailed discussion of the economics involved is

68 Successful Fine Art Photography

beyond the scope of this book. Please see my book
Publishing Your Art As Cards & Posters (The Con-
sultant Press, New York, 1990). Suffice it to say
that, in some cases, the low unit proceeds to the
photographer can be made up by the high potential
volumes involved. @&

Above: Jodie Foster, Polaroid Print, © Timothy

Greenfield-Sanders 1989.

Left: Cindy Sherman, Polaroid Print, © Timothy

Greenfield-Sanders 1988.

See also another Greenfield-Sanders photograph on

page 127.

The Markets for Photographic Prints 69

 Setting Up a Fair Exhibit that Works
Economics
Best Locations and Best Fairs
Trade Art Shows
“Tourist” Towns
Interviews with:
Lou DeSerio, Lou DeSerio Gallery
Nick Zungoli, The Exposures Gallery
70 Successful Fine Art Photography
uietly, without art-world glory, photographers
are selling their prints directly to the public.
These photographers - some of whom make a very
good living indeed - exhibit at arts and crafts fairs
and establish their own galleries in tourist towns.
There are no intermediaries. For a photographer
with some business acumen and work with appeal,
this is an excellent route to independence.
Setting Up a Fair Exhibit that Works
A good fair exhibit must be effective; that is, it must
generate sales. It must create a positive environment
for the display of your work. It should be profes-
sional and uncluttered in appearance. It should be
relatively impervious to the environment and hu-
man handling. This means that informative mate-
rial should be laminated or otherwise protected.
Prints that are in bins should be matted and pro-
tected with plastic. Provision should be made for the
neat display of promotional material such as busi-
ness cards and fliers that interested people can have.
Exhibits should be planned so that they go up and
come down easily. Modularity is the best way to go
with this. Prepare clear instructions in a checklist
form for setup and take down so that your helpers
know what to do, or so that if you do it yourselfyou
won't have to figure it out again each time.
Your booth and display materials should be de-
signed to be taken down into packages that travel
well. [fall your travel is to be local via van or station
Selling Prints through
Arts and Crafts Fairs
wagon this is not so much of an issue. But if the
booth is to travel via air or be shipped, plan carefully.
Check airline and shippers weight and girth limits.
Bill Coleman, who is one of the most successful
photographers on the arts and crafts fair circuit,
does close to forty major shows a year. While he has
a number ofassistants, he notes that it is not possible
to do this without being very well organized.
You can probably get some good ideas on how to
achieve effective modular exhibit booths from com-
panies that design booths for industrial trade shows.
While these are expensive, and not completely right
for art shows, problems of modularity, setup, take
down, and transport will have been effectively
solved. By all means learn from the way these
companies have solved the problems that you will
face.
Until you have an established routine, setting up
and taking down exhibitions will be a great deal of
work.
Your exhibit should tell people that you are a
professional artist and proud of it. Achievements
should somehow be indicated. The background
color should be white, black, or complement the art
in a neutral way. Your name, and what you do (e.g.,
“wilderness photographs”), should be indicated ina
distinctive way. Pieces should be well framed, and
those which are likely to sell on exhibit rather than
in the bins. Base this determination on market
research - talking to people and actual sales results -
not on your personal choices. If you have prints of
subject matter that is important to local people (see
below), definitely display it and call attention to it.
Your exhibit booth must display good taste and
professionalism. It must say that you are an artist. At
the same time, it should be friendly. Little touches
-asoft carpet, chairs to sit on, free give-away candies
- can make all the difference.
Only participate in shows with a high standard.
This means, ata minimum, avoid non-juried shows.
Economics
The good news is that you will be selling directly.
This means that sales prices are retail. You do not
have to split them with a dealer.
The bad news is that there is a fairly low maximum
for what people are willing to pay for photographic
prints bought through a direct channel. A practical
maximum is probably about $400.00 for a large
well-framed print. Sales will no doubt be brisker if
most prices are $100.00 and less.
To some degree, these factors balance. It is possible
for an energetic person who has some good help - for
example, a husband and wife team - to make a
decently profitable business selling through art
shows. And the superstars of the arts and crafts fair
circuit, such as Bill Coleman, make a very good
living indeed. However, imagery and presentation
Selling Prints through Arts and Crafts Fairs Fil
 must be suitable for this market. Do not even think
of doing this if the thought of people buying work
to match their sofa offends you! Expect them to do
exactly that. In fact, there is nothing wrong with
people purchasing art this way so long as you are
realistic about why they are doing so. Passionate,
moving, disturbing, or deeply personal imagery will
not do well on the street. The primary advantage of
making a living this way is that nobody will tell you
what to do. You will be “talking” directly to your
public. The major disadvantages are that it is a great
deal of work and that the possible returns are
limited. Direct participation in art fairs is almost
ipso facto grounds for exclusion from the high art
world.
Framing is very important to success at art fairs. It
is permissible to be more decorative in your framing
choices than you would be in other markets. If they
are what appeals to your public, pastel mats and
lacquered frames should be supplied. However, do
not charge more than the fair retail value for your
framing, even ifyou make no money on it. Custom-
ers in the art fair context have a pretty good idea of
value, and nothing turns them off faster than the
thought that they are being suckered. This may
mean, if you or your helpers do not have framing
skills, that you may have to provide framing at no
profit, or even a small loss.
The biggest opportunity that art fairs present to
photographers is the chance to present local scenes.
As watercolorists and other genre painters have long
since discovered, art that depicts things that are
emotionally important to people who live in an area
sells very well. This also works with tourists who
wish to bring home souvenirs (see below). Photog-
raphy was made in heaven for capturing a variety of
buildings, views, and moods of a locale that are
important to people. You can almost bet at any fair
that the imagery oflocal things is what will sell, no
matter how excellent other works are.
It is not unusual for a photographer with good,
appropriate work who picks the right fairs and has
an appealing display to make several thousand
Ve, Successful Fine Art Photography
dollars every weekend spent exhibiting at arts and
craft fairs. Photographer Nick Zungoli states: “If
you can’t do a thousand dollars a day, you are
wasting your time.”
Bill Coleman, who photographs one remote Amish
valley, modestly considers himself a craftsperson,
not an artist. He states: “I photograph scenes the
American influence has not touched. It is a much
older environment. That is why I must keep quiet
about exactly where it is. Any kid, whether he be
Amish or third world, will be corrupted by a Sony
Walkman. This is what has happened to the Amish
who are on the tourist path.
“I record simplicity. People are tired of the plastic
culture. They are looking for their roots.”
Coleman has devoted many years of his life to
photography of the Amish. “The only things that
change,” he says, “are the seasons. Also, kids grow
older.” Coleman’s images of an older, simpler way
of life have a nostalgic universal appeal and are a
tremendous success at arts and crafts shows.
Best Locations and Best Fairs
The best fairs are the ones at which you make the
most sales. Which ones these are depends on your
work. You will have to find out by trial and error.
Some periodicals that provide arts and crafts fair
listings are noted in the Resources Section at the end
of the book. The best opportunities may actually be
at fairs that are not the best known. Insuchan event,
you might be the only photographer. However,
beware of shows that are not juried. You will not be
able to sell your prints if you are surrounded by
junk.
Try to look for events which are geographically near
important tourist destinations and/or well-to-do
communities. Carefully consider the proposed dates.
Is it scheduled on a weekend in which people are
likely to attend, or are there going to be important
competing activities, for example, the first good

beach weekend of the summer, or the world series?
An indoor show is less subject to vagaries of the
weather than an outdoor one. Generally, expect
some outdoor shows to be canceled on account of
inclement weather. But good weather can lower
attendance at indoor urban fairs. People would
rather be outside!
Try to participate in shows where the management
is friendly and supports you. Their efforts at pro-
moting the fair are important to the success of your
venture, and to some extent represent you. It makes
good business and emotional sense to work with fair
management whose style you respect and are com-
fortable with.
Sunbeam..., © Bill Coleman 1988.
Your location within the fair is extremely impor-
tant. Itcan make the difference between success and
failure. A well-lighted position ona route with high
traffic is optimum. It should be well away from
messy and smelly food stands and bathrooms. Work
exhibited at neighboring booths should be comple-
mentary but not competitive; a high quality cerami-
cist, for example, would be a good neighbor.
At well-known fairs choice locations are at a premium
and subject to political in-fighting. At some fairs, they
have established a seniority system whereby people
who have been exhibiting at that fair longest get the
first choice of locations. At others, the best places go
to the favorites of the management. Certainly, be
Selling Prints through Arts and Crafts Fairs HS
 aware of the importance ofthe issue, and consider not
exhibiting if your space is in an undesirable location.
Trade Art Shows
So far we have been discussing retail art shows.
There are also quite a number of trade art shows,
notably Artexpo in New York, the International Art
Exposition in Chicago, and the Basel Art Fair in
Switzerland. Some trade art shows, such as Artexpo,
are open to the trade only on the first few days, and
then open to the public at large. Others (most) are
open to the trade only.
Artists may rent booths at these shows.
In general, unless it is very well thought out, I advise
against doing this. First, be aware that the consider-
able expense of renting the space is only the begin-
ning of your investment. In addition to all the
expenses of outfitting a handsome booth (and there
is certainly no point in doing one of these shows in
a shabby way) you will have to budget for transpor-
tation of yourself, assistants, and art. And accom-
modations in the major cities in which these fairs are
held can be extremely expensive.
It is very important to take full notice of what the
“trade” aspect of the show means. This applies
even to those shows like Artexpo which are bifur-
cated between the trade and the general public.
People will not be buying your work at retail and
those buying will be knowledgeable industry in-
siders. If your work can stand up to this kind of
context in terms ofpricing and presentation, fine.
However, there is an automatic prejudice on the
part of dealers against artists who exhibit directly.
They tend to believe, rightly or wrongly, that ipso
facto the presence of an artist as exhibitor at such
a show means that the artist cannot get a dealer,
and is therefore not any good. The true function
of Artexpo in New York is as a trade show for the
fine art poster graphics industry. The rest isa sham
which makes money for the show organizers and
nobody else.
74 Successful Fine Art Photography
It is also very hard for one’s work to look good in the
context of these shows. The big art companies solve
the problem of environmental clutter by renting
enough space so that they can create an appropriate
atmosphere. But a solo artist, with one booth,
cannot remotely afford to do this.
Before committing yourselftodoing a show, at least
attend the show and get a feeling for it. If this means
putting off renting a booth for a year, so be it.
Ifyou do renta booth, be prepared to go all the way.
It is a situation in which half measures will not help
you. Everything must be professionally presented,
with attractive handouts to give away. Your booth
must be staffed with competent people. Not only is
the artist very often not that good at this kind of
thing with his own work, but you also want to be
able to talk privately with important trade connec-
tions who may wander by without having to worry
about watching the booth all the time.
And be sure to have a trade pricing discount struc-
ture well understood and in effect. There is really no
pointatall in exhibiting at one of these shows unless
you will be prepared to sell in the right quantities at
twenty-five percent of retail.
“Tourist” Towns
There is a tremendous opportunity in what I am
terming “tourist” towns. This is an opportunity at
all levels, for prestige art and photography galleries,
as well as those who operate less conventionally.
Artist-owned galleries and art fairs can be extremely
lucrative in such places.
By “tourist” towns, in this context I mean places
where people go who are interested in art and
photography. Good examples are: Carmel, Califor-
nia; Jackson, Wyoming; Santa Fe, New Mexico;
Sedona, Arizona; Sugar Loaf, New York. Carmel,
home of Adams, the Westons, and others of the £64
tradition, and Santa Fe are in particular important
art and photography centers.
On season, these places practically crawl with would-
be purchasers. There are special art directories for such
towns. For example, there is a Carmel Gallery Guide.
And one of the bi-monthly issues of Photography in
New York (July/August) has a special feature devoted
to Santa Fe! There isa major art fair in one of the main
central squares of Santa Fe every weekend sponsored
by the Santa Fe Artist’s Association.
“Tourists” are looking to buy work that is pleasantly
evocative of the place they are visiting, and work
exhibited in this context should meet this criterion.
It is preferable that work offered for sale be unique,
meaning that it can only be purchased at one gallery,
and is not available nationally. It helps, also, to
appear to be a native.
The fact is that this whole scene is in a venerable
tradition, going back, at least, to Canoletto’s won-
derful paintings of Venice, Italy. Ansel Adams’
prints sold for many years through the Ansel Adams
Gallery in Yosemite Valley. (This gallery was origi-
nally called Best’s Studio after Adams’ father-in-law
Harry Cassie Best, a landscape painter.)
This option - of opening a gallery to market one’s
own work in an area one likes and which is visited
by people of means - seems very attractive.
Interview with Lou DeSerio
Photographer Lou DeSerio is the owner ofagallery
that bears his name and shows exclusively his work
in Sedona, Arizona.
DeSerio states: “I opened the gallery in October,
1987 in a two hundred eighty square foot back
office. We were definitely hard to find. Since then,
we have moved and expanded twice. We now have
1400 square feet on the main street with many
visible display windows. The gallery does superbly
well. Sedona is in a beautiful and very special area.
Many, many people visit, and a lot of them would
like to take something home with them that re-
minds them of this part of the country.”
DeSerio has been selling his Cibachrome color
prints and black and white work for over twenty
years through galleries and directly to corporations.
He feels that the climate for marketing art photog-
raphy “keeps getting better and better. Twenty years
ago all people wanted to know is what camera I used.
Today they are more knowledgeable and are inter-
ested in who I am and where I’m coming from.”
DeSerio’s gallery has sales well into six figures. He has
two full time employees and part-time help, particu-
larly with framing, as is needed. He notes, however,
that running his gallery takes a great deal of hard work
and good business skills. Initially, he had to build the
business from scratch to the point at which he could
afford to hire help. This meant a full-time commit-
ment on his part to “minding the shop”.
The gallery tries not to carry anything that can be
found elsewhere in Sedona. “The whole point ofthe
gallery is that what we have here is unique. Bearing
that in mind, we try to be well diversified.” In
addition to signed editions of prints made person-
ally by DeSerio, the gallery also sells unlimited,
unsigned prints that he did not make anda few offset
reproductions of his work. DeSerio’s editioned
Lou DeSerio in his gallery, © Patrick Alt 1991.
Selling Prints through Arts and Crafts Fairs 7D

Cathedral Rock, © Lou DeSerio 1981.
prints have a rising price structure depending on
how many ofthe edition have sold. For example, the
first five prints in an edition of one hundred 20X24"
Cibachromes sell for $320 each. Numbers six
through fifteen go for $480 each, sixteen through
thirty-five for $720, and thirty-five through one
hundred for $960. On the whole, DeSerio would
basically prefer to discourage framing business,
although he does offer it as a service to purchasers.
Creative and unique mat designs include arrow
heads and Southwest cuts. The gallery also packs
and ships worldwide.
DeSerio observes that “it is a cliche, but nonetheless
76 Successful Fine Art Photography
true, that the three secrets of
retailing are location, location,
and location. You can be off by
one store.”
The gallery maintains a mailing
list, publishes a semi-annual
newsletter, and is planning to
start a secondary market in
DeSerio editions which have sold
out.
In addition to his work as a
photographer, DeSerio is also a
pianist and “new-age” composer.
He sometimes presents concerts
and performs on the grand pi-
ano in the gallery.
When DeSerio first met Ansel
Adams in July, 1977, he men-
tioned to Adams that both of
them had started out as profes-
sional pianists and switched to
photography at about the same
time in their lives. Adams was
intrigued, and a friendship was
established. DeSerio states, “He
was extremely supportive of me.
He was (and is) my greatest in-
spiration in terms ofhis market-
ing, teaching, and presentation
of photography. I seem to be emulating him in
many ways. The work I present at the gallery is part
of this. Ansel concentrated on Yosemite; I have been
concentrating on the area around Sedona.” %
Interview with Nick Zungoli
Photographer Nick Zungoli and his wife Susan own
and operate The Exposures Gallery, which features
a permanent exhibit of Zungoli’s work. The gallery
is located in Sugar Loaf, New York, an attractive arts
and crafts village which is a popular tourist destina-

tion. The Zungolis make a good living doing so.
Zungoli’s photographs have been exhibited and
collected widely. He has published his own fine art
posters and been conspicuously successful, particu-
larly with an image titled Morning Meadow, one of
his Dreamscapes series.
Zungoli states: “This is the gallery’s fourteenth
season here. Sugar Loafisan established year-round
tourist area. The first weekend we were open, a
thousand people walked through the gallery.
“Tt is also a very beautiful area. I am lucky to be able
Lifting Fog, Tenny’s Pond, © Nick Zungoli 1989.
to walk out my back door and watch the seasons
change. The area provides inspiring subject matter
for my photographs. Even ifIdidn’t make a living
with my photographs, I would still be taking pic-
tures. A lot of photographers create esoteric imagery
which will not sell. They cannot makea living. I feel
fortunate that what I do for myself does sell. This is
a different universe from the New York galleries.
Running a gallery takes alot of hard work. But ifone
is willing to work hard, and if one has appropriate
work, one can do very well.”
Zungoli was what he describes as an “art kid”. An
avid backpacker, hiker, and traveller, he often took
Selling Prints through Arts and Crafts Fairs
 a camera along with the goal of simply making a
record of where he had been. The big turning point
for him came during a leave of absence from his job
as a designer and drafts-person in an engineering
office. He took a three month photography trip to
the American West. He was astonished and de-
lighted by the colorful landscapes he saw. During
this time he switched from black and white to color
and from 35mm to medium format. He also visited
Jackson, Wyoming where he discovered “a photo
gallery with a guy making a living selling landscape
prints. A light bulb went on! These were not great
prints. If he could do it, why not I?”
Zungoli had spent much time in the darkroom
making black and white prints, but he had never
printed color. He took some of the work he had
doneinthe American West toacommercial lab, and
the results were awful. He realized that he would
never be able to sell them. Ted Cooper, a photog-
rapher Zungoli met on the arts and crafts show
circuit, had what seemed like fabulous color prints
which he made himself. Following Cooper’s advice,
Zungoli purchased a Cibachrome starter kit and
began making his own color prints. He started
showing at outdoor art and craft shows, and was
sufficiently successful to quit his job. While partici-
pating in a show at Sugar Loaf, he asked whether
there was any space available. A month later a call
came out of the blue - did he want to rent an old
chicken coop?
“T used my savings to renovate the building,” states
Zungoli, “and got a very sweet deal on the rent. It
is extremely important to get off the ground with a
low overhead.
“Tt takes a lot of energy to run a gallery and also do
photography. I wear many different hats.
“Right from the beginning I was clear that The
Exposures Gallery was not a frame shop. While we
custom frame work that we sell, we do not do
outside framing. We are an art gallery devoted to
contemporary photography that I respect. In addi-
tion to showing my work, part ofthe gallery show-
78 Successful Fine Art Photography
cases guest photographers. I appreciate the chance
that doing this allows me to meet and talk with other
photographers, as well as the positive publicity it
generates. I select photographers for exhibitions not
because their work is like mine, but because they do
work which I respect and is different. I am willing
to show some work that I know will not sell.
“In 1985 we moved across the street and bought the
present building. Since then, we have been almost
constantly expanding and have constructed three
additions to the building.
“Many of our customers have never been in an art
gallery before, let alone a photography gallery. It is
important to make the right impression at once.
When you walk into a restaurant, you have an idea
at once of its quality and expense. The same thing
is true ofagallery. We try to maintain a nice uptown
look and presentation. We provide background
information on the work being exhibited such as
information on the aims and philosophy of the
creator and what processes were used.
“It is expensive to do nice mailing pieces, so we try
to keep our mailing list down to about 1,000. We
are going to be doing a newsletter. Many of our
purchasers are repeat customers.”
While Zungolihasa full-time employee who handles
framing and matting, he still does all his own color
printing. This is central to his success. Doing his
own printing allows him to maintain very high
standards as well as keeping overhead and cost to the
purchaser down. “Modest prices,” Zungoli ob-
serves, “are important to our success. Anyone can
ask $500.00 for a print and not get it. My philoso-
phy is to only raise prices when I cannot keep up
with demand at a lower price.”
It is Zungoli’s practice to strictly limit the edition
sizes of photographs he prints. He establishes an
edition size which includes prints of all dimensions
from the particular image; however, it only includes
the process used. For example, he might have an
edition of twenty Cibachrome prints of one image,
and also an edition of twenty C-prints of the same
image.
Zungoli states: “I love photography. | love to take
photographs. I live in a beautiful area and I can take
pictures right in my yard. I also like to travel, and I
schedule two or three major backpacking trips a year.
“T find that my work goes in cycles. In the course of
a week, I might make a dozen new exciting images,
and then do nothing for six months. I have come to
accept this as the nature of the beast.
“The most important thing is to be true to yourself.
Don’t create images for the market. What you do
has to be meaningful to you.
“And watch that overhead!” 2&
Selling Prints through Arts and Crafts Fairs AD
 Different Kinds of Wall Decor (0) alls need to be covered, particularly those in
public and/or prestige locations. Photogra-
Interview with Jim Vazoulas, Ke~L phy provides a remarkably versatile and attractive
Custom PhotoGraphics medium for fulfilling this function.

How to Reach this Market

Murals and Architectural Installations Different Kinds of Wall Decor

Wall decor is used in residential and commercial

contexts. Photography is used as wall decor in the
following ways:
- Offset reproductions (as in posters);
- Box mounted prints that are decorative high-
lights;
- Prints that are framed and treated as high art and
used to add interest and distinction to rooms and
other areas;
- Mural sized (40X60" and larger) prints which
may be box-mounted or framed in some other way.
These prints may be created conventionally via one
of the print processes (black and white, type-c,
cibachrome, dye-transfer) described in Chapter 3,
Kinds of Photographic Prints. If the size desired is
larger than the maximum paper size that the process
allows, mounting may butt different pieces together
ina flush fashion. Or, a special process may be used
for creating large murals, such as the computer-
driven air gun technique used to make Scanamurals
(see interview with Jim Vazoulas below).

Imagery used for architectural and decorative pur-

poses is commonly obtained as stock from photog-
raphers and their agents. It is also not unusual to
commission a photographer to create imagery spe-

80 Successful Fine Art Photography

Architectural and Decorative
Uses for Photography
cifically fora particular decorative use. For example,
a corporation might wish to have on display in their
executive offices attractive images of things that are
important to the business. Often, they have some-
thing more creative and attractive in mind than
product photography. They might wish to commis-
sion dynamic imagery of a particular industrial
process, or spectacular imagery of specific land-
scapes or buildings.
Interview with Jim Vazoulas,
KeL Custom PhotoGraphics
Jim Vazoulas is Creative Services Manager at K&L
Custom PhotoGraphics, one of New York’s best
full service labs. An important part of Vazoulas’ job
includes maintaining and updating what he refers to
as a “mini-stock file” for his company’s interior
decor program.
Art consultants, interior designers, and architects
come to Vazoulas with a concept for a corporate or
institutional installation. These clients may be in-
tending to utilize photographs or illustrations they
have already obtained. Or, they may ask Vazoulas to
supply imagery for the project. In this case, he
always attempts to present a large enough selection
of photographs so that the client will feel he has a
substantial choice.
The stock file is also used by sales reps at K&L when
they need to make a presentation involving uses
such as trade show backgrounds, special events, and
sales displays.
Duplicate slides in the file are submitted by, and
remain, the property of the photographer. Shoulda
client select a particular image, the photographer is
contacted and asked to quote a price for the usage
involved. After a royalty fee has been negotiated, the
photographer will be expected to provide the origi-
nal for reproduction by K&L. Asa practical matter,
Vazoulas functions as a mediator between the cli-
ents and the photographers in terms ofestablishing
royalty fees.
Vazoulas states: “The duplicates photographers
provide should be of imagery which is basically
colorful, appealing outdoor scenics encompassing
forests, lakes, mountains, rivers, oceans, seascapes,
rural countryside, etc. Do not submit floral, ab-
stract, surreal, or experimental studies. Wherever
possible, eliminate scenes containing people.
“Initial submissions should be ofno more than forty
35mm duplicate slides. Do not send originals as I
cannot be responsible for them. Expect me to hold
the duplicates in our library for at least a year, and
please wait a year before evaluating sales activity.
Individuals wishing to submit photographs for our
file should write me for our guidelines letter.”
K&L and its precursor companies have a long
history of working with distinguished photogra-
phers such as Ansel Adams, Paul Caponigro, Pete
Turner, Roman Vishnaic and others. In 1976, the
Architectural and Decorative Uses for Photography 61
 company founded the K&L Gallery of Photo-
graphic Art. Vazoulas, who had been the manager
of the mounting and retouching department, was
running the gallery when it was closed in 1980. He
was given the title of Creative Services Manager so
that he could facilitate the creative display and
corporate art work coming through the lab.
In addition to being a full-service black and white
and color photographic lab, K8&¢L recommends and
suggests products other than photographic materi-
als where the application warrants an alternative for
a better appearance. The company is an authorized
representative, and Vazoulas the resident expert, for
Computer Image System’s Scanamural process.
Scanamurals are created by scanning a transparency
and then using a computer which drives four air
brushes. All four colors are sprayed simultaneously
in tight scan lines, approximately twelve per inch.
Scanamurals can be up to 25X27 feet in one piece,
and can be seamed together to make even larger
installations. They can be printed on cotton canvas
or vicrtex vinyl, which is a tough material designed
for use in public areas. Scanamurals can be attached
directly to a wall, stretched on a wooden frame, sewn
and hemmed and attached with velcro (after which
a wood frame can be put around it), or hung as a
tapestry or banner. The latest canvas and vinyl
materials in large single pieces can also be installed
in display-size light boxes.
erally accepted for corporate decor. This process
involves creating a pine frame, covering it with a
sheet of masonite, and mounting the print to the
masonite with cold mount or adhesive glue. How-
ever, the practical size limit to a print treated this
way is about six by ten feet. Prints larger than this
which have been box mounted sometimes will not
fit through doors, and may be too heavy for the load
capacity of walls. Consultation before starting a
project will eliminate mounting and installation
problems. Mounting prints directly to treated walls
is another possibility, but this takes considerable
expertise.
Over the years, Vazoulas has worked on many
projects. Generally, each one is different and unique.
For one bank he produced a Scanamural composed
of photographs of seven different landmarks in
countries - Australia, Japan, England, the United
States, etc. - where the company had offices. Each
photograph was produced to a specific scale which
the installer then butted together following Vazoulas’
layout design to create an 8X17' mural. He is

Vazoulas, who says that his experience managing

the mounting department has proved to be surpris-
ingly important in his role as an expert in corporate
decor and installations, notes that his job includes
“reviewing blueprints and doing on-site inspections
as you just can't really trust elevation drawings. I
bring my own tape measure. I also work with other
sales people as a resource, and, very importantly,
oversee installations.”

Vazoulas notes that museum box mounting is gen-

Jim Vazoulas at K&L Custom PhotoGraphics.

Harold
Davis
©
1992

82 Successful Fine Art Photography

currently helping a hospital put together a collection
of sports photography which will be reproduced as
tall and narrow (15 X 4%') type-C prints applied
directly to prepared wall surfaces.
Another current project involves using Kodak’s
Duraflex technology to create theater backdrops.
Vazoulas observes that the various technologies
involved allow for almost limitless possibilities. For
example, he provided the photographer Gianfranco
Gorgoni with Scanamurals ofhis images of famous
artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, Rauschenberg, and
others. Each artist then painted on top of his own
portrait.
“This is an exciting, vital field,” notes Vazoulas. “It
is important not to be arrogant. I am always learning
new things.” *&
How to Reach this Market
There are numerous different ways to reach the
architectural and decorative market. Which is best
for you will depend on your work, the business
context within which you work, and your ability to
make various sorts of business contacts.
Imagery is purchased for decorative use both as
finished prints from photographers and licensed for
reproduction rights. In the latter case, the purchaser
will then make the print.
The most important vendors of work for architec-
tural and decorative purposes are: photography
agencies; art consultants, dealers, and galleries; pho-
tography processing labs; interior designers and
decorators; and architects. It is also possible to sell
work directly to corporations who are interested in
decor.
Photographers should be cautioned about working
directly with corporations in this context. While it
has worked well for some, there are considerable
difficulties that approaching them through an agent
or consultant tends to alleviate. If you work directly
with a corporation, you must be prepared to wear a
suit (or a dress and stockings, as appropriate), deal
correctly with corporate paper work, meet with
numerous committees, and assume legal liability in
the event that your project is not completed on time
or causes harm to someone.
Corporate decision making about art installations is
usually made ata surprisingly high level. Those who
make the final decision are usually the president,
chairman of the board, and director of corporate
communications. Personal connections work best.
Sometimes, photographers who have done com-
mercial work for a corporation are asked to help
with decor needs. If you don’t know anyone at the
very top, and do not have a professional connection,
your chances of being involved with corporate decor
are slim. The best bet is to contact the director of
corporate communications in as professional and
well-packaged a way as possible.
Photography agencies (stock agencies) are often
approached with decor projects because of the large
number of suitable images they typically have. For
example, an international trading company might
want photographs for its New York offices of all the
places it does business: Australia, Japan, the Ameri-
can West, etc. The most common way of finding
this imagery without going to many different sources
is to work with an agency. If your work is already on
file with an agency, and they make a sale ofthis sort,
you have nothing to do but sit back and split the
royalty when it comes in. (Note, however, that your
prints will probably not be credited. Nobody, ex-
cept you, will know who took the picture.) You can
help your agency with this sort of sale by keeping
them abreast of your work. Let them know about
areas in which you have done extensive work that
are not in their files. Inform them ofany prestigous
decorative sales you make on your own.
Reproductions and posters are purchased by con-
sumers from retail frame shops and graphics galler-
ies and by corporations through art consultants and
interior designers. The consultant or designer will
Architectural and Decorative Uses for Photography 83
 make distributor's catalogues available to the client,
and then place an order for the client. The only way
to break into this market is to sell work to poster
distributors and publishers. This may be licensed,
with the distributor doing the publishing, or pub-
lished by the artist and sold to the distributors. See
Publishing Your Art As Cards & Posters for more
details.
Many art consultants, dealers, and galleries special-
ize in selling architectural and decorative art to
corporations. They may not overtly state this, al-
though sometimes they will, as for example “Corpo-
rate Art Directions”. Approaching these businesses
is the best long-term bet for photographers who
wish to sell their work to this market.
Organizations with these kinds of art dealers mak-
ing up part of their membership are listed in the
Resources Section at the end of the book. The busi-
ness-to-business yellow pages under “Art galleries,
DIrs & Consultants” is another source. It is abso-
lutely essential, however, to research a trade art
business carefully and follow professional protocol
when approaching it. Follow the guidelines for
submissions to galleries in this book. More informa-
tion on how art consultants work will be found in
Chapter 9, The Role of the Art Consultant. Pay
particular attention to the interviews in that chapter
with successful art consultants.
Photography processing labs will sometimes sell
photo decor as a sideline business, although often
this is done in a fairly informal way. See the
interview with Jim Vazoulas, above. Either the lab
will keep a small duplicate slide stock library of
available imagery, or simply a list of photographers
who have work available for this purpose. Obvi-
ously, for purposes of making contact, it may help
to do business at the lab in question.
You could certainly approach a local lab and say,
“My work is available for architectural and decor
purposes.” Some labs will take the attitude that they
are not in the stock photography business. Even
84 Successful Fine Art Photography
these, however, are possibly a source of referral
customers.
Interior designers, decorators, and architects can be
reached through professional associations and re-
source books in which suppliers to these profession-
als place advertisements. Approaching these profes-
sionals takes time and you will have to expect to
develop a relationship before any sales are gener-
ated. All too often, art is not considered at the early
stages of a building project. By the time it is, the
architect may no longer be a key decision maker.
Murals and Architectural Installations
Site specific murals and architectural installations
can be very exciting. However, careful planning is
always required. Each piece is usually unique. Ifyou
are working with an experienced lab who will be
responsible for the mounting and installation, as
well as the printing, then all you may have to do is
sit back. Otherwise, consider exactly how the mural
will be attached to the wall. Is the load bearing
capacity of the wall sufficient? Will the mural fit
through the doors and go up the elevator to reach
the place where it is to be installed?
If an architect or interior designer is working on the
project, they can usually be very helpful with this
kind of question. But, if you have contracted to
deliver an installed mural, getting it right is your
bottom line responsibility.
Try to view test prints at an early stage ofthe process
so that you have a good idea that it is going to be
right before the final print is run. For very large
murals which are reproduced photographically you
will have to mount it in multiple pieces. Doing this
so that the lines show only minimally is quite a
difficult job. Make sure that those you hire to do this
are qualified. It makes sense to have your lab
subcontract this, so that if something goes wrong
they bear responsibility and will have to make
another print without argument. 2
6656050505550»
Architectural and Decorative Uses for Photography 85
 How the Consultant Works
What Corporations Look For
Selling through Consultants
Interviews with:
Betty Levin, Corporate Art Directions
Margaret Mathews-Berenson
86 Successful Fine Art Photography
orporations constitute one ofthe most impor-
C tant markets for art. It is extensive, broad, and
varied. While corporations do collect art for invest-
ment purposes, a substantial part oftheir art buying
is functional in nature. They seek to buy art in much
they same way they buy office furniture. This can be
distressing for those who have a holier-than-thou
attitude towards fine art. But for the photographer
with appropriate work, this regular, business-like
approach can be just what the doctor ordered.
How the Consultant Works
Artconsultants act as intermediaries between clients
- for the most part corporations - and the art world,
thatis, galleries, art publishers, and artists. From the
artist’s point ofview, they are a bridge between the
world of suits and the creative endeavor of dark-
room, studio, and trackless wilderness.
One consultant states: “We put together art programs
for corporations. Sometimes we are brought in by an
interior design or architectural firm. Many times,
corporations contact us directly. In the latter case, I
will generally be working with a facilities person, who
will then introduce me to the executive and/or com-
mittee who will be selecting artwork for their space.”
Consultants are compensated for their time in three
ways. [hey inventory art for resale which they mark
up. They are paid a commission by the gallery or
artist whose work they sell. Or they are paid strictly
for their time. Those who are compensated in the
The Role of the
Art Consultant
last way often disdain the term “art consultant” and
prefer to be called “art advisers”.
It is important to note that consultants draw on
trade and wholesale sources (galleries and art pub-
lishers) as well as artists. This means that if an artist
is represented by a dealer or gallery, they may not be
enthusiastic about the artist going directly to art
consultants. In fact, to do so may represent a breach
of the spirit and/or letter of the artist’s agreement
with his dealer. (An artist who sells a print to a
corporation which buys the work through a con-
sultant working with the artist’s gallery is support-
ing two parties besides himself.) Care must be taken
to establish a pricing structure which is equitable to
the artist’s primary dealer.
All art consultants maintain extensive and valuable
reference files.
Many behave essentially like galleries. They have an
inventory ofart acquired through consignment, or
less frequently, by outright purchase. They advise,
and help clients to obtain other work on request,
ranging from posters available through distributors’
catalogues to valuable vintage work obtained at
auction. However, unlike galleries, while they often
have showrooms, they do not generally mount solo
exhibitions by artists. While working with a con-
sultant may do wonders for your pocket book, it will
not generally help you to become better known.
Itis possible for artists to go directly to corporations.
However, this is often not wise. States one consult-
ant: “I believe that artists make a mistake going
directly to corporations. For one thing, this seldom
results in sales. It makes the artist look desperate,
like a salesperson rather than an artist. A profes-
sional consultant will know what work is appropri-
ate’, when to make a presentation, and how to deal
with corporate culture and structure.
What Corporations Look For
Corporations exclude certain kinds of subject matter
from their purchases, often involve committees in
decision making about art, can lack adventurousness,
and are extremely cost-benefit conscious. Cost-ben-
efit analysis is applied by businesses in their important
decision making; they, in general, see no reason not to
apply it to matters of art as well. Cost-benefit analysis
tends to be reduced to monetary terms. Does the
benefit, in dollars, exceed the cost?
Benefits to corporations of acquiring art include the
following: increased morale, productivity, and
creativity of employees who view the art; goodwill
generated in the community through publicity
about support of the arts; asset growth if the value
of the art purchased increases; an enhanced corpo-
rate sense of self-worth; and increased functionality
of premises for their intended purposes, such as
impressing potential clients.
Commissioned art which displays corporate assets
or technologies ina positive light can have a particu-
larly strong benefit from a corporate point ofview.
The Role of the Art Consultant 87
 Absolute professionalism and the ability to deliver a
“slick” product is expected of those dealing with
major corporations. The cost part of the cost-
benefit equation means that corporations, even
extremely wealthy ones, tend to be very price con-
scious. If they are to pay a big price tag, there must
be a very good reason for it, and the same, or
comparable, item must not be available for less
elsewhere. The corporate market is no free lunch for
artists. It is demanding, highly competitive, and
often requires a specific kind of art.
In general, art that is bought by corporations is not
controversial. Political, religious, and sexual imag-
ery are almost universally avoided in this market.
Effectively, this means that the art cannot be pro-
found, or about ideas, except of the most trite sort.
The catch is that work acquired is expected to be
something more than “pretty”. Photography that
can tread this thin line - be elegant, inviting, say,
“this is art”, but in no way be deep or controversial
- and which is packaged professionally - has a good
chance of success in the corporate market.
Pricing is crucial to the corporate market. One con-
sultant observes that “because of the recession my
clients are typically interested in pieces priced as low
as possible, preferably well under $1000.00 retail,
unframed. If the economy were better, there might be
budgets for higher priced work. This price range
applies to photography, unique pieces, and mul-
tiples.” The same consultant advises starting artists
that “what you enjoy making might not be what sells.
It is important to have inner peace about what you do,
but also have to be realistic about the market or have
a ‘day job’. For example, so many artists do minuscule
pieces that will never sell, for economic reasons alone,
to the corporate market. 20X24" is about the mini-
mum size I can effectively use. It is simply more
expensive in terms of framing to cluster small pieces.”
Selling through Consultants
In general, art consultants are extremely intelligent,
articulate, motivated, educated and effective indi-
68 Successful Fine Art Photography
viduals. They know what will sell to their clients,
and they only wish to inventory appropriate work.
The more visible consultants tend to be deluged
with submissions from artists and regard going
through these unsolicited submissions as a thankless
but required task. They are delighted when they
find work that they may be able to use.
The point of this is to emphasize treating art
consultants with the professional respect they de-
serve. Do not knowingly submit inappropriate work.
It just wastes time all around. Do call first, follow
procedures outlined by the consultant, and package
submissions cleanly and professionally.
Expect, at its best, a highly professional relationship
with the consultant. It is not the art consultant’s job
to nurture your career or make suggestions. As noted
above, a consultant cannot usually provide solo exhi-
bitions or enhance your art world reputation.
Since corporate art consultants are selling to a highly
cost conscious market, they, too, must be concerned
about pricing. (Some corporate art buying decisions
will essentially be made on a cost per square foot
kind ofbasis.) Consultants will want to know how
you will price different kinds of prints. They will
expect to sell the print for twice what they buy it
from you. (This is subject to negotiation; in some
cases they may be willing to work with a lower mark-
up.) You must be very careful with this. Price your
prints too high, and the consultant will not work
with you. Price them too low, and what you are
doing may not really be viable.
Consultants will expect to see actual prints, to assure
themselves that the quality of prints you make (or
have made) is adequate. Actually, print quality
should be more than adequate, it should be super-
lative. Some art consultants are really quite knowl-
edgeable about photographic prints and will look at
yours with an extremely critical eye. You should not
show them work prints! If they present your work,
or sell a print to a corporation based on a duplicate
slide, and you produce a print that is not good
enough, it reflects on the consultant as well as on
you. Art consultants wish to avoid this, as well as the
trouble that having work rejected brings. They are
looking for photographers who are as knowledge-
able and critical as they are and would never
consider presenting an unspotted print.
Some art consultants will keep your duplicate slides
on file, and call you ifanything is required fora more
extensive presentation. Others will consign actual
prints. Very rarely, a consultant will purchase work
for subsequent resale. In this case, a discount greater
than fifty percent is generally expected.
Sometimes an art consultant will ask you to help
prepare an extensive selection of duplicate slides.
This might be for general presentation purposes.
The consultant may wish to keep slide trays of work
by favorite artists handy. Or else, it might be for a
specific client. For example, an investment bank
might call up their art consultant and say, “We want
to decorate our walls with extraordinary photo-
graphic prints of the American landscape.”
The next day the consultant might call you and say,
“Please prepare a selection of your best American
landscapes for me for a presentation. Oh, by the
way, don’t bother with Maine and Alaska. I already
have enough ofthose for this presentation from Jane
Doe Photographer.”
Partly, an art consultant will continue to work with
you based on your being easy to work with, busi-
ness-like, and delivering what you say you will when
you say you will.
Keep written records of duplicate slides on file at a
consultant’s. Until you have established along-term
relationship of trust, get signed receipts for them.
Consigned prints should always be acknowledged
with a written, signed agreement. Most consultants
will have their own form for this. The form should
indicate the title and media of the print along with
the retail price and sales commission payable to the
consultant. The form should say that it is a consign-
ment agreement or state that the print is your
property until sold by the consultant (which amounts
to the same thing).
Interview with Betty Levin
Betty Levin is the president of Corporate Art
Directions, Inc., which is located on East 57th
Street in Manhattan. Corporate Art Directions’
oftices are elegant and tasteful; it is neighbor to some
of the world’s most prestigious art dealers.
Levin states: “We are art consultants, or ‘advisers’ (a
term I sometimes prefer), to corporations. This means
that we provide any or all of the following services to
companies that wish to acquire art or have an existing
collection: we prepare budgets; we do space planning,
usually with an architect; we site locations for art; we
provide appropriate lighting for art; we suggest themes
and content; we make recommendations about the
kind of art available within a given budget; we make
as many presentations as needed; we supervise fram-
ing; we take care of installation; we label the art and
provide biographical information on the artists. If it is
wanted, we can prepare a catalogue. Sometimes we re-
assess and refurbish an existing collection.
“For example, I am pleased with the collection we
created for a publishing company. Master graphics in
black and white formed the work on one of the two
floors we did. Prints by artists such as Jasper Johns,
Motherwell, Hockney, and Borowsky were centered
around a Louise Nevelson construction. The other
floor was hung with Depression-era paintings.
“A good consultant can be just as proud of putting
up posters as high priced art. For example, we hung
about a hundred posters on the floor that was
devoted to out placement at a large corporation.
This made a floor that had been extremely depress-
ing much less so. It is a thrill to hang a poster above
a secretary's desk and then educate that secretary
about, for instance, Monet.
“Sometimes our clients are willing to be surprisingly
The Role of the Art Consultant 8&9
 adventurous. For one company we created an art
program around the theme “New York: social real-
ism, yesterday and today”. The executive floor had
paintings from the 1920s, 1930 and 1940s. Other
floors had more recent funky work in various media.
“Photography is frequently used today from vintage
prints to extremely contemporary work. Sometimes
photography is used as part of an eclectic collection.
For example, alaw firm might combine contemporary
photography of New York City with vintage Steichen
prints along with other kinds of art. Other times an
entire collection might be based around photography.
“What is notable is that photography is considered
serious art which can be mixed with work ofother
media. This should not be taken for granted. It was
not true until quite recently, and even now is not
fully accepted in all circles.
“One of the reasons we often recommend photog-
raphy is that it is possible to acquire a distinguished
collection for a modest budget. Maybe young col-
lectors should be out there buying photography.
However, this also means that, since one of the
major appeal is price, photographers must watch
their pricing carefully. They must be very careful
not to overprice themselves. A sophisticated con-
sultant knows what the actual production costs are
and what a finished print should cost.
photographer’s work and to consist of at least a page
of slides or transparencies. She states: “Attractive,
comfortable, easy-to-look-at photography sells best
to the corporate market. I cannot market political or
sexual work. The subject matter itself can be un-
usual, such as graffiti or motorcycle details, but the
way the image looks must not be depressing.
“Young photographers should not be afraid of
presenting black and white photography. We be-
lieve that black and white photography can be
aesthetically very interesting and beautiful.”
If Levin is interested in a photographer’s work based
on slides submitted, she will next ask to see a print,
produced at the photographer’s own expense. Of-
ten she will pick the image she wishes to see made
into a print. “It is absolutely imperative that the
photographer be able to produce high quality prints.
If the photographer is not making the print person-
ally, the lab must be supervised every step of the way.
This is something that takes some experience and a
great deal of care.

“For a major corporation witha small budget we put

together an exciting photography collection that is
displayed on twelve floors. Each floor has a different
theme. One floor consists of surrealistic black and
white prints by photographers such as Olivia Parker.
Another floor is of florals, and yet another is of
scenic landscapes. Photography is an amazingly
versatile medium.”

Corporate Art Directions looks at all work that

artists submit. Levin notes that, since there are an
average of at least ten such submissions a week,
response can take a while - probably about eight
weeks; she advises patience. She likes an initial
submission to represent a cross section of the Harold
©
Davis
Levin,
Betty
1992

90 Successful Fine Art Photography

For color work, Levin prefers Cibachrome prints
for their brightness and archival properties. Dye
transfers, while wonderful, are frequently not af-
fordable in today’s market. “Of course,” she states,
“we rely on the photographer for advice about the
best kind ofprint for each specific image.” %
Interview with
Margaret Mathews-Berenson
Margaret Mathews-Berenson terms herself an art
advisor and curator rather than an art consultant. She
does not maintain an inventory of art, or make com-
missions on sales ofart, but rather is paid for her time.
She explains: “The term art consultant has sometimes
come to have a poor reputation because of bad prac-
tices. Consultants tend to cover walls for decor rather
than for serious artistic purposes. I am a member of
the Association of Professional Art Advisors (APAA).
Members of this organization are very impressive and
well-educated. Many of them are curators of major
collections. APAA guidelines prohibit members from
maintaining inventories of art for sale, nor are they
allowed to receive third-party payments from dealers,
auction houses, or other art sources. They are paid for
their expertise solely by their clients.”
Mathews-Berenson regards the most important part
ofher job as looking for art with deeper meaning and
then trying to communicate about the art. She feels
that the ability to do this is “much more ofa necessity
to corporations than ever before. They want to expose
their employees to a broader view of the world so that
they are inspired and creative.” To illustrate her thesis
she points to her relationship with long-term client
Lintas: Worldwide, a well-known advertising agency.
Lintas has Mathews-Berenson curate changing exhi-
bitions which are placed on office walls. Work is
loaned by galleries, artists, and sometimes collectors.
The benefit to artists and galleries is exposure of the
work. Occasionally, Lintas will buy one of the pieces
for its permanent collection.
Mathews-Berenson functions as a “one person walk-
ing museum. I am the art registrar. I arrange insurance
and am responsible for transporting, framing, han-
dling and installing the art. I give tours to employees.
For each different exhibition, I must learn a lot.”
She has arranged loan exhibitions at Lintas on
themes such as “Cinematic Effects”, “Visions, Fan-
tasies and Mind Wanderings”, and hand-made
paper. Many exhibitions include work by photo-
graphic artists such as Cindy Sherman, Sandy
Skogland, and William Wegman. She tries to select
imagery that is easy for “the advertising mind to
connect with” but at the same time will “help
expand and inspire the creative work of employees.”
Many of the corporations that hire Mathews-
Berenson desire to assemble a special exhibition to
help celebrate a special event, for example, an
important anniversary of doing business in the
United States. In this case, she will prepare a
proposal that meets the business goals and objectives
of the company involved.
Mathews-Berenson does not encourage unsolicited
submissions. “When I receive material that is inappro-
priate and unsolicited it makes me very angry. Basic
professionalism implies doing at least minimal re-
search. I am accessible by telephone, and will let artists
know if Iwish to see slides, which, in any case, should
be completely marked, labeled, and accompanied by a
S.A.S.E. with the full amount of postage and adequate
protection.” When appropriate material is submitted,
she will often keep a slide or two in her files for future
reference and to remind her of the work.
Her advice to young artists: “Never cease your educa-
tion. Take courses in psychology, philosophy, and
marketing. Communication is what it’s all about.
“Go to openings. Meet dealers. Be exposed to what
is out there. Communicate with people who are
doing the same thing you are. They will often be
glad to hear from you and be surprisingly generous.
Know your competition. Work off each other.
“Let’s all continue to make art.” @&
The Role of the Art Consultant Dil
 Art Galleries and Dealers
Selling Prints through Art Galleries
Creating a Market for the Work of the
Artist
Auctions
How to Approach Galleries
Sample Resumé
The Artist's Resumé
Interviews with:
James Danziger, James Danziger
Gallery
Peter MacGill, Pace/MacGill Gallery
Julie Saul, Lieberman & Saul
Arthur Danto
Simon Lowinsky, Simon Lowinsky
Gallery
Yancey Richardson, Lumina Inc.
Bonni Benrubi, Fine Art Photographs
Edwynn Houk, Houk Friedman
Gallery
Laurence Miller, Laurence Miller
Gallery
The Artist-Dealer Relationship
Gallery Representation Checklist
Contractual Matters
Consignment Agreement and Receipt
OY Successful Fine Art Photography
o photographer - or any other visual artist, for
that matter - should attempt to navigate the
treacherous shoals of the fine art world without a
clear understanding of how that world works.
Art Galleries and Dealers
Art galleries and dealers come in a vast variety. Busi-
ness size ranges from the solo practitioner working out
ofan apartment to multi-million dollar, publicly-held
gallery chains such as Dyansen Galleries. Perhaps,
although not necessarily, more than in most fields,
there is an incredible range of integrity among art
dealers. Participants range from shady operators to the
most impeccable art-loving scholars. At its upper end,
the art industry is tied into the prestige that goes along
with great wealth and social standing.
Probably the most important thing to realize about
art galleries and dealers is that they are part of an
industry. In the old days, perhaps, running an art
gallery wasa calling for an upper class gentleman and
scholar. Today, it is a business, involving selling,
marketing, and every other business school concept.
An art dealer is a person who markets art for profit.
(The dealer may have an organization, or staff.) An
art gallery is an art dealership with public exhibition
space, generally showing work by artists the gallery
represents. In other words, dealers are “public”, in
which case they maintain an exhibition space open
to the public and are also referred to as galleries, or
are “private”, in which case their offices and show-
How the Fine
World Works
rooms are open by appointment only. Dealers, both
public and private, do arrange exhibitions at muse-
ums and other galleries which are designed to
increase the reputation of artists they represent.
Since dealers market art, they must have art to re-
sell. The only possible sources for this art are artists,
authorized representatives of artists (such as the
executor ofan artist’s estate), art publishers, or other
dealers. This being the case, dealers often work in
collaboration with one another. For example, one
dealer might supply the art and another the cus-
tomer who wants that art. The resulting profit is
split in some fashion. Good dealers are very knowl-
edgeable about who controls the supply ofadesired
artist’s work.
The relationship between an art dealer and art
source can be totally exclusive (i.e., “I will only sell
my work through you”). It is also possible to be
totally non-exclusive (“Sell this print if you can
and more power to you. Meanwhile, I’m going to
sell as many other prints as I can through other
dealers.”) Any amount of exclusivity between
these two points is also possible, subject to nego-
tiation between the parties. The issue is a little like
monogamy in marriage. It does not do too much
good to be too rigid about the arrangements,
provided both parties are honest beforehand and
have the same expectations. However, if a dealer
is expecting exclusivity from an artist and then
finds that the artist has been selling through other
channels, the reaction ofbetrayal is not unlike that
to an unfaithful spouse.
rt
When a gallery with a prestigious exhibition space
and program agrees to show an artist every so often,
and to put their organization behind the artist in
terms of marketing and promotion, it is only natural
for the gallery to expect exclusivity on the part ofthe
artist so that the massive investment involved can be
recouped. The artist is then referred to as “having a
gallery”, or, less pleasantly, as being in the dealer’s
“stable”. While the balance of power in the artist
dealer relationship, except with very famous artists,
is usually with the dealer, it is important to bear in
mind that the dealer is the agent for the artist. It is
unwise to accept, over the long run, actions and
presentations on the part ofadealer acting on your
behalf that do not conform to behavior you respect
or do not reflect well on your work.
Another common arrangement is for geographic
exclusivity. For example, I might agree with such
and such a gallery in Santa Fe that they have
exclusive rights to sell my prints in New Mexico. As
an artist, | am functioning as a manufacturer. It
makes sense for me to partition exclusive territories
so that my agents have motivation to create sales for
me. Along similar lines, I might grant one dealer
exclusive rights to my photographic prints, and
another rights to sell my paintings.
It is most common for dealers to obtain art from
their sources on a consignment basis. This means
that the artist or other source for the art gets paid
their share when the dealer gets paid. However, very
well-known artists are sometimes able to insist on
outright purchases only. And established dealers
How the Fine Art World Works 93
 may buy the work of anewcomer outright on their
own account in order to provide the artist with
enough money to continue to buy materials and to
eat and for long-term investment purposes.
Selling Prints through Art Galleries
Provided that you are a photographer with truly
marketable work, there are two competing success-
ful strategies possible.
Find a gallery you can trust and join its stable. Or,
work in a non-exclusive way with a number of
different galleries whose clientele or territories do
not overlap.
The second option gives you much more control
but is much more work. For instance, if you have a
good gallery, they will arrange participation in
important museum exhibitions for you. If you are
on your own, you are not only less likely to be
included in such things but also must handle the
mechanics ofshipping and retrieving work yourself.
It is also possible to work with someone, such as
Yancey Richardson of Lumina (see below), who acts
as an agent between photographers and other deal-
ers and galleries.
Jeff Cason’s The Photo Gallery & Workshop Hand-
book (see Resources Section) contains addresses and
telephone numbers of many galleries and dealers
interested in photography (including galleries inter-
viewed later in this chapter) and is a good place to
begin a search for representation.
Creating a Market for the Work of the
Artist
Creating a market for the work of an artist is an art
in and ofitself. It is a witches’ brew. The recipe is to
the right.
It is virtually impossible for an artist to create these
94 Successful Fine Art Photography
conditions alone. Help and support of aknowledge-
able, experienced, and well-connected art dealer are
required.
The first ingredient mentioned in the recipe is that
the work be good. While I would urge you not to put
a great deal of time or effort into marketing your
work unless you feel it is truly excellent, really, the
requirement is that some people perceive the work
as good. Who knows what good is, anyhow? But
you, and your dealer, must truly project beliefin the
importance and quality of your work.
There is nothing like being in the news for making art
more marketable. Recent controversies surrounding
obscenity have done wonders for the market for the
work of Andres Serrano and Robert Mapplethorpe.
Social connections are important. [here are surpris-
ingly few truly important players in the art and
photography worlds. Use your connections. Social-
ize. Go to openings. Get to know other artists, and
those working in your media and style in particular.
Often, fellow artists can be particularly helpful in
arranging introductions to dealers and galleries.
They are certainly knowledgeable and influential in
einefeAol WorFes
Take one pinch first rate work.
Add a smidgen of controversy.
Stir with rich social connections.
Let simmer with critical attention and
the consensus of the art world that
the work is important.
Decant and let sit for ten years.
Improve flavor with frequent exhibitions
and publication of work.
Harold
1992
Davis
©
creating the perceived reputation of an artist.

In the long run, quality publication of your work in

monographs or other books is an extremely important
way to build a reputation. For example, Ralph Gibson
became recognized as a photographic artist following
the self-publication of his book The Somnambulistin
1970. While Gibson has published many books since
then, he states that he makes as much money from the
sale of one print as he does through royalties on an
entire edition of a book. The main benefit of book
publication to Gibson is that it increases his already
considerable visibility and reputation.

For more information on book publishing, see the

Photographer's Publishing Handbook.

Auctions

In recent years photography auctions have become

an important avenue for sales of vintage prints and
work by acknowledged contemporary masters. In
addition, auction sales prices have come to be
regarded as bench marks which collectors and deal-
ers look at in attempting to determine the value of
a given photographic print or body of photographs.
An auction house selects photographs to be offered
on a consignment basis. An estimate of the price
(actually, an estimate of the range from low to high)
that the photograph is expected to sell for is pro-
vided. A catalogue is researched and prepared con-
taining descriptions ofthe offerings, and, in the case
of significant lots, reproductions.
Daile Kaplan, Director of Photography at Swann
Galleries, states, “Swann will be celebrating its 50th
anniversary in 1992. In the beginning we were solely
a book auction house. Then, in 1952, Swann con-
ducted the Marshall Sale, the first auction devoted
exclusively to photography. With the growing interest
in photographs and photographic literature in the late
1970s, a photographs department was created.”
Migrant Mother by Dorothea Lange, 1936, courtesy
Swann Galleries. This famous image was taken by
Lange while working for the Farm Security Adminis-
tration Photography Section. A signed 1940s silver
print sold for a record $44,000.00 at the April 15,
1991 Swann Auction.
minimums start at several thousand dollars, the
minimums at Swann tend to be several hundred
dollars. In addition, the range of materials offered at
Swann is somewhat broader.
Kaplan states that “my job is to field questions about
whether particular items are appropriate for auc-
tion, select the photographs and books for the sales,
write the catalog descriptions, and provide the
estimates. During the preview or exhibition (when
the photographs and books are on view and may be
examined), I am available to answer questions.”

As opposed to Christie’s and Sotheby’s, where Claudia Gropper is Vice President and Director of

How the Fine Art World Works 95

 Photography at Christie's, which has been holding
photography auctions since 1978. She notes that
“work we receive on consignment comes from
private collectors, dealers, institutions and estates.”
Generally, twentieth century vintage prints by fa-
mous photographers ts the work which is strongest
at auction. Kaplan observes a vast range of work at
Swann from a $300.00 Civil War print by Alexander
Gardner print to a $40,000 Dorothea Lange print.
She states that “I am trying to move Swann into the
twentieth century,” but, witha few exceptions, such
as work by Mapplethorpe, there has been little
response to contemporary work. “It is hard for an
aspiring photographer to break in. Galleries are a
more appropriate venue because you cannot con-
sign your own work.”
Gropper concurs. She states, “Christie’s has had
some success with photographers who are working
today who already have an established reputation
such as Cindy Sherman, Andres Serrano, and Joel-
Peter Witkin. While I am very accessible (a photog-
rapher can just pick up the phone and call me) it is
not our job as an auction house to establish the
reputation of a photographer. Auctions are in-
tended to bea secondary market for work for which
there is already a primary market. We often position
our pre-sale estimates 20% - 30% below established
gallery retail prices for given work.”
The primary significance of auction prices to the
would-be art photographer is as a bellwether. Many
people look to auction sales results as guidelines to
the worth of specific work. These results are easily
manipulable. Be that as it may, as Kaplan notes,
when a print by a specific photographer - such as the
Dorothea Lange print which sold for $40,000 at
Swann’s April sale - achieves a record sales price for
that artist, there are “long-term repercussions.”
Collectors graph sales prices at auction as a map to
what the future will bring. When the present auc-
tions put large values on work that is, historically
speaking, recent, it raises the possibility that prints
by this year’s almost unknown will be valuable in the
not-too-distant future. However, Gropper observes,
96 Successful Fine Art Photography
“T never tell anyone to invest in photography. You
need to love it to collect it. Iask potential collectors
to pick a theme they like such as nudes, still lives, or
portraits, or perhaps a specific artist or period.”
When collectors and dealers do genuinely care
about work by a contemporary artist, the rapid rise
in photography auction prices over the last fifteen
years helps to provide justification for investing in
the career of that artist.
One contemporary art photographer dismisses auc-
tion results as essentially irrelevant to the living:
“For the last five years the photographs sold at
auction at Sotheby’s and Christie’s were all the
same. What is being collected is the stamp on the
back of the print, in other words, the rarity. “Vin-
tage’ is a marketing technique. Things which are
rare have value. Of two vintage Weston prints, the
one that says, ‘to my love so-and-so’ on the back will
be more valuable. This is obviously not about the
photographic image on the front. [tis almost impos-
sible for a young photographer to break into this
closed circle.”
How to Approach Galleries
A good starting place is to participate in group shows
and exhibitions in alternative spaces. Not only do
these look good on your resumé, your work may
come to the attention of dealers without your
having to approach them personally. This is by far
the best way.
A word of caution. While you will have to make
your own decisions on a case by case basis, I
discourage participating in exhibitions that are set
up as contests with entry fees. All too often, these are
rip ofts. Hanging fees are another comparable racket.
In any event, I would never sign up with a gallery
that charges a substantial sum for a solo exhibition
and claims to be providing more than the simple
rental of space. This is the art world equivalent of
vanity publication, but it probably carries even
more stigma than in publishing. Vanity galleries
have no intention ofselling your work. They make
 Sample Resumé

Jane Doe Photographer

100 Made Up Avenue
Best City, Fantasyland 10025
Telephone Number

Exhibitions “Computer and Gun, Camera and Sword: Photographic Fantasies in the Real World”, Museum of
Contemporary Photography, New York, NY, March, 1992 (solo exhibition consisting of Cibachrome
prints and electronically manipulated thermal dye transfer prints; subject matter ranges from images of
conflict in Afghanistan and Haiti to invented landscapes).

Imaginary Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, 1991 (solo exhibition).

Randolph Gallery, New York, 1991 (solo exhibition).

“The Spirit of Spring: a Photographic Examination of Cultural Relativism and the Celebration of the
Return of the Sun”, toured seven museums, 1989-1991.

Awards & = Le Croix d’Or, Republic of Haiti, 1991; Diana Fielding Award of Excellence, 1990; Parsimons School
Honors Fellowship, 1986.

Photographic Portfolio of aCentury: Manipulation and Madness, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, 1989.
Book

Bibliography Brinkspersonship: Jane Doe Photographer and Modernism in a Time of Crisis, Clement Critic, New
York Times Sunday Magazine, Nov. 3, 1991.

“Jane Doe Photographer” (/nterview), They Stand Alone, Harold Davis, Potemkin Press, New York, 1988.

Photographic Fantasies: Jane Doe Photographer, C. Kent, Best Photography Magazine, August, 1988.

Collections Alabama Art Museum, Mobile, AL; Bibliothéque Nationale, Paris; Boston Brahmin Institute, Boston,
MA; Dol Goldur Corporation, Newark, NJ; Golgotha Collection, New York, NY; Hopper Foundation,
Carefree, AZ; Kincaid Museum, New York, NY.; Library of Congress, Washington, DC; Orthanc
Foundation, Houston, TX; Pasadena Pioneer Museum, Pasadena, CA; Wayfair Collection.

Publications Photographer’s work has appeared in magazines including: Best Photography Magazine, American
Photographer, Life Magazine, The New York Times Sunday Magazine, and Stern.

Television “Technology, Art, and Freedom”, a PBS series featuring the work of Jane Doe Photographer, Boston,
Ma, 1991.

Education B.F.A., Parsimons School of Art, 1985.

How the Fine Art World Works Me


Hartwig House, Truro, © Joel Meyerowitz 1976,
Courtesy James Danziger Gallery.
their money off you. I have no objection to artist’s
subsidizing their exhibitions, for example, paying for
advertising, if they decide to do so with eyes open. But
do not get involved with a vanity gallery. There is no
point. There are plenty of decent spaces where one can
exhibit for free or rent in a straight-forward way.
Galleries and dealers should be approached in a pro-
fessional fashion. Personal introductions from gallery
artists or museum curators can be very helpful. In the
absence of any high level connection, call the gallery
and ask their procedures. Follow them and the guide-
lines in the section on “Submissions to the Art Mar-
98 Successful Fine Art Photography
z 4
manna
aan
ket” in Chapter 2. In general, you will be asked to drop
off or mail, with a S.A.S.E., duplicate slides and a
resumé. If using the mails, include a brief cover letter.
If the gallery is interested in your work, you will be
invited back to show more work and actual prints.
The Artist’s Resumé
Contrary to much popular belief, the form of the
resumé is not fixed in stone. A resumé is a selling
tool, and the format that puts you in the best light
should be used. Bear in mind the purpose for which
you are using the resumé and consider generating
different ones for different purposes. In some con-
texts, a short biographical statement may work far
better than a conventional resumé.

Since the typical artist has not led a conventional

life, the conventional resumé categories are seldom
applicable. Unless you have held some truly extraor-
dinary jobs, your employment history will not
much interest a gallery. While you should not leave
this category off your resumé, it is certainly not
necessary to emphasize it.

Do not pada resumé. Itis no shame to be young, and

nothing looks more foolish to the critical eye that
has reviewed thousands of resumés than one filled
with exaggerations. Keep the resumé short. Unless
you truly have important entries that require more
space, by all means leave it to one page.

An address and telephone number should be at the

top of the resumé.
Jodie Foster, Malibu, Cibachrome Print, © Annie
Leibovitz 1988, Courtesy James Danziger Gallery.
In addition to briefly covering standard resumé
topics such as education and employment, the
following categories should be included in an artist’s
or photographer’s resumé (if applicable): solo
exhibitions; group exhibitions; reviews of your to be the Picture Editor of Vanity Fair, he came to
work; publications of your work; art or photogra- New York where he worked with Annie Leibovitz.
phy related employmentand activity; honors, awards, A time came when Danziger “wanted to be account-
and affiliations; anything else of special interest. able to myself, and eventually the logical thing
seemed to be to open a gallery.

Interview with James Danziger,
James Danziger Gallery
James Danziger is the owner of a gallery bearing his
name in New York’s Soho. An American who was
born and grew up in London, he is the author of
Interviews with Master Photographers (Paddington
Press, 1975) and Beaton (Viking Press, 1979).
Danziger worked for six years for the Sunday Times,
finishing as the Picture Editor of the Sunday Times
Magazine, where he met many of the world’s great
contemporary photographers. Hired by Tina Brown
“T knew lots of very good photographers and luckily,
everyone I asked - Joel Meyerowitz, Elliot Erwitt,
Sheila Metzner - said ‘yes.’ Eventually, so did Annie
Leibovitz, but she waited to see what the gallery
actually looked like. I also started out representing
the estate of Cecil Beaton for Sotheby’s and Edward
Maxey, who is Mapplethorpe’s younger brother
and is becoming very successful in his own right.
“My first exhibition was of Eliot Porter’s cloud
photographs.
“T love having a gallery. I am not a frustrated

How the Fine Art World Works yD)

 photographer but rather an editor ofpeople’s work.
There are two sides to running a gallery: artistic and
business. Curating shows is great fun. I like working
with artists - it is my job to support them. I think it
is important that I am not jealous of them. Some are
difficult and demanding, but I never expected them
to be easy.”
Danziger is extremely passionate about the work of
Joel Meyerowitz and is delighted have the opportu-
nity to represent him. “Too many people see him as
Cape Light, but he is so much more. Meyerowitz
also did not necessarily get the right management on
the art side. Luck and timing have something to do
with it, but in retrospect it was clearly a mistake not
to limit the editions ofhis prints, and to set too low
a price. His 20X24” prints until recently sold for
$1000.00 which is peanuts in today’s market.
“My first Meyerowitz exhibition was Different Places,
of very big prints of places other than Cape Cod. In
October [of 1991], I will do another show. This
time I will limit editions, exhibit 20X24” prints, and
his prices are now $2,000 per print, which is more
in line with the current market.
“There is an eternal debate between dealer and
photographer: whose show is it?
“I know my own gallery and it is important to me to
stand for something. We are not a post-modernist
gallery. We are not embarrassed by selling attractive
work. I stand for accessible classicism. I like to have
pleasing pictures on the walls - but they are not
simple images. Work by photographers I represent
has many levels.
“Artistically, people need to be surprised. Modern-
ism has come as far as it can go and had to re-trench.
It is easy to see if someone is a good photographer.
If they have it, they tend to surprise people and show
them things they are unfamiliar with, or old things
in an unfamiliar way. Ninety-nine per cent of the
work submitted to my gallery unsolicited consists of
bad versions ofother’s people’s work. For example,
awful street photography.
100 Successful Fine Art Photography
“Photography is the future. Those who think the
1980s brought a boom in photography, just wait.
The level of interest keeps on increasing and the
commercial potential of fine art photography has
yet to be fully tapped. A look at House and Garden
or Architectural Digest shows that something like
every other house is decorated with photography.
Photography has moved from the corner of the
library to the living room.”
James Danziger Gallery will look at portfolios the
first Tuesday of every month. Workis to be dropped
offin the morning and picked up at the end of the
day. The gallery should be telephoned to make sure
this arrangement still applies. In the alternative,
slides may be mailed along with a S.A.S.E. i
Interview with Peter MacGill, |
Pace/MacGill Gallery
Peter MacGill is the president ofPace/MacGill Gal-
lery. He is an elegantly dressed man in his thirties. His
office is decorated with vintage Robert Frank prints
and a contemporary Rauschenberg photographic con-
struction. He has several partners, Arnold Glimcher of
the Pace Gallery and Richard Solomon of Pace Edi-
tions, and he appears to straddle the line between the
art world and the business world. Behind an affable
and courteous exterior he is no-nonsense. He holds a
B.F.A. degree from Ohio Wesleyan (while an under-
graduate there he interned at Light Gallery in New
York) and a M.F.A. degree from the University of
Arizona in Tucson, which he primarily earned in
exchange for curating exhibitions at the Center for
Creative Photography and teaching. His original am-
bition was to be a photographer. However, despite work
of his being handled by the Witkin Gallery and
exhibited as part ofgroup shows, he realized early on
that he wasn't a gifted photographer (“The world
didn t need another bad photographer’) and that he
enjoyed curating.
I ask MacGill to what he attributed his success.
MacGill replies, “I like business. We represent good
people and I have drive and
luck.

“There was clearly a void. In

1983 there was no gallery
treating photography the
way galleries treated paint-
ing and sculpture. Today,
photography is resounding
more loudly in the public’s
mind.

“What we do here is busi-

ness. I bring the creative ef-
forts of great artists to the
public. It is my job to have
good, happy and well-sup-
ported artists. A gallery is
nothing without its artists. |
also make sure that our exhi-
bitions are ofa quality that
reflects the quality of the
work involved.

“We will not view unsolicited

Pygmalion, © Joel-Peter Witkin 1982, Courtesy Pace/MacGill Gallery.
submissions of work. How-
ever, anyone who is a pho-
tographer working today
should believe that if their work is good, it will be seen.
For example, I first saw Joel-Peter Witkin’s work - his
still-life tableaus are like nothing else I have ever seen
- at an obscure gallery in the Village. Curator and
book-creator Marvin Heiferman suggested we look at
Nan Goldin’s work. Goldin’s work examines the
psychological space that exists between people bound-
up inarelationship. Both Goldin’s and Witkin’s work
is important to the gallery and we have helped make
it part of what people think about when they think
about contemporary art.
“Tt is a privilege to represent important and original
artists. Their work merits attention and we bring it
to the attention of our collectors and our audience.
We are making a match. Pace/MacGill is a place
where people can learn about an artist. Over a ten
year period, our public might see three to five
exhibits by a particular artist. They can observe how
that artist grows and changes and, in the context of
the gallery, the public can sense our respect for the
work and the fact that we revere it. Our exhibition
schedule is like a round of boxing with Muhammed
Ali: ithas a flow and progression but there are always
exciting surprises. We have a monthly audience.
Reviews and critical attention are very important to
us. We have excellent relationships with many ofthe
interesting people in the art world.”
Task MacGill about his advice for those just starting
out. “Work through your influences and try to
discover what your own contribution can be as soon
as possible. I don’t mean to sound harsh, but if
someone doesn’t have what it takes, it is best to
realize this as soon as possible and try doing some-
thing else.”

How the Fine Art World Works 101

 “T love seeing the cycles in the art world that
pertain to photography,” he muses. “The
70’s saw modernism. The 80’s saw post-
modernism. Now, modernism is a great
thing again. It seems to me that the pendu-
lum makes a swing in a shorter period of
time these days.

“Photography is developing a more sophisti-

cated audience. A lot of people our age tend
to be able to do something about their urge to
acquire. They can collect and support a pho-
tographer they believe in. There is a great deal
less hot air or speculation in the photography
market than in the other areas of the art
world. This means that there is greater oppor-
tunity to get better art for more reasonable
sums of money.” $

Interview with Julie Saul,

Lieberman & Saul Gallery

Julie Saul is the owner and director of

Lieberman & Saul Gallery, which she co-
founded in 1984 with Nancy Lieberman.
Saul states: “I straddle the art world and the
photography world. My background is in art
history, and I know a lot about art, but I am
known as a photography dealer. However,
many photography dealers are former pho-
tographers, while I hardly know how to use a
camera. Untitled, Diptych, © Zeke Berman 1988, Courtesy
Lieberman & Saul Gallery.
“T am very leery of work that is too easy. am
interested in work with a subtext that is
neither documentary photography nor street
photography. Much of the work that I care about He sees in a way that is unique. Working with
relates back to the Bauhaus and surrealism move- everyday objects, he uses a simple tabletop studio
ments of the 1920s and 1930s. set-up to create ways ofseeing and visual poetry that
is magic. A kind of alchemy has taken place. At its
“An artist I represent whose work I love is Zeke best, photography is a means of making exciting
Berman. His photographs are “tough” in the sense pictures with simple tools.”
that they are not immediately appealing to an
unsophisticated eye. They are not pretty pictures. Saul performs a number of different roles at her

102 Successful Fine Art Photography


gallery. In addition to running the gallery, she puts
together corporate collections, curates shows, and
represents artists. She also keeps current with what's
going on in the art world by reading, going to
exhibits, talking to artists, and travelling. She enjoys
the variety.
In terms of the photographers she represents, she
tries to “cover the bases,” so that if a client
comes in looking for one specific kind of
image (e.g., landscapes) she will have some-
thing.
When she moved to New York in the early 1980s
she first attended graduate school and later
lectured at the Museum of Modern Art, and
worked full time at MOMA and the Metropoli-
tan. The gallery was started out ofa desire to be
independent - a living couldnt be made doing
free-lance curating. In any case, she didn’t like
working for large institutions and was excited by
contemporary photography. It was just at the
beginning of the “post-modern moment.” Pho-
tography was priced so that great work was
affordable.
At first, she sold more color than black and
white work. Today, the proportions are
reversed. Saul feels that more collectors
have realized how wonderful black & white
prints look: they have a “somberness and
richness”.
Saul notes that she exhibits work at her
gallery, cares for work, arranges for it to be
included in outside exhibitions, and con-
ducts research. Dealers maintain the extremely
important links between artists and collec-
tors. The only way to pay for this activity is
through the sales of work. But profit margins
are small and overhead is high.
Saul does not believe in having a formal
contract with her artists. “This is a totally
personal business relationship, and it is no
better than the way it’s working. Sales are
dealt with on an individual basis.” Her role with
artists is to exhibit their work and to try to give some
direction. She does announcements, mounts shows,
and keeps in contact with collectors, curators, con-
sultants, and critics.
Lieberman & Saul Gallery will look at duplicate
slides that are sent witha S.A.S.E. Julie Saul recom-
How the Fine Art World Works 103
 mends one page of slides (twenty slides), a clear
resumé, and copies of anything interesting about
the work. She is deluged with submissions - to get
her attention presentations should be simple, pro-
fessional, and clear. Saul is sensitive to the opinions
of the artists she represents and will occasionally pay
studio visits on their recommendations. She notes:
“Tt is very difficult for an artist to find a gallery. We
only represent ten people, but get about ten calls a
day from photographers looking for representation.
The group we represent changes very little - we add
perhaps one or two artists a year. This is a difficult
situation. There area lot of very talented people and
not that many forums. Also, it is tough to take a
completely unknown artist and launch them. I
usually don’t want to start from ground zero.
“Artists seeking representation should be pleasant
and not overly aggressive. Why would I ever want
to show your work if you’re so unpleasant? I am
close to the artists I represent.
“T suggest trying alternative spaces - in New York,
White Columns, the 14th Street ‘Y’, the Alternative
Museum, etc. Get your work out there and get it
infiltrated.” ®&
Interview with Arthur Danto
Arthur Danto is a professor of philosophy at Co-
lumbia University. He also regularly contributes an
art criticism column to The Nation. Recognized as
one of the more intelligent contemporary commen-
tators on art, his articles have been compiled in
several book length collections, including Encoun-
ters and Reflections: Art in the Historical Present
(Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1990), winner of the
National Book Critics Circle Award for art criti-
cism.
We meet in Danto’s office on the top floor of
Philosophy Hall at Columbia University. He is a
merry looking man with an intelligent twinkle in his
eye. His office isa book lined cave witha large bright
104 Successful Fine Art Photography
window at the end facing out on the Columbia
quadrangle.
I ask Danto how he moved from philosophy to art
criticism.
“T think of myself as sort of the last nineteenth
century philosopher, meaning that I was trying to
construct a total system of thought. All philosophic
systems, from Plato’s to Hegel’s, have dealt with art.
So as I constructed my system I knew that art would
have to be in it. At the same time, the history of
philosophy has been a history of disenfranchise-
ment of art. Art is either dismissed as interesting
shadows of reality, or is stated to really be philoso-
phy. In fact, the Platonic dialogues are acts of
aggression against various arts as part of an agenda
of establishing philosophy’s supremacy in the hier-
archy of disciplines.
“A side note here is that early on I thought I would
bea painter. I have always been interested in art and
enjoyed keeping up with exhibitions.
“In the late 1970s I was working on a series of books
titled “Analytic Philosophy of XYZ’. The first three
volumes were on Action, Knowledge, and History.
I didn’t want to title the next one, on art, inthesame
way. It became The Transfiguration ofthe Common
Place which was published by Harvard University
Press in 1981 and considers the question of what is
an art work and what is not. I was pleased that it
received attention in the popular press; on the basis
ofits reviews, I was invited to write on art for Soho
News and, starting in 1984, for The Nation. Since
then I have been contributing a quasi-philosophic
column on current art exhibitions once a month to
The Nation.
“T go to the main exhibitions on the basis of what I
think will interest the readers of The Nation. This
means primarily the Modern, the Metropolitan, the
Whitney, and perhaps the National Gallery. Basi-
cally, I try to respond to the show with a piece of
thought which the reader can use. With the hope
that my piece may provoke readers to go to the
exhibit, I try to get them out in time so that this is
possible.
“I am very interested in photography, and have writ-
ten on Cartier-Bresson, Mapplethorpe, and Cindy
Sherman. I have written on Cindy three times. Her
concerns are essentially not photographic. She isa sort
of performance artist who records her performances in
still photographs. Just as performance artists attempt
to go back to the beginnings of art, Cindy uses
photography to do this. Her subject matter is what it
is like to be a young woman in our society, and how
this connects with fantasies of what it is like to be a
young woman. Her images are so extraordinary as to
immediately enter consciousness. You are pulled in-
side. This is unlike, for example, Cartier-Bresson,
who captures a moment, but leaves the viewer out-
side. Cindy has erased narrative distance. Her motives
are anti-photographic.
“Cindy Sherman’s pieces are sold as works of art, not
photographic prints. Clearly, it is economically
advantageous to be thought of as an artist rather
than a photographer. For example, the Starn Twins
use photographs, but nobody thinks of them as
photographers.
“Criticism doesn’t count for much today in terms of
marketability. The critic and museum have been
replaced by the dealer and collector. It’s the rare
exception when anything written by a critic makes
a significant difference to an artist’s career. Critics
have very little real power. Their commentaries
mean more to the artist and dealer than anyone else.
“T rarely hear from the artists I review. Cartier-
Bresson did have a print delivered to my home
following my piece on him. This was quite unusual
and I was moved by the kind dedication, but I don’t
think it corrupted me. Metro Pictures, Cindy
Sherman’s gallery, did send mea signed print of her
image of Ms. Claus, but this was after I had written
three reviews. They didn’t do it because they had
anything to gain by sending me the print.
“It is harder for photography than painting to be
accepted as art. I don’t think this really has to do
with photography’s ‘new’ arrival. The art market as
we understand it was created by the pre-Raphaelites
circa 1848, which means that the existence of
photography goes back beyond its beginnings.
Baudelaire, the greatest art critic of the nineteenth
century, wrote about Nadier, the photographer, as
well as Daumier.
“But painters feel problems with photographers and
vice versa. An awful lot of artisan photography gets
used. This puts impediments in the way of photog-
raphy being perceived as art. So, to get around this,
photographers try to make their work look arty. But
artiness is defined by painting.” %
Interview with Simon Lowinsky,
Simon Lowinsky Gallery
Simon Lowinsky is the president and owner of
Simon Lowinsky Gallery, an art gallery which spe-
cializes in photography. He has been a dealer of
photography for twenty-five years. He is a thought-
ful, affable, and loquacious man who has taken me
to lunch ata Soho restaurant where we have gazpacho,
chilled tomato soup, and grilled fresh tuna steak,
which was caught off Long Island. Our waitress
makes platinum prints and has experimented with
daguerreotypes. This indication of the pervasive
interest in photography, and in esoteric processes,
amuses and pleases us both.
“The best artists,” he states, “put time posts in the
universe, markers for the rest of us. What the best
dealers do is help clients make that examination.
How does a body of work, or a particular print,
relate to larger questions of culture and existence?”
Lowinsky had been bored with school very quickly.
He dropped out of high school in the late sixties and
made his way to the Bay area where he worked in a
poster store in Haight-Ashbury. In 1969 he co-
published a book with Ballantine on People’s Park,
and the process of putting this book together got
How the Fine Art World Works 105
 him increasingly interested in photography. He
came to New York where he met people such as Lee
Witkin, Harold Jones of Light Gallery, and Harry
Lunn.
While Lowinsky represents seven or eight contem-
porary photographers, he largely deals in vintage
work, and learning from old objects is important to
him. He takes a “very aggressive position” in vintage
photographs, trying to obtain the best quality he can
find, and maintaining extensive storage facilities.
He notes that “beyond anything economic, we are
guardians of the work.”
Lowinsky observes that most dealers have liaisons
and work collaboratively and in partnership with
other dealers. “We are truly a large extended family.
This sense of family is important to me. I feel close
to all my colleagues. Many of them are very brilliant
in how they used what money came their way. Now,
maybe, we are a family growing old together.”
This informal and warm attitude extends to the
impression he wants his gallery to project. “I try to
make it not intimidating. It should be a friendly
environment. People should not be afraid to ask
questions. I want people to know that they are
welcome, even if they are not there to buy.”
In contemporary work, he looks for a balance
between craftsmanship and content. “Too elegant
art can be forgotten. However, the other problem
could bea body of work that is quickly fading. I look
for people who understand their process. For ex-
ample, Modoka Takagi, whom I represent, isa great
platinum printer. Her exquisite platinum prints
show New York as a foreigner might see it -
unexpected, exotic views of dream-like wastelands.
Her prints currently sell for $800.00. We have
made sales to the Museum of Modern Art, the
Smithsonian, and a few important collectors, and
will continue to support her work which I feel is
important.
“Tt is one thing for an Arshile Gorky who couldn't
afford proper materials to produce work which is
106 Successful Fine Art Photography
not archivally stable. It is quite another for an
indolent sixties practitioner who simply didn’t bother
with craft.”
Other contemporary artists he represents include:
Mariette Pathy Allen, “who does beautiful portraits
of cross-dressers which many people find threaten-
ing”; Robert Glenn Ketchum, who is a color land-
scape photographer; and Graham Nash, the musi-
cian and photograph collector who is currently
interested in work that has been printed with the aid
of computers.
Lowinsky will not look at work that artists wish to
show him as he feels that “it just doesn’t help the
lookee or the looker. I get about twenty-five re-
quests a week and just can’t respond to them. In any
case, a portfolio is not the thing that would make me
represent someone. For me, it takes a personal
interaction to generate interest and understanding
of an artist’s goals.” a
Interview with Yancey Richardson,
Lumina Inc.
Yancey Richardson is the director of Lumina Inc.
Lumina represents twentieth century fine art pho-
tography to museums, galleries, collectors, and
corporate collections. Lumina is a private dealer,
meaning that their offices are open by appointment
only. They do not offer exhibits but will set up
exhibitions at galleries to promote the artists they
represent.
Richardson states: “Dealers are looking for creative,
original, personal vision, and a kind of excellence that
exists in that vision and the crafting of the work. Only
the artists can push themselves in that direction.
Many, many artists can attain the technical levels
required, or hire others to perform technical functions
for them. So what becomes crucial is having a new way
of seeing the world, or something to say about the
medium of photography. However, this cannot be
innovation for innovation’s sake. I look for photogra-
phers who have their own voice and whose work
displays a consistent thread and some maturity.”
Richardson’s involvement includes going to art fairs,
travelling with work, advising artists and corporate
and private collectors, and publishing or co-publish-
ing portfolios. She notes that production and market-
ing of portfolios must be handled in exactly the right
way and cautions photographers against publishing
their own portfolios. They are very expensive to do.
Richardson has been involved in the publishing and/
or marketing of limited edition dye transfer portfolios
including Philip Hyde’s “Images of the Southwest”,
Walter W. Nelson’s “Dreamtime”, Eliot Porter’s
“Trees”, and John Wawrzonek’s “Hidden World of
the Nearby” and “Texture”. For example, Nelson’s
portfolio, which is inspired by Australian Aboriginal
Dreamtime mythology consists of
... nine Dreamtime images ... com-
posed of painted backgrounds which
use lint, pastels, cut paper and oils
on canvas, and fetishes made by the
artist from native Australian mate-
rials suchas exotic seed pods, braided
grasses and feathers.
... Nelson photographs the still lifes
in shadowless natural light with
8X10 transparency film... .
The portfolios are priced so that there is a compara-
tively low initial price, then price increases as the
editions sell out. All the portfolios Richardson has
been involved with have done well; however, she
notes that “if I really cared about money most, |
would be selling buildings, not art. I love the
creative world, and my payoff is interacting with
artists and other creative people.”
Richardson observes that she can only represent a
limited number of photographic artists. Besides qual-
ity work, she needs the financial room to be able to re-
sell prints to galleries, and an attitude of trust and
cooperation on the part of the artist. “If it is a struggle
to work with an artist, were simply not going to.”
Lumina will look at duplicate slides artists send with
aS.A.S.E., biography, print sizes, process and prices,
or artists can call to make an appointment to drop
off their portfolio for twenty-four hours. Richardson
does not want artists to be present when she looks at
their work. “Work has to speak for itself. An artist
should not have to explain their work. [look ata lot
of material, and to get my attention, work must be
inspiring for me personally. Also sometimes I see
very interesting work but it’s just not appropriate
for the collectors | work with.
“Artists should try not to present a retrospective
when they show work to a dealer. Work presented
should be reasonably current. Prints should be of
good quality, although it is not essential that they be
matted. Generally, dealers would prefer to look at
no more than eight to fifteen pieces. It’s irritating to
see someone come in with lots of work. If someone
brings me a massive body of work, and I suspect it’s
not for me, I’m probably not going to go through it
all. If an artist is good, a very small number ofprints
will show it. For example, I just took on a new artist
- Rei Taka who makes platinum still life abstractions
- on the basis of seeing two prints a client of mine
brought in for framing.”
Richardson is enthusiastic about art and photogra-
phy - her first purchase for her own collection was
a David Hockney photographic collage while she
was still in graduate school - and she is pleased to
have clients who are similarly enthusiastic. “They
are happy to pay for art they care about. It’s not like
paying a doctor, lawyer, or the mortgage. Every
dealer knows the process of educating clients - but
great clients also educate you.”
As to what kind of photography will be favored as
art in the 1990s, Richardson states that “we are in
the middle of a transition. This is a very pluralistic
time. The 1980s saw art galleries showing photo-
graphs and photograph galleries showing drawings
and sculpture. Much of the art photography pro-
duced in the last decade were studio fabrications of
still lifes, theatrical tableaus, and sculptural installa-
tions. Young photographers just out of art school
How the Fine Art World Works 107
 seem to have been very influenced by Cindy Sherman
and Joel-Peter Witkin. The trend may be towards
more socially concerned work. By this, Imean work
with a more humanistic content. There is certainly
great interest in Sebastiao Salgado. The 1990s are a
new time, and we will have to wait and see.” &
Interview with Bonni Benrubi,
Fine Art Photographs
Bonni Benrubi is the owner of Fine Art Photo-
graphs. Her offices are located in an executive suite
on New York’s East Side, which she shares with a
law firm. An attractive woman with a background
in art history, she worked as the director of Daniel
Wolf Gallery for ten years before starting her own
business. Benrubi is a private dealer, meaning that
she does not maintain a public exhibition space.
Her years in a public gallery were enough. She did not
need the aggravation. After Daniel Wolf Gallery closed,
she had a lot ofwell known artists and many clients. She
also had experience making amarket in photography:
she had gone out to Santa Fe with Wolf and worked
with famed photographer Eliot Porter from 1977 -
1987. “He had never sold a print to the art market
before we went out there.”
“People pursue well-established artists,” states
Benrubi. “Others who are less well-known must be
presented, meaning that their work must be shown
to museums and collectors. Work must be included
in exhibitions.”
She maintains a large inventory of twentieth cen-
tury vintage prints as well as representing contem-
porary photographers. She represents some photog-
raphers, such as Jed Devine, Andreas Feninger, and
Tod Papageorge, exclusively. Exclusivity means
that anyone wanting prints by that artist must work
through Benrubi, butalso that she has “responsibil-
ity’ for the career of the artist.
Benrubi feels particularly passionate about Jed
108 Successful Fine Art Photography
Devine’s still lifes, which are 8X10" contacted
palladium prints of “extraordinarily crafted form
and art direction. They are pristine and perfect.”
Devine’s prints sell for $700.00 and $1000.00; they
are not editioned.
Benrubi will make an appointment to look at work
if one of her artists, or someone she knows and
respects, recommends and feels strongly about a
photographer’s work. Otherwise, she will look at
duplicate slides. A S.A.S.E. should be provided. She
is not interested in “photojournalism, street pho-
tography, fake Eliot Porters, fake Joel Meyerowitz’s,
sloppily crafted work, playboy-type nudes, or por-
traits of unknown people.
“What I would like to see is beautifully crafted work,
platinum and palladium prints, still lifes, beautiful
landscapes, wonderful work. I love experimental
work. | am not fond ofcibachrome prints. Type-C
prints are okay, but Iam nota technical person, and
don’t worry too much about that kind of thing.”
Her advice to a young person trying to market their
photographs as art: “You must really havea thick skin.
Explore the options including museums, non-profit
exhibition spaces, and all dealers. Don’t be too aggres-
sive: no isno. Work should be neat and well presented.
There should not be too much ofit. Don’t highlight
peripheral material: it is the work itself that counts.
“It’s a very difficult, arduous process, one that I do
not envy. It’s like trying to be a movie star or a
model. The process is political: who you know and
when you know them.
“The photography art world is still very young, in its
‘toddler-hood’. It has many phases to go through
and some growing up to do. Perhaps the current
recession will change what people want to see:
environmentally conscious, politically aware work
may be more interesting now.
“I, personally, am baffled by post-modernism. I
think that other than the cream, post-modern pho-
tography will disappear.” %
 ia
WM)
_

a,
SS

Margaret, © Man Ray 1935, Courtesy Houk Friedman Gallery.

How the Fine Art World Works 109


Interview with Edwynn Houk,
Houk Friedman Gallery
Edwynn Houk and Barry Friedman are the co-
owners of the elegant Houk Friedman Gallery on
Madison Avenue in New York. Houk Friedman
was opened in April, 1991; its inventory of over
4,000 twentieth-century master photographic prints,
probably one of the largest held by any gallery,
emphasizes modernist work done between 1917
and 1939. Most exhibitions at the gallery are from
this inventory. Houk explains: “The modernist
period was one of intense excitement and experi-
mentation. Old ideas were being challenged. The
end ofthe First World War saw not only the death
of an era, but also the awakening ofstrong interests
in machinery, technology, and news ways of think-
ing about art and society.
“Our intention is to concentrate on great works of
the twentieth century. We try to focus on major
artists of each decade, for example, Brassai, Man
Ray, Bill Brandt, Andre Kertesz, Robert Frank, and
Henri Cartier-Bresson. We are rarely involved in
contemporary work; the only contemporary pho-
tographer with whom we have a primary relation-
ship is Sally Mann, whom we feel falls into this
category. We do represent the estates of Brandt,
Brassai, Kertesz, and Dorothea Lange.”
Edwynn Houk started as a private collector of
photographs while still an undergraduate. “Collect-
ing photographs became a total obsession,” he says.
“Tt was either join AA or get a job ina gallery!” After
a while, Houk found he could do it just as well on
his own. He left his gallery job to become a private
dealer. In 1980, he opened his first gallery in
Chicago, Edwynn Houk Gallery, which is still
operating today. Houk states: “I still get great joy in
acquiring something I believe to be terrific. It is also
fulfilling to help to form private or museum collec-
tions.
“One of the most important ofour activities is our
110 Successful Fine Art Photography
publication of catalogues to accompany exhibi-
tions. These tend to be well produced and com-
prehensive, with scholarly contributions. We pay
a lot of attention to the details involved in these
publications, and they are particularly important
when the work is by artists whose estates we
represent.
“As people know more and more about photogra-
phy, the level of connoisseurship grows. People have
become more able to distinguish between greater
and lesser artists of an era, and between greater and
lesser works by great artists. This has resulted in a
widening price range for photography - from a
$3,000 Walker Evans print to a $200,000 Man
Ray.
Interview with Laurence Miller,
Laurence Miller Gallery
Laurence Miller, who is the owner of a prestigious
gallery that is named after him, states: “I exhibit and
sell photographs and attempt to make a living for
myself, my employees, and my artists. I succeed
extremely well, particularly for the artists.
“The artists I work with provide a diverse applica-
tion of photography from the traditional, such as
Lee Friedlander, Helen Levitt, and William
Eggleston, to people who deal with multiple and
synthesized imagery, such as Michael Spano and
Ray Metzker, to those who use photo materials to
make other kinds of statements, such as David
Levinthal and Gary Brotmeyer. Gary [whose work
is on exhibit at the gallery at the time of this
interview] uses early twentieth century photographs
as a point of departure. He applies a diverse range of
other materials in collage form to create fictional
personages that comment on a range ofideas from
contemporary politics (the events at Tiananmen
Square) to important persons and events in the
history of art.
“In my search for new artists, and I can add only one
 Mykonos, © Ray Metzker 1979, Courtesy Laurence Miller Gallery.
or two a year at most, I look for work which
complements the work already in the gallery. It
should not duplicate anyone else’s (we avoid “isms”),
and must have authority in its own way equal to the
work already in the gallery. You had better be the
best at what you do. I have only between twelve and
fifteen artists, including one photojournalist, Larry
Burrows, who I feel is the best there is. Because |
represent his estate, one shouldn’t make the com-
mon assumption that I would be interested in more
photojournalism.
“My market consists of fifty percent individual
collectors, thirty percent museums, and twenty
percent corporations.
“If the photographer wants his work to sell in the
marketplace, he should respect rarity. If you are
one of those who believes in the ultimate democ-
racy of photography, check to see if the market-
place concurs. Ultimately, it doesn’t. Vintage
work from fifty years ago and further back is rare.
A print made at the approximate time of the
negative will most likely - although not absolutely
- have different physical qualities than a print
made fifteen years later. These qualities are often
preferred.
“Editioning is a relatively new concept in photogra-
phy. It is a suit that does not fit well - but the best
we have so far.
“An artist should choose a print material that helps
him make his statement most forcefully.
“We have no fixed policy regarding viewing art;
How the Fine Art World Works HUI
 however, we will try to look at slides when our
schedule permits. Someone who would like to show
us work should call and ask if, how, and when we are
viewing.
“Let work speak for itself. Letters of reference and
personal statements are unnecessary.
“People can be very naive about our ability to
respond to their work. Aspiring portfolio presenters
will do themselves a great favor by trying to think of
the circumstances ofthe person viewing their work,
by stepping outside their naivety and anxiety. It’s
not that much different from going on a job inter-
view. They should know something about our
gallery and the kind of work we show. They should
consider how busy we are and committed to current
artists and do their best to make viewing their work
a simple and enjoyable experience. A portfolio
arriving in a wooden crate requiring an electric drill
to open isa portfolio that in all probability will never
be opened.
“Representing an artist is a relationship, a partner-
ship. Presenting your work to a dealer is like going
ona first date. Artists should be sensitive to the fact
that they are trying to form an intimate ongoing
relationship.
“There are so few people out there making innova-
tive, authoritative work.
“T am looking for new work. I would like you to
quote me that I am looking for new work. What that
work is I can’t exactly tell you until I see it. I seek
quality, consistency, intensity, intelligence, risk-
taking, historical knowledge, and craftsmanship.
Also, good karma is needed.
“While good references won’t cause me to view
work with attention - everyone seems to have them
these days - it will get my attention if a museum
curator I respect calls and tells me that I should look
at certain work.
“The photography world and the painting world are
ee, Successful Fine Art Photography
running on parallel tracks that are gradually coming
together. More and more painting galleries are
showing photography. Slowly, but surely, photog-
raphy is achieving proper recognition as an art
form.”
The Artist-Dealer Relationship
The artist-dealer relationship can be a unique part-
nership ofcreativity and support for that creativity.
Atits best, a dealer will support his artists practically
and emotionally, with vision, faith, and trust, even
when there are no present motivations for doing so.
At least, a relationship of trust and clear communi-
cation is to be desired. Artist and dealer must feel
that their goals are the same.
It cannot be said strongly enough that an art dealer
or gallery puts the face your art will wear before the
world. Your gallery represents you. Do not accept
unacceptable actions or representations on the part
of the gallery. Your integrity as an artist is your most
valuable possession. Keep it! Many galleries use a
form ofintimidation as part oftheir sales technique.
This involves intimidation through architecture
and snobbish assistants and the use of the emperor's
new clothes phenomenon. These galleries are not
above using the same techniques on young artists.
Do not fall for it for a minute.
However, do not jump to the other extreme,
either. No one wants to work with a whining,
complaining artist. It is probably not your dealer’s
fault that your work is not selling better. Whatever
that critic wrote is certainly not his fault. Don’t
constantly complain, pull tantrums, or be a tem-
peramental artist. Stand up for the things that are
important, but within those limits be easy going
and a pleasure to work with. As gallery owner Julie
Saul states “If Idon’t like you, why should I want
to sell your work.” Art dealer Simon Lowinsky
adds, “I usually get interested in an artist’s work
after I get interested in the person. If I find a
person interesting and attractive, I may find their
work the same way.”
 Gallery Representation Checklist

A When does the agreement with the Gallery go into effect?

A Where is the Gallery or dealer located?

A Howlongwillthe agreement bein effect? Who can endit?

Must the termination be in writing?

A What other events will cause the agreement to terminate?

A lIsthe agreement exclusive? Exclusive geographically?

Ifso, whatsort andmedia?

A Does the Gallery plan to exhibit your work? If so, when?

Where? How many pieces?

A Willthe Gallery give you asolo exhibition? When? Where?

A How are the exhibition expenses to be divided? Who pays what percentage?

Printing the Photographs ———__________. Photographing the Installation

Framing Opening Party —_—

Transporting Work to Gallery______ Shipping Work to Purchasers

OVS == ee SS Insurance

Announcements ———_______—_ Transporting Unsold Work Back

Catalogs Other Expenses

© Harold Davis 1992

How the Fine Art World Works 113

 Gallery Representation Checklist, page 2

What price is your work to be sold for? How is it set?

What will be your percentage of the proceeds? When will you be paid?
How detailed an accounting will you be given?

Whose share will discounts be deducted from?

Will the Gallery purchase some of your work outright?

Ormake you a minimum guarantee? If so, over what period?

How do you feel about the Gallery or dealer as a forum for you work?
And, how does the Gallery treat the public?

Do you have the right to inspect the Gallery's financial books?

Will the Gallery undertake an advertising or promotional campaign on your behalf?

What is the budget?

Will the gallery help to place your work in important exhibitions?

Organize travelling shows? Contact book publishers?

Do you still own the work even though it is in the possession of the Gallery?

What are the storage facilities like?

Will the Gallery be responsible for damage to your work? Will they insure it?

Will any disputes be arbitrated? Ifso, by whom?

The laws of what State govern the agreement? What do these laws say about
the artist-Gallery relationship?

© Harold Davis 1992

114 Successful Fine Art Photography

Contractual Matters
The majority of galleries and dealers do not use a
written contract. Those that do so will generally use
a form of their own. Because of these consider-
ations, I have not provided a sample contract, but
rather a checklist of issues to be discussed before
agreeing to gallery representation. It is particularly
important to be clear about financial responsibility
for the various expenses involved in an exhibition
before the exhibition takes place. Readers should be
very clear that a contract consists ofa valid agreement
between two parties, and that, in most circumstances,
a written contract 1s only a record ofthat agreement. In
other words, an agreement with an art dealer can
bind both parties even though it is not written.
It is only with some reluctance that I am willing to
accept the status quo in the art world regarding the
willingness to do without formal written agree-
ments. The artist-gallery relationship is a very spe-
cial and personal relationship. You cannot force a
dealer who is out of sympathy with you or your work
to effectively promote you. Nor can you realistically
expect any contract to cover all contingencies in-
volved in this unique relationship. It is probably
true that if you can’t trust a dealer, you don’t want
them representing your work in any case. However,
the lack of the formal contractual agreement process
may make it more difficult to be sure that you
understand clearly what you are being offered and
what you will be expected to provide.
Ifyou are, in fact, offered a written contract, read it
carefully. Do not go along with provisions that do
notseem fair. Use it asa starting place for discussions
about specific aspects of the relationship such as
exclusivity and who pays for what. Considering that
many years may be involved, the amounts of money
at issue can be considerable. It may be advisable to
seek legal or other expert advice.
The act of agreeing to and signing a contract at its best
forces the parties to carefully consider, fully commu-
nicate, and negotiate their concerns and priorities. If
you are entering into along term business relationship
with an art dealer, do not forgo the opportunity this
process provides. Any issue which is in doubt should
be fully and clearly on the table even if the resolution
is not to be formally memorialized in writing. Take
notes of what was said and what was agreed. You may
photocopy and use the “Gallery Representation Check-
list” provided for that purpose.
It is only good business record keeping to insist on
a signed list of all art work consigned to a dealer or
gallery. Do not forget to do this. I have provided a
Consignment Receipt form on the next two pages,
which you may photocopy for this purpose; how-
ever, any list that accurately describes the art work
and lists the retail price you expect and the dealer’s
sales commission will do fine. @&
How the Fine Art World Works ISS
 Consignment Agreement for Original Prints

AGREEMENT made the day of /19 , between (hereinafter referred to as

the “Photographer” ), located at ana (hereinafter “Recipient”).

WHEREAS, the Photographer is a professional fine art photographer, and the Recipient in its normal course
of business receives and holds original photographic prints; NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the
foregoing and the covenants hereinafter set forth, and other valuable consideration, the parties hereto
agree:

1. Purpose. The photographer consigns the original prints listed on the attached Schedule fo the recipient for
the purpose of re-selling said works and/or promoting the work of the artist.

2. Acceptance. Recipient accepts the listing and values on the attached Schedule as accurate. Holding the
work referenced in the schedule constitutes acceptance of the terms of this Agreement.

3. Ownership and Copyright. Copyright and all reproduction rights to the images reproduced in the prints are
the sole property of the photographer, as are the physical prints themselves. The recipient shall not reproduce
the imagery, nor allow it to be reproduced by a third party, without the express written permission of the
photographer.

4, Loss, Theft, and Damage. Recipient agrees to be strictly liable to the photographer for loss, theft or damage
to the prints from the time of receipt by the recipient until the time the works are returned, and received, by
the photographer. In the event of loss, damage, or theft, reimbursement to the photographer for a print shall
be in the amount of its value as entered on the attached Schedule (less any sales commission the recipient
would have received as agreed below). Both photographer and recipient agree that the values specified on
the attached Schedule represent the value of the prints.

5. Expenses of Returning Work. Recipient agrees to return all the prints at its own expense by insured carrier.

6. Insurance. Recipient agrees fo insure the prints for all risks from the time of receipt until the time of return
delivery to the photographer for the amounts shown on the Schedule.

7. Return of Prints on Demand. All prints will be returned to the photographer upon request. Recipient agrees
to return all prints within ten (10) days of receipt of a written request to that effect.

8. Commissions and Payments. The recipient is intending to offer the prints for sale to certain of the recipient’s
customers. Should a sale result, the recipient is entitled to a % Commission On the value of the print as
listed in the attached Schedule. The balance of the value of the print less the recipient’s commission shall be
due the photographer. This balance shall be paid the photographer by the recipient as soon as the recipient
is paid, and, inno event, later than thirty days from the date of sale of the print. Inno event is the photographer
to be liable for any expenses occassioned by the recipient in the process of attempting to sell the prints.

9. Arbitration and Fees. Any dispute in connection with this agreement shall be arbitrated pursuant to the rules
of the American Arbitration Association and the laws of the state of . Judgement on the Arbitration award
may be entered in the highest Federal or State court having jurisdiction. Recipient shall pay all arbitration and
Court costs, reasonable Attorney's fees, plus legal interest on any award or judgement. This agreement
constitutes the complete agreement between the parties hereto and cannot be altered or discontinued
verbally.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have signed this Agreement as of the date set forth above.
PHOTOGRAPHER RECIPIENT BY
Business Name Authorized Signature, Name (printeg), Title

© Harold Davis 1992

116 Successful Fine Art Photography

 Schedule of Original Prints Consigned

Medium/ Description/Dimensions Framing Value

Type of Print

Photographer's Initials:

Recipient's Initials:

© Harold Davis 1992

How the Fine Art World Works 117

 Different Kinds of Exhibits
Working with a Gallery
Designing an Exhibit
Invitations, Openings, and Advertising
The Press Release
Getting the Most Mileage from Your
Exhibition
Sample Press Release
n exhibition - particularly a first exhibition -
is a momentous event in the professional life
of the artist. There are great risks, which need to be
minimized, as well as many opportunities. A sub-
stantial amount of money is at stake in that an
exhibition is an artist's most likely way to gain
notice. Finally, the style of the exhibition is a
reflection ofthe style and concerns ofthe exhibiting
artist.
Different Kinds of Exhibits

There are many different kinds of exhibitions. A

primary distinction can be made between exhibi-
tions where the art is for sale - for example, most
gallery exhibitions, and exhibitions where the art is
not for sale - as in the typical museum exhibition.

From the artist’s point of view, it is helpful to be

clear about his purposes in participating in a par-
ticular exhibit. It might be to sell work and make
money, to develop or enhancea reputation, to locate
the artist's reputation in an historical context, or
some combination of these.

Museum exhibitions can be organized by the

museum’s curatorial stafforbe put together outside
the museum and “travel” to the museum. In the case
of travelling exhibitions, the museum pays a rental
fee to the exhibition’s organizers, insures it while on
the museum premises, and pays to ship it to the next
location where it will be exhibited. Just as movie
theaters need movies to project, museums need
ee

118 Successful Fine Art Photography

The Successful
Exhibition
exhibitions to hang. Prestigious, well-funded muse-
ums with an ambitious curatorial staff seldom lack
for exhibitions. If they take on an outside exhibi-
tion, it will consist of top-of-the-line famous mate-
rial. But there exist opportunities (which, in addi-
tion to being great for a photographer’s reputation,
can be lucrative) at lesser known museums or with
material whose subject matter has unusual interest.
For example, photographer Elijah Cobb has been
successfully packaging his photographs of
Wyoming's Wind River Reservation Indian Pow
Wow to libraries, ethnographic museums, and
children’s museums. And, Marcia Keegan’s exhibi-
tion of photographs comparing Tibetan culture
with Southwestern Native-American culture has
been touring museums to great acclaim.
Photographer Luke Powell created a travelling
museum exhibition based on dye transfer prints that
he made himself of “landscapes with small figures in
the tradition of the Barbizon school ofpainting” of
Afghanistan. (See a reproduction ofone of Powell’s
dye transfer prints on page 155.) Powell’s exhibi-
tion, The Afghan Folio, has been so successful for
Powell - it has travelled to over eighty museums and
institutions including the Sackler Gallery of the
Smithsonian Institution in Washington and United
Nations European Headquarters in Geneva - that
he started a business doing co-operative mailings to
museums looking for exhibitions. Powell has a
database of approximately 1,500 museums, par-
tially based on the membership list of the American
Association of Museums, and he currently does two
mailings a year. He observes that “there is a real
opportunity right now for photographers to travel
shows to museums. People forget how vast this
country is, and how many quality exhibition spaces
there are. As the cost of insuring travelling shows of
paintings has grown prohibitive, an opportunity has
arisen for photographers. Someone who success-
fully travels an exhibition can expect to make a
modest, but real, profit. However, the work in-
volved must be something that people want to look
at, usually for reasons beyond the fact that it may be
fine photography. And to succeed in travelling an
exhibition, a photographer must appear to muse-
ums to be very organized. The proposed exhibition
must make life easy for museum professionals. The
initial presentation package should specify the run-
ning feet the exhibition takes up and the transpor-
tation weight. Disposable labels for each stop on the
museum tour should be provided. Easy-to-use crates
which are acceptable to UPS should be designed for
shipping the exhibition.” For further information
on Luke Powell’s co-operative mailing service, see
the Resources Section.
Elijah Cobb notes that there is a great deal of wear
and tear on a travelling exhibition. He states: “The
big expense now is to maintain the show, clean and/
or replace the frames, plexiglass, signage, crates etc
for the next show. All aspects of the show take a
beating when you are not personally handling it
with your own tender loving care.” He is enthusi-
astic, however, about the pleasures ofexhibiting his
work in public spaces, and about the contacts he has
made through travelling his Pow Wow photo-
graphs.
The Successful Exhibition 119
 ye

SPI)

120 Successful Fine Art Photography

Generally, institutions will not wish to present
exhibitions consisting of work that is for sale. It will
usually be possible, however, to include a discreet
notice indicating that the photographer may be
contacted for further information about the work in
the show.
Typical museum exhibitions are of three sorts.
First, the exhibition may showcase the work of
one artist, in which case it is termed a solo
exhibition. Second, it may present work by a
group of different artists, usually by invitation
only, usually based on some kind of theme or
commonality. For example, the well-known
Whitney Museum Biennial was inaugurated in
1931. Every two years, it features a survey of
recently created painting, sculpture, photogra-
phy, mixed media, film, and video that, in the
opinion of the curators, is significant. Finally,
many exhibitions are attempts to group artists in
an historical context, or to state retrospective
theories about the nature of certain work. John
Szarkowski’s famous exhibition “Mirrors and
Windows,” held at the Museum of Modern Art in
1978, and discussed in the Section of Chapter 6
on “The Historical Context,” above, isan example
of this.
There are many kinds of exhibitions where art is for
sale. Chief among these are gallery exhibitions,
which can be group or solo. Galleries, as well as
museums, do import packaged shows; however,
when they show an exhibition that originated out-
side the gallery, work in the exhibit often is offered
for sale. In many of the more important galleries, the
directors assume a curatorial role. In order to inter-
est serious collectors in their gallery, from time to
time they will curate some sort of provocative group
show based around a theme. Galleries also periodi-
cally host group shows of all gallery artists during
slow seasons (i.e., the summer) in order to help give
Left: Pfeiffer Beach, Dusk, Big Sur, California,
© John Sexton 1983.
their lesser known artists a chance.
There is no more important event in the career ofan
art photographer than a solo exhibition at a presti-
gious gallery, and nothing more exciting (and fright-
ening) than the first solo exhibit. Is the work really
good enough? What will people think? What will
the critics say? Will the artist’s parents behave in an
embarrassing way at the opening? In the subsequent
sections ofthis chapter we will discuss in detail how
to minimize the pain, and maximize the gain.
Besides galleries, there are many other places and
institutions which show your work with the hope of
selling it. These range from restaurants and depart-
ment stores to corporate lobbies community centers
to private studios and homes. There are also many
gallery-type spaces for rent to artists who prefer to
show their work this way; some ofthese spaces are very
nice. Typically, they will be rented for the duration of
an exhibition, from two to four weeks. Outsiders may
have no idea that they are not a normal gallery. If you
have a strong desire to exhibit your work and/or a
group of collectors who will buy work from you
directly, renting an exhibition space yourself can work
out well. While the expenses, as well as all the hassles
of arranging the show, are yours alone, you will not
have to split proceeds with a gallery.
Spaces that are for rent to artists on a per exhibition
basis can be found in Gallery Guides, through
artist's organizations, and by word of mouth.
Work exhibited in any of these contexts should be
well-framed and neatly presented. The fact that it is
for sale, along with information on how to contact
the person handling sales (very possibly you!) should
be clearly indicated. There are many opportunities
to have this sort of exhibition; however, usually how
much of an opportunity it is will depend on what
you make ofit. Exhibitions at the artist’s studio have
a long tradition, and are sometimes surprisingly
successful. Do not, however, invest a great deal of
time or money in this kind of ad hoc exhibition
without realizing that most of it will probably not be
returned in sales.
The Successful Exhibition 121
 Working with a Gallery
There is nothing better than having a good gallery
behind you. If you are lucky enough to be in this
situation, to a large extent you should sit back and
let them do their thing when planning your exhibi-
tion comes up. (Conversely there are few things
worse than being represented by a gallery with
whom one is constantly fighting. If this is the case,
strongly consider forgetting the exhibition and the
gallery as soonas possible.) In other words, while an
exhibition is a reflection of who you are as an artist,
and your input is important, you must be in a
position to trust your gallery to do its job.
You should co-operate with your gallery by prepar-
ing art for the exhibition in a timely fashion, by
making any public relations appearances suggested
by the gallery, by providing the gallery with your
mailing list of collectors who are likely to come to
your opening, and by behaving at the opening ina
sober and respectable way.
Designing an Exhibit
If you are working with an established gallery, they
will have a standard way ofexhibiting photography
shows. Only in rare cases - for example, if you have
a created a special large installation piece - will you
be called on to design an exhibit. However, if you
are exhibiting in an unconventional space, or are
packaging a show for travel to museums, you may
have to design an exhibition. Normally, what de-
signing an exhibit involves is specifying print sizes
and framing, and creating a template for captioning
the prints and any other informative material re-
quired. If you are designing an exhibition for one
specific space, you may also wish to consider light-
ing and the circulation flow of visitors to the
exhibition.
It helps to create a proportionally spaced drawing of
the exhibition space on graph paper. Each grid
might represent a foot. Then you can cut out, to
size, a representation of each print, or other object
122 Successful Fine Art Photography
that will be in the exhibition.
The general rule of thumb for exhibition designing
is to make things fairly uniform. Thus, the same
style of framing should be used throughout. There
should not be too many different print sizes, at most
two or three. And caption material should all be set
in the same type face, with the same basic pattern of
information.
Bear in mind that you may not have much time to
hang a show. There may be as little as a few hours
oran evening between one exhibition coming down
and the next one going up If you are hanging the
show yourself, get helpers who know what they are
doing. Try to plan things out (for example, have
labels already made) so that the process will go as
smoothly as possible.
Always bring more prints than you will actually
hang so you can change things around if they don’t
look exactly right the first time.
If you will be hanging the exhibition with a gallery
director, if possible discuss in advance who will
decide which prints will go in the show and where
they will go. There is often an issue of “whose show
is it?” - the artist’s or the curator’s. If this has not
been fully discussed, conflict may erupt at the
moment of choice.
Invitations, Openings, and Advertising
As with exhibition planning, if you are working
with an established gallery, they will havea basic way
they create invitations, handle Openings, and a
template for advertising. The only thing to note
here is that you and the gallery should be very clear
about who is paying for what (see the sections on
“The Artist-Dealer Relationship” in Chapter 10,
above). If the invitation is to reproduce one ofyour
images, make sure that it is one that you think is one
of your best. While your gallery will have experience
as to what will work on an invitation, you are
entitled to some input on this topic.
If you are planning an exhibition on your own,
probably the first step is to prepare a budget. Almost
all aspects of producing your own exhibition are
expensive, but printing invitation cards, holding a
lavish opening, and advertising can really blow your
bank account fast. Preparing a realistic budget will
help you do a cost-benefit analysis to start with so
you can see if you really want to pay for the exhibit.
If you decide you do, you will know what you can
afford to spend on these items.
Make sure that arrangements for the space are solid
and in place with dates agreed upon (sign acontract)
before you proceed with the invitation.
Your budget will largely determine what sort of
invitation you will produce. Bear in mind that, in
the future, the invitation may be one of the only
tangible remains ofthe exhibition. If you can afford
it, your invitation should a well-reproduced image
from your show. If quality four color reproduction
(or duotone if the original is black and white) is
beyond your means, do without an image rather
than have it reproduced badly.
As with the design of your exhibit, try to keep the
design of the invitation both simple and connected
to the feeling of your work. Your exhibition invita-
tion should be designed so as to be cohesive with any
other material that is produced for the event such as
press releases and catalogues.
The image used on the invitation should be the one
which will most lure people to come to the exhibi-
tion. This is not necessarily your most powerful or
favorite image.
Go to a printer who specializes in the production
of art cards. Make sure to see a proof of the
invitation before it is printed. If the printer pro-
vides design services you may work with them to
design the invitation, or else find a free-lance
designer whose portfolio you like. It is best if you
are referred to both the designer and the printer by
people who have had good experiences working
with them.
An invitation to an exhibition should include the
name ofthe artist, the title of the show, the fact that
it consists of photographs if this is not otherwise
clear, the name of the gallery or other exhibiting
institution, its address and hours, the dates of the
show, and the date and time ofthe opening. It may
sometimes be desirable to include a “for further
information” telephone number and instructions
on how to find the gallery. Other information
should be included on the invitation only if there is
a very good reason for doing so.
Make sure that your invitations go to listings editors
of appropriate publications, critics who write on art
and photography, as well as collectors of your work
and potential commercial clients. A handwritten
message on the invitation (reminding the recipient
who you are if this is necessary) can help to boost
attendance.
Invitations should be received at least two weeks
before the opening. This is a bare minimum.
Do not go to a great deal of trouble about the
refreshments served at your opening. An inexpensive
wine, sparkling water, plastic cups, and some munchies
such as cheese, crackers, or chips are more than
sufficient. It is a good idea to hire a uniformed person
to serve drinks and remove used cups so that you don’t
have to think about this. At an opening of an exhibi-
tion that you have paid for, you should spend your
time making connections and arranging print sales,
not pouring drinks. I would also take the attitude that
you are feeding the world spiritually with your work
and you need not do so literally with food at your
opening. A small dinner after the opening for impor-
tant collectors and patrons may be a more productive
way to spend your entertainment budget.
In general, advertising will probably be a waste of
money. Some rental gallery spaces provide simple
advertising such as listings in local gallery guides
without extra charge when you rent the space.
Beyond this, concentrate on generating (free) edito-
rial publicity, or, perhaps, posting fliers at art and
photography schools.
The Successful Exhibition 123
 Ifyou must advertise, be sure to carefully target the
market you are really interested in. For example, if
you have mounted and paid for an attractive exhi-
bition in order to generate commercial work from
advertising agencies, advertise in a media that art
directors at agencies are likely to read, not Art in
America.
The Press Release
A press release is a written communication which is
intended to encourage publications to provide free
editorial publicity. Since publications need stories,
a press release should tell a story that the publication
can use.
By now, press releases have become fairly formal-
ized. They should be kept short, if at all possible to
one double-spaced typed page. They bear the words
“Press Release”, “For Immediate Release”, or “News
Release” at the top. They are written in newspaper
top-down fashion, that is, the most important
information concisely in the first paragraph with
explanatory material further along in the release.
Wide margins should be used.
Press releases should also include a date and a
headline summarizing the primary content of the
release. Who, what, when, where, why, and how
must be concisely spelled out in the body of the
release.
If there is a chance that a newspaper or magazine will
reproduce one of your images, a black and white
print suitable for reproduction should accompany
the press release.
Many publications require a surprisingly long pub-
lication lead time. Bear this in mind, and send out
press releases in a timely fashion. Generally, press
releases should be on the desks of editors at least six
weeks before your exhibition opens.
Press release writing experts note that editors, like
everybody else, are lazy; to the extent that a press
124 Successful Fine Art Photography
release provides an opportunity for an editor to
run a story without doing any work, the chance of
it being used is increased. Try to write the press
release so that it reads like news. Keep it to the
point. It often makes sense to customize different
versions of your press release to send to different
publications. Public relations professionals un-
derstand that they are usually able to influence
editors through having a personal relationship
with the editor. The same is true for you. Editors
and writers who know you personally and are
interested in your work are the most likely to write
about your exhibition, particularly if you prime
their pumps by doing their work for them and/or
taking them to lunch.
Getting the Most Mileage from Your
Exhibition
The key to getting the most mileage from the
exhibition is planning in advance and not having
unrealistic expectations. The area where your exhi-
bition is likely to have the greatest impact is through
your personal contacts. These people are likely to
have considerable interest in your exhibit and to
enjoy your opening very much. After all, they know
the artist!
It is a general principle for generating positive
results from good publicity or events that what
matters most is personally bringing the material or
event to the attention of decision makers that you
care about. For example, it is highly unlikely that a
publisher of art editions will see your work repro-
duced in a book on formal gardens. However, ifyou
mail a copy of the book along with a cover letter to
the publisher, then he will see your work, may be
very impressed, and may decide to publish limited
edition portfolios of your work.
This applies to your exhibition; be sure to personally
bring it to the attention, in appropriate ways, using
an attractive invitation and press release, of people
you want to know about it. This means curators,
critics, gallery owners, art consultants, art publish-
ers, book publishers and packagers, those who Modernart Editions, which led to acareer in the fine
might give you commercial work, and others. My art poster industry. Modernart partially based its
first commercial solo exhibition, at Arras Gallery, decision to publish me on the basis of the credential
led to the publication of a poster of mine by of showing at Arras.

Sample Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

Museum of Contemporary Photography

100 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10101 212-555-1000
Contact: Peter Throckmorton FOR RELEASE: February 1, 1992
Telephone 212-555-1000

CELEBRATED PHOTOGRAPHER’S CONTROVERSIAL MUSEUM SHOW

“Computer and Gun, Camera and Sword: Photographic Fantasies in the Real
World”, featuring the work of Jane Doe Photographer, will be on exhibit at the
Museum in New York from March 1 - April 30, 1992. There will be a presentation
by the artist followed by a preview of the exhibition on Saturday, February 29 from
6-8 PM.

The exhibition features Photographer's images of strife and redemption all over
the world, but particularly focusing on Haiti and Afghanistan. In counterpoint to
these real-world narrative images, Photographer's inventive, formalistic, imagi-
nary landscapes are also presented. Clement Critic has noted in the New York
Times that “Photographer's work bridges the gap between modernism and
post-modernism. ”

| The exhibition consists of eighty Cibachrome color prints, some of which are
mural size, and fifty thermal dye transfer prints, which have been output directly
from acomputer. The portion of the exhibition that involves computer manipu-
lation of imagery is underwritten by a generous grant from Consolidated
Computing Conglomerate, Inc.

Jane Doe Photographer is one of the world’s best known contemporary

photographers. She is the recipient of Haiti's Croix d’Or and the Diana Fielding
Award of Excellence. Her photographic book, Portfolio of a Century: Manipu-
lation and Madness, published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc., and the Public Broad-
| casting Service series “Technology, Art, and Freedom,” featuring her work, have
7 received tremendous popular and critical acclaim.

Exhibition catalogs and reproduction prints are available; Jane Doe Photogra-
pher is available for press interviews. Call 212-555-1000 for further information.

The Successful Exhibition IEZS)

 Your work, and your exhibition, is a reflection of
yourself. In the long run, you will be best served if
you make it the best possible exhibition you can.
This does not necessarily mean spending a great deal
of money. People can have a surprisingly long
memory for even a modest show whose art and
exhibition style has favorably impressed them.
An exhibition, even when you are paying for renting
the space and producing the invitations yourself (see
the discussion of this in Section I of this chapter,
“Different Kinds of Exhibitions”), can be both
rewarding and important to the artistic cycle. One
artist states: “I have been paying for my own
eee
126 Successful Fine Art Photography
exhibitions for a number ofyears. While the actual
mechanics of arranging the shows are a nuisance, I
don’t do it often enough for it really to be terrible,
and I am glad not to work through a dealer. At my
rate of work, it has amounted to three shows in the
past ten years. Every one of my exhibitions has been
a success in spiritual and financial terms. Those
works I haven’t sold at the exhibition, [ve put in
long-term storage and gotten out of my studio. This
completes a cycle for me and lets me move on to new
work. Furthermore, people have remembered the
exhibitions and invitation cards, and come to me to
purchase work long after the show has been taken
down.” @&
Cage, Johns, Cunningham, © Timothy Greenfield-Sanders 1989.

The Successful Exhibition

 Kiosks in Airports, Co-op Galleries,
and Direct Mail
Own Your Own Gallery
Creative Marketing
Profile of Tom Mangelsen
128 Successful Fine Art Photography
aking your living solely from the sales of
photographic prints is a tough row to hoe.
Probably, the number of persons doing this cur-
rently in the United States can be counted on twenty
fingers (and toes). Well, maybe a hundred. At the
very least, as I have discussed earlier in this book, it
requires superb work. And, waiting to be discovered
while you do the superb work can really be a drag.
Why be so passive? Why not figure out an original
and offbeat way to make it with your work?
Of course, in some sense art is a luxury. Purchases
of art are particularly sensitive to economic down-
turns. The photographer who would make a living
as a fine artist would be wise to have many arrows
in his quiver so as not to beat the mercy ofrecessions
or changing fashions.
What may be needed is to combine selling your work
as fine art with other activities that generate income -
commercial photography, stock sales, teaching, pub-
lishing, for example (see discussion in Chapter 13,
Makinga Living as An Artist, “Sources of Income”) -
or to create an offbeat business niche that is all your
own. Successful examples of the latter include a pho-
tographer who markets his work through kiosks in
airports, a photographer who opened and runs his
own photography gallery, a photographer who pro-
vides a convenient means for artists to package mu-
seum shows of their work, and many others.
Remember that many decisions, which may seem to
have to with business and making a living, are
actually lifestyle choices. In what way do you want
Oftbeat Strategies
to support your habit as an artist? If you will not be
comfortable teaching, do notlike doing commercial
work, and cannot fully support yourself and your
family with art sales, then you must seek offbeat
alternatives.
Kiosks in Airports, Co-op Galleries, and
Direct Mail
This section might as well have been titled, “Cab-
bages, Kings and Wardrobes.” As a grouping, that
makes about as much sense as kiosks in airports, co-
op galleries, and direct mail.
Kiosks in airports, co-op galleries, and direct mail
are all things that some fine art photographers have
made work for them. Tom Mangelsen (see below)
realized that a lot of people passed through airports
with too much time on their hands. He found
properly constructed kiosks in western airports an
effective way to advertise his wildlife prints.
Co-op galleries can work well for those who join one
with their eyes open.
A co-op gallery is one which is run for the benefit of
the members. In theory, everybody contributes some
of their time as well as money to help pay the rent. In
addition, co-op galleries generally take a nominal
commission on any sales (typically 10% - 20%). The
best co-op galleries have been around for many years.
They take advantage of the talents of their members,
and hire a professional gallery director.
The advantages are that it is a good way to join forces
with like-minded artists and an inexpensive way to
exhibit. The latter may be very important to artists
who make their living teaching where tenure is to
some extent dependent on exhibiting in New York.
The drawbacks are that involvement can be very
time consuming and that exhibiting with a co-op
may brand one a dilettante.
Direct mail can be a very effective selling technique.
However, it must be done following a method which
includes a huge list and sampling response. Also, there
is some doubt as to whether people will actually buy
an art print by direct mail. As a practical matter, |
cannot really advise this as an approach to a fine art
photographer without a large, experienced, well-
funded organization behind him. You would have to
target those interested in collecting fine art photogra-
phy. (There is, no doubt, a wider market of those who
would buy books about photography, and reproduc-
tion or poster art at a low cost.) And those who know
about photography probably will not want to pur-
chase art by mail order unless the pitch is very unusual
and well done indeed.
Own Your Own Gallery
The tradition of owning your own gallery is vener-
able, indeed. Alfred Steiglitz, practically the founder
of modern American photography, was a tremen-
dously successful art dealer with a great deal of
foresight. (It was in that capacity he “discovered” his
wife-to-be, Georgia O'Keefe.) Ansel Adams, along
Offbeat Strategies 129
 with his wife Virginia, supported themselves for
many years by running a gallery in Yosemite Valley.
Provided that the concerns of running 8 a retail
gallery do not take up all your time, this may be an
ideal business to combine with art photography.
You can sponsor
P exhibitions of y your own work
perhaps once a year or so, and keep an inventory of
your work on hand at other times. Or, as Lou
DeSerio does in Sedona, Arizona (see interview,
pages 75-76), youcan use your gallery to exclusively
showcase and sell your work.
It is probably a good idea to choose a name for the
gallery that is distinct from your name. For example,
Nick Zungoli’s gallery is “The Exposures Gallery”
(see pages 76-79). Tom Mangelsen’s galleries (see
below) are “Images of Nature”. The galleries pretty
clearly identify themselves with Mangelsen, but in
this case his is the only work exhibited.
Most galleries, at least those that are not prestigous
institutions in major cities, make a very large por-
tion of their income from selling custom framing
and framed graphics. You should probably antici-
pate hiring staff who are familiar with these areas
and a gallery manager (at least if you want to have
time to go on with your photography career).
At this point, it becomes clear that the artist-owned
gallery must be carefully scrutinized for business
viability, just as any other potential business would
be. It certainly would make no sense to be in the
business of subsidizing a gallery through selling it
your work at a cut rate. [he whole idea only makes
sense if the gallery has independent business viabil-
ity and ifyou have access to capable managers whom
youcan trust (aspouse?). If these factors are present,
the possibility exists for a photographic artists to
create a very independent and rewarding lifestyle.
Creative Marketing
Selling is the act of closing a sale; it is the final step
in marketing. Marketing, in contrast, is the entire
130 Successful Fine Art Photography
conceptual process: identifying a need, pinpointing
the target audience with that need, convincing this
needful target audience that they should satisfy their
need with your product, and doing all of the above
in acost effective way. Creative marketing with art
photographs is no different than creative marketing
in any other area; those who come to the arena
without preconceived notions, and with some kind
of marketing background, are probably going to do
better.
Each of the three steps mentioned above can be
done in innovative and creative ways. The three
steps are making something new, finding people
who should want it, and selling them on it.
It is, however, a job for a creative entrepreneur, not
an artist perse. Ifyou do not wish to take this on, stick
with being an artist. If your work is good enough,
it will get marketed conventionally.
For those who wish to attempt to creatively self-
market their work, bring to bear experience from
other marketing endeavors. One reason for Tom
Mangelsen’s success is his family background in
retailing.
To be a truly creative marketer, eschew linear
thinking. This does not mean be disorganized. On
the contrary, organization is very important. The
most important syllable in marketing is “plan”.
Look for ideas and areas that others have not
noticed. Observe the actual buying habits of real
people. Whatare real people interested in? What do
they buy? For example, a book on how to market
fine art photography will sell far more copies than
one on the philosophy of art photography, even if
the content and reproductions in the two are the
same.
Ifyou come up with something new, will you be able
to plug it into an existing distribution network or
will you have to create one specially for the new
product or idea? The latter is much more costly and
difficult. Products which are desirable and novel,
but can be sold in an old way, are much easier to be
successful with; for example, a new kind of photo-
graphic mass market fine art portfolio intended to
be sold through card stores. You can use existing
networks ofdistribution to such places.
There are many, many ways to market artful pho-
tography and to make money from your work.
Some of these ways have not been thought of yet.
Be imaginative, creative, and bold!
Profile of Tom Mangelsen
Tom Mangelsen is the creator of superb photo-
graphs of wildlife. He has parlayed his ability with
the camera into a business that operates a chain of
“Images of Nature” galleries which sell limited
editions of Mangelsen prints. Mangelsen’s work
also sells via direct mail order catalog, and he has
been successful with promoting sales through kiosks
in airports.
The five Mangelsen galleries are located in towns
such as La Jolla, California and Jackson, Wyoming
where the tourist trade is important. Mangelsen
Type-C prints range in price from $45 foran 8X10"
to $550 fora 30X50". Typical edition size (meaning
all prints that Mangelsen will make from a given
negative) is 950 or 1200. The galleries sell collateral
material besides original Mangelsen prints such as
note cards and a book of Mangelsen photographs
named, like the galleries, /mages of Nature. All,
except one, are owned by Mangelsen personally.
How has Mangelsen succeeded in this ferociously
competitive market niche? Obviously, the most
important reason is the great appeal of his photo-
graphs. In the best of his imagery Mangelsen’s
background as a wildlife biologist and his love of
wild animals are clearly evident. For example, in one
image a brown bear stands in a waterfall, powerful
jaws open wide, just waiting for the salmon which
is leaping into the bear’s mouth. In another, two
endearing white polar bears dance against an all
white background.
Mangelsen states that an early influence was family
friend Owen Gromme [1896 - 1991], “one of the
first and most successful people to market limited
edition prints from original oil paintings” of wild-
life. Mangelsen’s family operated a successful epony-
mous departmentstore in Omaha, Nebraska. “Owen
softened my Dad’s attitude toward wildlife art and
the ability to make a living at selling prints. Dad
never distinguished the difference between tradi-
tionalart, as in oil paintings and watercolors, and the
‘art’ of photography. To him, a good picture was a
good picture.
“Tt took a long time for traditional art galleries to see
things the way Dad did. Frustrated by that point of
view, David [Mangelsen’s younger brother] and |
decided to market my photography ourselves, and
rented our first display space in Denver’s Stapleton
Airport. ... Through the years, as the number of our
galleries and images have grown, so have our many
collectors, supporters and friends. I guess they agreed
with Dad that ‘a good picture is a good picture.”
This history makes it clear that Mangelsen had
going for him the instincts and resources of a
successful entrepreneurial and mercantile family.
He was also confident in the quality of hiswork and
prepared to think unconventionally: when conven-
tional galleries proved unwilling (or unable) to
market his prints (which he strongly felt were
marketable), Mangelsen created a kiosk in Denver’s
airport, and then started a chain ofhis own galleries.
The combination of genuinely good and appealing
work, initial financial backing, sound entrepreneur-
ial instincts, and an ability to think unconvention-
ally led to the Mangelsens’ success with their Images
of Nature galleries.
What will the future bring? For photographer Tom
Mangelsen, horizons have certainly expanded from
his early days photographing waterfowl on the
banks of the Platte River in Nebraska. Today, like
as not, he is to be found photographing lions in
Offbeat Strategies Hail
 Detrick:
a eaesp

oR
peer

ae

oe
ee

Ee
Sse
no

Polar Dance, © Thomas Mangelsen 1990

Africa, or in “far eastern Russia hoping to see and prosper. One can only echo Mangelsen’s own sen-
photograph one of the few hundred Siber lan tigers timents an d hope that his work will help to make

remaining in the wild.” Undoubtedly, print sales, people aware of the fragility and preciousness of the
and the Images of Nature galleries, will continue to wild. e&

132 Successful Fine Art Photography

Offbeat Strategies 133
 Sources of Income
Teaching
Interview with Charles Traub
Commercial Photography
Interview with Jay Maisel and
Emily L. Vickers
Maintaining a Career as an Artist
Interview with Felicia Murray
Staying Creative
Copyright and Ownership of Imagery
Estate Planning
134 Successful Fine Art Photography
ero income is not easy to live on. Yet all too
often, zero is exactly what artists make from the
sale~of their work. In this case, income must be
supplemented. Teaching and doing commercial
work are two likely candidates.
If an artist is fortunate enough to make a living
from the sale of his work, there are an entirely
different set of problems. Successful artists must
learn to live balanced lives, stay creative, and keep
innovative.
Sources of Income
Even ifit is not possible to earn your entire living
as a fine art photographer, there are a number of
possible ways to supplement your income as a
photographic artist. In many cases, these different
careers work synergistically. Variety can be quite
stimulating. And the connections you make can
prove quite helpful in your primary work as an
artist. Options include: working as a commercial
photographer; teaching photography; writing
about photography; printing photography; pub-
lishing; and work entirely unrelated to art and
photography.
Often, work of a particular photographer who has
become known as an artist will become desirable
as stock. Buyers may come directly to the photog-
rapher. For example, Olivia Parker’s elegant com-
positions are often used to illustrate science text-
books. (For more information about this see the
Making a Living as
an Artist __
Photographer's Publishing Handbook, pp. 24-35.)
Jerry Uelsmann is happy to have his work used as
stock for commercial purposes, but will not accept
commercial assignments.
Doing assignment commercial work may neither
fall into one’s lap as easily nor be as artistically
acceptable as having work used as stock. Ralph
Gibson, for example, states that he gave up accept-
ing assignments so he wouldn’t have “nippleheads”
telling him what to do.' The counter-argument is
that selling yourself as a fine art photographer can
take just as much (if not more) energy as selling
yourself as a commercial photographer. Also,
some assignments can be artistically stimulating.
And some art photographers have managed to
successfully compartmentalize, doing commer-
cial work asa “day job”, and art on their own time.
Making the right choice on this issue is going to
depend on your circumstances and personality.
The best course probably is to try to be as true to
oneselfas possible, yet open to serendipitous oppor-
tunities that come along.
Teaching
Photography departments at art schools, liberal
arts colleges, and universities have expanded along
' The Photographer's Publishing Handbook, p. 16.
with the burgeoning interest in photography.
There is a very real demand for accomplished
teachers of photography. Choosing teaching as a
way of supporting your art is a tremendously
intelligent choice provided that teaching is some-
thing that genuinely appeals to you.
Generally, unless you are a very well-known artist,
you will be expected to have a M.F.A. degree before
being offered any kind ofjob teaching in art depart-
ments at the college level.
Positive aspects of a career as a college teacher
include long vacations, access to studios, dark-
rooms, and equipment, a collegial atmosphere, and,
when and if you have tenure, toleration of consid-
erable freedom of expression.
On the other hand, life as a teacher can be a
cloistered one. The fact that you are sheltered
from the world can be negative, as well as positive.
Artistic concerns in academia can be extremely
abstract, at the same time that political in-fighting
about trivia can be very vicious. In some ways, an
academic becomes a kind of company person. You
are well taken care of, and have some freedom to
express yourself, but there is a cap on the rewards
the academic system offers.
Certainly, also, teaching is tiring and emotionally
draining. Jt may be hard to do much besides main-
taining your academic schedule. But for those who
like to teach, it is a great way to combine some
stability with the life of the artist.
Making a Living as an Artist
 == = = SS
| Interview with Charles Traub
Charles Traub is a photographer and educator.
Although he regards himself as foremost a photog-
rapher, he was instrumental in building the photog-
raphy department at Columbia College in Chicago
and in founding the Chicago Center for Contempo-
rary Photography. He was Director ofLight Gallery
in the late 1970s, which at that time was the most
powerful and prestigious photography gallery
around. Traub notes that he was at Light Gallery at
the time of the beginning ofthe great photography
boom. “Icame to Lightas an artistand academic and
came outasa business person.” Today, he chairs the
well-regarded MFA photography program at the
School of Visual Arts in New York.
Traub states: “The photography boom ofthe early
1980s was created in part by the general boom in the
art market. Photography was still accessible price-
wise. People loved photography. Exhibitions of
photography were extremely popular.
“In the early 1970s many schools started photogra-
phy programs. Not everyone who went through
these programs became a professional photographer
- others were dilettantes in the good sense of the
word, that is, people who appreciated photography.
Interest in photography was widespread and the
media glamorized photographers’ lives. For ex-
ample, the movie ‘Blow Up’, which came out in
1969, was enormously influential.
“So the education system helped to create the boom.
And students could look to wonderful old masters
who were still alive at that time. These were people
who had lived good lives. They had truly inspira-
tional lives as artists largely apart from the hype of
the art world.
“There was a generation of modern masters who were
still alive whose prices were quite modest relative to
their importance. Ansel Adams was, for example, the
best-known photographer in the world. And there
136 Successful Fine Art Photography
were a tremendous number of yuppies (I don’t like
calling them that, but that’s what they were) who
could easily afford $200, $300, or $400 for a print.
“Ofcourse, as many living artists know, the best way
to have prices boom is to be dead: ‘If only I could be
doing what I am doing now after I am dead.’ The
generation of masters that were alive in the early
1970s are by-and-large dead now.
“Many more contemporary photographers are mak-
ing a living now than ever before, but not nearly as
many are as should be relative to the talent pool out
there. The success of Cindy Sherman as an artist
rather than photographer has opened a whole new
arena. What is also extremely important is the
widespread acceptance of photography as decor and
its acceptance by corporations.
“My double career has both helped and hurt me. I
have enjoyed all the aspects of my work. Not
depending ona particular market has made me freer
to make my own pictures. However, I probably
don’t get taken as seriously as an artist because of my
other hats. I have always done commercial photog-
raphy, which is a reflection of the fact that I make
no value judgement about how a photograph was
conceived. I do not like the term ‘fine art’. The
question is, does someone do it well, not what
medium is it in. My personal work is social docu-
mentation - there is no market for this work.
Teaching has been a very good occupation for me;
I believe that it is the best job for an artist. The hours
are good, there are plentiful holidays, and there is
some freedom.
“T don’t know what an artist is. If you spit, you can
label it art, and you’re an artist. I have no love for
artists as people per se. I do not hold with the cult of
the artist. It is a business like any other. When an
artist is selling his work, he should not expect any
special treatment. It is very dangerous to believe our
own myths.
“Fine art photography has become a tremendous
industry. Many people who do not know too much
about it have positions of considerable power.
They ought to do their homework more often.
Also, there are some tremendously successful
photographic artists who are not giving back.
There is a responsibility to give back to the forces
that made them.
“Photographers tend to be eclectic kinds ofpeople.
The very nature of photography causes them to
become engaged in a wide variety ofareas. This is as
it should be. But many students are career minded
in a narrow way. Their goal is to become known in
Soho, or to be another Cindy Sherman. I realize that
these are desirable goals. But having a solo show is
probably not going to do it monetarily. You have to
really want to make it work and be creative about
how you do so. It makes a lot of sense to make some
money elsewhere. Then come back when you have
time and do your own photography. Of course,
there is a price to be paid either way.
“Doing commercial work does not always provide
freedom for an artistic expression of vision, but it
does demand precision and creative problem solv-
ing. There is a certain kind oflogic that is required
in photography. All students going through the
M.F.A. program here [at S.V.A.] are required to be
proficient in commercial photography skills such as
lighting with electronic strobes.
“Obviously, whichever way the young photogra-
pher goes, compromise is required. I believe that
most photographers work towards a single pinnacle,
and everything else is just an annotation. Photogra-
phers may not reach that point until their fifties.
Young people are more impressionable. They have
to learn what can be learned, but separate them-
selves from their role models. They have to position
themselves so that they are not dependent on the
opinions of others.
“All art takes practice. Gary Winograd used to say
that he got up every morning and took pictures.
Supposedly, a woman once asked Pablo Casals how
he made playing the cello appear so effortless. Casals
replied, “Madam, no one sees me practice eight
hours a day.” Hard work, and more hard work, and
talent pay off. Ifsomeone is really sincere, willing to
do homework, to practice, and has some talent,
there is a way to make a living.” $
Commercial Photography
Combining a career as a commercial photographer
with personal work as an art photographer can be a
very exciting and viable alternative - but it is also
fraught with danger.
It is not unheard offor photographers working in a
commercial mode to have their work eventually
accepted as high art.
Commercial work, in addition to supporting the
photographer, can provide access to people, places,
and equipment that can be used for personal artistic
purposes. It can also be very stimulating. Many of
the issues of visual problem solving will be the same
whatever the intended purpose of the work. For
example, doing commercial portraiture can hone
one’s skills at creating portraits, so that when one
wants to for personal artistic purposes, the act of
creating a portrait will be second nature. Painters of
yore whom we have come to think of as great artists
- Rubens, Rembrandt - did not scruple to take on
“commercial” work.
The danger is that the commercial aesthetic might
take over. If Iwork hard all day, expending my spirit
to create photographs that convey an effective ad-
vertising message, can I really turn around at night
and use my skills for an altogether different purpose?
And the line blurs. Ibecome unclear as to what I am
doing and why, and I lose the ability to create self-
assignments that have a deep meaning to me.
There are two models of combining commercial pho-
tography with one’s own personal art photography
work. The first is to create a commercial business, and
do the art on one’s own time. The second is where
what one does to personally express oneself has (or is
close to having) commercial applications.
Making a Living as an Artist 7
 In the former case, no doubt having access
equipment as a professional commercial photogra-
pher will help one’s art. And doing personal work
will certainly help one to be better at assignments.
The issues become those of anyone who supports an
activity they passionately care about with a “day job”
- having enough energy to do both well and taking
the activity that does not generate income seriously.
Hopefully, one can start to market one’s art along
the way; as revenue from one’s personal work starts
to increase, one can justify spending more time on
it.
The latter presents a more complex balancing act.
At its best, one can be in the situation ofbeing paid
well to do what one would want to do anyhow.
Annie Leibovitz is essentially a commercial por-
traitist who photographs celebrities for American
Express, and works for major publications; this
does not stop her work from being exhibited at
major museums and galleries. It is arguable, how-
ever, that she is no more than an accomplished
commercial artist. But other well-known com-
mercial photographers, notably Richard Avedon
and Irving Penn, have taken their success and used
it to originate ambitious idiosyncratic artistic ven-
tures. The bottom line is that, if one is able to
achieve success doing commercial work - and this
is demanding and difficult in and of itself - and
one can remember one’s artistic interests and
continue to pursue them, then a career as a
commercial photographer can combine very well
with successful fine art photography.
Commercial work helped Ansel Adams to support
himself for many years. Also, he learned from
commercial assignments. In his autobiography he
wrote:
I have little use for students or artists who,
from their particular plastic towers, scorn
commercial photography as a form of pros-
titution. I grant that it is not difficult to
make it so, but I learned greatly from com-
mercial photography and in no way resent
the time and effort devoted to it. ”
138 Successful Fine Art Photography
to
Interview with Jay Maisel &
Emily L. Vickers
Jay Maisel’s legendary home and studio on New Yorks
Bowery was formerly the Germania Bank. According
to Emily L. Vickers, Jay’s business manager and the
Director ofJay Maisel Photography, the building totals
more than 32,000 square feet on six floors with more
than seventy-two rooms and “every square foot 1s
occupied. ”
The sixth floor is Maisel’s private domain. The second
and third floors house galleries displaying stunning dye
transfer prints of imagery culled from Maisel’s more
than forty years as a successful professional photogra-
pher. The ground floor, with twenty foot ceilings,
formerly the main banking area, is where the business
is operated and much of the stock library stored.
Logically enough, many ofthe most valuable originals
are stored in the climate-controlled bank vaults. After
discovering people rummaging through his garbage,
Maisel stopped throwing away reject slides. His accu-
mulation ofthese are saved in a huge glass covered table,
and elsewhere. In general, Maisel is an eccentric
collector. He seems to like things that actually once were
something, that one would not normally think to
collect, for example, old eye glass lenses, or polished cross-
sections ofplumbing. His collections fill the otherwise
unused parts ofthis immense Dickensian building; the
different floors are connected by an antique elevator.
The delightful, humorous, and utterly idiosyncrati-
cally individualistic impression the building makes is
heightened by the contrast with the Bowery right
outside.
Maisel himself is a plain-speaking man with a reputa-
tion for sticking up for the rights ofphotographers, for
being a sharp business person, and for commanding
high fees, as well as for creating extraordinary imagery.
* Ansel Adams, An Autobiography, Bulfinch Press/Little,
Brown and Company, Boston, 1985, p. 176.
The Christian Science Monitor reports 3
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Magazine Photographers’ Outstanding weiy
Achievement in Photography award
(among others). Primarily, he makes
his living as a commercial assignment
photographer. For example, Maiselpro-
vided the imagery for an ad campaign
undertaken by United Technologies
Corporation over the course of many
years. These ads were lavish two page
spreads with very little typography which
Jay Maisel, © Chris Callis 1982.
showcased Maisel’s elegant imagery: a
blue surreal cityscape sky; a huge moon
over Stonehenge; the ever-so-red hood of
acar. The point ofthe campaign was to
show the diversity and improve the public image of Maisel. The following represents many of the
United Technologies. It is hardly possible to have points touched on in that conversation.
opened a copy of the New Yorker or other up-scale
consumer magazine over the past decade without seeing Question: “You are clearly very passionate about
these ads. your work. Yet you primarily make your living as a
commercial photographer.”
Besides assignments, Maisel and his business manager
and right hand, Emily Vickers, run a massive stock Maisel: “I don’t see the contradiction. Everyone is
operation. In addition, he sells his stunning dye a whore one way or another. I don’t mean that
transfer prints to private and corporate collectors. In negatively: we all are, the only question is how good
fact, the Maisel galleries at the old Germania Bank are at itare we? Most of us put ina lot of time to make
open to the interested public by appointment. a living. But, if the world of commercial photogra-
phy is a snake pit, the fine art world is a wolf den.
I had a long and extremely enjoyable talk with Jay No matter what you're doing, you’re always hus-

Making a Living as an Artist 139

Man with Rope, © Jay Maisel 1991.
tling. Very few of us don’t fall into this one way or
another, and those who don’t are probably dilet-
tantes. Maturity is associated with the ability to
make a negative compromise. Largely, personal
work is done on the side. It is very important to me
to keep doing my own work, going out there with
my camera just because I feel like it. Sometimes, I
can do my personal work in conjunction with an
assignment. [he ideal assignment is one which is so
exciting that it keeps me working after the job is
done. If all you do is commercial work, then you get
so caught up that you don’t know who you are; if all
you do is your own work then you get caught up
looking up your own asshole. IfIdidn’t get paid for
it, Iwould still take pictures. If Ihad all the money
in the world, I would still take assignments. There
Successful Fine Art Photography
is a real danger in the fine art world. If you are
successful, God forbid you should change. It is
important to me to change and grow. I am looking
for things that excite and stimulate me. Since I do
not create tableaus often, this means looking for
things out there, in front of me, that stimulate me,
astonish me. I recommend always carrying a cam-
»
era.
Question: “What advice do you have for newcom-
ers?”
Maisel: “Keep your overhead very low so that you
have to make fewer compromises.”
“You mean, ‘Do what I say, not what I do?”
“That's right. Actually, my overhead is not as high
as you might think.
“Listen, if there were any secrets, someone would
have written a book on how to do it.
“My reputation for having a huge overhead and
being terribly expensive is terrifying - and simply
not true. I’m not booked seven months in advance,
and don’t want to be. I edit every frame of film
myself. The editing process is often overlooked and
extremely important. The point is, I need the time
to do this following assignments; I can’t possibly be
continually booked. The chances are that if you call
me, I’m available.
“Pm still faced with the same problems everyone
else is. The light is wrong. The models don’t work.
The art director wants the impossible. It’s impor-
tant to enjoy life in any case - it’s not a dress
rehearsal.”
Question: “What’s the best kind of training for a
career in photography?”
Maisel: “Anything but photography. So many
people interested in photography become photo-
graphic idiot savants only knowing photography.
Photographers need to be well-rounded. There
never has been a child prodigy photographer. This
is because interpersonal skills are necessary. Weston’s
photographs ofpeppers show a lifetime of intimate
knowledge ofthe female form; that’s what gives the
peppers their power.”
Emily Vickers, the director of Jay Maisel Photogra-
phy, states: “Jay isa marvelous person to work with
- accessible and fair. I’m proud to work for such a
strong advocate of photographer’s rights. We have
worked together for many years - it is kind oflike a
marriage, except that we each go home to our own
spouses.
“T had my own company then came to New York for
post-graduate study in art. Working with Jay com-
bines my interests in art and business and isa perfect
combination for me.
“Jay is extraordinarily prolific. I like his work very
much. I find it esoteric yet accessible. He has
perhaps 1,000,000 images here. He was a founding
member of Image Bank. Today, they handle his
stock outside the United States. Within the United
States, we do. We have a dupe file containing about
4,000 key images.
“I believe that we have the largest gallery space
devoted to work by one artist in New York. We are
listed in the Photography in New York Guide, by
appointment only. People do come and buy prints.
We also sell prints through art consultants, archi-
tects, and directly to corporations. Most are dye
transfers, some newer prints are Cibachromes.” bie
Maintaining a Career as an Artist
In order to maintain a career as an artist, it is
important to become clear about one’s intentions.
What are your priorities in life? As an artist? Learn
and practice techniques - meditation, therapy, com-
muning with nature - that help you focus and
understand what these are. Be prepared to take some
time for personal growth in which you do not even
think about art.
Be very careful to separate the business and cre-
ative functions of what you do. When you are
acting as an artist, be only an artist. When you are
acting as your own business manager, do so with
as business-like an attitude as possible. Educate
yourself about business and marketing and accept
the realities of the world as they are. While being
in a state of denial can be comfortable, it does not
help anyone do anything. If you are successful
enough to require business help, hire only those
whom you respect.
Approach both your art and the business ofyour art
with a spiritually positive attitude.
Planning is extremely important. Have a twenty
Making a Living as an Artist
 year plan, a five year plan, and a six month plan.
Reduce these plans to writing. While you should not
feel bound to stick with them literally if things
change (perhaps a serendipitously wonderful op-
portunity will come your way), the act of writing
them out will help you get clear about what you
really want and need to do.
Keep excellent records about the disposition of your
work, and, indeed about everything you do. Being
able to retrieve half-finished projects can be very
important. And, twenty years later, if you haven’t
kept records, you will not know to whom you sold
what print and how many of it you made. This can
prove to be surprisingly important.
Keep productive. Arrange your life so that you have
the quality time you need. Where possible, delegate
routine tasks. Stay creative. Have fun.
Care about your work and attempt to create won-
derful, profound, and spiritually moving imagery.
Don’t fall victim to myths - either your own,
specifically created (by you or others) to further
your own career, or generalized myths about artists.
Successful artists don’t have to be childish, selfish
egomaniacs.
If, at some point early in your career as an artist,
you unexpectedly get a large sum of money for
your work, make sure to bank a substantial por-
tion ofit. Price and market your art photography
in a sober and realistic way, and plan to be around
for a long, long time. Instant acceptance is not
necessary.
Interview with Felicia Murray
We meet in photographers’ representative Felicia
C. Murray’s elegant study near Gramercy Park. The
room is lined with books. Hanging on the walls are
a stunning collection of prints that photographers
such as Bill Brandt, Peter Beard, Larry Fink, and
Barbara Morgan have given her.
142 Successful Fine Art Photography
Murray has worked with photographer Marilyn
Bridges, currently the only photographer she repre-
sents, for over ten years. She has also worked with
Walter Chappell, Jill Freedman, and Milton Greene.
Murray states: “To represent a fine art photogra-
pher is different from representing a commercial
photographer. With a commercial photographer,
it’s a matter of getting them jobs. Fine art photog-
raphy does not exclude commercial jobs, but the
emphasis is on exhibitions, magazine portfolios,
commissioned projects, books, and sales to public
and private collections. The language of commer-
cial public relations seldom works in the fine art
field. Showmanship is replaced by subtlety. I am
Marilyn’s agent, and also her manager and publicist.
“One important vehicle which I developed for her
work was the use of travelling exhibitions to intro-
duce both Marilyn and her work to a wider audi-
ence. When Marilyn had her Nazca Linesexhibition
at the Center for Inter-American Relations in New
York in 1982, I put together a comprehensive
information packet containing a short history ofthe
Nazca lines, press clippings, a statement from
Marilyn, and a reproduction from the show. Of
course, the loan packet also included information
on running feet, transportation particulars, the size
of prints (whether framed or matted), and loan fee.
“Using the membership list of the American Associa-
tion of Museums, I wrote to both large and small
institutions. The initial mailing was followed up by
letters and phone calls to get responses. In the begin-
ning, one should not be surprised if responses are only
one in ten. The Nazca show toured for six years to
both art and natural history museums. Press coverage
was enthusiastic. I supplied each booking institution
with numerous press packages and photos.
“At one point I was touring five different exhibi-
tions of Marilyn’s. Keeping track of the many
details is a matter of organization, good records, and
long hours. It helps if you have a computer.
“Workshops, lectures, and symposiums are all im-
portant sources of income and a way to acquaint
people with a photographer’s work. Again, one
begins the process with a good mailing, including
the prospectus and resumé of the photographer.
One may have to begin locally before attracting
national attention.
“In 1982 I decided to go to the photography festival
in Arles to explore the European market. This not
only expanded awareness of Marilyn’s work, but
also allowed me to develop relationships with im-
portant and influential people in the world of
photography in a quasi-social setting. This allows
for more than a supplicant relationship with one’s
peers. Fotofest in Houston and the Society for
Photographic Education’s annual convention are
equally worthwhile, although they lack the Medi-
terranean setting.
“I get many calls from photographers who want to
be represented. It is so much better for people to
start out doing this themselves. Young photogra-
phers need to learn to handle acceptance and rejec-
tion in a sane way. There is no magic formula for
dealing with gallery owners and museum curators.
Do it yourself, and know what is involved, before
you expect someone else to do it for you.
“A young photographer who wants to succeed
should know what they want to say. Be creative in
marketing the work. Try everything. Think of all
the angles.
“To succeed you must respect yourselfand feel good
about what you are doing. You must be passionate
about it, willing to carry through on what you have
started, and willing to listen and learn from what
people say. Don’t take positive publicity so seriously
unless you are prepared to give the same weight to
negative feedback.” = used before. Keep learning new things about the
Staying Creative
To those who start out to make a career and life as
an artist, making a living and gaining a reputation
may seem like the most difficult things to do.
Actually, they are not. The most difficult things are
to stay a creative artist and answer for oneself the age
old questions: Where do I come from? Where am
I going? What is the purpose?
Artist Eve Sonneman states that, for her, an artist “is
someone who is like a candle bearer leading other
people with a spiritual light. An artist has inspira-
tion, visualizes it, and is then able to make it
tangible.”
Art is a field with relatively little middle ground.
Typically, you are successful, or you are not. And
moderate success as an artist can be extremely
dangerous. There are strong pressures to keep you
repeating the same things you have done before ad
nauseum. The fun and magic can easily go out of
your work.
There is no easy answer to this. It is disingenuous in
the extreme to advise artists to ignore market forces
that pay the rent. But if you enter middle age feeling
embittered and cynical about the (art or photo)
work you must do to make a living, you might well
be better off supporting your art with something
completely separate.
While there is no simple formula for staying cre-
ative, there are some techniques that will help you
to do so.
Have fun! An important part ofcreating art is play. In
general, it is true that people do well that which they
enjoy doing. This is particularly true for artists. Learn
to listen to your feelings. Ifsomething doesn’t feel like
fun, it probably isn’t right for you to be doing it.
Challenge yourself! Use techniques you have never
craft and art of photography. Self-assign projects
that are a little bit scary for you.
Plan quality time for artistic creation. This time may
seem non-productive to yourself or others. But
without quality time you can do nothing.
Making a Living as an Artist
 Make sure that you have a quality space to work and
think in where you will not be disturbed. It is really
hard to create anything worthwhile in conditions of
bedlam. Actually, even minor disturbances can
negatively impact on the creative process.
Separate yourself as creator from the person who
handles your business affairs. Learn to pay no
attention to empty art world flattery. It is ephemeral
and it can go as easily as it comes.
Do not accept anyone else’s opinion about you or
your work if it limits you.
Boredom is the enemy. When you are truly bored
-and not just stuck ona particular project - move on.
Allow yourself to do new things no matter what
friends, art dealers, critics or anyone else may say.
Do the best you can. Strive to be perfect in your
work. But ifyour work is not perfect, as is inevitable,
accept this with good grace and notas a reflection on
your inner self worth. Ifyou have truly done the best
you can, that is all you can do. The rest is up to a
power greater than you. Acting as if you believe
these two statements and doing the best you can is
the way to truly be free ...
Copyright and Ownership of Imagery
Every precaution should be taken to protect one’s
ownership interest in fine art imagery which one has
created. The presumption is that the creator of an
image is the owner ofthe image. The only time this
is not the case is when it was created under a written
contract that specifies otherwise. In general, it is not
a good idea to create work that one will not own. To
do so is known as “work-for-hire”. Some commer-
cial clients and ad agencies (and other kinds of
clients who have specialized tax reasons for doing so)
will sometimes wish to work on this kind of basis.
[advise against going along with this. Of course, you
will have to make your own decision on a case-by-
case business basis, and may sometimes decide to
accept a work-for-hire arrangement if the compen-
sation is good enough. However, it is a business
144 Successful Fine Art Photography
arrangement that is particularly inappropriate for
the fine art photographer. Not only will you have no
long term residual interest in your own work, you
probably will not be motivated to do your best in a
situation in which you know that you will not own
any portion of the results.
Your ownership interest in imagery should be pro-
tected by never sending out images without an
appropriate Delivery Memo (see “Submissions to
the Art Market” and “Sample Delivery Memo” in
Chapter 2). Published work should be protected by
a copyright notice (see “Submissions to the Art
Market”). Your important work should be regis-
tered with the United States Copyright Office.
Completea Form VA and send it, along with a check
for $20.00 and a reproduction (slide or small print)
of the art work to:
Registrar of Copyrights
Library of Congress
Washington, DC 20259.
Forms, and Copyright Office Circular 40, Copy-
right Registration for the Visual Artist, and Circular
40a, Deposit Requirements of Claims to Copyright in
Visual Arts Material are available from the above
address or by calling 202-707-9100. Registration
material should be sent to the Copyright Office via
certified mail with a return receipt requested. Reg-
istration is valid from the day the Office receives
your Form VA, your check, and your art reproduc-
tion (which is known as a “deposit”), although it
may take quite a while for the Office to send you
your certificate of registration. Unpublished works
may be copyrighted in groups, to cut down on the
expense involved. For example, you could register a
group of twenty slides by “depositing” a color
photocopy (provided the photocopy is clear enough
so that the images can be made out). Proper copy-
right notices on the slides should be clearly visible.
In addition to work that you consider important,
any photograph that you feel may be infringed
should be registered. This causes certain important
legal presumptions to work in your favor.
When may one artist use material created by an-
other? What material can you use when it is belongs
to someone else? How can you best protect your
imagery from unauthorized use by others? These
are important and complex questions because con-
cepts of freedom of expression embraced by the First
Amendment may be in conflict with concepts of
ownership of property and the Copyright laws.
Fashionable conceptual artist
Jeff Koons bases alife-
size limited edition sculpture on a kitsch postcard
photograph that he sees at an airport. Koons tells his
assistants to model the sculpture exactly after the
photograph. His gallery sells the resulting work for
hundreds of thousands of dollars and the photogra-
pher sues.
A well-known photographer “lends” an image to
pop painter Peter Max who creates a series of
manipulated serigraphs based on the image.
In both cases, the creator of the underlying image
should be entitled to some compensation for its use,
although the actual amount will, as a matter of
practice, depend on how negotiations are handled.
Permission is required to use copyrighted material.
(This is true whether or not the material has been
registered.) It is the creator’s prerogative to charge
a fee for such permission. Even though the subse-
quent use ofthe image has changed or manipulated
it, permission is still required. (This does not imply
that you can attempt to copyright, for example, the
New York skyline, and then try to charge anyone
who creates an image of the skyline a fee. Many
things are in the public domain and cannot be
owned or copyrighted.)
To protect yourself, I would follow the steps outlined
above and in Chapter 2. Use Copyright notices and
Delivery Memos. Register images that you feel may be
infringed upon. If you see work of yours being used
without permission, courteously demand compensa-
tion. Do not just let such a thing slide. Write a letter
which puts forth the facts in a straight forward way. If
necessary, get legal advice, or go to a trade association
to which you belong for assistance.
Conversely, do not use imagery owned by others
without permission. This is both unethical and
unwise. Imagery that is used in such a way as to make
a comment on that imagery may not be subject to
normal usage fees. (In other words, a piece of art
which is commenting on art by changing another
piece of art, may be exempt.) There is also a “fair
use” exception to the copyright laws, which allows
people to use small amounts of copyrighted mate-
rial. If in doubt, play it safe and get permission, or
at least get good legal advice before proceeding with
commercial exploitation of work based on material
owned by others.
Estate Planning
Every artist (like anybody else) should have executed
a valid will. If he does not do so, and dies intestate
(without a will), his property will be distributed
according to the laws of the state in which he is
resident, and in ways that he would not have wished.
Careful thought should be given to estate planning
in the case of any artist who has created a valuable
body of work. How to do so in detail is beyond the
scope ofthis book; expert legal and tax advice should
be sought. It is, however, neglected at great cost to
the beneficiaries of a successful artist.
The estate of the artist may receive a high valuation
from the Internal Revenue Service even though it is
without ready cash, in which case valuable work
may have to be dumped on the market at low prices
in order to pay estate taxes. It is important to plan
so as to avoid this.
The artist needs to become clear about how he
would like his work to be handled after he is dead.
The establishment of a trust, or donation of a
substantial body of work to a willing museum while
the artist is living are two methods used to further
the artist’s long range work-related intentions while
minimizing burdens on personal beneficiaries. @#
Making a Living as an Artist
 C here are very few grants made directly to
individuals, and most that are - Fulbrights,
Guggenheims, MacArthurs and National Endow-
ment Visual Artist grants - are quite well-known.
Competition for these grants is fierce and they rarely
go to unknown artists. [he fact is, most foundations
simply cannot give money to individuals. They are
required by law to give their money to charitable
institutions which are registered as such with the
Internal Revenue Service.

While there are very few grants made directly to

individuals, some artists - for example, Marilyn
Bridges - have been successful with them right out
ofart school. Ifyou havea developed style anda clear
sense of where you are going, do not neglect apply-
ing for the major grants.

In addition, there are a great many foundations and

charitable institutions with money that, legally,
they have to give away. How could a lone art
photographer snag some of this money?

The answer is to affiliate with a charitable institu-

tion and apply for a grant under the aegis of the
charity. If the grant is obtained, the charity will then
hire the artist to complete a specific funded project.

The best source for information about grants and

foundations is itself a not-for-profit foundation.

The Foundation Center maintains libraries of ref-

erence materials in Cleveland, San Francisco, and
Washington as well as New York. It is a free public

146 Successful Fine Art Photography

Grants, Foundations, and
Other Funding Sources
resource. The Center’s staff are very knowledgeable
about the whole area of grants and funding and tend
to be quite helpful to people who make serious
inquiries. The Center also sponsors free seminars on
the grant-seeking process, which are open to the
public by reservation.
Contact: The Foundation Center
79 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10003
800-424-9836; 212-620-4230
Obviously, the best chance to get charitable funding
for your work is to embed it in an exciting and
innovative project that is clearly worth doing and in
the public good. The next step is to match the profile
of the project with a foundation’s interests. Things
to look at include the grant range that the founda-
tion gives, the geographic area it supports, the
interests of the foundation, and the type of support
the foundation prefers to give. Once you have a
worthy project, a target grant-giving foundation,
and are working under the aegis of a registered
charitable institution, approach the grant-giver with
a tailored, professional proposal. Excellent photo-
graphic illustrations are certainly appropriate here
and may help your proposal to stand out!
The Resources Section of this book, the Foundation
Center, and other sources such as professional
artists organizations, can point you to the half dozen
or so foundations who do have programs that give
grants directly to visual artists. You will have to write
these foundations directly for their application guide-
lines and forms they require. Some artists find it
worth their while to set up a database so that they
know exactly when, each year, to write each one for
an application, and when to send the application in.
Do not, however, anticipate success in this arena
unless your accomplishments are formidable and
unless you will be recommended by previous win-
ners.
It may turn out that those who support you most in
the early stages of your career as a fine art photog-
rapher are wealthy friends. If this is the case, you, or
your wealthy friend, may wish to establish a way for
the friend to at least get a tax deduction out of
supporting you or your projects. There are several
ways to arrange this. One is to set up a worthy
project under the umbrella of a charitable institu-
tion, as above. The charity hires you to complete the
project you have outlined. Your friend donates
money to the charity, possibly earmarked for your
project, and deducts the charitable donation. Alter-
natively, the friend buys prints from you at the
market rate, which he then donates to a museum.
Well-to-do cultured people like to support artists
they believe in. They like iteven more when they get
a tax write-off for doing so. @&
Grants, Foundations, and Other Funding Sources 147
 IT believe in photography as art.

I believe in the power of art to redeem, transcend,

and transform. Art makes life worth living.

Not all fine art photography dealers are the world’s

most wonderful people. Some of them are capable
of arrogance and untruth. Often, they will lie about
the extent of sales so as to create the impression of
a larger market in the work ofa particular artist than
actually exists.

This trait, of being prepared to manipulate to serve

their own ends, they have in common with salesmen,
advertising executives, politicians, and many others.

Of course, some art dealers are wonderful, helpful,

and spiritual people who give to artists because it is
more blessed to give than receive. Some have gone out
of their way to be informative to meas I researched this
book. Please understand that I am excluding these
people from my emotional indictment of art dealers.

But, dealers do lie about money and sales. They lie

about how good “their” artists are. They mock
artists for being unbusinesslike and inappropriate
(all too often this one is true). They tell living artists:
“Want to see the price of your prints go up? Then
die.” They play politics and make closed clubs using
the estates of dead artists as weapons against the new
generations, new ideas, and young artists. A great
artist is god, buta struggling one is less than nothing.

All great artists struggled.

148 Successful Fine Art Photography

Conclusion
What’s a poor artist to do?
The best bet is to pay no attention, although that’s
a little like the charlatan wizard in the movie The
Wizard of Ozsaying, “Pay no attention to that man
behind the curtain,” when, in fact, that man behind
the curtain is manipulating a machine that com-
pletely controls the chicanery that is going on. Asa
practical matter, attention must be paid, and in
Successful Fine Art Photography, as well as my other
books, I have attempted to detail exactly how to take
control of what is going on. An artist owes it to
himself to pay close attention to the way things
work, and to behave in a “non-flakey” way about
practical matters.
But, emotionally, it is possible to pay no atten-
tion. This means, when functioning as an artist,
not getting caught up in the netherworld of
galleries, dealers, critics, and art world politics. It
means becoming neither an embittered outsider,
nor an art world politician whose politics are as
good as, or better than, his work. It means solving
the practical problems of making a living and
getting your work out on exactly that basis: as a
practical problem.
There are a number of excellent approaches to
making a living and combining it with a life asa fine
art photographer.
Let’s run through the approaches briefly.
You can be accepted as a good, or great, artist, and
make your living via representation by high art
galleries. You can infiltrate the photography world
and be taken up as the modern exemplar of Adams,
Weston and the f64 group. You can teach. You can
support yourself doing commercial work. You can
sell imagery as stock. You can sell prints as decor to
corporations. You can pick and choose from uncon-
ventional approaches such as starting your own
gallery, publishing posters, and selling through craft
fairs to real people on the streets. You can inherit or
create independent wealth, or marry money, and do
exactly as you please. You can combine these ap-
proaches in a way that works for you.
Or you can write books about how to do all of the
above...
Kidding aside, there are many ways to make money
from fine art photography. But the job is not
glamorous; it will not work without superb photo-
graphs in the first place; and should truly be under-
taken for love, not money.
I feel truly blessed to have been where I’ve been, seen
the things I’ve seen, lived the adventures I’ve lived.
It would not have been possible without art, pho-
tography, and the will of a power greater than
myself. Nor would the writing of this book.
The true artist has the ability to change and grow
and is not afraid to experiment. In the words of
novelist Allan Gurganus, “Beware ofusing up your
last forty years in being the curator of your first
fifty.”
Conclusion 149
Someone with the soul of a true artist knows what
is important and doesn’t take other things too
seriously. He is not afraid to move on.
In my opinion, the real opportunity for photo-
graphic artists in the 1990s lies in the emerging
digital technology. This whole area is just coming of
age and producing incredibly powerful creative
tools. This kind of excitement, and level of progress,
is reminiscent, to at least one long-term observer of
the photography scene, of the excitement that the
emergence of new equipment and technologies
generated in photography in the 1930s and 1940s.
Ma POL
Above: Autumn Island, © Harold Davis 1978.
Right: Early Autumn Ice, © Harold Davis 1978.
Successful Fine Art Photography
I hope Successful Fine Art Photography has proved
helpful to you and would welcome hearing about
your experiences with photography and art or any
other comments you may have. Please write:
Harold Davis
c/o Wilderness Studio
2673 Broadway
Suite 107
New York, NY 10025.
Thank you for spending time with my book, and
good luck to you with your work! e&
Conclusion
 W gtligs note: The names and addresses of
various businesses that are mentioned in the text
have been provided as a convenience to readers.
This does not imply any responsibility on the part
of the author or publisher for the quality of goods
or services that these businesses provide.

— 7 Introduction __

Books

Woody Allen, “If the Impressionists Had Been

Dentists” in Without Feathers, Warner Books, New
York, 1976. (See pages 18-20 of the text.)

Marsha Sinetar, Do What You Love, The Money Will

Follow, Bantam Doubleday, Dell, New York, 1987.
An excellent book on overcoming the things that
stop us from doing what we really want to for a
living.

Susan Sontag, On Photography, Farrar, Straus &

Giroux, New York, 1989. An important collection
of critical essays on photography.

Other Books by the Author of Successful Fine Art

Photography:

Harold Davis, Photographer's Publishing Handbook,

Images Press, New York, 1991. How to get photo-

152 Successful Fine Art Photography

Resources and
Bibliography
graphs published; how the publishing industry
works; how to put together a photography book
proposal; how to design, market, and distribute
one’s own photography book; what makes a good
photography book.
Harold Davis, Publishing Your Art As Cards &
Posters, The Consultant Press, New York, 1990.
How to create, design, and market art (including
photographs) for cards and posters.
Organizations
American Society of Magazine Photographers
419 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016
212-889-9144
Despite its name, ASMP members are all types of
photographers, including many of the most promi-
nent living fine art photographers. It is the world’s
foremost organization of professional photographers,
with close to 5,000 members. ASMP publishes hand-
books and newsletters, serves as a clearinghouse of
information about the photography industry, assists
individual members when appropriate, and coordi-
nates a lobbying effort at the national level to further
the interests of photographers.
The Friends of Photography
Ansel Adams Center
250 Fourth Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
415-495-7000
The Friends of Photography was founded in 1967
by Ansel Adams and a group of distinguished artists
and historians to encourage the development of
creative photography through exhibitions, publica-
tions, workshops, public lectures, and awards to
artists. In 1989, the Friends opened the Ansel
Adams Center which presents eighteen exhibitions
annually, organizes travelling exhibitions, and main-
tains a permanent collection.
International Center of Photography
1130 Fifth Avenue at 94th Street
New York, NY 10128
212-860-1777
ICP hosts interesting exhibitions at its uptown and
midtown branches, maintains a reference library
which is open to the public, and organizes a distin-
guished educational program.
Society for Photographic Education
Campus Box 318
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO 80309
303-492-0588
SPE publishes a journal, a newsletter, and holds a
National Conference in the spring.
Resources and Bibliography 153
 oe _____ Creating Imagery for the Fine Art Market

Books

One of the best ways to learn about creating powerful Joel Meyerowitz, Cape Light, New York Graphic
imagery, and to recognize photographs that may work Society/Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1979.
in the fine art market, is to look at examples of superb
photography. Books are an excellent way to do this. Irving Penn, Passage A Work Record, Callaway/
Every photographer interested in the fine art market Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1991.
should build a library of powerful imagery. Some of
my current favorites are listed here. Lilo Raymond, Revealing Light, Bulfinch Press/
Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1989.
Ansel Adams, An Autobiography, New York Graphic
Society/Little, Brown and Company, Boston, Sebastiao Salgado, An Uncertain Grace, Aperture,
1985. New York, 1990.

Ansel Adams, Examples: The Making of 40 Photo-
graphs, Bulfinch Press/Little, Brown and Company,
Boston, 1983.
Ansel Adams, Letters and Images 1916-1984, New
York Graphic Society/Little, Brown and Company,
Boston, 1988.
Ansel Adams, Yosemite and the Range of Light, New
York Graphic Society/Little, Brown and Company,
Boston, 1979.
Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Stills, essay by Arthur
Danto, Rizzoli, New York, 1991.
John Szarkowski, Photography Until Now, Museum
of Modern Art, New York, 1990.
Theodore E. Stebbins, Jr., Weston’s Westons: Portraits
and Nudes, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1989.
Minor White, Rites & Passages, Aperture, New
York, 1992.

Marilyn Bridges, Planet Peru: An Aerial Journey

Through a Timeless Land, Aperture, New York, 1991. Services

Robert Frank, The Americans, Pantheon, New York, Replichrome

1986.
Sarah Greenough, Alfred Steiglitz: Photographs and
Writings, National Gallery of Art/Callaway Edi-
tions, New York, 1983.
Josef Koudelka, Gypsies, Aperture, New York, 1991.
William Manchester, /n Our Time: The world as seen
by Magnum photographers, W.W. Norton, New
York, 1939,
7 East 17th Street
New York, NY 10003
212-929-0409
Also
Russell Hart, Photographing Your Artwork, North
Light Books, Cincinatti, OH, 1987. An excellent
book on how to make good slides from artwork (for
example, manipulated photographic prints).

154 Successful Fine Art Photography

 Lavender Flowers Near Maimana, Afghanistan, Dye Transfer Print, © Luke Powell 1981.

Kinds of Photographic Prints

Books

Ann Brandeis, Color Processing and Printing,
Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1983.
William Crawford, The Keepers ofLight: A History
and Working Guide to Early Photographic Processes,
Morgan & Morgan, Dobbs Ferry, NY, 1979. A
classic in-depth look at antique processes.
Ira Current, Photographic Color Printing: Theory
and Technique, Focal Press, Boston, 1983.
Henry Horenstein, The Photographers Source, Simon
& Schuster, New York, 1989. An excellent and
well-organized catalogue covering many topics of
interest to the fine art photographer. It is particu-
larly strong on the basics of photographic printing
and equipment.

Resources and Bibliography 155

 Bea Nettles, Breaking the Rules: A Photo Media Services
Cookbook, 2d ed., Inky Press, Urbana, IL, 1987.
CVI Lab
Deli Sacilotto, Photographic Printmaking Techniques, 23 Prince Street
Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1982. A New York, NY 10012
complete guide to photographic techniques for 212-226-3399
etching, lithography, and screen printing.
Chuck Kelton Lab
Jack Schofield, ed., The Darkroom Book, Amphoto, 32 Union Square
New York, 1985. New York, NY 10003
212-353-9465
Kent Wade, Alternative Photo Processes, Morgan &
Morgan, Dobbs Ferry, NY, 1978. An excellent My Own Colorlab
resource manual now, unfortunately, out of print. 18 West 27th Street
Perhaps you can find a copy ina library or in a used New York, NY 10001
photographic-book store. 212-696-4107

1 Mounting and Framing

Books

Max Hyder, Matting Mounting And Framing Art,
Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1986.
Organizations
Membership in the PPFA is indicative of profes-
sional status on the part of framers. The PPFA will
supply interested parties with a list of member-
framing businesses near them.

Professional Picture Framers Association Services

4305 Sarellen Road
P.O. Box 7655 Dryden Framing
Richmond, VA 23231 1524 Second Avenue
800-832-PPFA New York, NY 10021
212-628-9290

Gierteas0 The Markets for Photographic Prints

Books Amphoto, New York, 1988. This book contains an

excellent collection of photographs which run the
Kathryn Marx, Photography for the Art Market, gamut of work used in fine art applications.

156 Successful Fine Art Photography

Writer's Digest Books {annual}, Artist’s Market,
Cincinnati, OH. As of 1991, this annual contained
listings of 2,500 places to sell artwork, many of them
potential markets for fine art photographers.
Selling Prints through Arts and Crafts Fairs ———
Arts and Crafts Fairs
The following organizations publish newsletters
which list arts and crafts fairs. These publications
also contain articles with information about various
aspects of making one’s living on the arts and crafts
circuit.
The Craft Digest
PO: Box 155
New Britain, CT 06050
Published by the Connecticut Guild of Craftsmen.
The Crafts Report
700 Orange St.
Wilmington, DE 19801
302-656-2209
“The Newsmonthly of Marketing Management
and Money for Crafts Professionals”.
Sunshine Artists
1700 Sunset Blvd.
Longwood, FL 32750
407-323-5927
Publishes a comprehensive listing of arts and craft
shows once a month; rates the shows in an anual
issue. This is probably the best source for finding
out about good shows nationally.
The American Arts and Crafts Alliance
425 Riverside Drive #15H
Writer's Digest Books {annual}, Photographer's
Market, Cincinnati, OH. Some listings, particu-
larly in the “Galleries” Section, are applicable to fine
art photographers.
ye
New York, NY 10025
212-866-2239
The American Arts and Crafts Alliance sponsors a
number of important shows in the New York City
area. Their guidelines state: “We accept only con-
temporary American arts and crafts. All work must
be original, handcrafted, and well-executed. De-
pending on the availability of space we occasionally
accept fine art such as oil paintings, watercolors,
graphics and photography. We also encourage an
attractive display.”
Books
Stewart Beihl, How to Succeed as an Artist in Your
Home Town, North Light Books, Cincinnati, OH,
1990. While this book is directed at watercolor-
ists, much of the good advice in it is applicable to
fine art photographers who take the “tourist”
town career path.
Sally Prince Davis, The Fine Artist’s Guide to Show-
ing er Selling Your Work, North Light Books,
Cincinnati, OH, 1989. This rather general book
contains some excellent sections on how to success-
fully do an arts and crafts show or trade fair.
Trade Art Shows
Artexpo is held in New York at the Jacob Javits
Convention Center at the end of March. For fur-
ther information contact: Artexpo, 747 Third Ave.,
New York, NY 10017, 212-418-4288.
Resources and Bibliography 157
The best single source of information on trade art names of the managers. The cost of the directory
fairs is Artand Auction, published eleven times a is $13.00.
year. Individual issues contain ongoing listings of
auctions, antique shows, and gallery shows, as well For further information:
as trade art fairs. An annual directory, taking the Art and Auction Magazine
place of the July-August issue, lists art fairs in the 250 W. 57th Street, Room 215
United States, United Kingdom, and Europe. It New York, NY 10107
includes addresses, telephone numbers, and the 212-582-5633,

& — Architectural and Decorative Uses for Photography ——

Books Services

John Holland, Photo Decor, Second Edition, Eastman K&L Custom PhotoGraphics
Kodak Co., Publication No. O-22, Rochester, NY, 222 East 44th Street
hewn New York, NY 10017
212-661-5600

9d _
Cs The Role of the Art Consultant

Organizations

Association of Professional Art Advisors (APAA)

2150 W. 29th Ave.
Denver, CO 80211
800-243-1233

iG eee Flog ihc EinceAmmavonledlaore:

Books

Jeff Cason, The Photo Gallery & Workshop Handbook, with comments direct from the gallery owners, as well
Images Press, New York, 1991. This book contains as much useful information on how to find the right
detailed listings from over 300 international galleries gallery to exhibit your photography.

Successful Fine Art Photography


Barbara G. Scott, The Selling Art With A Higher
Mind or No More Art Sharks, \chor, Santa Monica,
CA, 1990. Chapters such as “Jaws By Day, Flipper
By Night” help to give artists better empathy with
what art dealers go through in selling art.
Directories
Art Business News, ABN Buyer's Guide, Myers
Publishing Co., Stamford, CT {annual published in
August}. Lists: art by subject, style & media; frames,
liners & mouldings; framing equipment & sup-
plies; special art industry services; artists and who
publishes them.
Decor Magazine, Sources Directory, Commerce
Publishing Company, St Louis, MO {annual pub-
Island in the Sky, © Harold Davis 1980.
lished in July}. Major categories listed include: art
by subject; art by media; artists; publishers; trade
names; state-by-state; toll-free numbers; fax num-
bers; master source list.
Gallery Guides
Art Now publishes a comprehensive monthly guide
to galleries in New York and its environs. (Other
local gallery guides can be found in many areas.)
Subscription price is $35.00 per year.
Gallery Guide
Art Now, Inc.
P.O. Box 5541
Clinton, NJ 08809
908-638-5255
Resources and Bibliography
 Photography in New York A Guide appears six public. A database and library are maintained. ACA
times a year. It includes exhaustive listings of pho- also publishes books and periodicals such as Vantage
tography shows in New York. Cover price is $2.95. Point and ACA UpDate. See discussion ofthe Visual
Contact: Artist Information Hotline below.

Photography in New York, Inc.

PO. Box 20351 Art Dealers Association of America
Park West Station 575 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10025 New York, NY 10022
212-787-0401. 212-940-8590

Organizations Association of International Photography Art Dealers

American Council for the Arts
1285 Avenue of the Americas, 3rd floor
New York, NY 10019
212-245-4510
ACA primarily serves as a source of information and
advice for arts administrators, individual artists, edu-
cators, elected officials, arts patrons, and the general
1609 Connecticut Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20009
USA
202-986-0105
AIPAD publishes an annual membership directory
and illustrated catalogue. It costs $20.00 and is an
invaluable reference tool. They also publish a pam-
phlet, On Collecting Photographs, which is $5.00.

jiji _
sO The Successful Exhibition

Books Organizations

Susan Abbott and Barbara Webb, Fine Art Publicity,
The Art Business News Library, Mansfield, OH,
1991e
The Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Doing it Right:
A Workbook for Improving Exhibit Labels, Vhe Brook-
lyn Children’s Museum, New York, 1989.
Larry Klein, Exhibits: Planning and Design, Madi-
son Square Press, Washington, DC,1986.
Lothar P. Witteborg, Good Show! A Practical Guide
for Temporary Exhibitions, 2nd ed., Smithsonian
Institution Travelling Exhibition Service, Wash-
ington, DG. 1991,
American Association of Museums
1225 Eye Street, NW
Suite 200
Washington, DC 20005-3914
202-289-1818
AAM publishes Museum News, Aviso, and Required
Reading: The Professional's Bookshelf, which is a com-
prehensive free catalogue of books relevant to muse-
ums and preparing a museum exhibition. The Official
Museum Directory, which AAM publishes in con-
junction with National Registry Publishing Com-
pany, lists detailed information about 6,800 muse-
ums. List price is $207.00; it is available to AAM
members for $117.00. Call NRPC at 800-323-6772.

160 Successful Fine Art Photography

Services
Luke Powell prepares mailings to museums who are
interested in travelling exhibitions twice a year. (See
page 119.) Currently, the cost is $940.00 for mail-
ing material weighing up to an ounce to 1,000
museums.
Making a Living as an Artist
Books
ASMP, Stock Photography Handbook, 2nd ed., Ameri-
can Society of Magazine Photographers, New York,
1990. No one who wishes to make money from their
photography should be without this book.
Lee Evan Caplin, ed., The Business ofArt, Prentice-
Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1982.
Jeff Cason, Photo Marketing Handbook, 3rd rev. ed.,
Images Press, New York, 1992.
Betty Chamberlain, The Artist’s Guide to the Art
Market, Watson-Guptill, New York, 1983.
Diane Cochrane, The Businesss of Art, Watson-
Guptill, New York, 1978.
Floyd Conner, Roger Gilchrest, Peter Karlen, Jean
Perwin, The Artist’s Friendly Legal Guide, rev. ed.,
North Light Books, Cincinnati, OH, 1991.
Tad Crawford, Business and Legal Forms for Fine
Artists, Allworth Press, New York, 1990. Extremely
useful.
Tad Crawford, Legal Guide for the Visual Artist, rev.
ed., Madison Square Press, New York, 1989.
Marion Davidson and Martha Blue, Making it
Legal: ALaw Primer for the Crafimaker, Visual Artist,
For further information contact:
Luke Powell
230 Battell Block
Middlebury, VT 05753
802-388-3216.
NS
and Writer, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1979.
Leonard Duboff, The Photographer's Business and
Legal Handbook, Images Press, New York, 1989.
Graphic Artists Guild, Graphic Artists Guild Hand-
book Pricing & Ethical Guidelines, Seventh Edition,
Graphic Artists Guild, New York, 1991.
Daniel Holden, Art Career Guide, Watson-Guptill,
New York, 1983.
Richard Hyman, The Professional Artist’s Manual,
Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1980.
Joan Jeffri, The Emerging Arts: Management, Sur-
vival and Growth, Praeger, New York, 1980.
Carole Katchen, Promoting and Selling Your Art,
Watson-Guptill, New York, 1978.
Toby Judith Klayman and Cobbett Steinberg, 7he
Artist’s Survival Manual: A Complete Guide to Mar-
keting Your Work, Charles Scribner, New York, 1984.
Caroll Michels, How to Survive & Prosper As An
Artist, revised, Henry Holt & Co., New York, 1983.
Charles E. Rotkin, Professional Photographer's Sur-
vival Guide, Amphoto, New York, 1982. Nearly a
Resources and Bibliography 161
 decade old, this classic book on the topic ofsurvival Photography Festivals
as a professional photographer is being revised and
re-released by Writer's Digest Books. Fotofest
20 Greenway Plaza #368
Organizations Houston, TX 77046
713-840-9711
College Art Association
275 Seventh Avenue Les Recontres International de la Photographie
New York, NY 10001 10, Rond-Point dea Arénes
212-691-1051 B.P. 96
13362 Arles cedex
The CAA distributes to members frequent listings FRANCE
of available jobs teaching art at the college level. It 90-96-76-06
also holds an annual job fair.
Information on how to contact the Society for
Photographic Education is listed in the Resources
Section under Chapter 1.

fiA Grants, Foundations, and Other Funding Sources —_

Books

Deborah A. Hoover, Supporting YourselfAs An
Artist, 2nd ed., Oxford University Press, New York,
1989. This book is mostly about “the process of
seeking support” and proposal writing. It is prima-
rily addressed to young artists who are seeking
financial support from sources other than the sale of
their own work.
Suzanne Neimeyer, ed., Money for Visual Artists,
American Council for the Arts/Allworth Press, New
York, 1991. Complete listings of grants, awards,
fellowships, artists’ colonies, and more.
Organizations
Information on how to contact the Foundation
Center is found on page 147 of the primary text of
this book. The Center’s libraries are open to the
public; also, there are free orientation sessions given
on how to use the Center’s materials.
The Visual Artist Information Hotline is operated
by the American Council for the Arts in cooperation
with the Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation. The
hotline is a referral service designed to give artists
information on matters of funding, insurance,
health, and law. Staff who answer the phone have
access to the database of the Arts Resource Consor-
tium Library. The toll-free hotline operates Mon-
day through Friday, 2-5PM E.S.T. Call 800-232-
2789:
Some Institutions That Make Grants to
Individual Photographers
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
90 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10016
212-687-4470
Application deadline: October 15

162 Successful Fine Art Photography

National Endowment for the Arts, Visual Arts The Pollack-Krasner Foundation
Program 725 Park Avenue
Nancy Hanks Center New York, NY 10021
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW 212-517-5400
Room 729
Washington, DC 20506 Purpose of the Pollack-Krasner Foundation grants
202-682-5448 to individual artists: “To aid visual artists around the
world who demonstrate merit and financial need.”
Application deadline (different for each media):
January (for photography). No specific deadline.

Resources and Bibliography 163

 Advance: Money paid to a photographer, creator,
or author as an advance against royalties.

Archival Processing: The objective of archival

processing is to chemically fix the image and remove
superfluous metals and chemicals to insure the
permanence and longevity of the photograph. This
may involve multiple fixing baths, toning with gold
chloride or selenium, and extensive washing.

Art Consultant: The art consultant acts as an

intermediary between clients - usually corporations
- and the art world.

Box mounting: The process of box mounting in-

volves creating a wood frame, covering it with a
sheet of masonite, and attaching the print to the
masonite. Edges are then covered with a thin mold-
ing or tape.

Chrome: A chrome isa photographic transparency,

also called a slide. Chromes are positive, meaning
that they appear as the world does, not reversed:
blacks are black, and whites are white.

Cibachrome Print: Cibachrome is a color print

paper manufactured by the Ciba-Geigy Corpora-
tion. Cibachromes havea very bright, glossy appear-
ance; they have the reputation of being one of the
most archivally stable types of color print.
Cibachromes are made directly from chromes.

Closed Edition: Limited edition; see Limited Edi-

tion Print.
ss
ese

164 Successful Fine Art Photography

Glossary
Color Correction: The skill of adjusting filtration
and exposure when making a color photographic
print.
Color Coupler Print: See Type-C Print.
Commission: An authorization, given by the per-
son or organization that provides funds, to create a
specific work.
Consignment: An arrangement in which an artist
entrusts his works to a gallery or dealer. The artist
is paid his portion of the sales price after the gallery
has been paid.
Contact Print: A contact print is always the same
size as the photographic negative from which it was
made. It is produced by placing the negative in
direct contact with the paper rather than projecting
the image through an enlarger.
Copyright: A copyright provides the owner, usu-
ally the creator ofthe work in the absence of awork
for hire agreement, with a number of exclusive
rights in the copyrighted work. These rights can be
summarized as the right to prevent others from
exploiting the work for commercial purposes or for
using it in a way which prevents the creator from
realizing expected profits. Copyrights may be regis-
tered with the United States Copyright Office, in
which case certain additional presumptions benefit
the registrant. Even without registration, however,
the creator holds a “common-law” copyright in the
work which should be protected by an adequate
notice, for example © Harold Davis 1992.
Delivery Memo: The legal document which ac-
companies a submission of art work or photogra-
phy.
Direct Mail: Advertising or promotional material
mailed directly to potential customers.
Dry-To-Dry Processor: A dry-to-dry processor
accepts exposed, but undeveloped, photographic
paper and delivers finished prints a number of
minutes later without the operator every having to
come in contact with wet chemicals.
Dupe: Duplicate slide.
Duraflex: Kodak’s process which creates transpar-
ent color prints, often used in front of light boxes for
in-store, or other, displays.
Dye Transfer Print: A method of color printing in
which the original is separated into three negatives,
one for each of the primary colors. The separation
negatives are used to create dye matrices which are
then placed in registered contact with a sheet of
special transfer paper that absorbs the ink. Dye
transfer prints have a reputation for beauty and
permanence.
Ektacolor Print: See Type-C Print.
Enlargement: A photographic print that is larger
than the negative from which it was made is an
Glossary 165
 enlargement. An enlargement is made by projecting
light through a negative held in an enlarger onto a
piece of photographic paper.
£64: (1) A group founded in 1932 in California by
photographers including Ansel Adams, Willard Van
Dyke, and Edward Weston. (2) A small lens aper-
ture implying great depth of field and the appear-
ance of sharpness.
Fine Art Graphic Poster: An offset reproduction
combining image and graphics designed to be sold
as art.
Fellowship: A grant providing support to an indi-
vidual, often for the purposes of training, study,
travel, or career-advancement.
Foundation: A not-for-profit organization that is
given tax exemption because it gives most of its
money away to charitable causes.
Grant: A contribution, of money or in-kind.
Internegative: A negative made from a chrome in
order to make a print using a reversal process.
Lab: A photographic lab processes film, makes
prints, and provides various other services.
License: The right to use imagery ina specified way.
Limited Edition Print: A fine art print for which
the number produced has been strictly limited.
Each print should be signed and numbered.
M.F.A.: Master of Fine Arts degree.
Negative: Film that records images in reverse form.
Black is white, and white is black.
Offset: Short for offset lithography, which is the most
common form of lithographic printing. In this pro-
cess, ink is offset from the plate toa rubber blanket and
then to the paper. It is usually the process used when
photography is reproduced in quantities.
166 Successful Fine Art Photography
Open Edition: An edition of prints whose number
has not been limited; not a limited edition.
Platinum and Palladium Prints: Prints made on
paper coated with platinum or palladium emulsion
have an extra long tonal scale, resulting in rich,
beautiful prints with subtle gradations from deep
shadows to bright highlights. The process is inher-
ently stable; a platinum or palladium print will last
indefinitely.
Polaroid Prints: Polaroid Corporation’s one of a
kind instant color print process; Polacolor prints.
Portfolio: (1) A body of work shown by a
photographer to solicit assignments or exhibi-
tions. (2) A group of photographs published
together, usually in a limited edition, usually
presented in acustom box, sometimes with text by
the photographer.
Positive: A positive appears as the world does, not
reversed; blacks are black and whites are white. See
Chrome.
Poster: See Fine Art Graphic Poster.
Press Release: A one or two page document in-
tended to encourage publications to provide free
editorial publicity.
Print: (1) A print made by a photographic process,
that is exposing light-sensitive paper to a negative,
an enlarged negative, or its surroundings (e.g., a
Polaroid print); the paper is then developed. (2) In
the art world, any reproduction (including but not
limited to photographic prints) that is intended to
be sold as art.
Publisher: A publisher produces and sells (or dis-
tributes in some fashion) printed or reproduced
material such as books, fine art posters, and limited
edition prints.
Relected Art: Reflected art, as opposed to transpar-
ent art, is opaque and must be photographed by
light reflected from its surface. Examples include
photographic prints, paintings, ink on paper, etc.
Generally, reflected art intended to be used for
reproduction is positive. See also Positive, Print.
Release: Written permission to publish, utilize, or
offer for sale a likeness of a person or of private
property.
Royalty: Generally, a publisher compensates the
creator ofawork with a royalty based on a percent-
age of the retail or wholesale price. Most contracts
also provide for a non-refundable advance against
royalties.
S.A.S.E.: A self-addressed stamped envelope, man-
datory in making unsolicited submissions if the
material is to be returned.
Scanamural: Computer Image System’s propri-
etary process for creating large murals on canvas or
vicrtex using a computer-driven air brush.
Secondary Market: Market for art that has already
been sold, often for which there is an eager universe
of buyers, e.g., at auctions.
Silver Print: Silver print is the generic term refer-
ring to all prints made on paper coated with silver
salts. Most contemporary black and white prints are
silver prints.
Slide: See Chrome.
Spacer: Material used to keep the surface of a print
away from external covering - glass or plexiglass - in
a frame.
Spotting: The final step in finishing a photographic
print is hiding small imperfections with pigment;
NN
this is called spotting.
Stock Agency: Business that maintains a library
of existing works by photographers and markets
them. Stock agencies license the use of the photo-
graphs in their files for a percentage of the fees
collected.
“Tourist” Town: One visited by many strangers
for the purpose of enjoying travel.
Trade Show: A business exposition, convention, or
fair, fora specific industry, or subset of that industry
Type-C Print: These color prints are made from
negatives and printed on paper which is coated with
resined plastic. The paper itself contains three sepa-
rate emulsion layers, each sensitive to one of the
primary colors, and color-couplers that form dyes
when exposed silver is developed. Type-C prints are
the most common kind of color print; while there
is some doubt about long-term permanence, manu-
facturers claim in recent years to have improved and
enhanced the longevity of these papers. Type-C
prints are also known as Ektacolor prints and Color
Coupler prints.
Vicrtex: A form of vinyl used in Scanamurals.
Vintage Print: A photographic print made within
a few years from the date the negative was made.
Work For Hire: A relationship in which all right,
title, and interest in a creative work, including the
copyright, is owned by the commissioning party,
not the creator.
Zone System: Developed by Ansel Adams to estab-
lish a method for measuring and pre-visualizing
tonal values. e&
sss SS
Glossary 167
Index
CA Artexpo, 74, 157
Artist’s signature, 54
Acid-free mat, 80 Artist-dealer relationship, 1/2
Acid-free materials, 46 Artist-owned gallery, 129; see also interviews pp. 75-79
Adams, Ansel, 17, 18, 19, 22, 25, 43, 53, 54, 59, 60, Association ofInternational Photography Art
65-66, 74, 76, 81, 129-130, 136, 153-154, 166 Dealers (AIPAD), 160
Adams, Virginia, 129-130 Association of Professional Art Advisors
Advertising, for exhibitions, 123 (APAA), 91, 158
Alganaraz, Adrian, 49-50 Auction house, 23
Allen, Mariette Pathy, 106 Auctions, of photography, 95-96
American Association of Museums, 1/9, 142, 160 Avant-garde art, 59
American Council for the Arts, 160 Avedon, Richard, 59, 138
American Photographer, 18 Avedon prints backed with linen, 50
American Society of Magazine Photographers
(ASMP), 43, 153
Appropriateness, 24 a5
Arbus, Diane, 60
Architectural installations, 23, 80-84 Back board, 46
Archival, 37-39, 41, 46, 50, 54, 91, 164 Basel Art Fair, 74
Archival framing, 46-50 Beard, Peter, 142
Archivally matting and framing Benrubi, Bonni, 108
(for corporations), 49 Benson, Richard, 44
Arles, photography festival at, 143, 162 Berman, Zeke, 102, plate pp. 102-103
Arras Gallery, 18, 125 Best, Harry Cassie, 75
Art buyers, 24 Best's Studio, 75
Art consultants, /8, 19, 23, 45, 49, 83, 86-91, 158 Black and white prints, 29, 30, 37-38, 47, 50, 65, 78, 90
Art criticism, /04, Book mat, 46
Art dealer, 17, 19, 30, 34, 64, 83, 92-117, 160 Booth and display, setting up, 70-71
definition of, 104 Bourke-White, Margaret, 59
Art Dealers Association of America, 189 Box mounting, 48-49, 82
Art Shows, trade, 74, 157 Brandt, Bill, 742
Art Submission Cover Letter, 33 Brassai, 110
Art, and economic down turns, 128 Bridges, Marilyn, 27-29; plates pp. 28, 29; 142-143, 154,

168 Successful Fine Art Photography

Brotmeyer, Gary, 110 Cyanotype Prints, 45
Burrows, Larry, 111

C
iD
Daguerreotypes, 38, 45
Callahan, Henry, 60 Daniel Wolf Gallery, 708
Callis, Chris, plate p. 139 Danto, Arthur, 104-105
Capa, Robert, 59 Danziger, James, 99-100
Caponigro, Paul, 60, 81 Darkroom, 36
Carmel, California, 74-75 Davidson, Bruce, 40, 42, 60
Cartier-Bresson, Henri, 34, 59, platep.60, 105 Davis, Harold, plates pp.: Cover, 6, 11,19, 26, 51, 150, 151, 159
Casals, Pablo, 137 Dealer, public vs. private, 108
Chappell, Walter, 742 Delivery Memo, 35
Charitable institution, 146-147 Denali, the Great One, Alaska, 25, plate p. 26
Christie’s, 95-96 Depth of field (and £64 group), 59, 166
Cibachrome, 38-39, 42, 49-50, 54 75, 78, 91, 164 Deschin, Jacob, 17
Closed edition (of prints), 52-53 DeSerio, Lou, 75-76, platep.76, 130
Cobb, Elijah, 179 Devine, Jed, 108
Coleman, Bill, 54 71-72, plate p. 73 Dichroic light source, 3/, 38
College Art Association, 162 Direct mail, 129
Color correcting, 40 “Do it yourself” frame shops, 48
Color darkroom rental facility, 39 Dreamtime (limited edition dye transfer portfolio
Color Ink Plots, 45 by Walter Nelson), 107
Color Postscript Printers, 45 Dry mounting press, 47-49
Commercial photography Dry-to-dry automated processor, 39-40, 165
accepted as art, 59 Dryden Framing, 49, 156
combining with career as art photog- Duping process, 3/
rapher, 137-138 Duplicates, 30-33, 89, 98, 108
Conceptual art, 6/ Dye transfer prints, 41-42, 107, 119, 141, 165
Consignment Receipt, 116
Contact prints, 36
Contracts, galleries with artists, 112-117 ‘
Co-op galleries, 129
Cooper, Ted, 76 Eastman Kodak Company, 66
Co-operative mailings (to museums), 1/9, 161 Edwards, Owen, /8
Copier (“Xerox”) Prints, 45 Eggleston, William, 770
Copyrighted material (permission to use), 144-145 Ektacolor paper, 38
Corners made of rag board, 49 Electronic re-touching, 4/
Corporate Art Directions, 89-91 Emulsion surface, 48
Corporate Decor, 22 Encounters and Reflections: Art in the Historical
Corporations, benefit to of acquiring art, 87 Present, 104
Corporations, non-controversial art purchased, 88 Enlargements, 37
Credit, 43 Entry fees, 96
CVI Lab, 41-42, 156 “Equivalents”, 59

169
 Erwitt, Elliot, 99 Greene, Milton, 142
Estate planning (for the artist), 145 Greenfield-Sanders, Timothy, 67-68, plates pp. 68, 69, 127
Estimates, at auction houses, 95 Gromme, Owen, 1/31
Evans, Walker, 59 Groover, Jan, 40
Exhibition design, 122 Gropper, Claudia, 95-96
The Exposures Gallery, 76-79, 130 Guggenheim Fellowship, 29, 61, 146, 162

Ie ie
£64, 59, 61, 65, 74, 149, 166 Hand-pulled lithograph (example of closed
Farm Security Administration, 59, 95 edition), 52
Feninger, Andreas, 108 Hanging fees, 96
Fine art photographer (not someone who photo- Heiferman, Marvin, /0/
graphs art), 18 Hidden World of the Nearby (limited edition dye
Fine art photography (differences with commercial transfer portfolio by John Wawrzonek), 107
photography), 142 High art, 22
Fine art posters, 18, 25, 43-44, 61, 68, 74, 77, 125, 166 High art market, 23
Fink, Larry, 60, 65, 142 Hiro, 40
Folder mat, 4 Houk, Edwynn, 170
Fondé, Carol, 40 Hyde, Philip, 107
Fotofest (festival in Houston), 143, 162 Hyder, Max, 47, 156
Foundation Center, 146, 162
Foundations, 146-147
4-ply mat board, 80 fp
Framing choices, at art fairs, 48-49, 72
Frank, Robert, 60, 65, 100 Images of Nature Galleries, 130-132
Freedman, Jill, 742 Interleaf paper, 32
Friedlander, Lee, 67, 110 International Art Exposition (in Chicago), 74
Friedman, Barry, 170 International Center of Photography, 153
The Friends of Photography, 153 Internegatives, 38-40, 166
Invitations (to gallery exhibitons), 122-123
James Danziger Gallery, 99-100

G Jost, Heinz, 25

Galassi, Peter, 6/
Gallery exhibition, 118-122 Ke
Gallery guides, local, 75, 121, 123, 159-160
Gallery Representation Checklist, 113 K&L Custom PhotoGraphics, 43, 81, 158
Gardner, Alexander, 96 K&L Gallery of Photographic Art, 82
Gibson, Ralph, 27, 95, 135 Kaplan, Diale, 95-96
Glass (vs. plexiglass), 48 Keegan, Marcia, 119
Glimcher, Arnold (of Pace Galleries), 700 Keeping a journal, 27
Goldin, Nan, 67, 101 Kelton, Chuck, 37, 156
Gorgoni, Gianfranco, 83 Kertész, Andre, 60

170 Successful Fine Art Photography

Ketchum, Robert Glen, 706 photography, at Swann), 95
Kiosks in airports, 129 Mary Boone Gallery, 67
Klugman, Karen, 40 Mathews-Berenson, Margaret, 91
Kodachrome, 30, 42 Matting, Mounting and Framing Art, 47, 156
Koons, Jeff, 745 Max, Peter, 145
Kulicke, Robert (frame designed by), 80 Maxey, Edward, 99
Metal section frames, 48
Metro Pictures, 63-64
L Metropolitan Museum, 49, 103, 104
Metzker, Ray, 170, platep.111
Lack of sharpness, 30 Metzner, Sheila, 99
Lange, Dorothea, 59, 95, plate p. 95, 121 Meyerowitz, Joel, plate p. 98, 99, 154
Laser printers, 45 Miller, Laurence, 54, 65, 110-112
Lawler, Louise, 63 “Miniature” 35mm cameras, 59
Leibovitz, Annie, 99, platep. 99 “Mirrors”, 60
Leo Castelli Gallery, 67 “Mirrors and Windows” exhibition, 60, 12/
Levin, Betty, 89-91 Modernage, 17
Levinthal, David, 770 Modernart Editions, 18, 125
Levitt, Helen, 770 Modernism, 6/, 102
Lieberman & Saul Gallery, 102-104 Moonrise over Hernandes, New Mexico, Ansel Adams
Lieberman, Nancy, 102 photograph, 25
Life Magazine, 17, 59 Morgan, Barbara, 142
Light box, 30 Morning Meadow, poster by Nick Zungoli, 77
Limited edition, 52-57, 107, 131, 145, 164, 166 Mounting, 47
Limited Edition Photograph Publishing Mulberry paper hinges, 49
Contract, 55 Mural sized prints, kinds of, 80
Lingwood, David, 78 Murals, site specific, 84
Leongard, John, 17 Murray, Felicia C., 142-143
Longevity of color prints, 39 Museum exhibitions, //8-12/
Loupe, 30 My Own Colorlab, 39-40, 156
Lowinsky, Simon, 105-106, 112
Lumina Inc., 106
N,
(mM Nash, Graham, 106
The Nation, 104
MacGill, Peter, 100-2 National Endowment for the Arts, 163
Magnum, 59 National Endowment Visual Artist
Maisel, Jay, 138-141, platep.140 Grant, 146, 163
Mangelsen, Tom, 130-132, plate p. 132 National Gallery, 104
Manipulated color prints, 45 Nazca lines of Peru, 28, 142
Mann, Sally, 170 Negatives, destruction of, 52-53
Mapplethorpe, Robert, 96, 105; see also portrait of Nelson, Walter W., 107
Mapplethorpe by Greenfield-Sanders, plate p. 68 New York Times Magazine, 40
Marshall Sale (first auction devoted exclusively to Non-juried fairs, avoiding, 77, 72

Lal
 O Professional Picture Framers Association, 155
Publishing Your Art as Cards & Posters, 20, 44, 68,
O'Keefe, Georgia, 129 83-84, 153

Offset reproduction, photo offset lithography, 43-44

Okuhara, Tetsu, 45
Open edition (of prints), 52-57
Openings, importance of attending, 94
Q
Original print, 16, 18, 32 Quiet Light: Fifteen Years ofPhotographs, 66
Overmatting, 47
Owning your own gallery, 129-130

R
'P
Ray, Man, platep. 109, 110
Pace/MacGill Gallery, 100-103 Re-photography, 3/
Palladium prints, 38, 108, 166 Rear mounting (of prints to plexiglass), 48
Panoramic Photography, 45 Recipe for Art World Success, 94
Papageorge, Tod, 108 Refreshments, at an opening, 123
Parker, Olivia, 134 Replichrome, 31, 154
Penn, Irving, 59, 138, 154 Resin-coated paper, 37
Photo District News, 43 Resumé, 32, 97-99
Photo-collage, 45 Richardson, Yancey, 94, 106-108
Photographer's Publishing Handbook, 20, 44, 95, 135, Robert Miller Gallery, 40
152 Rosen, Barbara, 3/
Photography (as investment), 96 Rowell, Curt, 4/
Pictorialism, 58 Rowell, Galen, 42
Planet Peru: An Aerial Journey Through a Timeless
Land, 28, 154
Platinum prints, 38, 106, 107, 166 S
Play, 25
“Pleasures and Terrors of Domestic Comfort” Salgado, Sebastiao, 108, 154
exhibit, 67 Santa Fe Artist’s Association, 75
Plexiglass (vs. glass), 48 Santa Fe, New Mexico, 74-75
Plexiglass box, 48 Saul, Julie, footnotep.58, 102-104, 112
Polacolor prints, 44, 67-69 Scanamurals, 45, 80-83, 167
Polaroid Corporation, 44, 67 School of Visual Arts, 136
Pollack-Krasner Foundation, 163 Secondary market, 96
Porter, Eliot, 107, 108 Seigel, Adele, 18
exhibition of cloud imagery, 99 Self-promotion, 24
Post-modernism, 61, 63, 102, 108 Serrano, Andres, 96
Powell, Luke, 719, plate p. 155, 161 Sexton, John, 65-67, plates
pp. 66, 121, 174
Premium papers, 37 Sherman, Cindy, 63-64, plate p. 65, 91, 96, 105, 108, 136,
Press Release, 124-125 154; see also portrait of Sherman by Greenfield-Sanders,
Printmakers, 37, 43 plate p. 69
Prints, hand colored, 45 Silver-gelatin emulsion, 37

WZ Successful Fine Art Photography

Simmons, Laurie, 63 U
Simon Lowinsky Gallery, 105-106
Siskind, Aaron, 60 Uelsmann, Jerry, 61-3, platep.62, 135
Skogland, Sandy, 91 United States Copyright Office, 144
Smith, W. Eugene, 59 registration information, 144
Society for Photographic Education, 153
annual convention, 143, 153
Soho News, 104 U
Solomon, Richard (of Pace Editions), 100
The Somnambulist, 95 Van Dyke, Willard, 59, 166
Sonneman, Eve, 143 Vanity Fair, 99
Spacer, 47, 167 Vanity galleries, 96-98
Spano, Michael, 70 Vazoulas, Jim, 43, 8/-83
Stable (artists belonging to a gallery), 94 Vezzuso, Jerry, 39-40
Starn Twins, 105 Vickers, Emily L., 747
Steichen, Edward, 59 Vintage prints, 96
Steiglitz, Alfred, 129 Vishnaic, Roman, 8/
exhibition at MOMA, 50
his concept of “equivalents”, 59
his gallery 2917 59 W
Steiner, Ralph, 59
Stereo Photographs, 45 Warsaw Ghetto, 25
Sternfeld, Joel, 67 Wawrzonek, John, 107
Stock agencies, 83 Wegman, William, 97
“Straight photography”, 59 Weston, Edward, 18, 59, 166
Strainer, 47 White, Minor, 60, 63
Stricherz, Guy, 41-42 Whitney Museum, 104
Sunday Times Magazine, 99 Whitney Museum Biennial, 72/
Swann Galleries, 95-96 “Windows”, 60
Szarkowski, John, 60, 121, 154 Winer, Helene, 63-64
Winograd, Gary, 60, 137
Winokur, Neil, 26-27, platep.27, 61
ae Witkin, Joel-Peter, 96, 101, plate p. 101, 108
Written contracts (with galleries), 172-117
Taka, Rei, 107
Takagi, Modoka, 106
Tartaro, Frank, 4/ ne
Tax deductions, /47
Thermal Dye-Transfer Prints, 45 Yafcak, Paul, 39-40
Tourist art, 6/
“Tourist” towns, 74-75
The Transfiguration of the Common Place, 104
Traub, Charles, 65, 136-137
K
Turner, Pete, 8/ Zone system, 59, 65, 167
Type-C Prints, 38-40, 49, 53, 79, 108, 131, 165, 167 Zungoli, Nick, 72, 76-79, plate p. 77, 130

MIS}
 Rice Field and Pine Forest, Tohoku, Japan, © John Sexton 1985.

——-_-e—————RRRE

174 Successful Fine Art Photography

 About this Book

Harold Davis wrote Successful Fine Art Photography

in Wordperfect 5.1. Page layouts were designed in
Aldus Page Maker 4.0 for Windows by Phyllis
Hopper, using Adobe Garamond as the primary
text font, and Adobe Garamond Alternate Italics for
drop caps and index headers. Text files were down-
loaded to a Varityper 4000 typesetter and output at
2400 dots per inch. Color and black and white art
reproductions were from transparent or reflected art
supplied by the photographers or their representa-
tives. Color separations were by Amko of Seoul,
Korea. Printing was by Central Printing Co. of
Dayton, Ohio. @/

LiZD
 PHOTOGRAPHER’S
PUBLISHING
HANDBOOK
HAROLD DAVIS
PHOTOGRAPHER’S PUBLISHING HANDBOOK.
A comprehensive new guide to marketing and
publishing photographic imagery and books.
Includes interviews with major photo publishing
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Only $19.95
ART KETCHUM
OW 10 START A PROFITAB
PHOTOGRAPHING MODEL PORTFOL
PROFITABLE MODEL PHOTOGRAPHY.
By Art Ketchum.
All you need to know to get started and manage a
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profitable business photographing model portfo-
lios and composites. Included in this photo-packed
volume:
¢ Advice on preparing your portfolio.
¢ Advice on lab services and keeping processing
costs down.
* Information on backgrounds, location, and props.
* Lighting advice including flash and fill-flash.
* Discovering the secrets of posing and directing
models.
¢ Advertising, promotion, and pricing your work.
¢ And more!
Only $18.95
THE PHOTOGRAPHER’S BUSINESS AND LEGAL
HANDBOOK. By Leonard Duboff, lawyer.
How do you protect yourself legally as a photogra-
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rights, tax tips, legal forms, contracts, reproduc-
tion fee prices, etc.
Only $18.95
PHOTO MARKETING HANDBOOK, 3rd Edition
By Jeff Cason
The most comprehensive international stock reference
on the market, this new edition includes:
¢ Photo agency listings worldwide.
* Color pages from top stock catalogues.
e Interviews with leading agency directors.
¢ In-depth coverage of the photo scenes in Paris
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¢ Extensive specialty index.
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¢ Leading newspapers around the globe.
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THE PHOTO GALLERY AND WORKSHOP
HANDBOOK. By Jeff Cason
U.S. & International gallery guide and workshop
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to present your photographs to galleries.
Only $19.95
SYSTEM HAN
: =
B. “MOOSE” PETERSON
NIKON SYSTEM HANDBOOK.
By B. Moose Peterson
Complete Nikon guide to current and older models.
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Ask for these Image Books at your local camera
shop, bookstore, or order directly from:
Images Press ¢ 7 East 17th Street, New York, NY
10003 * 800-367-4854 or 212-243-2306.
 Successful Fine Art Photography by Harold Davis is
a practical, in-depth guide on how to market photographic prints. It
includes interviews with important photographic art dealers and leading
photographers such as Marilyn Bridges, Jay Maisel, and Jerry Uelsmann.
This guide contains a comprehensive Resources Section with names,
addresses and telephone numbers, and includes many outstanding
contemporary fine art photographs which complement the text.

Topics covered in this guide include:

How to create photographs that are fine art

How the art world works
Creating and maintaining a reputation
How the prices of photographic prints are manipulated
Markets for photographic prints
Working with art consultants
OH
Hh
Oh
OHemhU
&+hlU
e¢*e How you can make money from your art photography.

Successful Fine Art Photography provides a glossary, checklists, and

sample letters, forms and contracts.

Harold Davis is a photographer, author and publisher. He is the

President of Wilderness Studio, Inc. His previous books, Publishin 'g Your
Art as Cards & Posters and the Photographer's Publishing Handbook, have
been highly acclaimed. His photographs are widely exhibited, collected,
_ and published. Mr. Davis holds degrees in Computer Science and Law.
He lives in New York City.

$ 21.95 ISBN O-929bb7?-14-X

|
ISBN 0-929667-14-X oyaaleee

Distributor to the trade in the United States

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A
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