What do you do with the wildlife photos you make? Do you make and keep them for your own pleasure and enjoyment? Do you sell them to the public? Do you donate them to nature/wildlife organizations? Submit to publishers for books/magazines/calendars?

Me, I am just piling them up. I have no plans really to do anything much with them. I wonder if I'm the only one?

Cassie
from Beautiful British Columbia

Hi Cassie,

Up till now (I only start making photos for a year ago) I have done it for my own pleasure, but I really would like to have them published in magazines, postcords, etc. A few of my photos have been published on a Dutch Birding site though.
Maybe there are a few people who can give a few hints how to market wildlife pictures?


Have a nice day!

Hillebrand
Nikonian from the Dutch Mountains

Have a nice day!

Hillebrand
Nikonian from the Dutch Mountains
www.breuker-photography.com

I don't have an interest in selling my bird pictures and don't want to make it a job. If someone approached me and asked to purchase a print I'd be more than happy to make one for them for payment, but other than that, I wouldn't go out of my way to try and sell them. In the past I thought I might try to sell them, but I never got around to it and from the looks of it, never will! There's a nature society that has approached me about using some of my photos. I told them I'd be happy to provide them with images. So I'm likely going to do that, but not for money.

Cassie
from Beautiful British Columbia

Cassie,

I take very few wildlife pictures (only when I stumble upon some poor unsuspecting critter) but I do take a lot of nature and general pictures. A few years ago, after I finally bought a film scanner, I started making my own picture books. They are mostly for family (makes a great Christmas gift) but I also give books to my kids sports coaches covering the season.

I think that maybe this would be something that you could do with your photos. It would also give you a nice way to present them for groups/peoples that are interested. It also provides a challenge that I enjoy.

Good luck!

Bruno C

Hi Bruno,

Great idea!

Have a great day!
"From the Atchafalaya Basin, in Cajun Country, Louisiana, USA"
Cpatinjone (Carolyn)

Nikonians® - Worldwide Home for Nikon® Photographers
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Obvioiusly my collection isn't wildlife, but I have a similar situation.

Some of my very best are printed and hanging around the house or at work. The others that I like get printed and kept in a portfolio binder that I browse thru once in a while or show to interested parties.

I'd say you are not the only one.

Victor Newman

My Nikonians Gallery

www.nikonians.org - Worldwide Home for Nikon Photographers

Victor, it really surprises me you're not selling! I thought you were doing this for a magazine or some other publication! Wow. Well, I'm sure if you ever decided to sell you'd have no problems.

Cassie
from Beautiful British Columbia

I am the photog for "my" racetrack, but I don't actively pursue sales.

My pics have run in magazines, but they are given to the publications by the track. Tracks don't charge magazines for pics, as it's free publicity for them anyway.

While, like you, I don't turn down paying customers (and have sold work), I don't pursue it aggressively.

Victor Newman

My Nikonians Gallery

www.nikonians.org - Worldwide Home for Nikon Photographers

C:

I pile mine up as well. Occasionally, I frame one or two and hang them in my childrens' rooms. In comparison to some of the wildlife photos posted here (from the likes of you, Cassie, and others like Photophil), mine are meager.

Russ in CT

I am piling them up as well. A few years ago I thought it would be nice to occasionally sell material to stock agencies, as it could be a secondary source of income you don't really have to do much for . Since I work in advertising and use stock photography myself all the time, I have noticed how critical I am when I have to choose a shot for a campaign when the budget is not sufficient to go on a shoot. Each time when I look at one of my own shots, I think: would I choose that image if it weren't mine? Most of the time the answer was no, and so every year I decide I still have to improve my work a lot before agencies would be interested. And so the collection is growing, and I have only 9 GB left on my hard drive...

My dream however, and that of most photographers I guess, would be to publish a book once. With my photography and designed by me as well. Now who the hell would want to buy a book like that ?

.

Marsel van Oosten | Squiver Photo Tours

2013/2014 Tours & Workshops: Alaska | Iceland | Japan | Namibia | Spain | South Africa | Turkey | Zambia

.

>Now who the hell would want to buy a
>book like that ?

Marsel, I'd be one of the first in line to buy it.



Cassie
from Beautiful British Columbia

Hi Cassie. For me, they're just piling up right now, BUT I want to get more serious with my photography, so aside from learning and improving my skills, and upgrading my equipment as needed, I'm also starting to look into what I can do to start making a few dollars from this addictive hobby.

I'm researching outlets right now, including publishers, agencies and stock houses. I've also talked to a few people and businesses locally and some have given me contacts or procedures on how to get them to display and sell my photos. In addition, my wife is into arts and crafts and has quite a store of items that she would like to sell at arts & crafts fairs. I thought it might be fun to bring my photos along and see what happens.

Well, that's just a bit of what I've been busy with lately--that and taking pictures of course!

Dan L.

Dan L.
http://www.danlarussophotography.com/

While I don't actively pursue it I do sell some matted prints to people that request one. I mainly print for myself, family and friends. Every couple of months I change the set of photos I have on the walls.

In the past 6 months I've hooked up with some researchers and biologists. I help them out by photographing and giving them free use of the pictures. In return I find out about new/unknown/little-known locations or get access to closed locations so I have more photo opportunities. It's also given a little more purpose to photography (projects with a purpose) and been a great learning tool about animal/species behavior. I spend much more time looking for different behaviors to capture rather than just a nice portrait (and a lot of time reading/learning those behaviors!). When they give slieshows they usually request that I be there to answer questions and bring a few prints in case people would like to buy one.

I find this is enough for me now and still keeps photography enjoyable. I think taking the next step would require more marketing and promotion and then it starts to turn more into a job rather than a hobby.

Scott

I am starting to collect a few also - what I have done is blow up the best ones and print them out on A4 - put them in a large folder and turn it into a coffee table book. Others I frame and give as gifts.

Mark

Mark Eagles
Sydney Down Under

You are not the only one piling them up. I don't even pile them up. Most of my photos are neatly filed away and I keep what I consider the best in an album of 48 pictures. I have a few hanging on the walls in a room in my home, a few hanging in the office, and a few that I've made for friends at their request. I put some on my website for people who want to know how my photography is going.

I think what you do with your pictures is related to why you made them in the first place. A few years ago I used to shoot railroads and I entered the pictures in contests and had them published. In retrospect I did that because I wanted to prove something to other people about my skills. It was also nice to be able to depreciate a piece of equipment against my income.

But now it is the act of visualizing the picture and trying to capture my vision that motivates me. I take pictures to know myself, to know the world around me, and to make a connection between the two. I'm not so interested in what others think, as in what I think. Indeed, I often find myself browzing my album and evaluating my own photographs.

I've thought about trying to have pictures published, but I think, why bother? There are plenty of other photographers whose pictures are better then mine so let the public enjoy them. I don't worry much about the cost of equipment any more so that's not an incentive. But I do care about what the process of making pictures means to me.

Hi Cassie,

Most of them I make just for myself because it's a hobby. I do it because I like it. If there is somebody interested I'll sell it. So I can buy new films (yes, I'm still working on film). If nature organizations ask for it they can use it for free. And in some rare occasions I give them away for free.

Greetings,
Wim

And if I have some time I put them on my site.

>And if I have some time I put them on my site.

I hope you get some time soon. I'm anxious to see your new site.

Cassie
from Beautiful British Columbia

I wind up mostly just piling them up. My professional work in mostly in landscapes, occasionally I get a wildlife photo I consider acceptable quality to offer for sale but my ratio is too low to consider it anything other than a hobby. If anyone wants slides of whales on overcast days I have plenty to go around. I got into photography to be able to take wildlife photographs and still spend time out in the wild pursuing opportunities but for the most part it is for personal use. If nothing else it makes for great stories - no one is impressed with my ability to sneak up on a lake and take a photograph but I always get questions about the wildlife photographs, how close were you, what lense did you use, etc.

Dave

Dave
http://www.dramaticlight.com/

Most of my pictures also 'end up' in a big pile; the ones I like most, are free to be used by the local nature protection organisation which I'm also a member of. Or i use them myself for my job.

A wildlife photographers organisation here in Belgium, has an elegant solution for this kind of 'commercial' problems : each year they select the three best photographs of each of their members, put them together in a diatheque (sorry for the misspelling), something like a photograph library, and any nature or other kind of organisations may use these photographs at a cost of 50 euro (approximately the same in us dollar). 75% goes to the photographer, 25% to the organisation (because after all, they are selling it for you).

Cheers,
Alain

Hi Cassie,

until recently, I also have been piling them up, and gave them for free to be published in local nature magazines. But last year I was lucky enough to sell several framed pictures (not for publishing), and during my last exhibition on wolves I photographed in Banff NP, I sold all the picture (framed). So I hope this will happen more often from now on

I have several concert photos published in a Belgian blues magazine, but I didn't get paid for that. I considered it as a free publicity for my work.

Regards,
Philip

My website
My galleries

I file all my pictures by species/category and sell them directly to certain editors. I photograph everything about nature: animals, plants, landscapes as well as environmental pictures. I try to capture literally everything in advance because the editors ask snowscapes in the middle of the summer and flowering plants or little ducks in winter. They also don't give you time for special assignments. If they want a picture of a fox, they need it the next morning at their office. Thanks to the D100, I photograph a lot more because I don't have to spent anymore money on film for pictures which probably will never be sold. Sometimes, I give away pictures or slideshows for free. Mostly to nature organisations which give me access to certain nature reserves which are closed for the public. Sometimes to zoos, in exchange for publicity.

Cheers,
Philippe

WILDEYES / ARTERRA
Before You Attempt To Beat The Odds. Be Sure You Could Survive The Odds Beating You.

Like many of you all, most of my photos are piling up too, though they are taking up a lot less space now that I've gone totally digital. I give prints away occasionally as gifts. Mostly I just do this because I love it. It would be cool to go pro, but I'm not willing to give up my teaching job just yet. For now I mostly just enjoy getting better at making images.
I also have developed a relationship with a safari company in Tanzania that is using my stuff. I lived there for three years and had a standing deal with them that allowed me to stay at their facilities in the game parks for free if they could use any pictures I took. That deal has now expanded into something bigger. I built a big web site for them (using mostly my own photos) and in exchange they are flying me back to Tanzania for 6 weeks of safari (starting on the 27th of June), again with the idea that they will have access to my photos for advertising purposes. I hope to cover a few of their locations comprehensively and maybe submit an article or two to travel magazines. The web site I built is at a temporary location: http://www.jonkhill.com/safariweb4

-j°ⁿ
www.jonkhill.com

-j°n
www.safarishots.com
www.jonkhill.com