"Featured Image" Roundup
A collection of my photographs that have been featured on Fine Art America
Last year I made the decision to stop selling prints on my website on the Smugmug platform, and instead move images onto Fine Art America. This is counter to the mass movement of artists, writers, and other creatives moving away from “platforms” and doubling down on creating their own websites and managing their sales directly.
My reasons for moving away from print sales on my own website were two-fold, I wasn’t investing enough into marketing to really drive a lot of traffic to the website, and the buyers I did have were expressing dismay at the shipping costs from the print-on-demand sites that Smugmug uses. Most of my sales were actually coming in the form of messages on social media, with a specific request for a print that I could then print locally, and ship myself at a fraction of the shipping cost Smugmug charged. There is always a way to bypass prohibitive pricing, but in this case it defeated the goal of automation.
Fine Art America does increase traffic to my prints, and with some engagement on my part with the site and other artists, it increases traffic even more. The shipping costs are still higher than I like, but at least they have print centers in the US, Canada, and Europe, so a buyer doesn’t also get hit with duty and other fees when their print crosses borders.
I have also been enjoying joining the various groups on FAA, like the “Experimental Photography” group, and the “Camera Art” group. These hubs feature submitted images, as well as hosting juried and non-juried contests for members.
I have created a collection of my images from the past year that have been featured in these groups, or won a contest. I’m delighted that some of my more experimental images, usually multiple exposures with an element of intentional camera movement (ICM), are catching the eye of those in the groups and contests. I really enjoy experimenting with movement, layers, and light. Here are a few of my images that have been featured lately:
You can browse the whole collection of “Featured Images” on Fine Art America. I’d love to know which ones catch your eye!