Podcast #62 – Conversation with Gavin Seim – Discussing Wall Portraits
Gavin Seim has recently been trying out some sales techniques that he picked up at the recent Wall Portrait Conference so Kerry and David wanted to spend some time with him and see how this has been working. Gavin talks about first getting the client into the “wall portrait mindset” from the initial meeting and then how he delivers the images and uses a projector to show the client how the image would look on their wall.
These can be some great techniques for improving your large portrait sales for your wedding and portrait photography clients.
Gavin’s Websites
Wall Portrait Conference – http://www.wallportrait.com/
Show Hosts
Kerry Garrison
http://kerrygarrison.com Twitter Facebook FriendFeed
David Esquire
http://esquirephotography.com Twitter Facebook
This podcast is also available on iTunes.
Popularity: 4%
Related posts:
- Podcast #23 – HDR with Gavin Seim
- Podcast #86 – Conversation with Gavin Seim – Talking about dynamic range
- Podcast #63 – Conversation with Mark Robert Halper – Taking Great Portraits
- Podcast #60 – Conversation with Aaron Dieppa – Being transparent and using video
- Podcast #50 – Conversation with Gene Higa – Finding your niche
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On a similar topic of helps and hints We thought you and those who read your site would enjoy this radio interview.
On Monday August 17th, noon PST, Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair (Seattle's KKNW
1150 AM) welcomes photographer's agent and stock photography diva, Danita Delimont, as part of
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[...] today & I got a note from Kerry that the podcast we did with Gavin Seim went live last night on Camera Dojo when I was at dinner. In this conversation, we chatted about various sales techniques that he [...]
60″ canvas prints…… Are you frigging kidding me??!!?!!
I tolarate maybe a 24″ print but big framed portraits on a wall are not that cool anymore. There's a big reason why 8x10s are so popular, todays homes are not really designed for the most part with these types of decors. I much prefer a group (3-4) of 8x10s than a large eye sore of a 60″ frame on a wall. Comon guys get with the program!!! And also thus young guy dreams, eats, poops, breathes $ bills. It's all about the benjamins for him, he was making me sick. Other than that, I really enjoy your podcast……. Most of them at least!
Rick
Certainly some people are going to think that 60″ is over the top but the point is to try to expand your horizons. Try not to limit yourself to the 4×6 prints and occasional 8×10. Maybe 24″ is your happy point, for someone else it may be 32″ and yes, it does depend on the house. I am not going to move my TV to put a print there and it is the only place to put something 60″ anywhere in the house except maybe above my bed.
The show was intended to show a viewpoint of increasing sales with one potential method. I do consider myself more businessman than artist and plan to continue to find ways of becoming more profitable and looking at larger prints than I have been really offering in the past does not seem that crazy to me.
It's a good thing we all have opinions and I understand this is your business and if the posibility is there to male an extra buck then go for it but don't come accross that way to your clients. I say to a client is a lot more important they see you as an artist than a business man. Art first then business. A photographer to me is not about how much money he can make selling 60″ canvas prints is more about his/her creativity and the ability to compose and create something he will be remembered by from just by looking at their work.
I know it's hard to swallow but photography is another expression of art and if you make money doing something as woderful and enjoying as photography then great, more power to you but don't let it get to your head. I'm also a photographer but it's not how I make a living, it's a passion I have in life and I don't expect anyone to feel the same, just putting in my 2 cents.
Good luck selling your 60″ canvas!
While I can see your point, I do not, and may never consider myself an artist first, this actually does separate me from many photographers but I started out doing product photography and it is still product and commercial photography that I do the most of. For me, wedding photography is about the entire experience I bring to my clients. Its about the relationship, making sure they are having fun, making sure they look great. Yes, this results in some nice images when done well.
It most certainly is NOT hard to swallow that photography is an expression of art…for you. I love doing what I do, I love making great images, I love making my clients happy and maybe that makes me an artist of sorts but that is not where I classify myself.
I do not feel this is going to my head, but if I can make more profit off each sale and it makes my clients happy, and provides a value that they are happy to pay for, than have I not done my job properly for that client?
I will probably never even try to sell a 60″ print but I will certainly start testing the waters for 24″ – 32″ prints. In the end, the only thing that matters to me is that I made my client happy. If they loved the images and they loved working with me, and they loved whatever size print I sold to them, then I did my job.
Kerry, I have seen your work and I think it's awesome! And your clients should be happy. If your technics work for you then great, keep doing what you do. I love to see the work of good photographers and what they can bring to the artist world. I guess we can agree to disagree at this point, keep up the good work and I'll keep listenning.
Informative podcast. I wonder if using a white 60″ framed canvas would help clients better visualize the final print. Showing an 8×10 on that would really look small.
Hi guys, just lessoned to last show with “speedy” Seim
I'd already lessoned to his podcast about big printing and one can see how enthusiast he his even though I think one shouldn't change the all business and focus only on big prints, but that's just my way of seeing it.
I also do not believe one can sell lots of 60'' prints in weddings but even if we sell some it's great. I also believe that as good artist as you can be (or consider yourself to be, and that’s a different thing – and a good theme for a podcast!), you still must marketing your services and talk to people. Never underestimate yourself or your public as this worldwide consumer and fashionable market is always changing.
The big prints market it's not a new thing, it comes from the painting big portraits from the past. The richer and important people always had (and still have) their portraits painted mostly from famous painters, but that’s a different story.
Back to the theme, I wouldn't think so much in big prints for weddings but more for portraits, product or companies.
If you look around you can see companies pictures (the building itself), the portrait of the company President, group shot of the employees, politicians, product pictures, restaurants/food, decoration in pubs/bars and so on.
Another business idea: last year I shot a wedding and the couple asked me to do a wallpaper with a collage of pics of their marriage printed in B&W for their room (behind the bed), I find it was a nice idea as they were thinking in a minimalist / ”clean” way of presenting it, to fit their room décor. Now I always speak in the wallpaper when I'm presenting my services, it's a different thing one can do.
Cheers!
Tiago Valente
Hi guys, just lessoned to last show with “speedy” Seim
I'd already lessoned to his podcast about big printing and one can see how enthusiast he his even though I think one shouldn't change the all business and focus only on big prints, but that's just my way of seeing it.
I also do not believe one can sell lots of 60'' prints in weddings but even if we sell some it's great. I also believe that as good artist as you can be (or consider yourself to be, and that’s a different thing – and a good theme for a podcast!), you still must marketing your services and talk to people. Never underestimate yourself or your public as this worldwide consumer and fashionable market is always changing.
The big prints market it's not a new thing, it comes from the painting big portraits from the past. The richer and important people always had (and still have) their portraits painted mostly from famous painters, but that’s a different story.
Back to the theme, I wouldn't think so much in big prints for weddings but more for portraits, product or companies.
If you look around you can see companies pictures (the building itself), the portrait of the company President, group shot of the employees, politicians, product pictures, restaurants/food, decoration in pubs/bars and so on.
Another business idea: last year I shot a wedding and the couple asked me to do a wallpaper with a collage of pics of their marriage printed in B&W for their room (behind the bed), I find it was a nice idea as they were thinking in a minimalist / ”clean” way of presenting it, to fit their room décor. Now I always speak in the wallpaper when I'm presenting my services, it's a different thing one can do.
Cheers!
Tiago Valente