Photo Opinions

[0099]

Hey All, I want to sell some of the better photos i have taken and before i think about starting up a website i just want opinions from you people, Say you had $X and you had to buy my photos which ones would you buy and wouldn't etc, Thanks

Photo 1: Diverted Steel train 7NY3 through Emu Heights.

Photo 2: Steam - Zig Zag Railway NSW.

Photo 3: Road - Lochivar ( Availible in B/W also )

Photo 4: EL61/EL52/EL34 through Metford.

Photo 5: Loco 2705 storms through Courijah.

Photo 6: 2705 Portrait.

Photo 7: LDP007 and NR37 cross - Cowan.

Photo 8: 4501 leads a 3801LTD train into Wentworth Falls.

Photo 9: Double SMR class back at the end of steam.

Photo 10: SMR 24 roars out of the transfer yard.

Only 10 at the moment as i don't want to make you all view to many. I love my feedback so if you feel anything about the photo lay it on me

Anthony

 

[pommie]

Pleasing images

As to the selling of your photo's, you have to ask yourself why would anyone buy your photo's instead of someone else's, don't get me wrong, I am not saying someone else's are better than yours, just what is different about yours that would get the sale

A couple of ways to test the waters is to have some printed and try to sell them at a trash and treasure market, or if you know someone that has a restaurant/café see if you can display them on there walls and have your phone number printed on them as well.

Don't use the cheapest frames you can get, but don't go overboard with them either.

I would not bother with selling on the net unless you have some outstanding shots, as there are literally thousands of good train photo's available for free.

The image of 2705 - Courijah is one of the best steam photo's I have seen in a very long time, so you do have it in you to take saleable photo's

All the best in your endeavours, Cheers David

 

[coRioGrandeSouthern]

I completely agree with Pommie regarding Photo 5: Loco 2705 storms through Courijah. Great photo! Best of luck to you.

 

[Johnk]

As Pommie has pointed out, there are squillions of fantastic photos on the net that we can all download, print on a cheap printer and frame if we want to. I have a wall filled with the stuff.

You could offer your photos to one of the dozens of Royalty Free Photo sites out there and pit yours against the rest. People do visit these sites and they do pay for photos. If yours are good enough, or if they're what people want, they will sell. I'm not sure of the commissions paid, but you would probably get a dollar or two for each purchase. Keep in mind that the photo may get sold a couple of dozen times, or even more.

To me this would be a great way to start. The sites have the exposure you need, but just read the fine print before signing up. Make sure you go to a site with the best Alexa ranking. That's going to be the site that's visited most. There's no use signing up with Spiro's Cheep Pix if nobody knows the site exists.

Good luck.

 

[0099]

Thanks guys for your input.

@Pommie: I dunno why to be honest, I want to be a photographer and i always love it when people are enjoying my work or want to have it for themselves, Guess was just motivation enough to put the thought in my head Ive also been told what i could do was print out X amount of copys and sell them to the Tourist railway who ran the train and get like a 50/50 profit off photos but markets are a better idea, Something to think about.

@coRioGrandeSouthern: Glad you enjoyed the photos, Feel free to look around the site for any other photos you might like

@Johnk: Yea i see what you mean with the download/print thing ( Feel free to do so with any of my photos id be honoured ! ) Thanks for suggesting the sites i will definately look into them and try get a couple of photos up.

Thanks for your help so far !

 

[Johnk]

If you try to do the tourist railway thing, make sure you get their permission before doing the prints. Some railways like Puffing Billy are very nervous about people taking photos for commercial reasons (even weddings). There are signs on all their major stations.

Many years ago a friend and I owned a business called the Walhalla Chronicle. Essentially it was a composite of all the newspapers of that name printed between 1860 (approx) and 1914. The composite newspaper was all my own work and it's still sold today with an acknowledgement to me at the bottom of page two.

I'm raising this, because in the early 1980's we sold the business including the paper and a set 11" x 17" sepia prints which included a 1914 photo the Moe to Walhalla version of Puffing Billy at Walhalla station. Even today, some 25 years later, you can still purchase the prints from the "original" production run.

We only produced 500 copies of each print, so as you can see, it can take a long time to get rich from this kind of thing. Many thousands of newspapers have been sold on the other hand.

Here's a link. The first seven items are the ones I'm referring to.

You should have no trouble getting your photos listed with the Royalty Free photo mobs, so why not give one or two a go. Don't post your best ones just yet. Start with the middle of the road stuff and see how you go.

 

[cascaderailroad]

Starving artists are a plenty...I know several high quality watercolor railroad artists that do highly exceptional detailed work...there is little business nor much future in it...you do it for the love of it...and if a person with money to burn happens to come along...they alone may purchase your work...but in this economy the common person is not buying anything they do not really need...there are plenty of free photos on the web...perhaps if you did find a corporation that wanted custom fine photo's you might be able to sell them your wares. But don't quit your day job, as you will need it as your main source of income to support your photo hobby. This is my own opinion of the depressed economy...hopefully you will achive different highly profitable results.

Also low angle ground shots are a dime a dozen. High angle shots looking down on trains roof details, shot from overhead bridges, from on top of buildings, from the roof of an RV, or a mobile bucket truck would provide spectacular results.

A dark polarized filter, or 2 of them piggy backed together would help darken the sky and enhance the clouds. Various other UV filters are available to get rid of blinding white sky's.

 

[whitepass]

I looked into the web stock photos thing and you have to have a model/property release for every recognizable person, logo, or property. So you must have a release from the railway. You also have to have vary good photos and a lot of them.

 

[Johnk]

I looked into the web stock photos thing and you have to have a model/property release for every recognizable person, logo, or property. So you must have a release from the railway. You also have to have vary good photos and a lot of them.

I quess that's the cost of going professional.

 

[pommie]

I looked into the web stock photos thing and you have to have a model/property release for every recognizable person, logo, or property. So you must have a release from the railway. You also have to have vary good photos and a lot of them.

My understanding of model releases in this country (Australia) is that if the person is not the centre of focus then you do not need a model release, to give an example, if the train is the main focus of the photo then it does not matter if someone is hanging out of a window, you took a photo of the train and someone was just hanging out of a window, however if you alter you aim and put that person as the main focus it becomes a photo of someone hanging out of a train window and you need a model release, subtle difference but its there.
This of course is for you being on public land, in the case of Puffing Billy that is private land so you need permission, however if you are on public land when taking the photo of Puffing Billy, you do not.

As far as needing permission for any company logo/property, again if it is on public display and you are on public land they cannot stop you, could you imagine taking a photo of Times Square and then having to track down every person facing the camera, the owner of every building and contact every company that displays a logo before you could sell that image

There is a lot of information on the net about the rights of photographers for just about every country, do some research and be careful what sites you use :hehe:

Cheers David

 

[Johnk]

I agree with Pommie 100%. My comment about Puffing Billy was when it was on property under their control, which of course means taking photos on the train itself. I did miss that point, but if anyone read my comments to mean any photographer, that is not correct. The signage on Puffing Billy stations specifically states photography for professional use, including weddings requires a permit. It goes on to say that private photography is permitted, and I indeed took a few photos while I was there.

There have been a few changes to the laws due to the introduction of mobile phone cameras, these changes mainly affect privacy issues rather than copyright. In Cairns, the authorities are policing the popular sunbathing areas looking out for people using mobile phone cameras to photograph scantily clad or topless bathers. They also keep a close watch on activities around children's playgrounds, but this should no stop people from taking scenic shots that may include a children's playground. (see Pommie's comment above).

It's pretty obvious that 0099's photos don't breach privacy issues.

 

[whitepass]

Yep every country has deferent copyright laws and as a pro you have to know them.