CD Business Idea Question: Selling Photos

[danam]

I've gotten a lot of compliments on the artistic value of my pictures, which made me think---about creating and selling CD pictures as art.

Would there be a market for good, high resolution prints of CDers in tasteful, artistic poses? The kind of pictures you could hang on your wall, and done so well that only the "initiated" would immediately recognize them as CDers and not GGs?

Stuff like this (but reshot in higher resolution and more attention to details):

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o156/danamatthews71/SkirtSuit01b.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o156/danamatthews71/Great-Knees-01.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o156/danamatthews71/Professional%20Woman/Dana-Skirt-Suit-2007-01.jpg

[Marcie Sexton]

I would think that there would/could be a market for them, I've seen a lot less for a great deal more...

I for one would pose if I lived near enough.

[Julie York]

By definition it is a minority sport and not something people advertise. Think outside the box. Art yes. Cd Yes. But art for art.....not for CDs.


If it has an audience then they will find it.

[Kroma]

There is always a market, but you have to know how to reach them. And, with the internet, it would be hard not to. You might want to check out www.deviantart.com. You can set up a profile there and post your work (free). If you develop a following, you can put prints up for sale (not free). Just my :2c:

[Toyah]

I cannot see it myself may be a very small market out there

[trannie T]

Your photos have merit but you have a way to go before you have a marketable product. I have been trying to sell art photos (landscapes etc.) for some time. It is difficult. To be successful you need to produce a very high quality product. Remember that the market for your photos will be very small. Even if you do not sell a single photograph give it a shot, you can get a decent lighting setup fairly inexpensively, professional backgrounds are not costly and digital cameras are relatively expensive to buy but cheap to operate, film cameras (especially used) are cheap but film, developing and printing cost a lot. Good luck to you.

[Ashley1]

My first reaction is that your market base is quite small and I think that it would not be a good business risk. Translation: Don't quit your day job.

[danam]

Trannie T:
Yes, I agree that they need to be reshot using professional equipment and studio lighting. I would have to do hundreds and hundreds to get the one that is just right to sell. The photos shown above are really just proof of concepts.

Ashley1 and Toyah and Julie:
Yes, the market is quite small. However, isn't the business of the future one that caters to a highly specific niche? Because it's highly specific, I would think that the margins could be higher (lower quantity sold, higher rate).

[Jenna Lynne]

You might want to look at this website ( http://www.adamtoeve.com/ ). They sell a package that includes a makeover followed by a professional photo shoot by a fashion photographer. Now _that_ makes business sense to me.

If you're talking about taking photos of one CDer and selling them to other CDers, I have to say, there's so much stuff available for free that there's not much incentive for anyone to pay for it. On top of which, I'm not sure what the point would be. If I want a glossy computer desktop of a gorgeous babe, I can Google Elisabeth Rohm and download a few shots. (In fact, I did exactly that.) And then there are the rights issues -- who is going to give you photo clearance to sell photos of them without demanding a cut?

I guess I don't quite see how it would work.

***Jenna***

[Julia Welch]

As a serious amatuer photographer I personally I don't think your pix are good enough in their present form....you need to learn use lighting much better.

Is there a market for such pix?....definately, but you need to improve (not wanting to sound unkind)...alot).

:2c:

[dashi30]

I think you should go for it...it could add a layer to your life. I think your photos are beautiful and inspiring. From my limited experience in photography I have learned that better photos come from better equipment and more experienced photographers in a certain field. I mean they may be the premier photographer when photographing beautiful women in swimsuits, however, they may have no experience in photographing CD girls which are just as beautiful but move differently. Maybe you can research photographers that specialize in this kind of shoot. Just my :2c: I really think you are on to something!!!

:love:
Kaylee

[Bev06 GG]

Who would you aim your market at?
Bev

[Shakina]

Hi
I have been doing black and white photography for over ten years and think your photos are quite nice and show good imagination which is one of the keys to a good photo. If you enjoy doing it and you want to give it a go then do it. It doesn't cost that much to register a domain with .com on the end of it and you might find it convenient to set up a PayPal account to make it easy for people to pay. I think your major expense would be lights / flashes. You might want to search on eBay before you make any purchasing decisions. Maybe start up a MySpace blog and test the waters and ask people who would buy photos like the ones you have in mind. I agree with you that if you find a niche you might be able to do well. You'll never know unless you try. I wish you well.

[Rachel Morley]

Well, I guess you could try it :strugglin ..... but my personal opinion is if as you say: "done so well that only the "initiated" would immediately recognize them as CDers and not GGs?" what's the point? Isn't that just standard glamor (or not so glamor) photography? there's already plenty of that out there. I guess I not getting it. :bonk: I have a disconnect as to who you're aiming this at and why? From a business standpoint, what is "the customer need" here? and how big is that market? :thinking: Sorry to be a pain :sad:

[Karren H]

The only CD's photography that I know that makes any money is the pornographic kind....

Karren