How the Art is Priced
Contrary to popular belief, art is not randomly priced. It's actually quite methodical. There are a number of factors that go into pricing for fine art photography. They are as follows:
The artist's time: Photographers are out in the field for hundreds of hours a month and they are not paid. Depending on the specific location and "degree of difficulty" in getting the shot, more time has to be invested.
After the photo has been taken, then more time needs to be put into the process of perfecting the photo digitally in the computer. All of that time goes into the final price for the photo (Not to even mention the cost of vehicle depreciation for the miles driven, insurance, and gas).
The cost of equipment: Photographers need to buy equipment, namely their cameras; but also lighting equipment, stands, computers, software, and other miscellaneous items. Further, sometimes they need to have an assistant with them on location as well for those more difficult days.
Reproducing the work: Once the photo is ready to be printed, Brian only uses the best materials available on the market. The paper company Hahnemuhle, for example, is one of the world's premier papermakers since the year 1584. The paper is acid free and archival (museum quality). Further, "master artisans" who reproduce the work have decades of experience and need to get paid for their time, equipment, and studio space as well.
Mats & framing: Once the photo has been expertly printed, it needs to be mounted on a mat and then go into a frame. Depending on the quality of the frame, it can substantially increase the cost of the piece. The frames and mats are ordered separately, then need to be assembled. Finally, it also costs money to ship the frames to the artist for assembly. The cost of gasoline and supply chain issues have been driving costs up as well.
Marketing: Photographers love taking pictures; but if nobody knows they exist, they can't make money. So, artists need websites, online ads, mailers, and social media marketing to get the word out. All of that contributes to the cost of the final product, too.
Limited runs also increase the price: If a photo is going to be part of a Limited Edition collection, then the price of the photo will go up because fewer of them are sold.
Gallery fees: Last, but certainly not least, are the gallery fees. If the art is being purchased in a gallery, then the overhead must be accounted for. Due to Covid-19 and other coronavirus variants, we don't currently have a gallery, so the prices have been reduced to reflect that.
The artist's time: Photographers are out in the field for hundreds of hours a month and they are not paid. Depending on the specific location and "degree of difficulty" in getting the shot, more time has to be invested.
After the photo has been taken, then more time needs to be put into the process of perfecting the photo digitally in the computer. All of that time goes into the final price for the photo (Not to even mention the cost of vehicle depreciation for the miles driven, insurance, and gas).
The cost of equipment: Photographers need to buy equipment, namely their cameras; but also lighting equipment, stands, computers, software, and other miscellaneous items. Further, sometimes they need to have an assistant with them on location as well for those more difficult days.
Reproducing the work: Once the photo is ready to be printed, Brian only uses the best materials available on the market. The paper company Hahnemuhle, for example, is one of the world's premier papermakers since the year 1584. The paper is acid free and archival (museum quality). Further, "master artisans" who reproduce the work have decades of experience and need to get paid for their time, equipment, and studio space as well.
Mats & framing: Once the photo has been expertly printed, it needs to be mounted on a mat and then go into a frame. Depending on the quality of the frame, it can substantially increase the cost of the piece. The frames and mats are ordered separately, then need to be assembled. Finally, it also costs money to ship the frames to the artist for assembly. The cost of gasoline and supply chain issues have been driving costs up as well.
Marketing: Photographers love taking pictures; but if nobody knows they exist, they can't make money. So, artists need websites, online ads, mailers, and social media marketing to get the word out. All of that contributes to the cost of the final product, too.
Limited runs also increase the price: If a photo is going to be part of a Limited Edition collection, then the price of the photo will go up because fewer of them are sold.
Gallery fees: Last, but certainly not least, are the gallery fees. If the art is being purchased in a gallery, then the overhead must be accounted for. Due to Covid-19 and other coronavirus variants, we don't currently have a gallery, so the prices have been reduced to reflect that.