Saturday at the Eastern Market

[MB1]

Every Saturday of the year the Capitol Hill Market at the Eastern Market in DC opens for business. I have a booth there.

I'm on my way well before sunrise to get there by 7am and set up by 8:30 or so when the doors open.

[MB1]

I sell 3 sizes of "Flips" (matted images) in 5x7, 8x10 and 11x14 mats. Usually the 5x7's pay the rent and since I make these mats from scraps left over from the other sizes they barely cost me at all.

I never can tell what will sell from one week to the next but my most popular framed items are 3 5x7 related images in an 10x20 frame. These are really popular around the holidays-which for vendors in the market are starting now.

[MB1]

I've been at the market for a year and a half. Customers are starting to look for me now and place special orders-I probably don't charge enough for these but this is a hobby and a business and since I enjoy what I do.....

I set up in the morning by myself but Miss M comes by in the afternoon to lend a hand breaking down. It goes a whole lot faster and we are out of there well before 6.

I'm not getting rich off of this but the potential is there and it sure allows me to enjoy my hobby and not worry about equipment costs.

Fun, fun, fun.

[mtbbrian]

Tell us more about how you decide to sell the prints you do, and what not.
You are good photographer, I wish you the best with this!
Brian
:thumbsup:

[Greg McCary]

Thanks for sharing this. I hope to do something like this next year.I think it will take me that long to get everything ready. It wouldn't be every weekend just local arts and craft shows. I hope you post more.

[PrevailingConditions]

This is very interesting information; thanks for sharing with us. Do you have an online presence or just at the Market?

PC

[threelions usa]

congrats ~ to get paid to do what you love to do is what i luckily do right now.


however, i would LOVE to be able to take even frameable photos let alone sell them even for enough to pay the immediate booth overheads.

congrats and good luck for a larger upgrade in business.

always thumbs up to someone who has the gumption to go ahead and take the plunge.

well done AND good luck (me ? i'm playing the lottery )

personally i think you have some GREAT photos judging by those you post in the critique. i have also checked out the website.

onwards and upwards

[mjs1973]

Great post Mark. I am in the beginning stages of doing this very type of thing. I have been going to our local farmers markets on Sat. mornings and selling some framed prints and photo note cards. I don't have a canopy yet, but I'm looking. I love going to markets and craft fairs to see how others have set up their booths and displays.

What brand is your canopy, and how do you like them? Are they pretty stable? Do you have side walls you can put up with them too? It looks like you are using some type of nylon fence with a wooden frame to hang your prints on. How does that work for you? It looks like you have some type of shelving (the white stuff) to display prints on too. I'm looking for ideas on how to set up my booth once I choose a canopy.

[Old Timer]

I tried this just once at a small arts and crafts fair. I found it to be just too exhausting a day for the amount of money I made. As you pointed out it's up early and a lot of work setting up. Good luck with your venture, just wasn't my thing.

[MB1]

Tell us more about how you decide to sell the prints you do, and what not.....

Good question, hard to answer.

#1 Almost everything is a photo of DC. It is a DC market, I take lots of pix of DC, I assume that is what people want to buy. I do show a few others and some of my cycling images but I am always amazed when anyone buys anything but DC images.

#2 Gotta have a selection. When I first started I probably had 30+ images that I was really pleased with but needed 100 or so to show so I printed up some of my "second tier" shots. Wouldn't it figure that some of the "second tier" images sold very well and many of my "best" didn't sell at all.

#3 People ask for stuff so I go out and shoot it. I figure if someone wants something enough to ask for it there are probably others who would like it too.

#4 Since I started doing this it has taken a lot of time away from my shooting but if I get something new that I like I'll print one up and see if anyone likes it.

The bottom line is that I have become convinced that someone will buy just about anything but I mostly concentrate on images that I really like.

The other thing of note that has happened is that over time the photographs have morphed from my pride and joy to my inventory. More and more I find myself thinking while shooting if I will be able to sell the image.........I still get a great deal of pleasure from photography but it isn't the same as it was.

[MB1]

......What brand is your canopy, and how do you like them? Are they pretty stable? Do you have side walls you can put up with them too? It looks like you are using some type of nylon fence with a wooden frame to hang your prints on. How does that work for you? It looks like you have some type of shelving (the white stuff) to display prints on too. I'm looking for ideas on how to set up my booth once I choose a canopy.

I got the display tents from Dick Blick on-line, not the most expensive they sell but not the cheapest either. I have 2 sides for each tent so on wet days I can close off all but one wide opening.

In my limited experience EZup tents don't work that well for photographers since it is harder to hang things across the inside and other non-photo vendors that use the new ones are not all that happy with the quality.

The green nylon netting is "Deer Fencing" that I bought on the cheap from Home Depot. If I was going to do it over again I would get black instead of green but one of the things I have learned about being an outdoor vendor is not to spend ANY money that you don't have to. I made take apart frames out of 1x3 for the fencing to keep it square and steady in the wind (rain is not a good thing for an outdoor vendor but wind is the enemy).

The white display is 4 white wire shelves that I zip tied together at the top and middle with a long V of string across the bottom to keep it from opening too far.

Everything is weighted down very well with bricks and sandbags. Don't want anything blowing away-I have seen other vendors tents go flying or collapse in strong winds.

[Xia_Ke]

Great thread MB. Very informative, thanks for sharing Do you do all your own printing, framing, and matting? I would really like to learn the art of matting and framing one of these days. Best of luck selling your prints MB

Aaron

[MB1]

I tried this just once at a small arts and crafts fair. I found it to be just too exhausting a day for the amount of money I made. As you pointed out it's up early and a lot of work setting up. Good luck with your venture, just wasn't my thing.

I also think that to be successful you have to be a "People" person. I enjoy chatting with folks no matter if they buy from me or not. My wife otoh just hates when they walk away without buying.

It also took some time before I was actually making a profit after costs. The business has slowly increased with time and seems set to keep on growing. Holidays are the big deal though, it wasn't till the holiday season last year that I realized that good money could be made.

The bank account is growing.

[Speed]

Cool thread, and some great information. Thanks for sharing this with us.

"I'm not getting rich off of this but the potential is there and it sure allows me to enjoy my hobby and not worry about equipment costs."

Since I got a business license, I have basically paid for all my photography related expenses out of my business account. I haven't really made anything - what little I make all goes back into the business. But it nice selling enough photo's to keep my hobby going and knowing I'm not puttting a drain on the checking account. I used to spend about $20 a week on film and developing. Do the math. The wife is overjoyed that I've gone digital and that my hobby is self sustaining.

[I_Fly]

This is a neat thread. It's cool to see photos to go with the text to see the process. And to hear your views and thoughts.

We have a local bookstore that encourages local artists to display items, I've thought about trying that. I guess I'm going to have to check out the local art shows a little closer.

[Loupey]

...The other thing of note that has happened is that over time the photographs have morphed from my pride and joy to my inventory. More and more I find myself thinking while shooting if I will be able to sell the image.........I still get a great deal of pleasure from photography but it isn't the same as it was.

You answered my question before I asked it.

I think it is inevitable, whenever we start to "sell" something, that the pure joy and fulfillment we get out of doing that something starts to diminish - just a little bit. Even if we still love it, it's not the same IMO.

I think you, like me, probably see and shoot something like this: "this shot is for me, now this shot is to sell".


Thanks for sharing your information and experiences with us.

[MB1]

Great thread MB. Very informative, thanks for sharing Do you do all your own printing, framing, and matting? I would really like to learn the art of matting and framing one of these days. Best of luck selling your prints MB

Aaron

I don't print anything larger than 8x10. I do all my own matting with both precut and blank matboard. I do custom framing and matting but am also on the lookout for frame sales at any of the local craft stores.

[opus]

How much time does the preparation take you? (i.e. everything but the shooting: printing, matting, framing, etc.) I'm not talking about the time it takes after it's prepared to travel, setup, etc.


And what breed of dog is the yellow one in the basket? I want that dog.

[freygr]

The other thing of note that has happened is that over time the photographs have morphed from my pride and joy to my inventory. More and more I find myself thinking while shooting if I will be able to sell the image.........I still get a great deal of pleasure from photography but it isn't the same as it was.

That alone is one reason I've resisted spending the funds on the needed equipment to setup and sell my photos. I don't want to lose the joy of taking photos. It's been hard not really having the time that I use to have for photo taking.

[another view]

#1 Almost everything is a photo of DC. It is a DC market.

A big :thumbsup: on that. So much of what I see around here is relatively local photographers selling photos of mountains and deserts. It's like they don't see anything worth shooting within 1000 miles of here. I don't get it... That has actually made me think about doing something like this, but personally I'm afraid of:

.........I still get a great deal of pleasure from photography but it isn't the same as it was.

This happened to me when I did some wedding and portrait stuff. Just didn't enjoy it and didn't shoot for a while after i gave up hired work. So, I think for me the best choice is just to shoot for me. I'd love to make it financially self sustaining but I'm afraid the same thing would happen again. This isn't the case with most people, and good for you for trying it. Your work is worth it!

[MB1]

That alone is one reason I've resisted spending the funds on the needed equipment to setup and sell my photos. I don't want to lose the joy of taking photos. It's been hard not really having the time that I use to have for photo taking.

What are you going to do with all those great photos you are taking?

That is what my wife asked me.

Show them to a few friends? Post them on the internet where perhaps 100 folks might or might not see them.

Or find a place where thousands will see them and hundreds will buy them?

[threelions usa]

a great thread as i am sure there isn't ONE person who says 'man i'd love to do that."

think that the thing is perhaps two fold and i have really enjoyed reading all side on the posts.

IF you could sell a few things to pay for your hobby (or defer costs) then that's the way to go.

seems like taking pictures might diminish the "hobby' but i don't see anything wrong with this one is for me (or more) and this is for my customer.

for example you get an "order" and you shoot something that you might sell and there are maybe one or two which might not but it gives you the opportunity to take shots of somewhere you might not have gotten to, or have a couple of extra shots to hang on the wall, or to give as a gift to a special friend.

also worst case scenario is "well this helped pay for a new lens( or partial payment) new filters/bag" anything that might have come out of your pocket and now doesn't.

dunno though i think that the biggest satisfaction is that someone BOUGHT something that you "created:" from your mind. what a charge. you were out somewhere, had some "inspiration/luck" (or combination of both) and someone says "WHOA i would like to buy that" and they display that in their living room (or in my case outhouse more likely )

how neat.

i teach kids to play football/soccer and i get the biggest kick out of them doing something that i either taught or encouraged.

not many of my kids get hung up on the wall but occasionally i wish one or two of them would !!!

[mjs1973]

I have been selling some of my work at the local farmers market since July, and it is a great thrill. One one thing that I don't like about it, is that I have to give up my Saturday mornings. Last year at this time I would be getting up before the sun, getting dressed in my camo, and going to sit in the woods and wait for deer and other critters to walk in front of my lens on Saturday monrings.

Selling photos is nice, but being out and making photos is what I really enjoy, and selling takes time away from that. You really need to find a balance between the two. Only one more market for our town this year, and then my Saturdays will be all mine again!

[freygr]

What are you going to do with all those great photos you are taking?

That is what my wife asked me.

Show them to a few friends? Post them on the internet where perhaps 100 folks might or might not see them.

Or find a place where thousands will see them and hundreds will buy them?

At the present time I have been selling some of my photos. But I will not be able to go to any Markets any time soon. I'm all tied up week end horses supporting daughters horses that is. I unluckily don't see it changing any time soon. Time wise 6:30 up to get there by 8, and the last two weekends not home before 3 PM, both Saturday and Sunday. Luckily this is sleeping in an extra hour.:thumbsup:

[mjs1973]

Hey MB,

Do you have any photos of the Vietnam Women War Memorial? I was just listening to a podcast about leagal issues in photography. The creater of this statue still holds the copyright on it, and it's illegal to sell reproductions of it. The other statues, monuments and memorials on government propery in D.C. are considered public domain and are ok to sell reproductions.

Just thought you might like to know.