Lets be honest, selling landscape photos is not easy! Perhaps for many of us, the love of landscapes is what brought us up and into the photographic or video world! I know it was for me! I rememeber seeing my uncle capture an image of an eagle in the BWCA, MN while it snatched a fish right out of the water in front of us. After that day, I knew I wanted to be a photographer! That led to my passion of landscapes and the natural world around me.

How though can one make a profit off of landscape photos? Maybe you have tried and failed without much success. Then you would probably be in the same boat as 99% of other photographers trying to sell their images. In this article we are going to discuss 5 ways that you can utilize to sell your photographic prints more effectivley:

1. Online:

   1. Personal Website:

      The most profitable way to sell your landscape photos online is to have your own website. Why? Because this way you are getting 100% of the profit. Additionally, it helps to build your brand as locals find your photos. This allows them to see who you are and what you do, and you become more sought after in your LOCAL area. This is important, because sure, you can try and sell to the world like the rest of the photographers out there, but in reality, the world probably does not want pictures of your home town, or local landscapes. Your best market is the one nearest you, and for many that means their local town or at least state! So make a website, open an online storefront and offer to sell photos. Use Squarespace, or Wix or some other easy website builder and get your work out there now!

   2. Sellers Websites:

      Another way to sell your photos online is to use various mediums that are already targeting people who want to buy landscapes. I have seen people use ArtStoreFronts, Smugmug, Shutterstock, Etsy, FineArtAmerica, Artpal, etc. There are so many of these sites out there to choose from. I suggest doing your research, figure out which one sells items similar to your work and try them out. There are pros and cons when using these websites. The biggest con being that they usually will take a percentage of your sale. In some cases you also have little to no say in how much they charge for the art. The pro’s though are that they market (in some fashion) for you, which can sometimes be the hardest part of the game.

2. Airbnb:

   The way that I have seen the most success is putting prints into Airbnb’s locally. Simply print 2-3 images of decent size that capture the local attractions, state parks, waterfalls, national parks, or whatever the biggest reason is that people visit the area. Then approach a few Airbnb owners and ask if you can put your art in their Airbnb for FREE. This is key, you are providing them free decor and in turn you can market your images. Make a professional looking price tag and QR code linking to your personal website to go beside the photo on the wall that directs people to wherever you sell your art. Then as people visit, they see your work, love your work and want to purchase one to remember their vacation. Understand that this does not mean they will not be taking the photo off the wall at the Airbnb, remember they are likely traveling and will not have the room to take it with them. The Airbnb’s, in essence, just become your showcase moving people to purchase through you and your website. This does take some work to accomplish though. I recommend looking at multiple Airbnb’s around you, look for ones that were just listed, that are popular, or that you would stay at. Look for ones that are hosted locally by a person, rather than a management company as those will be less likely to do business with you.

3. Stone Fronts:

   I think we’ve all walked into coffee shops and seen images hanging on the wall with price tags on them. Like the Airbnb option, this one takes some personal marketing. Go into your local eateries, breweries, coffee shops, local hangouts, or real estate offices. Ask them if you could provide some art work for their space and see what they say!? Perhaps they will be open to the idea. Like the Airbnb option, this will have some upfront cost for you to print photos that fill the space. As with the Airbnb option, make sure you provide the business options to choose from, but don’t show them every photo that you’ve ever taken. Choose your best, show them 20 unique options, not just a different angle of your favorite photo, and see what they would like to have put up. Keep track of your sales, what are people liking the most? Then tailor your offerings to new storefronts or Airbnb’s accordingly.

4. New Construction:

   Is there a new building going up in your neighborhood? A medical office? A strip mall? To apply the age old addage “Strike while the iron is hot!” means that when you see a new place going up, find some way to contact the owners and offer your artwork for them to decorate their building! You may offer them a ‘bundle’ deal, allowing them a reduced price if they purchase more than 10 or 20 photos etc. Just starting a conversation with them may lead to some very good results! So get networking!

5. Craft Shows/Farmers Markets:

   Local markets are the key, and so spending time selling at craft shows and farmers markets can be helpful. I have never heard of people selling a lot of art at these stations, but what they do provide is a great way to advertise yourself and build your brand within your community. These can be expensive though for someone just starting, as you likely need to have a good amount of stock prints to showcase and sell. In addition, many of these fairs charge a booth/vendor fee. They are also primarily on weekends and holidays, so just take that into consideration.

There you have it! 5 ways to effectively sell your landscape photo prints. So what are you waiting for, get out there, put yourself out there. Many people think that their photos will just sell themselves, but that ideology is wrong. Only through hard work, constant persistence, and networking effectively will you see profit in selling your landscape photos!