The art of viewing images... your audience.

hepcat

hepcat

Former PH, USN
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I have to share an experience I'm having. First a little background, I've been doing commercial photography in an array of genres for forty years. Most of what I shoot for myself have been snapshots over the years with very little serious thought given to personal projects.

I retired from my day job about four years ago, and I've been doing commercial work on the side off and on since then. I don't have a web page and I don't really advertise, but a year or so ago I thought I'd do a Facebook page just to keep my name out there. I put a bunch of commercial work out there and got hardly a look.

The other day, I was letting my dogs out at sunrise. It was a particularly dramatic sunrise... so I grabbed my camera and made a couple of exposures. Just for fun, I posted one of those to my Facebook page and immediately got more visits in one day than I'd had in MONTHS.

I thought that was interesting... and got me to thinking about my commercial work images and how to get them to my audience... and then who my audience really IS, what they like... and what it's going to take to get them to look at my commercial work too.

So, emboldened by my sunrise photo, about ten days ago, I embarked on a personal project I called "Quintessentially Iowa." Basically images of what living in rural Iowa looks like. I've gotten as many as 600 views and a half-dozen comments and 10 new page "likes" on an image of a tree changing to autumn colors in front of a corn field. Yesterday I posted a b&w image that requires some thought... it's a story-picture image... and it got less than a hundred views and almost no comments. Interesting...

So what I'm taking away from this is that my audience likes bright colored images that don't require much effort to view. Hmmm...

I'll be continuing to post images there and it'll be interesting to see how each image fares for interest. I think it's interesting how mis-understood what you do can be if you're not "marketing" the right goods to the right audience.

So, how do we find the right audience for what we do?
 
...or how mis-understood the general audience can be by an artist wrapped in his world/taste/style.
I don't mean this as a negative thing, at all.
I often get the same - something i think it is great gets no feedback at all, and others unexplainably are favored.
Is the BW the "free stuff" image you are talking about?
I keep on thinking, and thinking... and i wonder how much more thinking it involves, coz it still doesn't work for me:)
 
Facebook fascinates me. An image that barely raises interest here in our gallery can attract a swag of likes and comments over at FB. Our gallery here at RFF is fairly locked into a particular type of photography IMO which is not a bad thing but it can tend to limit your perspective at times.

I drifted over to FB when I was briefly banned here at RFF :D and the end result has been a shift in the way I take and present images and the type of equipment I use. I see it as neither good nor bad ... just part of my photographic journey.
 
FB is dumpster in terms of photography.
My FB audience is people I know personally and relatives.
(This is why no link to my page here :cool:)
I dump on FB pictures from my mobile phone to share some stories.

But if you are concerned with # of visitors keep dumping colorful cheesy pictures. It helps.
Or do something interesting like "People of NY" dude.
 
"my audience likes bright colored images that don't require much effort to view".
This happens many times. Generally, I found a lot people that don't really into photography just love colors image and dislike b&w. I think color just simply "eye catching" and "pop" in their eyes. My wife always ask me to bring my digital because she expects the color, she knows when I bring my film camera, it's going to be b&w...and she hates it. My friend even told me b&w film is like seeing picture in a funeral home!!!
 
Everyone has their own motivations. I respect that.

Personally, I could care less if the world at large likes what I do or not. I like it and that is primary to me. There seems to be a small subset who also like it.

That is why I have never posted to Flicker, Facebook, Instagram or similar sites. My work is on my website if you want to see it. Another factor is that all those sites are oriented to individual photos whereas I strive to compile bodies of work or series that hopefully are greater than the sum of the individual parts.
 
riverie said:
"my audience likes bright colored images that don't require much effort to view".
This happens many times. Generally, I found a lot people that don't really into photography just love colors image and dislike b&w. I think color just simply "eye catching" and "pop" in their eyes. My wife always ask me to bring my digital because she expects the color, she knows when I bring my film camera, it's going to be b&w...and she hates it. My friend even told me b&w film is like seeing picture in a funeral home!!!
Click to expand...

My dad still asks me when I'm going to buy a digital camera so they can see my pictures on Facebook, after all WWI was a long time ago (his words)

I understand and I don't, most of my friends and family don't photograph and to them a picture is a pretty picture, something colourful and quick.

I'm not saying this as criticism, I know for fact I annoy the hell out of my colleague because to me a car is just a way to get from A to B, but to him it's art and engineering and no two cars are the same, and real men drive manual anyway (pun intended :D)
 
Once upon a time, I maintained a website for my "portfolio" work. I posted to a few forums (like this one) and watched statistics of people going to my portfolio from there. A small but dedicated (from the looks of it) following built up, going to the portfolio site.

About six years ago, I set up a flickr account and posted the 'daily rushes' there, put the curated aggregates on my portfolio site. I linked my photos from flickr to the forums (like this one). The flickr site gained a lot of viewers, the portfolio site not so much.

About three and a half years ago, I abandoned the portfolio site and posted just to flickr. I distribute the images to the other forums linking from there. The flickr set gets sustained and regular viewers: every time I post an image there, within a week the image has accumulated up to 2000 views, and other images bump up a little too. I get many comments: through the flickr comment section, through the forums I link to, in personal email. I don't promote or advertise, but I have a small but steady stream of print purchases. It's a small but rewarding little bit of feedback—rewarding in that someone looks and appreciates, has their thoughts about, and is willing to talk about photographs rather than gear gear gear gear gear.

Finding an audience takes time, takes patience, and takes effort. I no longer actively run a photo business. As a photographer (and maybe an artist), I do my work to satisfy my inner desires but I also like to share it and see how it connects with others. Sites where people can find you, where people can follow you, are useful in that. When I do another book, I will have a hope that it isn't just myself and my brothers enjoying it as a result.

G
 
I don't know how you "find the right audience" for your work. People like pretty color pictures of pretty colorful things. If you don't produce that, your "audience" is going to be sparsely scattered out among the masses.

I once told a good friend (who generally does not like my pictures) "If you want to see pictures like that, go down to store and buy calenders".

I too have given up trying to find people who like to look at what I like to produce. I made my own painfully simple website. No "likes", no comments, no snappy text or stories. "Here's my pictures, have a nice day."

I fantasize that every now and then someone clicks in and enjoys themselves for a while.
 
Every week ...sometimes twice a week I`m out taking shots together with two or three other photographers ,mostly pros.

The pros take the action shots (colour) with their dslr`s and I the more intimate shots in BW using either Sigma Merrills or RF`s.

FB is invaluable as a means of distribution .

The audience is really focused on the action stuff but the bw attracts them and its those shots which usually end up as profile pictures.

So despite taking stuff for others I can still stick to the type of equipment and the type of shot which I find interesting....and it distinguishes me from the other photographers.
 
Great discussion, everyone! Thanks for your perspectives.

As I said, I've really not shot much for myself over the years, and the purpose of my public business FB page was to be a portfolio page in lieu of making a website or a blog. Since so many folks are on FB, I figured it'd be an easy place to point to for most. I'd intended it to allow potential clients to preview some of my work and maybe pick up a new client or two from my local area. In that regard, it has been useful to some degree... and I'm hoping that by undertaking this project with "pretty pictures" and interspersing my commercial work that I may continue to cultivate that local client base.

I just think it's interesting how images are perceived by the general public outside of museums, galleries, and enthusiast-specific sites such as this.
 
hepcat said:
I just think it's interesting how images are perceived by the general public outside of museums, galleries, and enthusiast-specific sites such as this.
Click to expand...

I think it's the perspective of the "maker", the general public will never be as involved, opinionated and won't care as much, which is normal. I know illustrators, graphic novel artists and designers who feel the same way we (photographers) do here
 
daveleo said:
I don't know how you "find the right audience" for your work. People like pretty color pictures of pretty colorful things. If you don't produce that, your "audience" is going to be sparsely scattered out among the masses.

I once told a good friend (who generally does not like my pictures) "If you want to see pictures like that, go down to store and buy calenders".

I too have given up trying to find people who like to look at what I like to produce. I made my own painfully simple website. No "likes", no comments, no snappy text or stories. "Here's my pictures, have a nice day."

I fantasize that every now and then someone clicks in and enjoys themselves for a while.
Click to expand...

I'm with you on this one, don't know if I'm too idealistic
 
riverie said:
"my audience likes bright colored images that don't require much effort to view". This happens many times. Generally, I found a lot people that don't really into photography just love colors image and dislike b&w. I think color just simply "eye catching" and "pop" in their eyes. My wife always ask me to bring my digital because she expects the color, she knows when I bring my film camera, it's going to be b&w...and she hates it. My friend even told me b&w film is like seeing picture in a funeral home!!!
Click to expand...

I find the opposite at times... B&W has a "cool" factor compared to color which is the norm.
 
jsrockit said:
I find the opposite at times... B&W has a "cool" factor compared to color which is the norm.
Click to expand...

My audience appreciates BW because they themselves are engaged in an activity dating back 200 years.
BW fits and reminds them of the old prints from the 20`s and 30`s.

As regards the stuff posted in this form ...I would agree that you don`t see it elsewhere not even on LUF .
There it tends to be more pretty and colourful shots.

In the UK its the composite P shop stuff which seems to attract the public.
 
Bill Clark said:
I make photographs of people. Now primarily family.

I'm retired for the most part now. But I did help at a few weddings this past year and also made a few "headshot" portraits.

When I started with photography to earn money, I attended several trade shows where I had a booth set up to show my work. I didn't ever discuss details while at a show as I got interested people to set up an appointment to sit in my office where it was friendly for all of us. And it was a place I could direct the meeting without the potential client even knowing it. There is an art to this and it's an area I find many photographers fall flat on their faces.

After about a year of shows I didn't need to work them anymore as I was getting my plate full from referrals. This is one of the best ways to gain new clients as they come in and meet with me already recommended by someone who previously hired me.

After a few years of weddings I started making business portraits. I enjoyed both venues. Maybe I'm weird but I really enjoyed photographing weddings.

I made my own web site around 1997, give or take a year or two. I used, as I recall, Angelfire that offered a free template but I learned html so it was fun, especially at the beginning. After a while I farmed this out to a young gent who, with my input, did things for me. During that time I rented server space from Yahoo.

I focused on getting clients, attending the event.

I only have 24 hrs. to each day and back then I stayed focused on those two areas to maximize my strengths.

At any rate, getting clients, having them be happy with my work, getting referrals and selling them was of primary importance for me.

By being focused and aggressive I was able to nicely retire.

Find a mentor, a coach who can help you along the way. Even pro athletes have a coach, a mentor. It really helped and my business got propelled forward quickly because I found someone who looked at the world and ran his business like I wanted to and did.

Hope this helps you.

I'm not trying to brag, but show you the path I took to achieve success.
Click to expand...

... there is no I in audience ... oh, hang on
 
Bill Clark said:
After a few years of weddings I started making business portraits. I enjoyed both venues. Maybe I'm weird but I really enjoyed photographing weddings.

Find a mentor, a coach who can help you along the way. Even pro athletes have a coach, a mentor. It really helped and my business got propelled forward quickly because I found someone who looked at the world and ran his business like I wanted to and did.

Hope this helps you.

I'm not trying to brag, but show you the path I took to achieve success.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Bill... I've been a working pro off and on for forty years, so I've been through that. I've retired, and I live in a different market now, and I don't want to or have to do the grind again. I do this now because I want to, and it's nice to have an occasional rocking chair check.

Like you, I've loved doing weddings. I still do. They're just a ball to do if you manage them right.

I'm just looking for the occasional client who wants something out of the ordinary that I happen to have the skills to provide. I thought that FB would give the local angle with some advertising as many local folks I know are on FB. I was trying to give that angle a boost with this project, but I found interesting what "folks" seem to like in the way of photos.
 
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