Many people are still somewhat suspicious of photography as an art form. The common misconception is that 'anyone can take a photograph'. Nothing could be further from the truth. Photographers spend as much time as painters perfecting a composition, looking for the correct lighting patterns, working out the most effective processes. Printing just one flawless photograph can be a month long process.
Here we answer some of the more common questions asked about photography.
How do you decide prices for photographs?
Prices are usually determined by the photographer. They make the decision based upon several factors: The amount of work that has gone into producing the photo; the edition size of the photo; the market for the photo. Prices will also vary depending on the notoriety of the photographer. For instance, a photographer who is less well known may choose to charge less for their images than one who is world famous.
Are all photographs signed?
It would be unusual for a contemporary photographer not to sign their work, either on the front or back of the piece. However, older photographs are often not signed. This is because when they were produced, the photographer was not working with the current art market in mind. In fact, the photograph may have been produced without any artistic ideal at all; please bear in mind that photography has only recently become a more accepted art practise.
What about edition sizes for photographs?
Most contemporary photographers will limit edition sizes for their photographs. Edition sizes can vary from as little as 3 to perhaps fifty or a hundred. The smaller the edition size, the rarer the picture. However, there are exceptions. Some photographers who produce works for newspapers, books or magazines do not edition their photographs, as they consider themselves to be journalists and not artists. It is also rare to find older photographs in Limited Edition runs, as again this is a tradition of the current art market. It isn't unusual for older or modern photographs to be what we term as Open Editions - where any number of prints can be produced from one photograph. This doesn't mean that the market will be saturated with a particular piece - remember, each photograph is hand made - but it can mean that the piece is less expensive. |
