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But are they more marketable or just more marketable within certain circles eg show people, breeders, some of the pet crowd?



Kim, when I say more marketable I mean there is a known market for the shots, there is demand for them, there is a market price already established and there is a sales process in place that does not have to be invented.

For example, I was hired to photograph several dogs on the Florida Circuit of dog shows. The people who hired me were owners, breeders and handlers. They wanted specific shots taken in the ring as opposed to formal posed photos. We established a shooting price and a per/print/file price and I then went and shot them. And those photos are currently being used in ads that others create.

These types of shots range from moving shots which demonstrate the structural soundness of the dog to informal shots to show how the dog reacts with its handler. Here are two examples:

First, a classic moving shot.



And candid "beauty" shot.



For candid shots of non-show dogs, the market definition is just too big for me to get into focus (pun intended). Is it all dog owners? All dog owners that go to the beach? All dog owners that take their dogs to dog parks? Unless I know who they are, I can't market to them.

And even if I can figure out who they are -- let's say a significant segment are those who take their dogs to dog parks -- how do I sell to them? Do I go to the dog park and advertise my products? Do I charge for a shooting session or just for any images I might get of their particular dog? Do I proof on the camera or do I post proofs online later? What are my costs of doing this kind of selling and shooting? What is my revenue potential from it? Is it profitable? Is it worth my time?

You may have the answer to all those questions and you may feel that it's a significant market segment for what you do. That's great. Go and be as successful as possible. But for me, it doesn't come together as easily as that. Maybe I'm too into the dog show world to see it. Maybe folks in Florida are different from folks in the rest of the country -- check that, folks in Florida are DEFINITELY different from folks in the rest of the country . Maybe I'm too entrenched in my thinking to see the possibilities.

The formal side of non-show pet photography is a little more clear to me. Again, it's still a hard market to identify and reach but there are some hints about who they are based on other professions: groomers for example.

Anyway, that's a fairly long-winded way of saying that "more marketable" doesn't necessarily mean a better market; it just means it is more clearly defined in terms of who, where, how, how much, etc.

Jim

Jim Garvie
www.jagphoto.biz