Photographers Buy Photography

Merced River, Yosemite, 2010

If you’re a photographer that is hoping to sell your photographs, part of your thing should be buying other photographer’s photographs.

Now, by “buying,” I do mean buying, spending money, but also I consider trading one of your photographs for another is equivalent.

I’ve met a few photographers who were so self absorbed that they did not own a single other person’s photograph.  These are also sometimes the same people who can’t describe or relate another photo that inspires them.  This is awful, and I try to avoid these people.  I can’t relate to them at all, rather than loving photography, they tend to love themselves.

In the photography classes I taught, I told students that I would trade one of my photographs for one of theirs, if I particularly liked it.  I have a set of student photographs that are wonderful, and I appreciate every one of them.  Likewise, I told my students that I would provide extra credit to each student if they traded prints among themselves.  And guess what?  I never had to give any credit.  Well, students can still be students.  But, looking back on the class, I could have emphasized it more than I did.