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Where Do You Want Your Images to Live?

Lesson 20 from: Fine Art Photography: The Complete Guide

Brooke Shaden

Where Do You Want Your Images to Live?

Lesson 20 from: Fine Art Photography: The Complete Guide

Brooke Shaden

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Lesson Info

20. Where Do You Want Your Images to Live?

Lessons

Class Trailer
1

Class Introduction

19:06
2

Storytelling & Ideas

27:34
3

Universal Symbols in Stories

03:19
4

Create Interactive Characters

02:16
5

The Story is in The Details

04:13
6

Giving Your Audience Feelings

05:49
7

Guided Daydream Exercise

04:20
8

Elements of Imagery

02:19
9

The Death Scenario

01:47
10

Associations with Objects

03:01
11

Three Writing Exercises

06:39
12

Connection Through Art

30:35
13

Break Through Imposter Syndrome

07:40
14

Layering Inspiration

23:13
15

Creating an Original Narrative

07:42
16

Analyze an Image

04:12
17

Translate Emotion into Images

04:31
18

Finding Parts in Images

06:02
19

Finding Your Target Audience

04:05
20

Where Do You Want Your Images to Live?

12:01
21

Create a Series That Targets Your Audience

32:43
22

Formatting Your Work

06:08
23

Additional Materials to Attract Clients

07:24
24

Which Social Media Platforms Will be Useful?

04:17
25

How to Make Money from Your Target Audience

11:27
26

Circle of Focus

07:55
27

The Pillars of Branding

06:18
28

Planning Your Photoshoot

09:05
29

Choose Every Element for The Series

07:38
30

Write a Descriptive Paragraph

09:37
31

Sketch Your Ideas

17:27
32

Choose Your Gear

02:50
33

How to Utilize Costumes, Props & Locations

26:18
34

What Tells a Story in a Series?

13:06
35

Set Design Overview

01:43
36

Color Theory

19:50
37

Lighting for the Scene

12:05
38

Props, Wardrobe & Time Period for Set Design

06:00
39

Locations

04:31
40

Subject Within the Scene

07:26
41

Set Design Arrangement

05:46
42

Fine Art Compositing

03:46
43

Plan The Composite Before Shooting

10:29
44

Checklist for Composite Shooting

18:52
45

Analyze Composite Mistakes

12:11
46

Shoot: Black Backdrop for White Clothing

10:42
47

Shoot: Black Backdrop for Color Clothing

08:36
48

Shoot: Black Backdrop for Accessories

08:17
49

Shoot: Miniature Scene

09:59
50

Editing Workflow Overview

01:57
51

Add Fabric to Make a Big Dress

08:35
52

Edit Details of Images

08:09
53

Add Smoke & Texture

10:47
54

Blend Multiple Images Into One Composite

24:58
55

Put Subject Into a Miniature Scenario

17:55
56

Location Scouting & Test Photoshoot

22:10
57

Self Portrait Test Shoots

22:30
58

Shoot for Edit

04:21
59

Shoot Extra Stock Images

10:01
60

Practice the Shoot

25:07
61

Introduction to Shooting Photo Series

03:33
62

Shoot: Vine Image

10:40
63

Shoot: Sand Image

09:50
64

Shoot: End Table Image

04:59
65

Shoot: Bed Image

06:18
66

Shoot: Wall Paper Image

05:54
67

Shoot: Chair Image

08:02
68

Shoot: Mirror Image

06:57
69

Shoot: Moss Image

05:48
70

Shoot: Tree Image

07:33
71

Shoot: Fish Tank Image

04:09
72

Shoot: Feather Image

09:00
73

View Photo Series for Cohesion & Advanced Compositing

07:35
74

Edit Multiple Images to Show Cohesion

36:55
75

Edit Images with Advanced Compositing

29:33
76

Decide How to Start the Composite

09:35
77

Organize Final Images

21:37
78

Choosing Images for Your Portfolio

08:19
79

Order the Images in Your Portfolio

16:28
80

Why do Some Images Sell More Than Others?

16:03
81

Analyze Student Portfolio Image Order

11:42
82

Framing, Sizing, Editioning & Pricing

02:19
83

Determine Sizes for Prints

16:44
84

How to Choose Paper

13:56
85

How to Choose Editions

07:18
86

Pricing Strategies

18:59
87

How to Present Your Images

13:26
88

Example Pricing Exercise

09:39
89

Print Examples

08:23
90

Licensing, Commissions & Contracts

04:44
91

How to Keep Licensing Organized

06:07
92

How to Prepare Files for Licensing

07:28
93

Pricing Your Licensed Images

12:33
94

Contract Terms for Licensing

12:07
95

Where to Sell Images

04:55
96

Commission Pricing Structure

08:23
97

Contract for Commissions

12:17
98

Questions for a Commission Shoot

08:45
99

Working with Galleries

08:58
100

Benefits of Galleries

07:39
101

Contracts for Galleries

10:32
102

How to Find Galleries

05:22
103

Choose Images to Show

08:53
104

Hanging the Images

03:38
105

Importance of Proofing Prints

08:04
106

Interview with Soren Christensen Gallery

21:59
107

Press Package Overview

04:35
108

Artist Statement for Your Series

18:20
109

Write Your 'About Me' Page

09:04
110

Importance of Your Headshot

03:55
111

Create a Leave Behind & Elevator Pitch

20:19
112

Writing For Fine Art

04:44
113

Define Your Writing Style

14:49
114

Find Your Genre

06:41
115

What Sets You Apart?

02:25
116

Write to Different Audiences

05:10
117

Write for Blogging

39:57
118

Speak About Your Work

14:21
119

Branding for Video

07:37
120

Clearly Define Video Talking Points

14:27
121

Types of Video Content

31:45
122

Interview Practice

13:22
123

Diversifying Social Media Content

22:32
124

Create an Intentional Social Media Persona

24:48
125

Monetize Your Social Media Presence

18:46
126

Social Media Posting Plan

04:01
127

Choose Networks to Use & Invest

02:57
128

Presentation of Final Images

19:13
129

Printing Your Series

09:16
130

How to Work With a Print Lab

13:39
131

Proofing Your Prints

10:11
132

Bad Vs. Good Prints

03:32
133

Find Confidence to Print

10:50
134

Why Critique?

06:55
135

Critiquing Your Own Portfolio

10:39
136

Critique of Brooke's Series

16:18
137

Critique of Student Series

40:07
138

Yours is a Story Worth Telling

02:09

Lesson Info

Where Do You Want Your Images to Live?

The first question that I'm very interested in is where do you want your images to live? Literally, where do you want them to end up? And this is actually how I started my, I was going to say business, but I really mean my whole entire photo career was by asking this question. I started photography with this idea that it could be whatever I wanted it to be. I had no concept of how you had to create, or why you had to create, or who it was for. I just thought, "Okay, I'm gonna pick up my camera. "I'm gonna make whatever picture I want, "creepy as it may be, whoever wants it, take it." And that's how I started. So I started by saying first, what do my images look like? And second, where will they live? Where will they find their home? And my answer to that started my business, and has continued in my business for the last seven years now. And the answer to that question for me was super simple. Okay, I don't want to create for other people. I don't want my images to live for somebody els...

e. Just like I don't want my life to be lived for somebody else, I want my images to have their own home with somebody who really will treasure that for what it is, not for what they want it to be. So where my images live are in galleries where they can sell them to art buyers who appreciate the art, not the process behind the art, not because, you know, they needed me to fulfill their version of what art was, but simply because of what it is. I allow my images to live on book covers and album art, which is really meaningful for me, because I love stories. Stories are my thing. It's like what makes me feel alive, so of course I want my images to live on book covers because books are the best thing in the world. I mean, like, wouldn't that be a dream if one day, you could have your picture on the cover of a Harry Potter book or something, like, oh my gosh. That'd be the coolest thing ever. I'm reading Harry Potter right now, so I'm a little bit into that, but yeah, I just love that idea. So where do you want your images to live? If I were to ask any of you guys right now, would you be able to tell me where you want them to live? Just think about it for just a second, and ask yourself, "Do I know a concrete answer to that?" Because it's one thing to be like, "Oh, it'd be kind of cool maybe if my images were "on billboards or something." Okay, that would be really cool, you know. How neat to see your image, you know, like a story tall or something like that on a billboard, but why? Do you really want it there, or do you just think it would be cool to see it there? You know, what is the process involved in getting it there? What kind of connotation does that give your art if it's on a billboard? Things like that have to go into this decision, so we're gonna talk a little bit about that as well. I wanna talk about your actual potential clients. So if you are entering the fine art world, let's say that you don't know very much yet about what your options are, which I have to say, I've been in business, I guess you could say, in the fine art world for seven years now, and in those seven years, I've had to ask myself many, many times, "Who are my clients? "Who could my client be?" And I have a list that I'm going to show you, but it's not by any means a comprehensive list. It's not, it's ever-changing, ever-evolving. If you have an idea to add to this list, just shout it out, because it's not complete. So we have galleries. Obvious one, right? Like if I say, who is your client in the fine art world? You're probably either going to say, "Gallery or art buyer." Those are the two really obvious ones. It's what you think of when you think of a fine artist, which I have to keep using air quotes, because it sounds a little bit pretentious sometimes to say fine artist, and you sort of think, "Oh, well, if you're a fine artist, "then you must be a painter, or you must, you know, "have like your work in museums," and that's not always true. That's not always the goal of a fine art photographer, or any fine artist. So galleries, yes, that's the obvious one. That's where your work can go, and it's, in my opinion, a really wonderful route to go, but it doesn't have to be. Art fairs, so some of these clients are going to be in the same realm as each other, so often galleries will go to art fairs, for example. You can also get into an art fair yourself as an artist, and that's great. You don't have to go through a gallery to get into an art fair necessarily, though sometimes you do. So art fairs are a potential client in the fine art world. Designers, I really like this one. It's one that, in a way, took me by surprise when I started. I wasn't totally aware that there was this whole world where designers came into play. I don't know. It's like, maybe because I have no sense of design myself, you just don't think about those things, but the first time that my gallery representation came to me and said, "There's a designer who wants "to look at your work for their client." And I'm just like, "Oh my gosh." There are all these different people involved in choosing art for different people and it's so confusing. Designers are awesome. That's my end phrase with this, because designers are people who are looking for very specific art, and if you can get connected with them, well, they're constantly in need of art. Because that's their job is to find art. We have art and literary publications, and I think that it's really good to note that publications, art publications specifically, maybe even more literary publications, they're not gonna be a client that pays you very well. Sometimes they will pay you something. I think maybe in, and I'm gonna talk about money very openly and freely, so just warning you, because I'm about to say a number. But I've found maybe over the last seven years or so that I've been selling my images for various things, I've made maybe $1000, maybe $ in the last seven years from publications. So I'm not getting paid to have my images on covers of magazines, or have a story done about me, or anything like that. It's just not really a revenue stream, so I want to make that clear, but that's not to say that that publication won't get you something else, which is, of course, a whole can of worms, right. Because then there's the whole topic of should you do something just for exposure, or should you get paid for your work. We're not gonna talk about that right now, although I do have many thoughts on the subject. And then you have book publishers, writers. This is another avenue that you can go, licensing your work. We're gonna talk about this in quite some depth, so I'm not gonna go into it too much right now, but book publishers and writers are an amazing route for an artist to go, because we have so much in common. We're all telling stories in some way. Maybe not in a narrative form, like a writer might be, but there's a lot of connection. I have found that some of my greatest friends are writers, because we connect. Because that's how our brains work. So it might not be the same exact creative form, but book publishers and writers are going to very much identify with a photographer. Twitter, for example, is the best place to find a writer, because they love the challenge of trying to write a story in that little tiny box. I love going on Twitter. I find so many book publishers, so many writers that way. And then in conjunction with that, music labels, musicians, that's another great avenue. I do square work, for example, which is really, really good for album covers, because if you've ever seen a CD, they're square, and still, even though a lot of people don't even end up with a CD, you know, they just sell digitally online their music. You still see on iTunes or wherever you're buying your music the square album covers representative of the art. So that's really good for me, and it could be good for you too. And this all goes back to how you're formatting your work, how you're cropping your work, but we'll talk about that in just a bit. Commissions is another way that you can try to make your money as an artist, and there's a very fine line here with commission and fine art. Because fine art, technically, refers to when you're creating art for yourself. Fine art is the practice of creating something for yourself first and foremost and not for a client. So you could argue that commissions are strictly commercial. But I would argue something a little bit different, which is that commissions can fall under the fine art category if you're still remaining very true to your vision and to your artistry. And I'll talk a lot more about commissions, how I approach commissions, how I turn down commissions, and how that works, but just know that it can be fine art. Stock agencies, so if you're interested in book publishers, in music artists creating album art, stock agencies can be amazing for that, and I'll tell you which ones I like, which ones I don't like so much. Why you might like one over the other, and it's all a matter of preference. There is no good or bad, right or wrong. It's just the direction that you want to go with your art. And advertising, again, you might be saying, "That's commercial. "This is a fine art course. "You can't say that you can advertise with your work "if you're not a commercial photographer." But I've had a little bit of experience in the advertising world, and my experience thus far has been very much the same as licensing for a book cover, for album art. People come to you, they say, "Okay, we're going to advertise this thing," let's say it's a vacuum cleaner. That's a super random thing, because I've never used a vacuum cleaner in a picture. But let's just say that I've got a vacuum cleaner in my, this is a photo of me with a vacuum. This is terrible, but let's just say that this is your art, (laughs) okay, and you've got a vacuum cleaner and you're making a really awesome picture. Let's just say you're outside in the snow, and you're gonna vacuum the lawn, but it's snowing everywhere, but you've got this. Okay, so this is terrible. But anyways, you've got a really cool picture with a vacuum, and you're like, "I could sell that vacuum with this picture." It might work. You created it for yourself because you love vacuums, and who can blame you. Vacuums are great. And then the vacuum company comes. So okay, we're a little bit off topic, but my point is if you create something for yourself and it happens to advertise in such a way that's authentic to that company, maybe you can use advertising in your fine artwork. And then museums, which really do go with galleries and art fairs and designers. Museums are the type of thing, like if I asked you guys right now, do you think that your work will be in a museum? How do you feel about that? It's like one of those things where you're kind of like, "Oh, I really don't want to answer that." Because you don't wanna say, "Of course my work will be in a museum." Because how do you know, right, first of all, and how do you know you're worth it, and how do you know your art is good enough, and how do you know that it's provocative enough, and all these things start to come into your head. And the same with galleries even, you know, how do I know if my work is good enough for a gallery or a museum. So we're going to just break this down a little bit into how do you know? How do you get to that place where you feel confident about that?

Class Materials

Bonus Materials with Purchase

Guided Daydream & Writing Exercises Workbook (Lessons 1-11)
Creating an Original Narrative Workbook (Lessons 12-18)
Finding Your Target Audience Workbook (Lessons 19-27)
Planning Your Series Workbook (Lessons 28-34)
Set Design Workbook (Lessons 35-41)
Compositing Workflow Checklist (Lessons 42-49)
Editing Workflow Checklist (Lessons 50-55)
Location Scouting Workbook (Lessons 56-60)
Stock Image Downloads for Practice (Lessons 61-72)
Organizing Your Portfolio Workbook (Lessons 77-81)
Pricing & Editioning Your Work Workbook (Lessons 82-89)
Writing Contracts & Licensing Images Workbook (Lessons 90-98)
Gallery Best Practices (Lessons 99-106)
Pitch Package Workbook (Lessons 107-111)
Writing Your Brand Workbook (Lessons 112-117)
Marketing Workbook (Lessons 118-122)
Social Media Workbook (Lessons 123-127)
Printing Methods Checklist (Lessons 128-133)
Self Critique Workbook (Lessons 134-137)
Bonus Materials Guide
Syllabus
Image Edit Videos

Ratings and Reviews

April S.
 

I tuned in for most of Brooke's lessons in this course and watched some of them more than once as they were rebroadcast. First I want to say that Brooke is a very good instructor. Her easy-going, friendly, down-to-earth, somewhat quirky manner cannot be mistaken for unprofessional. She is very prepared, she speaks well (not a bunch of hemming and hawing), she is thoughtful, she is thorough, she is very relatable and at ease, and she is definitely professional in her presentation. I really thought when I first tuned in that it would mostly be background noise while I was at work, sound to keep me company. Not because I didn't like Brooke but I really didn't think I was into fine art photography nor did I think I cared about the business side of things much. Not now anyhow. I was really wrong. Brooke sparked a deep interest in me to delve into fine art photography, to consider creating images for myself, from my imagination. In fact, I realized that this was something I'd been thinking about for a couple of years though I hadn't put a name to it (the idea of creating pre-conceived images based on my own creative goals). I gleaned many little treasures from her about image sizes, working with printers, different types of paper, selling, interacting with galleries, and so much more. I may not need all of what she taught right now because I'm definitely headed in another direction at the moment, but she planted ideas and information in my head that I know will be useful at some point. Things I may not have thought of on my own, but that seed is in my head now so when the time comes, I'll know. I'd really like to buy her course but at the moment, with the holidays right around the corner, it's not in my personal budget. I'm grateful to have caught the live and rebroadcast lessons though, and her course is on my list to own. I think it's a great reference to be consulted over and over again, not watched once and forgotten. Kudos Brooke for really putting together an excellent course.

Ron Landis
 

I'm retired now, but spent decades in the people and training business. Brooke is extraordinary! Even though this course is extremely well organized and she's left nothing unattended, she moves through it with friendly conversational manners and without a sense of it being stilted. It's as though we are all her friends, not students, as she shares her heart and passion with us. What a joy it is to listen to her. And what a clear, unambiguous command of her subject. Wow! She explains it with such ease using explanations and techniques that won't overwhelm artists just starting their portfolio or the Photoshop-squeamish among us; but despite its simplicity her resulting art is breathtaking and beyond original. I wish more of my professors at school were as engaging. This was by far my best buy at Creative Live yet.

Angel Ricci
 

When the title says comprehensive, it means comprehensive! I loved every part of this course. It's inspirational, motivating, and insightful towards creating art work. Even if you are not necessarily considering a fine art specialty, the concepts discussed in this course are applicable to many areas! I find this super useful as a videographer and photographer and look to apply all of these exercises and concepts for my personal and business work moving forward. It is lengthy, but you will not regret a single minute. Brooke Shaden is an amazing artist and educator. I recommend keeping up with her work, presentations, and any future courses that may come in the future.

Student Work

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