Figure Photography Prints at Conventions?PollsPrev NextPrev Next

Hello MFC! （＾∀＾●）ﾉｼ

Now, I hope this article isn't breaking any rules... I mean it is figure related and I'm not trying to sell anything here.

Anyway! My question is; what do people think about selling figure photography prints at conventions? Has anyone done it before & what kind of sales numbers did you have? Or if you're a customer, have you ever bought photo prints/would you potentially buy them?

I've applied to table at Though Bubble this year (no clue if I'll get in or not), and I have a table slot purchased for Fantazmagoria this year. Two very different conventions but my stock carries over mostly between them. I'm trying to gauge whether or not to order prints of some of my photos, I've already sent for test prints at 7x5" size.

Here's what I sent to get test printed & see how I like them;

I'm not planning to fill my table with photography prints, but I thought it'd be a nice and maybe a little unusual thing to see amongst more illustration focused tables (I mean, my tables are also illustration focused). This article is basically me trying to figure out "is it worth getting like 50 of each or just 5 of each" because I would like to have prints made for my table anyway. ^-^

Let me know your thoughts on this! I'm sure other artists & figure photographers would also find this kind of info helpful (*^▽^*)

624 hits • 4 likes • 11 comments

Figure photography prints?

16%Yeah, I'd buy it if I saw it

59%Nah, not for me :)

22%Only if they're small prints

3%Only if they're big prints

68 votesVotes are public

Comments11

ptooey

I wouldn't buy prints as such but I would buy small merch eg boards, bookmarks, keychains, stickers etc with original photos on them.

1 month ago

CharrChan

ChocolateSpider • 1 month ago • #120737671Interesting that you posted this. I had an idea to make small shikishi prints with my photos just to hand them out as gifts to some of my other toy photography friends.

That's a really cool idea! :D

1 month ago

CharrChan

lesser-robot-cat • 1 month ago • #120737567Different cons will have different rules when it comes to photography. It might be a good idea to contact the con's AA team and ask if it's acceptable. Don't be afraid to send them your photos so they know what you've got in mind.
I've never brought my photos to a con, but I've brought custom figures every now and then. Sometimes they sell, sometimes they don't.
When it comes to buying figure photography, I haven't seen much out there for sale, and the few I have seen weren't of figures I was interested in.
Whatever happens, remember that acceptance and sales aren't a reflection of your skill or value as a photographer. It's just about what the convention and shoppers are looking for - and what they can squeeze into their budgets.

I hadn't actually thought selling photography might not be allowed at some cons, I was going to contact Though Bubble about taxidermy selling rules so I should ask about photography prints then too! :)
I was thinking of making some kind of mini figures to sell, I saw a few tables with that kind of thing last year & some sold very well.
For prints, I think I'll stick to popular shows/characters. Miku & Yuru Camp might do pretty well compared to things like Kemono Friends.

Totally feel that last point! My first con went alright but I brought too many art prints of the wrong kind of shows haha! (too much Yu-Gi-Oh! for the sci-fi/steampunk convention lol)

1 month ago

ChocolateSpider

Interesting that you posted this. I had an idea to make small shikishi prints with my photos just to hand them out as gifts to some of my other toy photography friends. But if I saw a small print at a con I like, I'd probably get it just to be supportive. :3

1 month ago

lesser-robot-cat

Different cons will have different rules when it comes to photography. It might be a good idea to contact the con's AA team and ask if it's acceptable. Don't be afraid to send them your photos so they know what you've got in mind.

I've never brought my photos to a con, but I've brought custom figures every now and then. Sometimes they sell, sometimes they don't.

When it comes to buying figure photography, I haven't seen much out there for sale, and the few I have seen weren't of figures I was interested in.

Whatever happens, remember that acceptance and sales aren't a reflection of your skill or value as a photographer. It's just about what the convention and shoppers are looking for - and what they can squeeze into their budgets.

1 month ago

CharrChan

kittson • 1 month ago • #120737287Ive sold my photos at cons before, big prints def sold a lot better than smaller ones.
I would definitely only get about 5-10 prints per photo as it is incredibly niche, most people prefer illustrations over photography. You will also get asked a lot if they are 3d renders lmao

That's interesting to hear, for illustration (or at least the kind I do) I notice people tend to want A5 or photo print size but I suppose it depends on who/when/where/what. I'll get a small number of prints done of the more popular characters & lable them on my table as "photography" to try and quell the "is it a 3D render?" crowd haha! Thanks for the input! (*^▽^*)

1 month ago

CharrChan

View spoilerHide spoileryuanssan • 1 month ago • #120716819For me it depends on many factors. I'm already a person who really likes buying fanart that I like, usually characters or franchises I like or OCs if the art is really good. I have never seen anyone sell figure prints but if it's done really well, I would probably get a print or two. But it also has to be from a franchise I like or OC figure I like. I like small to medium sized prints and I only buy big prints if it's an artist I;ve been following for a while.Emerin • 1 month ago • #120716828If I saw it, I'd think it's a cute way to decorate the table and have it stand out, but I wouldn't buy it myselfRomeosBlueStar • 1 month ago • #120726096It's a little bit too niche

Thanks for the feed back! (^▽^) I agree with everyone that it's a bit niche, so there's not really the market for it. Illustration definitely sells better, especially fanart & generic design rather than OCs. I'll definitely only have a very small amount of prints made & only of popular characters.

1 month ago

kittson

Ive sold my photos at cons before, big prints def sold a lot better than smaller ones.
I would definitely only get about 5-10 prints per photo as it is incredibly niche, most people prefer illustrations over photography. You will also get asked a lot if they are 3d renders lmao

1 month ago