In Focus Vol. 4 No. 10

Finding New Markets for Photography Talents

Award-winning commercial photographer David C. Humphreys has successfully branched out into décor photography, fine-art photo print collages, and printmaking services.

Like many pro photographers who have been in business for more than 20 years, David C. Humphreys of Baton Rouge, LA knows how to reinvent himself and diversify. His primary business is high-end product photography for corporate clients, publications, and organizations. But he also markets décor prints online and creates one-of-a-kind, photo-collage prints that he sells through fine-art galleries.  And with connections he made through the gallery, he has started making prints and limited-edition reproductions for artists and other photographers.

“I work on different levels and wear a lot of hats,” says Humphreys. “But I like it that way. I’m never bored, and if one thing isn’t working, something else is.”

While diversification can definitely help protect a photography business from economic turbulence, it does require almost constant attention to marketing, including studying new markets for your work, finding ways to differentiate yourself, and producing and promoting work that people will gravitate to.

Like many photography pros who made the often-painful transition from film to digital, Humphreys invested a lot of time and money in researching, buying, and integrating new technologies. Now that many of the most vexing technology problems have been resolved, he is focusing his energy on marketing, looking for new ways to generate revenues with the equipment he already owns. Humphreys has uncovered opportunities to use his core strengths in four main fields: commercial photography, fine-art, custom décor art, and high-end printing services.

Commercial Photography:  Because his studio is based in a small city, Humphreys has always offered a wide range of photography services. And, he worked hard to make sure that his studio was first-rate in every way. Now, as photographers unburdened by studio costs are more price-competitive on smaller jobs, Humphreys has refocused his marketing to target clients who need top-quality shots of food, jewelry, and other items that are difficult to photograph outside of a studio.

For independent validation of the quality of his photography, he enters regional and national competitions. This year he received a national Silver Addy® Award from American Advertising Federation. The organization, which receives over 60,000 entries a year, honored Humphreys for his black-and-white photography for the annual report of the Louisiana Family Recovery Corps, a group established after Hurricane Katrina to help individuals who had lost their homes and jobs. To see Humphreys’ commercial work, visit www.FabPhotos.com

Fine Art: Humphreys’ fine-art work (which is currently sold by the Ann Connelly Gallery in Baton Rouge) is visibly different from his everyday photography. Instead of selling photographic prints as fine art, he adds extra layers of dimensionality by dissecting black-and-white prints into pieces, then reassembling them and mounting them on substrates such as Masonite. He believes the subtle changes that occur during the print-dissection process add to the final result.  As Humphreys explains in his artist’s statement: “I have always worked in grids or sections. I seem to see life in this form of structure. It helps me to dissect the subtle nuances of an image and create an understanding of what makes the subject so special.” To see Humphreys’ fine-art work, visit www.humphreysart.blogspot.com

Décor Photography: Because photographing food is one of Humphrey’s specialties as a commercial photographer, he has included many artistic images of fresh fruits and vegetables in The Carlysle Collection, his online site for décor photography. Visit the site and it’s immediately clear that many of his images would be perfect for use in restaurants, kitchens, or food stores. Humphreys will make prints of any of the images in the collection in sizes ranging from 8 x 10 in. up to 30 x 40 in. Custom framing is available.  To see Humphreys’ décor work, visit www.thecarlyslecollection.com

Printing/Printmaking: Humphreys has long recognized the value of printing his own work, and first studied the process of giclée printing on IRIS printers with Graham Nash and Mac Holbert of Nash Editions. He bought an Encad wide-format printer in the early 1990s and has owned a variety of photo printers since then.

Currently, he uses a 44-in. HP Designjet Z3100 and an Epson Stylus Pro 9900. He uses the Epson for fine-art work because of its ability to handle thicker papers. He relies on the HP for printing on canvas and making prints and some display graphics for his commercial clients.

“I love the spectrophotometer in the HP,” says Humphreys. He also uses color-management software originally developed by Gretag Macbeth to make his own profiles for work he plans to print on the Epson. Sometimes he downloads profiles from LexJet or other suppliers of media.

“I used to send all my work to a lab,” says Humphreys. “But now I not only print 95% of my own work, but I also do high-end printing for other photographers and artists.” When he shoots products for commercial clients, he will sometimes print banners and displays for them as well.

One recent giclée-printing job came from the gallery that sells his work. When the gallery owner sold an original painting to a local bank, the art buyers wanted to have a large reproduction of the painting displayed in the public areas of the bank, while keeping the original in a corporate office.

As printing has become a more important part of his business, Humphreys is grateful to be able to turn to LexJet for support.

“I’ve known LexJet for a number of years, but I’ve really become a fan over the past few years,” says Humphreys. “I feel like I can call my rep Darren Vena any time, ask him questions, and have him research different types of materials for me.  The information LexJet shares with its customers is a wonderful thing.”