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Marketing Fine Art Photography
In recent years as the field of photography has exploded, many photographers consider selling their work to make a profit and to help defray the high costs of equipment. But, many photographers don't have the business and marketing knowledge required to successfully sell fine art photographs; and many of those who have tried have been met with disappointment. Until now, little information of value has been available.
In Marketing Fine Art Photography, Alain Briot offers practical, up-to-date and field-tested marketing techniques from the viewpoint of a fine art landscape photographer who earns a living from the sale of his fine art prints.
Briot teaches that by taking control of the selling process, you can increase your profits and, ultimately, direct your own destiny. Briot's approach is based on offering quality not quantity; and offering something unique, rather than something that is mass-produced. Though directed toward selling fine art, this method can be applied to other products.
After a series of trials and errors, Briot devised a marketing system that allowed him to get out of debt, pay for a state-of-the-art studio, and purchase his first home, all from the sale of his photography. Briot has taught fine art photography marketing to numerous students in seminars, through one-on-one consulting, and through his Marketing Mastery tutorial DVD.
Topics include:
- GenresPhotographyBusinessArt
313 pages, Paperback
First published May 28, 2011
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54 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 29, 2025
This is an amazing book, full of so much information! I bought other books by Alain Briot by the time I got to the 3rd chapter of this book. His writing style is easy to digest and he shares a wealth of knowledge that he learned while actually selling fine art himself. It's a book that I plan to revisit each time I'm ready to implement something new. Despite my slow time reading this, it's a very easy book to read. I can't recommend it enough.
June 19, 2011
"I know people in the ranks who are going to stay in the ranks. Why? I'll tell you why. Simply because they haven't the ability to get things done!" -- Dale Carnegie
Seemingly addressing the thousands of photographers who would like to make (or make more) money selling their photography comes this challenge from a professional who made enough money from the sales of one print to pay for his house in cash, "Put up or shut up." That's the message that lies between the lines in Alain Briot's third book, Marketing Fine Art Photography. Briot’s point of view isn’t intended to be harsh, but revelatory for the casual shooter.
His first two books helped readers learn how to master composition and creativity, develop their own personal style, and learn landscape photography. Now he reveals the results of years of hard work, trial and error, and experimentation to become a successful purveyor of fine art photography.
Briot says that the first key component of long term success (both artistically and financially) is, "Photography must be your career in order to succeed." He re-iterates this point in his three part definition of "fine art photography." The three parts are: artistic, technical, and marketing, each of which is further divided into as many as fourteen parts. He says, "The photographer must consider himself an artist." For Briot, a photographer doesn't "capture an image", he "creates art". Both the career choice and self image as an artist are quite simply attitudes -- attitudes not fully embraced by the photographic hobbyist.
As my personal sales mentor, Jim Winner, always says, "You have to accept responsibility for your own attitude," if you're going to be successful at doing what Briot recommends with the title of Chapter One: "Taking Control of Your Destiny." In his studies and research, Alain Briot draws upon the work and inspiration of people like John Maxwell, Zig Ziglar, Percy Whiting and Dale Carnegie. Carnegie used to tell people to speak or write about something for which they had earned the right to talk about. Briot certainly has earned the right in this instance and has the success to back it up.
Marketing Fine Art Photography is divided into six parts that takes readers through the necessary steps required to achieve the level of success they desire. This reviewer would encourage readers to become students and learn from Briot's experiences. Apply his principals from creating a best seller on purpose to using marketing tools and selecting venues from which to make the best sales. (Venues discussed include everything from art shows to social media to affiliate programs.)
Each chapter ends with a "Skill Enhancement Exercise" to help students assess their own situations and apply what they've learned. In the "Conclusion," Briot returns to attitude with a chapter titled, "Art is not a commodity." We agree. Art is not a basic need like food but rather something we want. Art adds meaning to our lives and fulfills an inner desire that transcends just another picture hanging on the wall. If you are a photographer and have the desire to provide for those needs of your fellow man, turn pro, make it a career and follow Briot's steps to success.
Seemingly addressing the thousands of photographers who would like to make (or make more) money selling their photography comes this challenge from a professional who made enough money from the sales of one print to pay for his house in cash, "Put up or shut up." That's the message that lies between the lines in Alain Briot's third book, Marketing Fine Art Photography. Briot’s point of view isn’t intended to be harsh, but revelatory for the casual shooter.
His first two books helped readers learn how to master composition and creativity, develop their own personal style, and learn landscape photography. Now he reveals the results of years of hard work, trial and error, and experimentation to become a successful purveyor of fine art photography.
Briot says that the first key component of long term success (both artistically and financially) is, "Photography must be your career in order to succeed." He re-iterates this point in his three part definition of "fine art photography." The three parts are: artistic, technical, and marketing, each of which is further divided into as many as fourteen parts. He says, "The photographer must consider himself an artist." For Briot, a photographer doesn't "capture an image", he "creates art". Both the career choice and self image as an artist are quite simply attitudes -- attitudes not fully embraced by the photographic hobbyist.
As my personal sales mentor, Jim Winner, always says, "You have to accept responsibility for your own attitude," if you're going to be successful at doing what Briot recommends with the title of Chapter One: "Taking Control of Your Destiny." In his studies and research, Alain Briot draws upon the work and inspiration of people like John Maxwell, Zig Ziglar, Percy Whiting and Dale Carnegie. Carnegie used to tell people to speak or write about something for which they had earned the right to talk about. Briot certainly has earned the right in this instance and has the success to back it up.
Marketing Fine Art Photography is divided into six parts that takes readers through the necessary steps required to achieve the level of success they desire. This reviewer would encourage readers to become students and learn from Briot's experiences. Apply his principals from creating a best seller on purpose to using marketing tools and selecting venues from which to make the best sales. (Venues discussed include everything from art shows to social media to affiliate programs.)
Each chapter ends with a "Skill Enhancement Exercise" to help students assess their own situations and apply what they've learned. In the "Conclusion," Briot returns to attitude with a chapter titled, "Art is not a commodity." We agree. Art is not a basic need like food but rather something we want. Art adds meaning to our lives and fulfills an inner desire that transcends just another picture hanging on the wall. If you are a photographer and have the desire to provide for those needs of your fellow man, turn pro, make it a career and follow Briot's steps to success.
April 3, 2016
Excellent book on Marketing Fine Art Photography! This should be required reading for anyone studying Fine Art Photography. If I had access to this information when I was earning my BFA, my career would be much farther along by now. This book showed me "starving artist" isn't a given if you work hard at marketing yourself.
August 28, 2015
lots of good info. a lot to think about. although I wish some of the links given still worked
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews