selling

Glennis Siverson is one of RedBubble’s top sellers when it comes to wall art. So I strapped her down and prodded her until she told me how she does it.

^{Stillness in Motion by Glennis Siverson}

Tell us a bit about yourself as an artist

Being a photographer is my day job. I hung up my corporate high heels for good in March 2008 so I could finally do what I most love doing – capturing images. I do all my own editing, filing, marketing, etc, but I hope to hire an assistant in 2009. I am at a point now where I need some help to keep up with post-production needs and keeping things organized.

^{The Stylist by Glennis Siverson}

Tell us about your sales on RedBubble

The biggest RedBubble sale so far was a poster of my image “Lighthouse”. My most popular images are “Nude 2”, “Liu Sanjie Blue” and “Cathedral Reflected”. I only recently expanded into fine art nude work, so it’s nice that people like it. I think that with all of these images, they don’t just look like photographs, they are artistic. One person described it as “filmic”. That is my theory anyway. :-)

^{Liu Sanjie Blue By Glennis Siverson}

Where else besides RedBubble can we see and buy your work?

I have a “purchase products” page on my website at www.glennisphotos.com. This page has a few links that take you to sites where my work can be bought. So far, I have had the some success with zazzle.com, but I started selling my work online just this year, so I’m still learning what’s out there and what resources are best. A corporate art dealer in Los Angeles found me through WIPI, and she recently sold 5 of my images to a hospital in California. They are hanging in a new neonatal wing at St. Mary’s in Apple Valley, CA. In September I sold quite a few prints at an arts festival, where I also was fortunate to get some local press coverage. I am planning to submit my work to a few fine art galleries in 2009 – working on that now. Hopefully my work will be accepted.

^{Reed Flute Cave by Glennis Siverson}

What creative services do you offer?

Yes, I started out with a focus on stock photography, so I can do about anything. I have photographed events for MTV, Hard Rock Cafe, EA Sports and others; shot several corporate headshot assignments, recently did a couple ad campaigns and was featured in an editorial piece for Albuquerque Magazine, did a music album cover earlier this year, destination weddings (my favorite was Jamaica), birth and maternity, fine art, travel work (favorites are China and Turkey so far), and documentary. Portraiture is especially popular too, for both people and pets.

I have recently been collaborating with the artist Shawhouse too. It is a lot of fun to work with someone and to come up with a piece of artwork together. He has a wonderful imagination and sense of fun. We are working on a few pieces now.

^{Clouds Pass By by Glennis Siverson}

Imagine your at an exhibition opening and a potential buyers says to
you “tell me about your art?” – what do you say?

Well, I was recently notified that my work has been selected for an international exhibition with the Center for Fine Art Photography, so I’ve been asked that question. I answer by saying what others have said they like about my work. The most consistent response is that I capture feeling, not just an image. And that is usually my goal – to invoke something emotional or something that has a certain feel associated with it. I also strive to achieve creative, unique images that have been shot in a way no one else has done.

^{Lightning Over Adair by Glennis Siverson}

What of your images sells the best?

Sometimes it is surprising what images are more popular than others, but I usually know when I have just captured something special… I can feel it – everything just comes together and I reach in and grab it. For example, Sweet Dreams and Late Night Billiards get enormous positive response. “Late Night Billiards” and “Liu Sanjie Blue” have also been designated as hot photos on jpgmag.com. Other very popular images are Angel of Light, Ollie, Laughter and In a Nightmare. Angel of Light and Ollie have been featured on the RB homepage. The positive response to In a Nightmare has been a surprise, because it’s a self portrait that is different from what I usually do – a bit more intense, and it was more of an experiment in light and emotion vs. my trying to get a certain look. But it worked, and I learned a lot from it. I love experimenting and not knowing exactly what the end result will be. That is the most fun for me.

What rationale do you use when pricing your work?

I ask if there is a specific budget allocated, I research what others are charging, and I also bought software made especially for photographers to help price and bid competitively. The Photographer’s Market book is a great resource too.

^{Late Night Billiards by Glennis Siverson}

Who buys your art?

I’m still learning, and I’m thinking about my art, what I most like shooting, etc. to assess whether I should focus more on a particular style and look. It’s still evolving, which will in turn help me market to certain demographics in the future. For now, I’m trying different things and learning what feels best for me as an artist. I have discovered that I am less and less drawn to stock photography because it is too staged…. too manufactured. Life is not like that, and I like to capture life. (If that makes sense!?)

^{Sweet Dreams by Glennis Siverson}

How do you market your work online?

I keep my website updated with new images, and it also has a “share this image” feature built into it; I have my website address and RedBubble address listed as part of my email signature; have profiles on Facebook, MySpace, Linkedin I send out periodic updates and new work alerts to a mailing list of folks. I have my contact information listed at WIPI and ASMP too, where I am a member.

^{In the Mirror by Glennis Siverson}