I know of only one way to sell photographs: a photographer is commissioned to take pictures at a specific location, at a specific event, or for specific garments. They sell their professional expertise, not the photographs they have yet to take—those do not exist at the moment of purchase.
Photographs, being personal visions, do not belong to any market; they have no market value and therefore cannot be sold. Or, if you prefer, there is no buyer.
It is the same with painting. No one bought a portrait of themselves before it was painted; they commissioned the artist. It was impossible to buy the Sistine Chapel fresco before it existed. Once Michelangelo had painted it, that was how it was. Of course, the reigning Pope might ask for adjustments, but he had to answer to Michelangelo.
And what about photographic works exhibited in art galleries? They sell—and how!—you might say.
Um… no. What is sold is the signature, the artist’s renown, their market value, the edition number, the fine paper, and the print itself—but not the photograph. And if someone happens to buy a photograph to decorate their living room, they aren’t buying a photograph so much as a piece of décor that suits their taste; usually, they pay very little for it, because it is just a piece of paper—whereas the framing, done by a professional framer, costs a great deal.
The idea of selling photographs is a pure illusion fostered by a modern culture that insists on commodifying everything. It is the demon of marketing—the market. Yet, in that market, photographs simply do not exist.
Of course, professional photographers—those who make a living from photography—do need to earn a living. How? Through books, magazines, newspapers, and websites; by working as YouTubers, bloggers, and influencers; by teaching workshops and at academies; and by renting out studios, equipment, their own time, and even darkrooms and computers. And why all this hustle?
Simple: it is impossible to sell photographs.
I believe we will soon stop thinking that photographs can be sold. Instead, artists are hired—just as has always been the case and always will be. It is the same for lawyers, accountants, tax specialists, carpenters, plumbers, and electricians. And now, for photographers too.
