How I Made $60k Selling My Photo Prints Online

[@carlograzioli]

Hi Ian, thanks for sharing! There's tons of videos of professional photographers about how good they are and how much they make, but your story really stands out. I appreciate your genuine approach, the stress you punt on the sales side, and how you convey your excitement to the viewer! Last but not least, amazing photos! 👏

[@ianlauerastro]

Really appreciate your comment! I really do think people have more potential than they think they have, they just need a push in the right direction. My hope is this helps more people build confidence in getting their work out there. There are so many incredible artists that deserve the attention

[@phelix920]

👍🏾👏🏾🙌🏾📸💐Dude I’m just happy for you. It brings my heart joy to see someone else in Photography being rewarded for their hard work. Much respect ✊🏾 Phelix

[@sparkalightnow]

first of all, your photography is PHENOMENAL. Deeply touching. And thank you for this comprehensive overview!!!

[@ianlauerastro]

Thank you, so glad it helped!

[@MotivNation_TV]

This is the kind of information we all need. Raw and Real with no BS. Thank you so much

[@nightscapejournals]

Thanks so much for sharing this, Ian - very candid, open and helpful. A print store is some way off for me, but super interesting to learn about the process and your experience. Legend. 🙌

[@ianlauerastro]

Appreciate the kind words - hope to see you launch a print shop in the future!

[@simonestaffoli]

Great video man, that was a ton of useful information. I today setup my first product on my website and my next step would have been to start with prints. I'm now sure I'm gonna have a jump start thanks to this video.

[@ianlauerastro]

So glad it was helpful 🙏

[@cocojones2739]

Being true to self really helps, in every field. Thanks for some honest view & pure knowledge.

[@WhatIveSeenThere]

Thanks for sharing your experience, it’s so inspiring. Keep up the great work! 🔥

[@ianlauerastro]

Thank you! Will do!

[@2009zachman]

So inspiring! Thank you for sharing. I have been wanting to sell my stuff but immediately get overwhelmed with the process of it all. This video helped me see the bigger picture and how the process may not be as overwhelming as I think it is.

[@ianlauerastro]

So glad this was helpful and good luck!

[@Luftbubblan]

Awesome. I have not manage to sell a single piece over the years but there's always ppl asking for it oddly enough. Maybe one day.

[@sweetgunner]

Perfect! The first photographer I hear talking about value and emotion. 🎉❤ Earned a follower from Brazil 🇧🇷

[@liveforthenow]

Cracking video. I am starting my journey towards selling my photos and your video was one of the best ive watched. Thanks for passing on your knowledge.

[@duvalpenny100]

This is an insane amount of invaluable information and insight. Thank you.

[@ianlauerastro]

Glad it’s helpful! Good luck 🙌

[@eliminators-nu4nq]

Ian, perhaps you could sign and number your prints, since they are a limited quantity. It will encourage collectors and secure their investment. You are a unique artist!

[@ianlauerastro]

Thanks! I've recently done print launches with my wife where we've been testing limited editions, and they have sold out each time - it works great!

[@JonesArcticLight]

Did not expect to watch this till the end. But I did. Really appreciate the info! Thank you so much, gave me a lot of new and viable info how to proceed! Sir, you are gold.

[@ianlauerastro]

Glad it was helpful! Good luck and wishing you nothing but success 🤙

[@lukago677]

Simple.straight forward. honest review,thanks.

[@marklissick8112]

Wonderful presentation and well delivered. Nice to find another photographer who is not oriented on themselves but what they can contribute to the viewer. Good perspective. It is not about taking a picture of what you see. Anyone with a camera can do that. It is about creating an image based on what you feel and the joy you get from being able to instill that same feeling in the ones who view the work (and buy it). That is value to a customer also. Nice selling strategy. Question: I saw the give away concept of using some of your images to serve a phone screen backgrounds. Great idea. Considering how many screen sizes and aspect ratios are available what did you settle on for an image size? Good luck and good shooting!

[@lonewolf8275]

This is a very genuine question. Can somebody please explain why is email marketing so important? I’ve heard so many photographers or influencers talk about how important email marketing is. But like, why? How? I personally have NEVER ever even bothered to open any advertisement type of emails. I check my email, like, never 🫣 only when I need to check verification codes do I open my email . And this is not an exaggeration, but every single person I know in my life also doesn’t even bother checking their emails as well. Maybe this is an Asian thing? Like emails are just not a thing in Asia, so maybe that is why I never understood email marketing. Do people actually use their emails in the western world? Like people would be interested in seeing advertisements in their emails? I’m really curious and confused.

[@cameronf3343]

Hey! I’m currently in the process of self-learning email marketing, even intending to make my own agency out of it, and there’s tons of reasons why it’s a great medium. And not just tons of reasons why it’s a great marketing medium but also that it’s especially great for the artistic crowd too. The most essential thing to remember about marketing is that it’s either growth oriented or retention oriented. There’s pros and cons use cases to both, and that’s why everyone needs to focus on having both; but not treat the two strategies the same! What works with Instagram will NOT work with Email, because one needs growth strategies, the other needs retention strategies, and retention/repeatability is where magic happens. Hunters feed tribes, farmers feed civilizations. That said, for starters and most impressively, there’s a bit of variance in the stated average based on who took the survey from which companies and which audiences. But the outlook is clear that email marketing has an *average* of having a 50x Return On Investment, aka every $1 spent goes garnering $50 in revenue value, which is massive! It’s greatly more effective of a platform than Meta and X combined when done right and well. Remember though that 50:1 is just an average, and I’ve seen stats citing as low as 32:1 (still remarkable) and as high as 84:1. As high as $84 in returns for every $1 spent. Think about how big of a deal that would be, and it becomes extremely valuable. It’s a great point you bring up about the variability of open rates, so just want to state as well that the ROI is across global averages and customer bases (a sale is a sale!) but most studies available to our reading are focused on pulling & surveying Western companies’ and agencies’ data. Readership varies across all kinds of factors, even the time of day/week the email was sent, but the rates do remain high from emailers with successful campaigns. The most successful email strategies are scheduled either weekly or biweekly, include simple yet enticing graphic design elements for color and segmentation, and engage an audience just as much as a sale. This is why email is great for artistics! They’re great ways to tell a short story/description or create an aura around a promotion, and the most likely sales are the ones people feel even slightly connected to. Also, going on top of that, email is about customer retention and creating repeat customers/loyalty, hence the “farmers feed civilizations.” *Repeat customers are promising customers.* Email is highly less prone to changes or disturbances than other algorithm following mediums like conventional social medias. As long as you follow CANSPAM and GDPR laws, work on your subject lines and writing/designing good content within, experiment, and use a great choice in software which ensures high deliverability rates, you’re almost guaranteed. Email can be used in all kinds of ways too. You can run sales and discounts within it that readers need just click a button to buy from. You can promote referral and tell-a-friend programs within it. You can tell engaging short stories similar to a blog that act like a way to get people more engaged with your products/services. And tons more - all while using the only medium where that content is handed to subscribers on a silver platter. The smoothness of it all for the subscriber’s perspective makes it much easier and more promising than relying on them needing to think about your website or social page, search for it, keep up to date on their own time, and hopefully convert into a customer. That’s the difference! As long as they’re a subscriber, and as long as they read your emails, it’s only up to you and them whether or not they convert because you’ve made it as easy as possible for them to. With social medias, you can be shadowbanned, you can be subject to the algorithm silently changing and slashing your viewership overnight, you can have a post go viral but gain no followers, you can even have your account deleted without warning, and the list goes on. And websites, they’re necessary and rewarding, but they’re at the mercy of brutal SEO/keyword competition and/or expensive paid ads to grow. Email? You own your list, and in 30 years no company be it AOL, Yahoo, Hotmail, Bing, Google, or so on, has ever taken that from underneath you, unlike how Meta does to creators once a quarter. Every avenue matters and has its pros/cons, but the pros to email are extremely valuable - and have been around for a long time in the internet world to study and gain from the strategies & case studies of! An effective newsletter can make a 5 figure company/creator a 7 figure and beyond company/creator if they nurture it, and that’s why it’s so promising!

[@helengren9349]

👍 Same here! 🤷

[@helengren9349]

@@cameronf3343 Well, I got hard to understand how graphics of an e-mail that is not open, can affect the buyer...🤔

[@maybejensen]

I read all my emails. I get no emails that I didn’t sign up for myself, and if I do get something I don’t want, I quickly block or unsubscribe.

[@christinas5691]

Email Marketing is such a big deal because you always have a communication method with your customers. If a social media platform crashes, removes your profile for no reason etc you still have a business.

[@KellyShipp]

Nice job on the video. A few categories you should consider adding to this are shipping process/tips and how you handle limited editions. Just a suggestion, not entirely applicable since you outsource printing…

[@viewintospace]

Really cool video - love it!!!! And yes, I might follow your guidance and try it out! Thanks a lot for sharing!!!!! 🙏🏻

[@ianlauerastro]

It definitely works - you've got this! 💪

[@ModMarcus]

This was very helpful. Thank you!

[@BellArtt]

This was so helpful! About to launch a print shop of my own and you made a lot of great points, that I’ll be taking into my first drop. THANK YOU

[@soarpurpose]

Lines up with the research I have been doing about offering my art as fine art prints. First test prints are in their way & I have been doing my sums. Looking at staying in my country as shipping overseas is horrendous and also looks like a tax nightmare overseas. I saw some use overseas printers who drop ship but I wasn't sure if there was much protection if there were issues.

[@freddylopez7536]

Great work Ian. On all fronts. You’re a great inspiration. I’m excited. Thank you. 🙏

[@DianitaRubi]

This video is pure gold, thank you so much for sharing!

[@douglascarrphotography]

Hi Ian thx for taking the time to make and share your knowledge and experience for your print store, much appreciated

[@TheSonatrix]

This has been extremely helpful, thank you Ian. Would you mind sharing which paper you use for printing?

[@24pfilms]

Thank you very much really excellent advice and I'm going to be setting up a store within the next month and be following your complete methodology. Really also enjoyed your point of view about providing value versus vanity I know both sides of the train.

[@avriljones8853]

Superb video, Ian. I’m already a The Print Space user (that’s how I heard about your video). Thank you for sharing your process.

[@ianlauerastro]

Glad it was helpful! The folks at the print space are fantastic.

[@jbmann.8588]

Maaaaaan this video is GOLD!!!! FREE GOLD!!! THANK YOU!!!

[@ImaniWade-n9x]

This was such a helpful video!! Thanks for sharing your knowledge about this process. 🙏🏽

[@photobizmethod]

So nice to see another photographer drill this into other photographers...give your customer value and I love that you asked people, your potential customers. Nice!

[@siaulk]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Appreciate that.

[@hamdyabdelgayed6912]

First of all thank you Ian for all the info shared, i would really appreciate and am sure everybody would like a video about how you get your photos ready to print and how does it actually work with the print on demand service you use so basically the dynamics of the whole process thank you again for amazing video

[@jasebronson4658]

Amazing video.. the quality and the information is great. Going to come back to this video in a few months and hope to start the same journey!

[@ianlauerastro]

So glad it was helpful. I love helping and seeing other people succeed in their endeavours!

[@kathyfreeman9596]

Great information thank you !! Amazing pics ! I would add one of your beautiful pics as you backdrop in this video 😊

[@Cre8v_ad]

Great video Ian! Loved it!

[@chachizadre]

Hey man, this is gold!! I am starting my own print store and found this very helpful! What sizes did/do you sell?

[@caleb.chadwick]

Thanks for sharing! You are very sincere and your advice is spot on.

[@SaraWC72]

Thankyou so much for the video, so much great advice 🙏❤️

[@SeubertMedia]

Great information! Thank you!

[@tombock336]

Great great info, Ian!!

[@ianlauerastro]

Thanks Tom!

[@uniquespiritualsoundsandmu3922]

Could you please explain more in depth or do a tutorial on how to use theprintspace to sell photography?

[@ianlauerastro]

Been getting this question a lot, so I’ll pin my response! Currently I don’t offer prints on my website. Long story short, I put prints/photography on pause to help build a startup company. I’ve finished my time at the startup and I’m back to doing astro full time again and I’m rebuilding my website! I have some astro workshops I’m running for the next few weeks, which has received most of my attention, but once those are done I’ll be offering prints again 🎉

[@levthelion]

My opinion... - Everybody hates time sensitive sales. They want to know that something will be there once they are ready for the purchase. Especially of things that have to reason to be time sensitive (like a photograph of something that wont change for billions of years) - Listing everything you have on your website give people the option of purchasing your whole collection. It might be rare but its happens. I dont see anything wrong with listing your whole collection.

[@canalinativo____2024]

Great man! Thanks for this!!!

[@loryangnancyvangalways4904]

I love this means so much. Thank you Ian.

[@ianlauerastro]

So glad it helped, thanks for watching!

[@lightkik]

Brilliant video, thanks so much!

[@neilwilliams2881]

Bought one, looks fabulous. Love it

[@maryhosein718]

Awesome video Very useful information. Looking for a printer at the moment.

[@ScorpiosAreAMystery]

Thanks for posting this video. Your photographs are amazing! What size are your digital downloads, and how are you protecting them from being used to print whatever people want to print? I stopped posting my work on SM because of Ai and because people were taking my shots off of my profile and using them as backdrops for their computers, phones etc… I often wonder about these things when I hear photographers offering downloads and using social media.

[@Mintzee-mi8rc]

Hey there! Do you think gelato POD is a great option? Just ordered a sample and the quality was sooo high! And fast shipping. The prices are really cheap compared to the prints space. I think it is a great option for people thats wanna start and offer cheaper wall art. Like 200 dollars for just the production cost! Isnt that a lot?

[@Mintzee-mi8rc]

BTW, nice video, and i am happy that you show the reality about starting a new business. A lot of people makes it sound so easy to make a ton of money in just some days, while you are showing the reality

[@ianlauerastro]

I’m not familiar with them, but the thing that matters is if the quality is to your liking, and it works for your needs. If it is, go for it! The supplier only needs to satisfy your needs to help you achieve your end result - happy clients.

[@ianlauerastro]

Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated! It’s definitely a lot of work and takes a high amount of executive function to get the ball rolling - but being able to build an engaged audience is such a powerful skill. Theres people with 5000 followers on IG who make more money from their audience than a person with 100k - it all comes down to how you utilize the followers you have

[@412foto]

did print space you used charge higher international shipping rates to the US since UK based?

[@justifixation1]

What kind of paper do you usually order, when placing printing orders for pieces? I visited their site and there are a few different paper options, personally, I cannot tell the difference between the different kinds of paper

[@isurus0]

hey Ian, this video is very helpful. I'm going into the font and art/design space, and I think your strategies for outreach and getting a following are going to help a ton. I also see you have a clothing brand, something I'll try as well. Do you have a video where you share how much you make annually off your businesses?

[@lisatphotography]

Thanks so much for creating this video - this was really helpful to me, as I am thinking about offering prints in the near future. Which webhosting service do you use? Any challenges that you experienced (and overcame) with your print on demand service? Cheers, Lisa

[@ianlauerastro]

Glad it was helpful! I use Shopfiy. Most issues came up with shipping (lost/damaged packages) but the Print on Demand service I used (The Print Space) was very professional, they would send replacements out quickly, and they package things well enough so even if the packaging was damaged, the print was still in tact. The best advice I can give (outside of the things I talked about in the video) is to give exceptional customer service to those people buying from you - keep them informed about when prints will arrive, and follow-up with them. You can automate a lot of these things with an email service provider.

[@RomanBeer]

Great, thank you 🙏 What dimensions are your S, M and L prints?

[@ianlauerastro]

In the past I would do 8x10, 16x20, and 32x40. I've recently been doing print launches with my wife, and we've been setting up small and large square sizes of 10x10 and 20x20 (8x8 and 18x18 with a 1" border on all sides).

[@abheymehta]

Awesome work … I have website with square space but not sure if it will work as well as shopify , did you happen to try square space by any chance . Does your printer you used ship worldwide or it’s just UK .

[@olgamoraiti]

Great video, great tips! A question, your prints are on photography or plain high quality paper? Can you order samples before starting your shop?

[@ianlauerastro]

Photo paper. The printer I used (The Print Space) offers sample packs that you can order.

[@olgamoraiti]

@@ianlauerastro thank you so much for answering!

[@stochasmvid]

Great info, thank you for sharing it!

[@amoghpadhye6088]

Hi Ian. Thanks for sharing your journey. I found it very inspiring. Also, your Like Share Subscribe Animation is too impressive. Where did you find it?

[@bjornsahlin]

Well done Ian! I'm curious - what percentage stays with you after shopify, the printing service, taxes and fees etc for every dollar in sales? Cheers

[@manishashrotriya]

Thank you so much for this video

[@notallaboutmeministry3285]

This is actually helpful

[@ianlauerastro]

Glad to hear it!

[@neilarmitage6632]

Valuable information. Thanks

[@ianlauerastro]

Glad it was helpful!

[@JasmineApple]

Hey, Ian, that was great! But I was curious about closing your store? You don't keep things up for sale all the time? For subsequent print drops, do you have all new photos? I get the strategy of limited editions, or get in now before it goes back into the vault, but you don't keep anything in your store at all after a couple of weeks?

[@ianlauerastro]

I don’t keep anything up after I close the store. The scarcity helps sell the idea that once the store is closed, the print won’t be available for a long time - it’s a good technique to get those on the fence about purchasing to buy. Each print drop I make only new prints available. Old ones don’t become available for a long time. That’s just my strategy though, you can certainly make some prints available after a store, it’s all up to you. You know your audience best :)

[@thabomakhoesa6705]

I'm grateful to the universe for sending you my way ❤️🤝🏽

[@the_greatrandini]

Such a big help!! Question though? Where's your website located to check out your prints?

[@the_greatrandini]

uum. Never mind. I found it! 😌

[@AnnkurKumar]

0:30, congrats on earning 11,471.25 use on the first attempt with your first print store!! My query and request make a detailed video step by step on how & where to make print store and what kind of images were your best sellers.?

[@BoVillanueva-l1n]

thanks for sharing!

[@EtherealCosmos-tt2xp]

Hi ian on the part where you say that printspace ships and packages orders do you mean the ship to shopify for you and all ypu focus on is the marketing

[@ianlauerastro]

When you connect print space to Shopify, your orders will get sent to Print Space so they can pack and ship the order directly to your customer

[@staceydenise5538]

Ian, I am curious how do you handle the limited amount of time? Do you turn off the add to cart, remove the photos? I have outlined this type of strategy, but have not found a way to implement it.

[@ianlauerastro]

If you mean on Shopify, you can remove the photos by setting them to Draft, so they are no longer available to purchase. Or you can set your store to password protected if your shop is only there to sell prints.

[@412foto]

what size prints did you end up going with?

[@mikeboldtphoto]

I noticed you do not advertise prints anywhere on your social media or links. How come you stopped?

[@MarkWodjykl]

Great video. Very strange though, no matter how many of your links I follow, I can't find your print store anywhere. Sigh. Maybe via Google ...

[@ianlauerastro]

Working on rebuilding my website at the moment :)

[@infinitebeing211]

Thank you so much!

[@casafilms]

I just went to your website and you no longer seem to be selling prints, just a digital bundle. Are prints no longer selling?

[@ianlauerastro]

Long story short, shipping costs went way up, at the same time I put prints/photography on pause to help build a startup company. I’ve finished my time at the startup and I’m back to doing astro full time again. Also my printer, the Print Space, just opened a New York location which drastically reduced shipping prices, so I’m rebuilding my website! I have some workshops I’m running for the next few weeks but once those are done I’ll be offering prints again

[@casafilms]

@@ianlauerastro great to hear. I'll keep checking your site. Thanks for replying.

[@mike_abramyan]

Amazing video!

[@ianlauerastro]

Glad you think so! Cheers dude!

[@p1pepper]

What hats are those ?

[@RonK]

how comes there's no way to find any of your prints on your website, no link to a web- or print shop, no mention, nothing?

[@ianlauerastro]

I only do print drops once a year now for a limited time, and promote it through my email list/social media. This lets me focus on what I enjoy doing most - astrophotography and getting people out under the stars through workshops and tours. I recently updated my website to reflect that, but looks like I missing putting my print section live - Gotta fix that thanks for pointing that out 🤙

[@Stany6166youtube.]

Thank u

[@matetraveler]

This video is all I needed to hear 🥲I was doing research to see how to sell my travel photos and your experience is by far the most real and honest, thanks for sharing a ton of motivation and your amazing art :) cheers from Bcn 🙌

[@Youcancallmeal4]

The crab nebula on the picture.

[@Arcteek]

I think I have good pictures and was able to sell a few of them but I think my 0 followers on social media wouldn't care about an online marketplace 😂

[@terryhopkins8059]

Hello Ian, where are you located? You don't have to be specific, just close.

[@harrisonlauer6346]

Hey! I know this guy!!!

[@ianlauerastro]

Thank you my brotha!

[@el_mono_sabe]

which paper for photo prints did you choose

[@ianlauerastro]

I launched my first store with Giclee paper, but found my audience didn't care much about the paper quality, as long as it "looked good". I switched it up to Fuji Photo Paper in later print drops and people still loved it.

[@el_mono_sabe]

@ianlauerastro yes, the audience dont know about paper type but people want something reliable, that lasts and have a professional look

[@Msen_Boystreet]

Good❤❤

[@AminTheMystic]

So how come you are not selling prints now?

[@Normanskie]

5*****'s.

[@roninthegoat2810]

Oh yeah so you’re the only one shooting nature to show off how beautiful it is, shure, that makes you unique

[@TatianaBalashova]

Thank you for sharing, great strategy and tips! Provided that you already have some social media following interested in specifically your work. Not just any friends on fb or instagram (a personal account). Good idea not to offer too many options and variations of print sizes, as well as offering a low cost option and experimenting with the cost of bigger prints. Your images are unique and stunning! It would be surprising if you did not sell them.

[@ButterflyVybzzz]

Sooo beautiful. Im definitely going to check u out!

[@SaraWC72]

Thankyou so much for the video, so much great advice 🙏❤️

[@Lorin888]

Great info, thank you!

[@SaraWC72]

Thankyou so much for the video, so much great advice 🙏❤️