WooCommerce, that has enabled me to style my gallery as
a shop so I can sell my images. I must admit I did have some
hair pulling moments, but the results have been worth it.
Since its completion I have had some lovely things said about
it and gained some work from it. So much so that I have now
set up a side-line creating websites for artists and creative
artisans. Unfortunately, it has meant not as much time for the
photography or artwork as I would like!
Do you have any tips for our readers on how to start an
online gallery?
One of the easiest ways to start an online gallery is to sign-up
to Shopify or SmugMug, both are great tools and very easy to
do. However, they are often built to a specific template which
can be hard to customise to give a unique look.
If you have some experience of building a website, you can do
it yourself or purchase a gallery style template to work from if
you don’t feel confident to make too many alterations.
Alternatively employ the services of a web designer. Yes, it
will be more expensive, but the right designer will sit and
listen to what you want and design a unique website around
your individual needs, personality and style. They say that
buying art is an emotive experience and customers like to be
wooed. A good web designer will help you give your customer
an enjoyable experience that will help keep them engaged
and inside the gallery for as long as possible.
Gone are the days when a portfolio gallery was an online
business card. Today it’s not a passive tool. It’s an active, real
part of a business. So, if you don’t already have an online
gallery my advice to you is “Go for it, you have nothing to lose
and everything to gain.”
Have you been influenced by other photographers or
digital artists?I was first influenced and encouraged to delve into photoshop
by an Irish photographer called Podge Kelly. He opened my
eyes to another world and gave me a small glimpse of what
could be achieved. Only now am I able to appreciate the seed
that sparked it all off.I’m also inspired by all the artists in the AWAKE and Kaizen
Groups. I know that if I hadn’t signed up to the Photoshop
Artistry course, I wouldn’t be producing the work I am today.
Thank you Sebastian xDo you already have a basic idea or story in mind when
you start creating a new piece and could you tell us a
bit about your actual creative process and routine?Oh yes, I like to have everything mapped out in my head
before I start a series. I tend to create more than one image
on a theme depending on the end purpose. For example, my
Illustrative Fellowship panel took over 3 years before it was
completed as everything had to be in place before I started
the 20 images required. First, I photographed the flowers that
were going to be the dresses; the following year came the
inspiration for the dresses to become 16th Century masked
ballgowns. The backgrounds presented themselves during a
cruise from Copenhagen to St Petersburg and then to shoot
the models. The hardest part was how to merge it altogether
whilst creating something completely unique. It was around
this time that I signed up for the AWAKE course and learnt
the skills to turn an image into a watercolour painting which
I then modified with additional brush strokes, sketch strokes
and lines. To push the boundaries a little further I embellish
the limited-edition pieces with gold leaf and acrylic paints.Why do you create sets of images?A set of images can lead to more sales, some buyers like to
see groups of images rather than a single one depending on
the space they want to fill so creating sets makes up-selling
easier.Do you have a favourite piece of equipment or software
you use? Which item is indispensable in your studio?Without a shadow of a doubt I would have to say my PC
accompanied by Photoshop and the Topaz suite, without
them I could not craft my illustrative portraits.As far as photography kit goes, it would be my tripod. I use it
for virtually everything I photograph. I have trouble holding
the camera for any length of time so without my tripod I’d be
lost and very frustrated.May we ask what you are working on at the moment?I’m currently putting together a collection of statues. Some
I photographed in cemeteries and others on a recent trip to
Rome. Hopefully they’ll prove to be as popular as the flowers
and ballgowns.