The Value of a Photograph

Moving is stressful, but there is a terrific benefit - the great memories that bubble to the surface when you start moving your belongings.  For me it’s in moving my collection of photographs.   My home is like a gallery, as I proudly display a collection of photographs, most of them gifts from friends over the years.  Every photograph, even a few of my own, has a story behind it.

Here’s the newest addition to the collection.  Joe Elario, sent me a small canvas print for Christmas and we loved it, but here’s the background.  Joe and I met a long long (notice the use of double “longs”) time ago at PhotoPlus Expo in New York.  Every year he’d come by the Hasselblad booth and we’d talk.  A great friendship came out of those annual visits and pretty soon we started catching up at other shows, getting out to dinner and coming up in March I’ll be there to watch his son, JP, also an outstanding photographer, get married.

Meanwhile, back to the print – it’s beautiful small, but I wanted it large.  Only in photography can you not insult somebody by saying, “I love your gift, but would you mind sending the file to me so I can redo it!”   We sent the file over to Drew at Simply Canvas and took it to 24×48 for over the fireplace. 

The quality is outstanding.   For those of you who love prints on canvas, rather than the black edging that Joe’s original print had, Drew mirrored the image around the edges.   He added so much more to the impact by taking away the distraction of a black border.

The next time you’re working with a client and looking for that one image worthy to enlarge, first think about your options and consider a canvas print.  Second, think about the value of that photograph to your client.  The value can’t be measured in dollars, but the emotions and the memories it brings back.  Stay focused on how to sell the “heart” of your work and you’ll close the sale every time!