You like these kinds of shots?

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Tom Reynolds

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Full Frame (DX) cropped to 16x20. No other adjustments> Is this something people would put on a wall?
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Tom, I don't think the sole determining factor for what someone would put on their wall is the size of the image as most images can be printed at various sizes.
 
You should put it in the critique forum, get some reactions. Are you asking should you put it on your own wall, or would someone who didn't love you want it on their wall? If the first, then if it evokes a memory of that great day you spent getting the image or of the place you took the shot, I'd say by all means print it and hang it. If the second, it's not to my personal taste as a wall hanger but that is just me.
 
As is, the short answer is no. Can it be edited into something folks may like? For sure. Can it be edited into something people would pay for? Tricky - the lighting is quite challenging.

If you want a sense about what sells in this style, check out Jan Wegener’s work.

https://aviscapes.com/collection/wrens/
Thanks for pointing out Jan Webber's work. It's an interesting style. I can see why some people may want to exhibit it as a piece of fine art on their wall. However it doesn't appeal to my tastes in wildlife photography. The style removes the wildness from the subject. The background is unnatural and the colors are over saturated. When you first look at them, they appear as illustrations rather than photographs.
 
Here is the 3:2 shot
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To be very honest, I shoot a lot of birds in my photography, probably too many. With that as background, I only have two bird images printed and hanging on my walls. One is a robin splashing in a colorful birdbath I bought for my wife and she really liked the pic. The other is a Bald Eagle in flight as it went about 50 feet away right in front of me in really nice golden hour light. Again, it was from a special moment. My wife’s 93 year old mother had never seen an eagle before and we took her to an area where we knew they frequented so that she could fill a bucket list item.

I have offered a few bird photos for sale and never sold a single one. Landscapes sell pretty well for me, photos of deer sell pretty well and several of my wildflower macro shots have sold well (especially when someone says the colors go well with their room decor).

It isn’t the quality of the photo it is what people want on their walls and it seems bird photos, at least where I’ve had them up, just don’t garner a lot of attention other than the “wow, that’s a beautiful bird” comments.

Jeff
 
The eye is too dark. Generally, I like to see the eye. A little highlight is even better.
I agree. The catchlight in the eye is easy enough to add in post if one is not a purist. I’ve done it on some of my bird photos. Seems more difficult to make it realistic on mammals with large eyes like deer.
Jeff
 
...I have offered a few bird photos for sale and never sold a single one. Landscapes sell pretty well for me, photos of deer sell pretty well and several of my wildflower macro shots have sold well (especially when someone says the colors go well with their room decor)....

In my experience the wildlife (mammals or birds) photos that sell best, in addition to good technique and composition, are ether cute or colorful, preferably both.
 
In my experience the wildlife (mammals or birds) photos that sell best, in addition to good technique and composition, are ether cute or colorful, preferably both.
I agree. I would add “majestic” to the list. Bucks with massive antlers, eagles in majestic looking poses and probably, bears, the big African mammals although I’ve never had the good fortune to photograph in Africa.
 
I have always prefer a straight critic, so here it goes.

No i wouldn’t (others may feel different). Reason is composition. It is just not an compelling image compositionally wise. Based on solely this reason, I would already strike out this image. Usually I will find ways to crop it to better the image composition but It seems hard based on the full 3:2 crop.

This is the challenge with wildlife photography, a imposing posture of the subject but in a impossible background or environment.
 
I am asking about people's personal taste. Generally, what do people who sell prints think.

Tom
In addition to the many good comments above, my question is who do you see as your target audience? I see images for sale at all prices, sizes, quality and in many different venues. And I suspect that what I personally would buy or sell is probably not very representative of an "average" buyer. Have you considered testing the waters with a few images to see if there is any interest?

Good luck,

--Ken
 
In addition to the many good comments above, my question is who do you see as your target audience? I see images for sale at all prices, sizes, quality and in many different venues. And I suspect that what I personally would buy or sell is probably not very representative of an "average" buyer. Have you considered testing the waters with a few images to see if there is any interest?

Good luck,

--Ken
I am actually not trying to sell anything. I am trying to get, unsuccessfully, an idea of what people consider art. For example, my wife won't put this shot on the wall as she sees the male dominating the female. Technically it is soft (low f/stop) but is it pleasing?


Tom
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Whether something is art and whether it is pleasing are to me two different things. To me art is when at some point in the process you decide that you have "artistic intent." You intend to produce a certain image and then you go ahead and take the steps to produce that image. If you say it is art then it is art because you are the artist and the only one qualified to decide that. The image doesn't have to be pleasing, or pretty. It could be provocative and disturbing.
 
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I am actually not trying to sell anything. I am trying to get, unsuccessfully, an idea of what people consider art. For example, my wife won't put this shot on the wall as she sees the male dominating the female. Technically it is soft (low f/stop) but is it pleasing?


TomView attachment 38859
Helpful information. I shoot a variety of subjects, but don't hang a lot of my work in our house. My wife and I share a bedroom converted to an office and she had an idea of what types of work she did and did not want on the walls. As I am not that set on any of my pieces being displayed, I worked with her to find what I liked and she wanted. But all of the pieces I suggested would be considered art if I was asked to make a call on them.

Having said that, I do have to say that I am very picky about what I want to see every day, my work or otherwise. Perhaps you could get an LCD monitor or flat screen TV and use it to display a rotation of your images? This addresses any permanence issues if there are any, and gives you a lot of flexibility. And you can always say that it is helping you to better select among your images, which it is.

And FWIW, last year I did hang four 10x15 acrylic pieces in the corner of our dining room. We both thought long and hard about the images because acrylic pieces in that size are not inexpensive. The images are quite beautiful and many folks have previously complimented me on them when I was culling and soliciting opinions, but I cannot say that the set wows me as much as I thought it would. They are beautiful, but I guess sometimes I am my own worst critic. Or perhaps I am always looking forward to what I am going to shoot next? In either event, this is probably why I prefer hanging other people's work in our house. Go figure.

I hope the two of you are able to find a mutually agreeable solution.

--Ken
 
I'll just leave you with this link to Tom Mangelsen's website. He is someone I think everyone can agree has reached the high point of what wildlife photography can be. Not that we should try to imitate him, since there already is a Tom Mangelsen style of photography, but maybe we can learn from the examples about our own art.


 
Your pictures are very nice, but none of them are images that the average person or even bird lover would hang on a wall. Very few people buy bird photos, though a number of magazines and web publications will buy similar photos for ad copy or as part of an essay requiring photos.
I have done a number of solo shows and cooperative gallery projects throughout my career as a biologist/photographer and I have sold a few (6-10 or so) large 30"+ images. The photos had a few things in common:
  • The compositions were very simple and emphasized the form of an animal against a simple but dramatic background.
  • The weather was as important to the photo as was the subject.
  • The bird was recognizable and an important animal for the buyer
bruce
 
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To pursue your interest in what makes a print that may sell, or get published, I suggest you join a camera club that has regular competitions and some classes on how to judge images. If there is nothing in your local area, then you could look at clubs that have an on-line presence like the Photographic Society of America.
 
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