I'm trying to develop a business idea from a photo project I recently completed for a fundraising auction, and I could use some feedback/ideas.

For the project, I went around my small town (pop. 1800) with my trusty Canon AE1 Program (purchased in 1985), a tripod and a single roll of black and white film, and got a bunch of shots of "things" with my town's name on them.....water tower, old cotton gin, grain elevator, railroad equip shed, *sign outside of the school, etc. I took seven of these in 4x6 and 5x7 formats and inexpensively matted and framed them into five art pieces. I think I was in for about $40 on the whole project, but could do it for about $30, knowing what I know now.

These five pieces sold for $170 in a live auction during a fundraising event (yea! I have a price point!). The purchaser was the local school district who purchased them for their board room and has commissioned me to take some additional shots around the school campus.

My thought is to take this idea to the "big city" (pop. 25,000) down the road, and take several stock photos of things with "big city" on them. I would then identify a potential client and take several shots of that entity and combine these with a few of my stock photos to create a specialized collection to pitch to the client.

Take the county judge for example. To the photos of "big city" and "county" (in this case), I would add some shots of the outside of the courthouse, maybe his office door, a political rally, etc. I would then frame two or three of his specialized shots along with two or three of my stock shots, and pitch the collection to him for purchase for $175. I would have a portfolio of the stock photos that he could choose from...he wouldn't have to take the ones I present as a collection.

I could take several shots of three or four potential clients on a single roll of film to keep costs down. The specialized photos, along with the choice between stock photos, means everyone in town (ha, ha) gets a one-of-a-kind art photography collection. The county judge and all of the county commissioners (mayor and all city council members, superintendent and all school board members, etc.) might all have a collection, but each would be unique.

I really think the key to this idea is having a specialized collection of five or so framed pieces to show the potential client. It's "art"....they won't buy it from a brochure. The beauty is that it can be duplicated in a limited way in even the smallest towns.

I'd love to hear any feedback and/or suggestions. Also, some ideas for a description of what I'm doing and a business name. Words like "locale" and "hometown" are coming to mind.

Thanks in advance!

I think your idea sounds great - businesses love customized prints.. especially black and white because it makes them look 'sophisticated' and 'professional

I would caution you on the price. I would probably get a couple of different prices - aka different "packages" and then pick one as the "best seller." My only consern is that you are basing your price on an auction amount and so that may not really be a realistic representation of what something is worth. Consider the Barrett-Jackson auction. Not every 56 Thunderbird Convertible is worth $100,000.

Good luck!

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