November 13, 2006

If I went to your website or blog right now, would I be able to see the genius behind your art? Would I be able to see the hands that created the work? If you don't have a good photo of yourself on your website, you're not using all of the weapons in your marketing arsenal.

The Web is where we go today to find information. We may see work we like at a gallery or festival, but we hope to learn more when we visit a website. Missing information leaves us wanting.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not encouraging you to put your image on your home page or to make it huge. I'm just saying that when I visit your website and click on "about the artist," I really want to see the person behind the work and the words on the page. I want to get to know you. When you leave out this bit of information, you're missing out on opportunity.

If flashing your pearly whites just isn't your personality, no worries. Ellen Soffer has a serious artist look in her photo, where she is surrounded by her work. She preferred a smaller picture, so had it cropped: http://ellensoffer.com/about.shtml

Some artists, like Richard Yaeger and Joellyn Duesberry, show themselves working in the field--literally. http://www.yeager.com/artist.htm
http://www.joellynduesberry.com/about-joellyn.shtml

Others have terrific photos that promote their brand. Deb Trotter is Cowboy's Sweetheart: http://www.cowboyssweetheart.net/artist.htm

Todd Powell is an adventure sports photographer. His outdoor photo is taken with a ski area clearly visible in the background: http://toddpowell.com/bio.html

Glen Robert Hacker is a fisherman and portrait painter who specializes in angler trophy portraits: http://anglertrophyportraits.com/artist.htm

Get a good photo. It doesn't have to be perfect and you don't have to pay a fortune to have one made. Nor do you have to come across as terribly artsy. You just need to be yourself--but not too much. If you're doing something besides posing for the camera, make it be relate to your art or niche market. A photo of you at your wedding doesn't work for your art website (unless you specialize in wedding photography).

ACTION STEPS TO TAKE

Know This...
People really do want to get to know you.

Think About This...
Adding your photo to your website puts a real person behind the images and words. You're trying to market something handmade. Show us the hands that made it.

Do This...
Show me your face. You don't have to put it on all of your marketing material that you hand out in person, but please put it on your website. Don't forget to credit the photographer for the picture.

I'm not a portrait expert, so I'm leaving a short post on the Art Biz Blog in case anyone wants to share tips for getting a good artist's photo: http://www.artbizblog.com

Heard on the Art Biz Blog

From Gail Frasier:
"My lesson for today is: Don't send a picture to a publication that can't stand alone. Seems logical, doesn't it? But my logic has tangents. Well, I sent YourHub [a Denver Post regional insert] three pictures thinking I might get three in (positive thinking, right?) and they published only the third and last one I sent--it makes little sense without the other two photos! See my rear end in today's issue." (Visit the blog to see the photos and find out why some people think that photo was selected.)

Leslie DeBrocky shares info about Art Sisters, a group of women who help each other be artists while they juggle the rest of their lives.

You never know how someone will find you online. Read more at http://www.artbizblog.com