Since postcards are small – 9.5 x 15cm/6 x 4in is the standard size – an image in virtually any format has the potential to sell if it is technically OK. Most publishers will accept transparencies from 35mm upwards and digital files, but will rarely take photographic or inkjet prints.
The postcard market is not the most lucrative, but it can generate a useful income if you get it right. In my experience, the range of payments for postcard rights is from £50–£120 ($80–$200) per image. Some cards are multi-image, and that means you end up with a higher fee.
Why not consider publishing your own postcards? If you have a collection of attractive pictures of your local area, you could have some postcards printed and sell them without too much trouble at a useful profit. There are a number of companies that specialize in printing postcards, but most general printers can help, too. It doesn’t cost much to have, say, 2,000 cards printed of each picture, and if they all sell you should at least double your money. The more copies you have printed, the cheaper the unit price gets. Local gift shops, hotels, restaurants, newsagents, museums, galleries and tourist information centres are all potential customers.
This is no way to get rich quickly, but it will spread your name around the area, which could lead to commissions for other work. You can invest the profits in having more cards printed until you end up with a good selection on sale – you could perhaps extend your range to include other locations, though it may be wise to keep things fairly local to simplify distribution.
THE DECISIVE MOMENT
When shooting with postcards in mind, choose the moment carefully, so there are as few distractions and unwanted elements as possible.
GREETINGS CARDS
The market for greetings cards is booming. People are sending more cards than ever before, and not just for traditional dates such as Christmas, birthdays and Valentine’s Day. These days, you can buy ‘Hooray! You’re Divorced’ cards, and there are plenty of ‘You’re my Friend’ blank cards, so you can write your own message. The good news for the freelance is that the proportion of cards featuring photographs rather than paintings and drawings continues to increase – and a number of companies now specialize in photographic greetings cards. The downside is that relatively few new photography cards are published each year and competition to supply the images is fierce, both from photographers submitting material directly and from picture libraries. If you are already shooting the right kind of material, it’s worth having a go, but if you’re just starting out there are more lucrative avenues that are worth trying first.
THE ‘AHHH’ FACTOR
Greetings cards usually have some kind of emotional element, so pictures are required that make buyers say ‘Ahhh’.
The best way of starting is to do some market research. Spend a day visiting as many outlets as you can. As well as large high-street stores, go to smaller locations, such as local shops and post offices. It is also worth dropping into garden centres and DIY stores, which often stock ranges of cards. If you can afford to, buy at least one card from each publisher – remember that you can claim the cost as a legitimate research expense – so you have their name and telephone number. Make notes about what is in each of the ranges. As you study the cards on offer, you will soon notice that the most popular subjects by far are animals and flowers. These represent probably 80 to 90 per cent of the photographic cards on sale.
CAPTIONING POTENTIAL
The most saleable animal pictures are those which have the potential for a witty or amusing caption to be added.
The most popular animals are cats, pigs, dogs and – somewhat surprisingly – orang-utans. If you want to get published, those are the best animals to photograph. You can try others, but you would be swimming against the tide of demand, and less likely to be successful.
The market divides into two main areas: cute and humorous. Any picture that makes people go weak at the knees and say ‘Ahhh’ has the potential for greetings-card use. Think big, ugly boxer dog sniffing tiny, gorgeous kitten, or a fluffy young duckling held in the palm of a hand, and you’ve got the idea.
Jokey cards are common these days, and many use animals to provide the humour. Sometimes the picture is comical in its own right – a pig with its tongue out or a monkey parading its bottom – or it becomes funny once a caption is added.
If you have pets of your own, it’s worth having a go – but don’t be surprised if the results are disappointing. The secret of success lies in finding subjects that are supremely photogenic, and your long-in-the-tooth moggie or mongrel may no longer cut the mustard. If you are serious about shooting to sell, you will need to find a source of winsome kittens or puppies. Perhaps a local pet shop would be willing to help, or someone who breeds cats and dogs. It might be worth suggesting a quid pro quo arrangement – you provide them with images they can use promotionally and you are free to sell them. If they won’t go for that then you may have to pay. As long as the fee isn’t too high this can make sense financially, especially if you think about shooting for other markets at the same time, such as picture libraries or local magazines.
Farms can also be a good source of subject matter, particularly in the spring, when you will be able to photograph ducklings, piglets and lambs. At that time of year, some farms have open days, when you can go along for free or for a modest payment. You may find yourself jostling for position with children on a school trip, however, and it is probably better to arrange a private visit, when you will have more control, and are therefore more likely to end up with marketable images.
PASTEL COLOURS
Pastel images with blues and purples –such as these bluebells – are extremely popular with buyers.
Providing you have a powerful telephoto lens, it can also be worthwhile spending a day at the zoo. If the weather is good, and the animals active, you should end up with a number of appealing shots, one or two of which might be suitable for greetings cards. You will need a reasonably strong zoom because it is essential to crop in tight, for two reasons. One is that the expression on the animal’s face will be crucial in whether you make a sale. The second is that you need to exclude anything that reveals the fact that the creature was in captivity, such as mesh fencing or a glass enclosure.
The other common subject for photographic greetings cards is flowers – or ‘florals’ as they’re often called in the trade. The pictures can be of individual blooms, arranged bouquets or ‘country living’ still-lifes, which might include props such as jugs, vases and crockery. In other words, everything from a bunch of flowers in a vase to a garden scene to a field of poppies is required. Pastel images with blues and purples, such as delphiniums