Interview

Why did you start Fotoviva? On which websites did you try selling your photos before you started Fotoviva and why didn’t you like them?

I began Fotoviva initially to sell my own photographic work as either canvas or poster prints. I had began selling some stock photos on istockphoto.com but wanted somewhere to sell the more artistic images which would suit the home market rather than stock side of things. I didn’t go to any other sites because I run my own web design company viperdesign.net and I wanted to design my own site.

I’m impressed by the professionalism and beauty of the Fotoviva site. How long did it take to create the website? Did you do it yourself or work with a team?

With being a graphic/web designer by trade I made most of it myself. A programming friend helped build the ‘shop’ side of things and together it took around 3 months in my spare time to get it up and running. Since then it has been constantly evolving from a design and working aspect. The collection of images is always increasing yet we are still managing to maintain a high standard of photography.

How long has Fotoviva been running and what is the progress so far? Where do you see the business going over the next 6 months to a year?

Fotoviva was launched in December 2006. It wasn’t until around the end of march that we began selling other photographers work and since then the image collection has grown considerably. Currently over 170 photographs are available to buy. Over the next 6 months we hope to tie up a few more contributors including a famous wildlife professional who has a huge portfolio to offer us. Traffic to the site has expanded and subsequently sales have increased thanks to a big leap in the search engine rankings. We obviously aim to reach page 1 of Google for all our main keywords in the near future but this does take time.

I understand that at first you created the site to sell your own photography. Why did you decide to open it up to other photographers?

I realised there were some exceptional photographers out there who did not have the time or understanding of how to sell their images online. With a pre-built shop ready to sell their work it seemed like an ideal solution for them. It also helps to increase the collection with art being so subjective “one man’s gold is another man’s poison”. We already have a number of contributors making sales through Fotoviva which they wouldn’t have done otherwise.

How have you been marketing Fotoviva? What has been the most effective marketing strategy that you’ve used so far?

We have been optimising the site and learning all about SEO techniques that help boost search engine ranking position. It has taken a long time because it is such a competitive market but we are now performing well for our main keywords. As we increase the sales we will have more finances to help advertise and promote.

Do you have any offline marketing strategies such as advertising or attending trade shows?

We are purely an online company at present so do not attend any shows. Word of mouth and a couple of exhibitions are all we have worked with so far.

Are you currently looking for new photographers to add to the site? If so, what kind of work are you looking for?

We are always looking to expand the photo collection to help customers find the image they want. Prospective contributors need to think if their work can match or exceed the work we already have. It needs to be art for walls rather than stock photography. The general rule would be ‘would someone want this picture on their walls?’ Potential photographic contributors should use the contact form and supply a link to their portfolio.

Can you give three marketing tips for photographers selling their work through Fotoviva?

Promote Fotoviva yourselves, by mentioning us on your own site and word of mouth. The more people who hear about us the better chance of more sales! Open a Flickr account to promote your work. Also get involved in photography forums and show off your pictures there. You can get constructive criticsm by fellow photographers which can help.

Tell us about your own photgraphy. What is your experience and what do you like to take photos of?

I like to take landscape and nature photography. This is is something I have always been interested in. I have tried doing studio work but find it frustrating and not my cup of tea – I would rather be out in the middle of a field or up a mountain!

So, take a look at the high quality photography for sale on Fotoviva, and check out the Fotoviva blog.

Photo Gallery

Here are some of my favourite photos from the Fotiviva site. Click on the photo to see it on the site.

‘Snow In Summer’ © Jacky Parker

‘Glen Coe in Winter’ © Peter Paterson

‘Northern Tide’ © Tim Wallace

All photography © by the authors. Please contact the photographers for permission to use.