Jumpgallery: Promoting Photography Online

Online promotion works best when imagination and innovation combine to create a remarkable idea. Seven London based photographers did just that.

Many photographers never use their websites for anything more than displaying some photos and posting a bio page. But for the professional or aspiring pro, a website can form a key part of their self-promotion strategy, and even generate income directly from sales of prints or stock images.

The goal of any commercial photographer should be to have an innovative website that’s simple to navigate and with content that gets people talking. One group of young photographers have done just that.

Jumpgallery

Jumpgallery was formed by seven London based photographers who were initially looking for a way to create a talking point and capture people’s attention. Sharing ideas and supporting each other was just as important as selling prints and promoting everybody’s work.

Two key aspects make Jumpgallery stand out. First, it’s run by the people who created it. Prospective print buyers communicate directly with the photographers and the gallery takes no cut on any sales.

Second, its members are London based, up and coming professionals already working successfully in the cut-throat business of commercial photography.

The quality of the prints for sale is excellent. They have both a commercial feel and a cutting edge quality – the work of a bunch of people going places in the photography world.

Jumpgallery is the brainchild of Paul Calver and Victoria Ling. Vicky came up with the concept after she stopped assisting (the pair both worked for still life photographer Richard Foster) and started freelancing. She felt isolated and realised that she missed being part of a team. They then pitched the idea to some fellow photographers at a similar stage of their careers and Jumpgallery was born.

From the beginning Jumpgallery was designed to be a positive force, uniting a group of photographers and putting out a body of work for print sales. But more than this it was a chance for the photographers to get together regularly to discuss ideas, support and encourage each other.

The gallery’s also an important promotional tool. Web traffic is attracted to the site and then flows to the photographers’ individual websites, which are all linked.

By working as a group, the photographers can pool their contact lists, and promote each other to prospective clients. One of the photographers may meet a client for who their work is not right but another member may be just what they’re looking for, so no contacts are wasted.

The website also has a news blog with updates on the latest commissions, exhibitions and competitions that the photographers are involved with. There’s also an email newsletter that visitors can sign up to.

Seven

With Jumpgallery’s success comes expansion, and the group have just launched a new concept called ‘Seven‘.

The idea is simple: each of the photographers puts forward an image to be made into three editions – seventy 10×8″ prints sold at £35 each; seven 20×24″ prints sold at £350 each; and one exhibition sized 40×50″ print at £2000.

Paul Calver recently met up with some photographers in New York City on a recent trip to the Big Apple, to see if he could find anyone interested in setting up a similar group. The Jumpgallery photographers thought it would be great to exchange ideas with a like minded group and maybe even collaborate on exhibitions – the London group exhibiting in NYC and vice versa.

(Incidentally, Jumpgallery aren’t looking for new members, but they are interested in collaborating with similar groups of photographers from other parts of the UK. If you’re interested, get in touch through their website.)

So there you have it, two key ingredients of online promotion – a cool, innovative concept, and a group of like minded people working together and supporting each other. The message is clear: think up an idea, get support, and then put it into action.

Official ‘Seven‘ Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

24^th September 2008

‘jumpgallery’ presents the photographic exhibition ‘7′

at Ada street gallery from the 11^th to the 16^th of November

7

‘7′ is a print edition aimed at making high quality photographic art more readily accessible to the masses .

7 artists

Paul Calver; Victoria Ling; Oliver Martin; Spencer Murphy; Kate Peters; Linda Rompalla and Cat Vinton

7 images

Each of the seven artists has released an exclusive image, available in 3 limited editions.

Prints will be available throughout the exhibition and online in the ‘7′ shop at jumpgallery.com

7 editions

The 3 editions:

1/70   8 x 10″  £35

1/7    20 x 24″ £350

1/1    40 x 50″ £2000

Exhibition: Tuesday 11^th- Sunday 16^th 12am-6pm (11am-4pm Sunday)

Private view: Thursday 13^th November 6-9pm

Ada Street Gallery

2a Ada Street

(Off Broadway Market)

E8 4QU

Links

Jumpgallery website: www.jumpgallery.com

Seven website: http://seven.jumpgallery.com/

(All links on this page open in a new window)

The Jumpgallery Photographers

Paul Calver

Born in Suffolk and now living in London, Paul Calver has exhibited in both London and New York City. See his work at Jumpgallery.

Website: http://www.calverphoto.com/

Victoria Ling

Vicky assisted freelance still life photographer Richard Foster for 2 years before turning freelance, and lives and works in London.

Website: http://www.victorialing.com/site.html

Oliver Martin

Oliver lives in London where he works on commissions for publications and agencies as well as personal projects. He’s assisted still life photographer Richard Foster and Landscape and Advertising photographer Stuart Hall. He worked on his first major project in 2003 by travelling to Cambodia to document children working on a rubbish dump on the outskirts of the capital Phnom Pehn.

Website: http://www.olivermartin.co.uk/site.html

Spencer Murphy

Spencer has exhibited in London, Germany and the USA, and contributed to magazines including The Independent on Sunday Review and The Sunday Telegraph – Seven Magazine. He was included in the National Portrait Gallery Photographic Portrait Prize 2006 and awarded the Association of Photographers Bursary 2006 for his project “Wastelands”.

Website: http://www.spencermurphy.com/

Kate Peters

Kate has spent the last three years assisting photographer Nadav Kander and working on personal projects and commissions. She won the Metro Imaging Bursary in 2002 for her work ‘Home’ and the Creative Futures Award in 2005. Her photos have been exhibited in group shows across the UK.

Website: http://www.katepeters.co.uk/

Linda Romppala

Swedish born Linda moved to the UK five years ago and is working as an assistant and photographer in London. She has exhibited in London, Durham, Finland and Sweden and been published in Amelia’s Magazine.

Website: http://www.lindarom.com/

Cat Vinton

After graduating Cat worked as a freelance photographer in the People’s Democratic Republic of Lao, before returning to London. She’s exhibited in both London and Paris and won the 2007 Travel Photographer of the Year competition.

Website: http://www.catvphotography.co.uk/

Read my interview with Cat Vinton.

All photos Copyright © by the respective photographers. Please contact the photographers for permission to use in any way.