When is a Photo Not a Photo?

As you may know, I love photography. I have done for more than 30 years but I also love talent in general. With the introduction of the internet, I am constantly being made aware of incredibly talented people all over the world. I love it, it's fantastic.

A digital photo is a wonderful thing. It can be enjoyed by millions and if stored correctly (and backed up), it can last for centuries. However, that can also make it a little boring…simple and infinite replication.

I have a painting on the wall of my lounge that was given to me by a couple of artist brothers in Florence, Italy. This was after I did a job for them whilst shooting a wedding out there (you can see the diary here: Destination Wedding Photography). My painting of the “Duomo” was done using a 2,000 year old Egyptian technique and the frame is gold leaf. It was valued or being sold for (in 2007) around €1,600.

The brothers gave it to me as thanks for doing the shoot and even signed the back.

This painting has so much more value to me than a typical painting bought at an auction. It has a story to it from my wonderful 5 day adventure in Tuscany. It cannot be replicated and is a one off.

Does real art hold more value?

Similarly, I have a photo taken of my kids that I love from my son’s 6th birthday...

 …but again, a print holds less value as it can be replicated, shared and copied an infinite number of times. If it were to get damaged, a copy could be made very quickly lessening its value. I had a charcoal drawing made of this photo above by a very talented artist in the Far East. This was after a request from one of our members to help promote this guy as his talent was outstanding.

When I received this drawing, I was gob-smacked and you can see a scan of it below. However, before you do that, I want to explain the value of something like this (to me anyway).

The drawing is a true one off. The artist spent many days painstakingly creating this image using powdered charcoal and a technique I wish I understood, I love it. I treat it as though it is a bird with two broken wings every time I show someone and will be having it professionally mounted and framed very soon.

To me it is precious because of the effort put into it. Plus the fact that it is a one off but how could something like this benefit you and/or your business?

What does a drawing like the one below cost?

Well, the price is incredibly reasonable for a drawing like this. It could be a brilliant loss leader for winning a wedding photography contract. As part of your package, you could offer a drawing like this to be done of the couples favourite portrait free of charge. You simply absorb the costs into the final package.

I am sure that any couple would hold its value in the same high esteem to which I do.

Maybe you would just like one done of your own family for the hell of it? I highly recommend that you check out the drawing below and get in touch if you would like more details.

This drawing was a pure work of art and so lifelike it took my wife and I some convincing to prove that it wasn't just a Photoshopped effort. The charcoal coming off on our fingers was the first give-away that this was real. You can see the sketch below but please bear in mind that I have a rubbish scanner and this is not the full image.

I cropped the photo to match the sketch which was too big to fit in full on my A4 scanner. The representation is good but nothing compared to seeing the sketch in real life…it really is amazing.

I have the photo in digital format and could print off as many as I like which tends to diminish its value. However, a remarkable sketch like this that took a talented person thousands of miles away more than a week to finish is to me, worth a lot more than the digital print. We are going to get this framed and hung on our hallway wall for everyone to see.

Order your own

So, duly convinced and true to my word, I am promoting this guy as promised. For a sketch like this of two people, he charges around £76 delivered anywhere in the world. That is a steal as far as I am concerned. If you would like more details, in the first instance, please get in touch with me and I will pass your details on.

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