Placing Your Personal Work in Today's Marketplace | Target Your Market: Getting Returns for Your Efforts | Career Options in Photography: A Pre-Professional Survey | Presenting Your Work to the Fine Art Community | Considering a Career with Your Camera | Ansel Adams: Advocate for American Photography | Venues

Ms. Swanson is instrumental in bringing the issues of opportunities in our industry to photographers of all levels.

Ms Swanson has given educational presentations at Pratt University (Brooklyn), New England School of Photography (Boston), School of Visual Arts, New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Tyler School of Art at Temple University, Art Center College of Design, Arizona State University and the International Center for Photography in New York City.  In the past year she has given public lectures at the Houston Center for Photography, the Griffin Museum, Minnesota Center for Photography, New Orleans Photo Alliance, Photography Center Northwest and FotoFest, among other important public institutions. 

For a complete list of her upcoming events, see the UPCOMING EVENTS section of this website.  

Ms. Swanson visits a select number of educational programs and photography organizations each year, planning approximately one year ahead.  Contact BETH LEDNER, Administrative Assistant,  to learn more about bringing Ms. Swanson's presentations and/or workshops to your institution or organization: beth@mvswanson.com

Ms. Swanson also maintains a popular blog bringing awareness of industry events to artists of all levels:  marketingphotos.wordpress.com.

NOTE: All presentations can be tailored to the level of a specific audience, from college students through working professionals.

LECTURES and WORKSHOPS BY MARY VIRGINIA SWANSON

“PLACING YOUR PERSONAL WORK IN TODAY’S MARKETPLACE”

Fine art photographers have more sales opportunities than ever before, as interest in creative imagery has expanded beyond gallery walls to advertising and design markets. However, the complex issues of entering these areas are not provided in traditional photographic education programs.

This presentation provides participants with an overview of today’s commercial marketplace for photographers interested in selling their personal work to collectors, license their imagery as illustration, or be commissioned to create new work for clients.

Topics include:

• Implications of commercial placements on the fine art marketplace.
• Finding clients who are most likely to use your work with integrity.
• Presenting your work and yourself to potential buyers/clients.
• Pricing, contractual issues crucial to professional artists/commercial photographers.
• Pros and cons of committing to representation by a gallery, a commercial rep and/or a stock licensing agency.
• Realities of being a small business owner.

The goal of this workshop is for participants to learn and develop insights into all the considerations necessary to successfully market their work to potential clients. Handouts with valuable resources can be provided.

This topic can be presented as a 2-hour lecture, or as the beginning component to a one-day or longer workshop.

“TARGET YOUR MARKET: GETTING RETURNS FOR YOUR EFFORTS"

Whether you are interested in marketing yourself as a photographer or licensing your existing images as “stock,” your options are overwhelming. This workshop helps participants learn how to promote their talents and vision to different target audiences. Consumer and trade magazines will be decoded towards understanding the values and viewpoints of your target clients, and identifying appropriate marketing opportunities. Options for purchasing self-promotional placements vs. personalized, smaller campaigns are analyzed, as well as insights and understanding expectations when a client calls. Additionally, an overview of today’s stock photography market will be provided for those interested in placing their personal work in today’s commercial market. Handouts with valuable resources can be provided.

This workshop can be offered as a one-day or two-day course with portfolio reviews.  If time permits, participant’s portfolios will be reviewed with a mind toward potential clients to pursue and discussing presentation techniques to best showcase the work.

“CAREER OPTIONS IN PHOTOGRAPHY:
A PRE-PROFESSIONAL SURVEY”

This workshop introduces participants to the diverse world of making a career as a photographer and in photography-related professions, through visits to photographer’s studios, editorial offices of top magazines, advertising and design studios, photography galleries and other businesses. Discussions include portfolio and resume presentation and self-promotion efforts as students begin their search for clients and/or entry-level positions in the field. This insider’s look at careers in photography today is invaluable to students as they begin careers as working professionals.

When this 4 to 7 day workshop is offered in a media-rich environment, emerging professionals benefit greatly from dialogues with photographers and their assistants, art buyers at advertising agencies, gallery directors and others working in the field.  

“PRESENTING YOUR WORK TO THE FINE ART COMMUNITY”

Mary Virginia Swanson will provide insights into the most effective avenues for introducing your work to the gallery and museum professionals. She will discuss the value of the national and international juried exhibitions, as well as portfolio review events such as FotoFest, Review Americas, Review Santa Fe and European festivals as realistic avenues to industry professionals. Important gallery trade shows such as AIPAD, Photo LA and Photo San Francisco will be discussed from the perspective of helping artists to determine which dealers will be most appropriate for their work. Effective self-promotion materials will be shared with participants, as well as visuals providing insights into portfolio review events towards making the most of your participation. Professional practices necessary to successfully present your work will be discussed, as well as “talking points” when given the opportunity to sign with a gallery for representation. Valuable handouts and resource lists can be provided.

This is a two-hour presentation, and/or a half or full day workshop; many organizations schedule portfolio reviews as a closing component of this event.  

“CONSIDERING A CAREER WITH YOUR CAMERA”

If you long to spend your days doing what you love, you have no doubt wondered about trying to make a living as a photographer. In this session, Mary Virginia Swanson will provide participants with an introduction to three markets: sales of your fine art prints, licensing your existing images as stock, and securing commercial commissions to create new work for clients. An overview of these business environments will be presented with a discussion of the skills required to run a successful studio. Handouts with valuable resources can be provided.

This is a two-hour presentation, with students and serious amateur photographers as the targeted audience. 

"ANSEL ADAMS: ADVOCATE FOR AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHY"

This lecture will provide an overview of Ansel Adams’ contributions to the field of photography as an educator, curator and environmentalist. While most are quite familiar with Adams’ place in history as a photographer, few are aware of his tremendous contributions to the advancement of the field of photography. In addition to helping Beaumont and Nancy Newhall launch the Photography Department at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Ansel served as curator of many exhibitions, wrote the first technical textbooks on photography, and helped to found Aperture, The Friends of Photography and later the Center for Creative Photography, among many other important contributions. This presentation will highlight his efforts on behalf of the growth and development of the field. This presentation was originally presented at the Center for Creative Photography in April of 2002, in conjunction with the “Ansel Adams Centennial” exhibitions. It was also presented at the 2003 National Meeting of the Society for Photographic Education (SPE), and will be presented at the High Museum in Atlanta, Georgia on Wednesday October 8th at 12:00 noon in conjunction with Atlanta Celebrates Photography.

A recent review of this lecture from the Society for Photographic Education Summer 2003 Newlestter:

AMERICAN VISION: An overview of the 2003 SPE National Conference, Austin Texas by Angela Kelly and Diana Gaston:

"Mary Virginia Swanson gave an informative and entertaining lecture on Ansel Adams, exploring his significant contributions as an educator. Based on her research in the archives at the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson, Swanson presented images of Adams and his colleagues through the years, as well as correspondence and various artifacts from the Center's collection. Contextualizing Adams as an early advocate for the study and preservation of photography, Swanson effectively reminded younger members of the audience of his critical role in shaping photographic education and museum collections in this country."  

VENUES

If considering having Mary Virginia Swanson visit your educational Institutions:

Suggested format(s) for her visit range from:

• Entry-level lecture (2 to 3 hours); can be all levels of students.
• One-day visit (lecture + review work in group setting; upper levels benefit most from this situation).
• Multiple-day visit (lecture + individual critiques w/students).

Of particular benefit to upper level students and graduate students.

Contact Mary Virginia Swanson to learn more about bringing her presentations and/or workshops to your organization: beth@mvswanson.com

If considering inviting Mary Virginia Swanson to visit your photography organizations:

Suggested format(s) for her visit range from:

• Lecture (to public; 3 hours).
• One + two day-workshops; priority given to members.

Contact Mary Virginia Swanson to learn more about bringing her presentations and/or workshops to your organization: beth@mvswanson.com

If considering inviting Mary Virginia Swanson to speak at an industry event:

Ms. Swanson has considerable experience lecturing at industry events, as well as serving as a panel member/presenter. Topics presented are certain to be timely, and can be tailored to suit the level of expertise of audience members.

Contact Mary Virginia Swanson to learn more about bringing her to speak at your upcoming industry event: beth@mvswanson.com.