I did it! Ed Collacott, successful fine art print, boo k and calendar pho tograph er

“I have been very fortunate over the last 25 years to have been able to make a good living from what has always been a deep passion of mine: our landscape. I sell my work from a stall in the centre of Bath, and online – mainly fine art prints, but also greetings cards and a book. Also each year I produce a large-format panoramic calendar of British landscapes which continues to be very popular.

To be successful you have to know your market. If your art is conceptual or has an intellectual base then art galleries are the answer. In my case I sell to the general public so it has to be accessible; people have to be able to connect with it. The most successful images are those that create atmosphere, a sense of place and have a depth and character that lifts it above the ordinary – it’s a very competitive market, so make sure your images stand out. A common mistake is to show too many images. That’s fine if they are all outstanding, but any weak ones will dilute the overall impression. Another mistake is poor presentation. Use the finest materials to help build your reputation… reputation is very important. Too often I’ve seen masking tape being used to hang and seal photos – not good, and it looks cheap!

Pricing is never easy when starting out, but don’t undersell – just be realistic. A good starting point is the cost of materials plus at least 100 per cent. Just think how much time and effort has gone into each image.” You can see Ed’s landscape images at www.fineartphotographs.co.uk