Talent Not Up to Par with Marketing

[tmartenst]

Anyone else think that Peter Lik is a king of marketing his photography without really having the props to get the type of love that he gets.

Great job for him to get the kind of career that he has built but the work is well inflated in my mind. He just sold a print for $1 million and it is in no way worth any where near it IMO. My comment left on the page in response to his photo poetry trying to explain the scene.

Thomas Martens Nice work and congrats. But I have to ask, wouldn't the scene not 'vanish with the morning breeze'? Seems like one could stare at that scene for hours with the same effect since the water, trees and overcast nature are all quite static. I can think of many fleeting one-time opportunities, but this isn't it in my mind.

http://www.facebook.com/notes/peter-...50381874435637

Not hating, just stating the shared obvious, I hope.

[ibenick]

Holy crap that's ridiculous. No landscape photo is worth $1 million and I can not stand when photogs get all dramatic about how impossible and unique that one picture was to take. Utter bullshit.

[oldno7]

I think there has been hundreds of pics on bogley that put his to shame.

[denaliguide]

who?

but then again, anyone who could get a million dollars for a photo is a genius.

[CarpeyBiggs]

yeah, there are lots of more talented photographers. but it seems in photography, maybe even more than other professions, the cream doesn't always rise to the top. it's the guys who can talk a big game, for sure.

[Sombeech]

I agree with you guys, but maybe it's the buyer who's the bigger fool.

[denaliguide]

I agree with you guys, but maybe it's the buyer who's the bigger fool.

valid point.

[dioscuriII]

My Mesa Arch photo is the same thing as his. He does have some good pics. But, 1,000,000 dollars. Right. Dr. Evils, "One billion dollars." Pinky to mouth.

[CarpeyBiggs]

his photos really are about as cliche as it gets, no doubt. but, they are good, don't get me wrong. just not sure they are as good as his ability to sell them... and get gigs with the weather channel, etc...

[Sombeech]

his photos really are about as cliche as it gets, no doubt. but, they are good, don't get me wrong. just not sure they are as good as his ability to sell them... and get gigs with the weather channel, etc...

Maybe he's just really good looking.

[tmartenst]

Oh, he is good looking alright. Also, often, his arms stay warmer than his torso which comes in handy for light and quick hiking. No sleeves=less weight.









Here is a video about his life. This guy says that what drew him to working with Peter was his genius and his ability to transport his audience to a place but I think it has more to do with their similar fashion sense.
http://www.tripsmarter.com/videos/play.php?vid=1087

I guess what it comes down to is....I am jealous. Good on him for making it happen and as I said in the beginning, he really is the king of photo self-marketing and it has paid off.

[Sombeech]

I think it's the hat that does the trick

[CarpeyBiggs]

i love that his show is called 100 miles from nowhere, but many of his famous images you can pretty much drive right to. even that shot above is him at dante's view, death valley. nice little parking lot for the 100 photographers to park at every morning.

[denaliguide]

I think it's the hat that does the trick

that's gay

[iceman]

OK...I'm not saying any of his photos are worth a million dollars, but I think he has some great photos and is a very talented photographer. This may sound pretty harsh, but I visited purelightimages.com and viewed every picture on your site and did not see a single photo that jumped out to me as special or great. You have been to some very nice places and have captured some nice memories of them, but I can't imagine anybody dishing out any hard earned cash for any of them. He markets his as he sees fit and you do the same. I have taken close to 50,000 pictures since I moved out west 10 years ago. They are all as good if not better than anything I saw on your website and I would never presume that any of mine are marketable. Just 1 guys brutally honest opinion.

[tmartenst]

Ouch. I wasn't comparing my photos to Peter Liks, he does this for a living, if I had the time and motivation because it was my career, I could do what he does, no doubt. It takes in order; an eye (being a photographer even without the camera), practice, patience, reading on latest trends.

I love my non photo-related career and love taking photos on the side because I love going to beautiful places anyways. Might as well bring along the camera. I started my site because I also had thousands of photos and nothing to do with them.

My point is that Peter Lik's photos do not warrant the prices he gets for them based on their talent. He has great shots, he is a good photographer, just not as good as so many amazing photographers out there (me not included, iceman). He gets the money based on his marketing and gallery lighting. As mentioned multiple times in my posts. Good on him for getting it, I'm jealous.

Thanks for looking at my site. You sound pretty good.

[asdf]

I visited purelightimages.com and viewed every picture on your site and did not see a single photo that jumped out to me as special or great.

hands down the douchiest post ever

[ibenick]

hands down the douchiest post ever

x2

[apcronnelly]

Damn Iceman....you sound like one pissed off collector of Peter Lik's work.

[gnwatts]

What I love about this site is the lack of "I am better than you" rhetoric.
Edward Weston said it best when asked how he compared to Ansel Adams, Paul Strand and Steiglitz, and I am paraphrasing: At the end of the day I ask myself if I have made strides to better myself and my craft, not whether I am better than anyone else.
Now I am not saying that I am better than iceman, just that I hope I am not as big a douchebag as he is. :)