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I was looking for a way to increase my photography sales, and I noticed that when clients saw photo collages on the walls of my home or studio, it made them want to purchase multiple wall portraits instead of just one wall portrait.  So I decided to make a collection of portrait galleries to help inspire my clients to decorate the walls of their homes with multiple portraits of their family members.

1- The first several galleries I made were simply modeled from the portrait collages I had displayed on the walls of my home and studio.  But then I wanted to create several more photo display options, so I drew multiple photo frames to scale on graph paper, in all the sizes I was selling.  Each square of graph paper equaled one square inch of frame or portrait.  Then I cut them out and moved them around on a table for a while, creating many display options that I liked and wanted to share with my clients.  Using the small paper version of framed portraits was much easier to move around and experiment with all different gallery display ideas, than using my full sized actual frames, but using real frames works too.

2- After I created all of the galleries I wanted, I then went into Photoshop and drew up a blank version of each size of framed portrait I sell.  (You could skip making the frames on graph paper first if you’d like, and go straight to creating them in Photoshop.  But I’m a hands on person and I’m able to move the paper frames around quickly and try more gallery ideas faster using the paper versions first.)

I started with a blank psd file, custom sized to match the outer measurements of each frame.  I then drew the inside edge of each frame with the rectangular marquee tool, in the measurement of the portrait size.  Use the ruler guides on the edge of your Photoshop file to make sure your frames and the space for an image are sized true to life.  The accuracy will be important when your client goes to hang the actual portraits on their walls, wanting their collage to look just like it does in your samples.

I then colored the virtual frames by pouring black with the paint bucket tool, into the drawn frame.  Once you have created one of each frame size in Photoshop, you will be able to select all> copy and paste, each frame into your virtual photo galleries as many times as you need a frame that size.  To create each gallery in Photoshop I made a blank file, which represented a blank wall, and then copy and pasted the virtual frames desired onto that blank file, arranging the frames into place using the move tool.  (You can click ‘view’> ‘show’> ‘grid’ to bring up the grid view if you feel you need it for arranging the frames evenly in your galleries.)

To create the virtual paint for your virtual wall files you can pour the color of your choice onto the background layer with the paint bucket tool.  Or if you’d prefer a textured or wall papered look for your virtual walls, you can put a digital scrapbook file on top of the background layer.  You will place your virtual frames on top of your wall layer.  Once your gallery is how you like it, flatten the layers and save the image as a jpeg for printing or putting it on your website.

3 I printed each of my galleries onto 4×6 photo paper, then punched two holes on top of each one, and gathered all of the galleries together with two binder rings. I share these printed gallery samples with clients while they are at my studio.  I also have them displayed on a page of my website at www.cherishportraits.com/display/, so that clients can refer to them at home when making their selections for online ordering of their portraits. You can also put your best selling galleries on a printed order from for your clients to take home if they will be ordering later.

4 Another way to possibly increase sales is to put your favorite images from the client’s photo session into a virtual gallery, print a copy of it, and present it to your client at the ordering session. This gives the client a tangible view of how their images would look in the sizes you suggest, on a wall of their home.

5 Clients tend to purchase what they see.  Therefore having lots of photo gallery ideas for them to view is one way that can increase sales.  You’ll feel happy with increased sales, and your clients will feel happy each time they view a beautiful gallery of their loved ones portraits displayed in their homes.