new business idea, need feedback
 

Considering trying to setup a digital prints venture. Pretty straight forward, basically if you're a photographer you setup an account (free) and upload oyour pictures. We verify them (for quality and content purposes) and they get added to the main site where people can pay for them. Currently still tossing around prices of what we would charge (any recomendations appreciated, we're basing everything off an 8x10 print, other sizes would be available though). Trying to come up with a comission for photographers, was gonna try a 60/40 (us/them) deal, but with the prices we had in mind that would require us to sell an extremely large number of prints just to break even, and then even more to pay the hosting.

Will also have a service that you can get personal prints done (4x6) on a per-picture charge, still not 100% sure on what we'd be charging for that also, or the exact details on what would be offered. Such as if we'de offer the option on sizes other than 4x6.

Any feedback or price ideas appreciated. Currently looking towards between $5 and $8 for an 8x10 high quality glossy. Photographer comission will probably be a 70/30 (us/them) deal, or something close. Note also that the comission is after all costs are subtracted. So we'll determine that out of a $20 sale (hypothetical numbers here), $5 went to making the print. So we'd split the remaining $15.

You mean something like this site?

http://www.onrequestimages.com/www/ - cept for porn?

It would be mainstream. Sorta like Deviant Prints (prints.deviantart.com), except not just anyone would get featured. The 'request a shoot' thing isn't a bad idea though.

I used to promote a similar site (posters only), cant remember the url
I think it's like opening a bakery, shit load of work, small profit margin, in order to make good money you'll need very high turnover

Ya, that's what we're begining to realize, trying to look into other services that could be offered with it to help increase margin though.

There are enough sites like that already, I doubt you'll have much success with it, let alone income.

What sites? I've only seen a few like it.

Dozens of poster sites, lots of photo sharing sites etc.

If it isn't integrated in some sort of community or free picture sharing site nobody will buy anything anyway. The other sites like that are stock photo sites that are selling to professionals.