Hello Reader, Somewhere on your computer, or on a hard drive tucked in a drawer, there’s a folder of photographs you’re proud of. Maybe it’s years of landscapes. Wildlife you waited hours for. A city you walked at dawn and saw in a way no one else did. You’ve shared a few of your photographs with friends. You’ve posted some online, maybe entered a club competition or two. But most of those images are just sitting there - waiting for you to back to them. I know that folder well, because I have...
about 21 hours ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader, I just wrapped up the Out of Longwood Conference put on by the Out of Chicago organization. It was a wonderful 5 days photographing in the gardens and conservatories. If you have never been to Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, I highly recommend it. Here is an ICM (Intentional Camera Movement) image from the gardens: The Flames of Nature When Your Art and Your Identity Get Tangled Here's something no one warns you about when you start selling your work: it's...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader, This is a Very Special Week: I am attending the Out of Longwood 2026 Flower & Garden Conference this week. I will be in the gardens photographing flowers alongside a team of thirteen nationally known flower and garden photographers. I can't wait to share what I've learned. How to Sell Art Prints: Start With the Offer, Not the Printer If you've ever stared at a finished photograph, composite, or digital piece and thought, this is good enough to sell — so why isn't it selling?,...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader, Sell Your Art Even When It Feels Tough... Here's a shift I've watched play out in my own life, and in the lives of many photographers I've mentored over the years: the identity change is often harder than the business change. Most of us built our careers being hired. Someone had a wedding, a headshot or portrait need — they came to us, we delivered, they paid. As long as we could get people in front of our camera lens, our business grew. Selling something you make for yourself...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader, The Market's Choosier - Here's Why You Win! I want to push back gently on a story I hear a lot: "The art market is too competitive now. Buyers only want established names." The actual picture is more interesting — and more encouraging — than that. "Where Dreams Leave Traces" - Doug Mattice Collectors are, in fact, becoming more selective. That part's true. But the same research shows most of them are still actively drawn to emerging, not-yet-established artists. Selectivity and...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, You Don't Need a Bigger Audience — You Need a Clearer One I want to tell you about a version of frustration I hear constantly from photographers making the shift into fine art: "My post got thousands of views. Nobody bought anything. What am I doing wrong?" Usually, the honest answer is: nothing. The math was never in your favor to begin with. Organic reach on the social platform most of us default to has quietly gotten harder. Engagement there has dropped noticeably — averaging...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, Your Art Doesn't Have a Visibility Problem There's a quiet belief a lot of photographers and digital artists carry when they start selling original work: if enough people saw it, it would sell. I understand the instinct. But after nearly forty years behind a camera — and years of watching talented photographers stall the moment they try to sell personal work instead of client work — I don't think visibility is the real obstacle. Clarity is. Recent research on art buyers backs...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, Welcome to The Artist Sketchbook. I'm glad you're here. If we haven’t connected in a while, or if you’re new to my work, I’m Doug Mattice. I’m a photographer, digital artist, educator, and art business mentor. After almost 40 years as a professional photographer, educator, and business owner, I’m making an important shift in my work. For many years, I’ve supported portrait, branding, headshot, and family photographers as they built stronger businesses. I’ve loved that work. I’ve...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader, I want to share a personal update with you. After almost 40 years as a professional photographer, educator, and business owner, I’m making an important shift in my work. For many years, I’ve supported portrait, branding, headshot, and family photographers as they built stronger businesses. I’ve loved that work. I’ve learned from it, grown through it, and had the privilege of helping many photographers think differently about pricing, marketing, confidence, and sustainability....
5 months ago • 2 min read