The number of collectors and general art buyers will increase. And, if that happens, both the sites and the photographers will make money. It's also unusual in that unknown photographers are as welcome as big-name shooters. Founder Peter Scheer started up in response to his photographer friends who complained about how hard it is to get a gallery show in highly competitive markets like New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. YourWall launched this past October.
Consumers also are welcome to commission new photos.
In Scheer's purview, the demand for fine-art photography is greater than ever. The economy is strong and discretionary income in greater abundance. But access to fine art is an issue, Scheer says, unless you live in a big city. The Internet is a way to reach everyone, regardless of where they reside. He notes that 20 percent of the site's traffic has come from France and Great Britain.