Tag: uspictures

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Rebranding and an Art Challenge

Welcoming the New Year with a few changes.

Not really changes – let’s just call it a few adjustments for 2022. The main adjustment is the “rebranding” of my vanity domain name, USPictures.com. For the last few years I have simply pointed that domain to my Fine Art America/Pixels Premium Gallery at https://bill.pixels.com. I have decided to develop the U.S. Pictures domain as a unique website where my current and future art buyers will have more choices.

US Pictures Business Card Preview

Now for the 2022 Art Challenge. Lofty goal but will it be reality?

The goal is to create and post a new article EVERY DAY for the entirety of 2022 on one of my photography related sites (blogs or what ever moniker you choose). I had participated in several create-a-new-piece-of-art-per day (for a given number of days) challenges in the Fine Art America Forum throughout 2021. I completed several and felt I was learning and growing with each one. Now, Abbie, the dear forum moderator, set up a major challenge of one new piece of art per day for all of 2022 (with the ability to “skip” 30 days).

I initially thought yeah, I can do that. Even with our hopeful set of road trips this year I should be able to shoot or edit a new photograph and upload it every day. Sure. Yup. Yes.

I realized, however, that if I could do that on my own sites, instead of FineArtAmerica/Pixels, that I would be adding SEO value to my own work and potentially attract more buyers to me and my own art – rather than to the main site(s) at FAA and the art of thousands of other artists. I believe if I focus on this practical solution – it provide more exposure for my photography. (Catch the intended puns there?)

The caveat is that I will allow myself to miss two days per week – but hope to accomplish 300+ new articles, with images, during the course of the year. Please wish me luck and please follow along if/when you get the chance.

Put MY photographs on YOUR walls. Thank you for supporting my art.

My art-photography related sites that will be growing this year are…

The site I plan to grow the most is U.S. Pictures. Much of my photography is a sharing of places to which we have traveled through parts of the USA.

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US Pictures @ USPictures.com

Bill Swartwout Photography and USPictures are one in the same.

Bill at US Pictures

So why the different domain names you ask? One is so much easier to say, to spell and to incorporate into a logo for advertising. US Pictures is also appropriate because Bill has traveled through most of the states in the United States – 48 of the 50, to be exact – and has photographs available from many of those travels. The only caveat is that he has also traveled to 20+ different countries in Central America, Europe, North America and South America. Photographs from those areas are included in his “wanderlust” mix.

Over the years, Bill Swartwout Photography has worked with many (too many) of the art/product fulfillment companies out there – and has eliminated most of them. Some are fast, some are high quality and some are cheap. Just remember that you cannot have all three of those qualities from the same source. Our main focus is having high quality products delivered to your door that you will be pleased to hang on your walls. Here is the rundown of product fulfillment companies with which we are associated. These companies handle the sales, production and delivery process and, in reality, license Bill Swartwout’s work to use on their products.

Bill has worked to hard over the years to trust his work to just any production company but he is also one who believes it is not safe to keep all of your eggs in the same basket, so to speak. The best situation is to work with only the “best baskets” out there. Here is the rundown of product fulfillment companies with which we are associated. These companies handle the sales, production and delivery process and, in reality, license Bill Swartwout’s work to use on their products.

Fine Art America / Pixels – The Fine Art America “family” is the largest single Print On Demand (POD) art company in the world. They produce great quality art – we have seen only four returns out of the last 500 products delivered. They currently host Bill’s photographs in three configurations.
– Link: Fine Art America – Wall art and home decor items.
– Link: Pixels – Wall art, home decor and ancillary products, such as puzzles and face masks
– Private Label Link: Bill Swartwout Photography – Offers all of the products on a stand-alone website.

Pictorem – Pictorem is a Montreal, Canada based company that is smaller in scope than many others but produces a boutique level of high quality wall art on a variety of substrates. Because Pictorem has shipping centers in both the the United States and Canada they currently offer FREE SHIPPING throughout North America with no “duty” charges and a favorable dollar exchange rate. Pictorem currently hosts a very popular gallery for Bill Swartwout Photography.
– Link: Bill Swartwout Photography

Zazzle – Zazzle is a multi-faceted POD company that produces a wide variety of products, many of which are based on art by Independent Artists but also working with customer-submitted photos and designs. Bill likes Zazzle for high quality calendars and jigsaw puzzles that incorporate his photographs.
– Link: Bill Swartwout Photography – Bill is a “Pro Bronze” Seller with Zazzle.

Imagekind – Imagekind is an older, traditional company producing fine quality wall art by Independent Artists – but only as prints, framed prints and canvas. Bill has been with this company for a decade and a half. They also sponsor some of his popular pieces on Amazon.
– Link: Travel at Imagekind

Photograph entitled ” Assawoman Reflections” of a tree at 80th Street in Ocean City, MD on the shore of the Assawoman Bay.