Prints Update
On June 23rd (my Birthday for those who aren’t aware) 2022, I launched MVPprints; a joint venture with my partner Vicky to sell prints of my photography on Etsy. Rather than using a third-party service for this, we decided to print everything in-house, and to package and ship all prints directly from our flat in Bristol, UK. The project was a big investment; procuring a printer, the paper, the packaging and all the branded items to go with it, as well as the set up fees for our chosen platform, Etsy. Though it was an investment that is yet to make back the up-front cost, the idea behind MVPprints was that the photographs could be taken by anybody and we would allow for the high-quality products to speak for themselves. While the name MVPprints contained my initials, I wanted to remove myself from the equation and market the products rather than myself. Only one limited edition print has been added to the MVPprints shop that is dated, numbered and signed by me; my photograph of the Bermondsey Underground Station in London, a print I am particularly proud of.
Limited edition print of the Bermondsey Underground Station.
After launching MVPprints, I marketed my products through a separate Instagram and Facebook account (@mvp.prints), I co-ran the Etsy page entirely using the MVPprints moniker and signed off all messages ‘MVPprints Team’. It wasn’t until I started a personal project on Instagram showcasing my more artistic work (first handled @mineshinmonochrome, then @snapsbyminesh and now, @mineshpatelphoto) that I realised that I no longer wanted my name removed from the work I have created. I started thinking about what it would look like to market myself as well as my prints, which lead to the development of this website; a place that provides some background on me, my experience getting into photography, the kind of camera gear I have used and my photography journey.
Naturally, this website seemed like the perfect place to sell the work that I am so proud of - a place that people can view my shop and be provided with some context to why they may care about me and supporting my passion for photography. The decision to move to selling through my own website however left MVPprints in a bit of an awkward place. Should I maintain two separate places for selling my work? Or should I move the shop exclusively to my own website and shelf a project that Vicky and I have worked so hard to create and market.
It was then that I realised that MVPprints was exactly what I had intended for it to be - a platform that wasn’t necessarily about just me, but a platform could be about anyone (or a collection of people!). I realised that it was a place that could promote not just my own work, but the work of others’ too.
Moving forward, I want to invite other artists to use the platform that Vicky and I have already created in MVPprints and share the work of other photographers and artists, alongside my own work. We will use the resources we have already sourced for the project, such as our printer and paper to help make printed copies of the artwork drawn, painted, illustrated and photographed by my friends and fellow artists. This opens me up to run both platforms side-by-side; the Minesh Patel Photography website, which will be a place that spotlights me as an individual and my favourite personal work, and the MVPprints business, which will become a collaborative platform comprised of various contributing members. If you are a photographer or artist and are interested in collaborating to sell prints of your work, do get in touch with us at info.mvpprints@gmail.com.
With all the above said, I am excited to announce that my own personal print shop is now open! There are some exclusive pieces that will not be available on the MVPprints shop. By the end of the month, the MVPprints Etsy shop will be reshuffled to accommodate new work. I am excited to work on this project with as many people as are interested!
