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THE WILD PRINTS STORY

 

By Kelly Grōth

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In early 2007, I loaded a screensaver of my outdoor photos (mostly wildlife) onto my work computer at John Deere. It wasn’t long before people began asking if they could purchase prints.

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Selling photos seemed like a logical way to supplement the hobby.To draw attention to the genre of prints I’d be selling, I came up with the name “Wild Prints.” As I began selling prints, I was encouraged to begin doing craft shows. And my sister, Angie, and her husband, Brad, invited me to display and sell framed prints at their Cabin Coffee Co. (coffee shop) in Clear Lake, IA.

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The craft shows were fun, but difficult to do on my own. I stopped with those until Amber and I were married in 2016. Amber has turned out to be such an amazing teammate and partner. She earned a B.A. in graphic design and is an excellent outdoor and wildlife photographer.

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In 2019, we put together a 2020 calendar. Initially, we ordered 50, hoping we'd be able to get them all sold, or at least cover the cost of printing. We had a short window between then and the new year to sell. So, I loaded the calendar's images onto my phone to show my friends at John Deere. Within a couple of days—no calendars in hand—I just about had the 50 sold! I messaged Amber, “We’re gonna need a bigger order!” We ended up selling nearly 200 that first year. Every year, I find myself thinking, “Perhaps this is the year they won’t sell.” That's yet to happen.

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And now Amber and I are also excited to share Wild Prints Magazine with you. If you’re interested in a taste of that periodical, you will soon have a tab for that. There you will be able to read more about how we became wildlife photographers and the vision behind Wild Prints magazine.

 

Thank you so much for taking a look at our Wild Prints website!