Founder of DH-PR

For this ‘How To’ feature we have invited Daisy Hoppen, founder of DH-PR and photography lover, to share with us her tips and wisdom on how to start a photography collection.

Having grown up surrounded by photography in her father’s gallery, Michael Hoppen Gallery, her incredible curatorial eye and creative mind are evident in her work today and the way she displays her beautiful home.

We hope you enjoy her words of advice as much as we did and are able to put them to use in starting to collect the wonderful medium that is photography.

My father has been a gallerist and avid photography collector for nearly 40 years, so I was lucky enough to grow up surrounded by incredible photography. He has the best eye on the business and has always been on the lookout for new and emerging photographers. I always especially liked walking around Photo and Art Fairs with him - it's like having a guided tour with an expert.

Photography is so democratic - even more so now with the rise of digital photography and android / i-phones. However, for me, it's just always had a special place in my heart. It's a wonderful place to start building a collection around a specific theme or feeling. Also in terms of photojournalism and documentary photography, it’s a hugely important medium - it's how history can be recorded in the modern world.

Provenance, edition, artist signatures are all key when collecting photographs or even most art in general! However, another thing to consider is buying through a trusted dealer or gallery so that you can make informed decisions. 

I know I want to add a piece to my collection when it just feels right and you want to own it more than just a picture on your i-phone. You can imagine where you would hang it on the wall and if I am at a gallery or fair, I always return to it several times to look at it again.

Photography is a credible art medium, and amazing photography deserves to be Gallery-worthy and collectible. Accessibility, love, respect for emerging photographers’ talent plus of course price! I think it's a positive point that it's an accessible medium - the price point is far more accessible sometimes than ‘fine art’. 

It’s not necessarily the rarest, but my ‘Eva’ by Sarah Moon is one of my most treasured pieces. My father knew how much I loved this image for decades! I also collect a lot of vernacular photography - I love the French gallery Lumiere des Roses - they specialise in this field and I would always see what they had at Paris Photo or Arles.

Be free, there are no rules.