Posted by TJ Dinsmoor on Wed, Nov 25, 2009 @ 10:06 AM
Join The Lab by Apollo on December 2 & 3
What:
PDN Free Photographers' Virtual Trade Show
When:
All Day - December 2nd & 3rd
Where:
Online - www.vshow.com/apollophoto
Who:
Check out
these live webcasts on December 2nd:
11 AM - Keynote: Dan Havlik - Sponsored by The LAB by Apollo
1 PM - High Glamour, High Fashion
Weddings with a Flow - Sponsored by
Doug Gordon Workshops
3 PM - The Perfect Print
5 PM - How to Master Lighting Location
Join us again
on December 3rd for these live webcasts:
11 AM - Keynote
1 PM - The
Power of Branding - Sponsored by Lost
Luggage
3 PM - PhotoShop and
Lightroom: The Dynamic Duo - Sponsored
by Asuka Books and Kubota
5 PM - ASMP Session
*Please note all
times are Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Why: The Lab by Apollo will be introducing Photo Boutique. The
software is a custom, full-service online sales resource that can be fully
branded to any photographer or studio. The Lab will be presenting video
tutorials about setting up a Photo Boutique, customizing and branding,
featuring products, and product creation walk-throughs.
Also, during the 2-day event, visitors to the trade show
will be able to network with other photographers, engage in online chat and
groups, and attend other virtual presentations.
For more information about the PDN
Photographers' Virtual Trade Show please visit the site.
Posted by TJ Dinsmoor on Wed, Nov 18, 2009 @ 02:06 PM
>> A new year is on the horizon and Apollo would like to announce the monthly special for November. 30% OFF all size Calendars and Day Planners
will give your clients a chance to fill up a new year with professional
quality photos. Sneak a complimentary calendar or day planner in with
completed orders to expose your work. Custom messages and individual
dates can be printed on both products. This means that your studio can
promote time frames for studio specials such as senior and holiday
portraits.
*To receive your discount online, enter coupon code GREATGIFT
in the coupon-code box if using the Illuma® Online Ordering System or
in the instructions if using the Remote Order Entry System (ROES). The
discount will appear in your printed invoice and not onscreen. Coupon
code must be applied at the time of ordering. Offer excludes optional
add-on features. This special expires November 30, 2009, and cannot be
combined with any other Apollo promotion or discount. Other exclusions
and limitations may apply.
Posted by TJ Dinsmoor on Fri, Nov 13, 2009 @ 10:00 AM
Is your computer full of digital images and scattered in
kinds of different folders?
Similar to the previous post Back Up Your Digital Photos Before Its Too Late,
this post will focus on organization. Not the most exciting subject, but there
is nothing exciting about stressing over images you cannot find because they
are saved in different locations.
Here are some suggested practices Apollo recommends
following.
1. Delete your blurry images in your camera. They will not
miraculously become focused just because they are on your computer. If you have
enough juice in your camera battery, scroll through your images during some
down time in a shoot and clean up your memory card.
Also, if your uploading program allows you to manually
select which images you want to upload to your computer, delete any unwanted
images. This will also help the time it takes to upload from your camera to
your computer.
2. Take the time to upload your images after every shoot.
Then erase the images from your card. By doing this continually not only will
you be ready for your next shoot, you will get in the habit of properly
organizing your images.
3. Select a folder that you will be saving your images to
and always upload them to the same spot. If you have a Photos folder on your
computer use it. Or create a different folder and place it on your desktop so
you will always know where your images are.
Don’t forget to backup your images as soon as they are on
your computer. That way if there is an error, you will still have the original
image.
4. Come up with a filing system that you will stick with.
Different people have different preferences on how they like to file their
photos. Many people create subfolders and title them the year the photos were
taken, then break it down further into months within the year.
If you are scanning photos and are unsure of the year the
images were taken, we suggest creating a separate folder and title it “Scanned
Photos.” Then break it down into subjects such as vacations, family, pets, etc.
5. Be as descriptive as possible when naming your photos.
Instead of naming photos of your pet as Rover_1, Rover_2, etc. Be very
descriptive such as Rover Sleeping, Rover Eating, etc. This will help you
search through your images with ease.
6. Create a folder for edited photos. If you convert your
images to black and white, create a folder and title it accordingly.
The most important thing is to stay on top of organizing
your images. It takes a long time, but it can take just as long to search for
an image if you do not organize properly. There are many photo organizing
products available for free. Things to look for when searching for photo
organizing software is editing functions such as rotation and cropping, ability
to view thumbnails, batch naming, and search key words. Some may even add the
dates and what camera settings you had.
Posted by TJ Dinsmoor on Thu, Nov 12, 2009 @ 09:38 AM
Apollo Photo Imagizing will be extending its hours for the upcoming
holiday season. Starting November 23, our customer service staff will be
available:
Monday through Thursday
8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. CST
Friday
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CST.
The holiday season is one of the most stressful times of the
year and Apollo recognizes that. For call-in support please have your order
number ready as it will help tremendously in solving any order issues. Order
numbers can be found in your email confirmation upon completing checkout.
Posted by TJ Dinsmoor on Tue, Nov 10, 2009 @ 10:11 AM
If you plan on submitting your work to the PDN Photo Annual, you better get a move on! The deadline for submissions is December 12, 2009. However, if you cannot make the deadline there is an extended deadline on January 25, 2010 with an additional $10 per entry.
The awards celebration will happen in May 2010 in New York, NY. New to this years event is the Arnold and Augusta Newman Foundation and Maine Media Workshops
Scholarship and Prize for New Directions in Creative Photographic Portraiture. The winner for this category will receive a generous $15,000 as well as a solo exhibit at the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine.
With a prize total of over $20,000 and a chance to be featured in the May 2010 issue of PDN interested candidates do not want to pass this up!
Entry Fees
Single Entry $45
Campaign/Series $55
Arnold Newman Prize $55
Student $25
Categories
Advertising
Magazine/Editorial
Photo Books
Photojournalism/Sports/Documentary
Corporate Design/Photo Products
Personal
Stock Photography
Web Sites
Student Work
Only photo books and corporate designs can be submitted via mail. You must first register on PDN and purchase your category. Make sure to include email address and contact information on the package.
All other submissions are online. Images must be formatted as a JPEG measuring 1,000 pixels on its long dimesnion.
Posted by TJ Dinsmoor on Thu, Nov 05, 2009 @ 10:03 AM
I was reading an interesting post on LinkedIn in one of the photography groups I belong to. The topic of discussion was How to Find New Business for Wedding Photography? Some interesting replies to the topic included many tips on how to jump start your business and bring in new clients.
What can I do online to start bringing in new clients?
- Work on your website and blog. Structure your website with rich copy and content that reflects your photography.
- Show detailed pictures in your galleries so interested couples see that you invest yourself in the wedding.
- Get on social networking sites and post relevant content about wedding photography. With Twitter updates, and soon Facebook updates, now showing up in search engines such as Bing and Google, posting content about wedding photography will now be easily available to anyone on the web.
- Incorporate a testimonial page on your website. It will show clients that your studio is respected and nothing is better than hearing good things from previous clients.
- Take advantage of free wedding photography directories. There are hundreds out there. Just take some time and search for them and submit your information.
Follow good business practices. If you're going to say you're a professional, act like one!
- Research what your competition is doing. Do you know what they are offering and what kinds of prices they are asking?
- Join a church and work with the pastoral staff.
- Make referrals to established photographers and assist.
- Raise your prices. Couples seeking for a photographer might not even consider someone who is setting their session prices at $300, but couples will look into someone who has prices at $1200 and will be taken a bit more seriously. You can set specials and discounts once people start negotiating with you. Research what photographers in your area set their prices at and compete with them.
- Network with your local wedding vendors. Take wedding planners and coordinators out for lunch. Meet them, introduce yourself and become known in your local wedding market.
- Become a member of the Better Business Bureau. By joining, it will show potential clients that your studio is legit and it can help you in the long run if there is any conflicts that could potentially arise.
These are just some of many different tips and practices you can follow to lure in new clients. Wedding photography isn't just about great looking images. There is a whole business side to it and it takes time to build up.
Most importantly, Think BIG. Never lose sight of your personal goals and where you want to go in life. When researching competitor photographers don't compare yourself to them, rather be inspired by them and strive to be better.
A camera is only a tool and a small piece of the puzzle when it comes to wedding photography. It takes a gift--an eye--that can see an image and a keen understanding of whats happening emotionally at a wedding that will allow you to take breath taking images in that moment.
Posted by TJ Dinsmoor on Mon, Nov 02, 2009 @ 10:29 AM
Award Winning Illuma Folded Card Line
If you're looking to print
holiday photo cards for your clients, make sure to check out full line of both photographic and press printed products. You will not find better quality cards anywhere, especially with these great prices. Our flat cards are great for invitations and note reminders too. All flat cards come with matching envelopes.
Marketing Tip for Studios
Holiday photo cards can be used to increase sales by emailing clients who had family photo shoots or children portrait photos taken this year and inform them that they can order their holiday greeting cards through your studio. Contact our
customer service for any questions or concers.
Pearl Tuesday's
With the holiday season upon us, Apollo would like to make sure we are doing everything we can to provide you with great turnaround and the best professional quality products. In an effort to maximize our overall turnaround for you, we will print our
Pearl cards every Tuesday this year. Any orders received prior to Monday at 8:00 AM will be printed the following Tuesday
for printing and shipped on Wednesday. Card orders for all other stock types will continue to be printed daily as part of our standard workflow.
Pearl cards require a set up that is a bit more specialized and by us making "Pearl Tuesday's," it will help us streamline this process and improve our turnaround for you.
