PPS to host two programs on August 22nd

On Monday August 22nd, Photo Production Services will host two seminars presented by Mary Mannix, Canon Pro Markets Rep. Both presentations will free, but space will be limited so we ask that you sign up using the links provided below. 

These classes are aimed at two very different groups of photographers, so while you may sign up for both, due to limited space we ask that you consider signing up for the one which will benefit you most. If you really feel that you will gain something from attending both, just complete both signup forms and we will try to accommodate you.

"Canon Photo Basics" ~ Monday August 22nd 3:00- 5:00 PM

This 1 1/2 - 2 hour presentation is aimed at beginning and intermediate image makers that want to reinforce the techniques that will allow them to be in control of the camera. 

Are you able to take great images, but sometimes wonder “Why did the camera do that?" In this presentation Mary will cover topics including but not limited to custom settings, auto focus refinement, sensor sizes, right lens/wrong lens and D.O.F. comparison. Please note: the emphasis will be on Canon products, but this is NOT a sales pitch. Non-Canon shooters are always welcome!

"Streamline your workflow for event photography" ~ Monday August 22nd 6:00 - 9:00 PM

This 2 1/2 - 3 hour presentation is aimed at the professional photographer either looking to get into event photography or the seasoned pro that just wants to see the latest technology for automating and streamlining your workflow.

In this presentation Mary will show you how to use the Canon 7D Studio version with bar code solution to cut costs and increase your productivity for event, sport and school photography. She will also offer tips on how to secure contracts, basic posing and lighting, and event day workflow. The PPS staff will also demo our new Photolynx Imagematch software, showing the ease of importing and aligning subject data with the images captured by the Canon 7Ds using simple, yet powerful techniques in preparation for producing digital package prints, school CD's and composite images to name a few. Time permitting we will also cover basic workflow shortcuts in Imagematch that will automate some of the more time consuming aspects of event photography.

  

Registration Form for Canon Photo Basics

Registration Form for Streamline Your Workflow for Event Photography

**PPS will host an open house from 5:00 - 6:00 between the two programs with refreshments.**

New Product: iPhone and iPad Skins

PPS is now offering iPhone 4 and iPad 1 and iPad 2 Skins through our Pro ROES client!

Create a custom iPhone or iPad skin using your own designs or purchase the new Sublime Template Set from www.photoduds.com to create a one of a kind product using your own images in their templates. These skins are printed on the same wear resistant vinyl used in vehicle wraps and laminated with our UV Lustre film for even more protection. The vinyl is backed with a removable adhesive that won't leave a residue when removed.

Download semi-transparent .png guides here to help with the layout of your images.

Wholesale and volume pricing only available through our Pro ROES client.

New Gallery Wrap Sizes in R.O.E.S.

We've been busy adding a few new sizes to our canvas gallery wraps (12x22, 20x20, 24x24) in ROES. Also just completed a set of guides to be used in Photoshop when laying out your gallery wraps. The guides will show you the area of your image that will wrap, as well as show the corners that get folded in during stretching.

The .png guides are located here.

If you offer custom size prints that are not already in our ROES catalog, let us know in the comments.

Cindy Sherman Photograph Sells for $3.8 Million, Setting New Record

Photo: Cindy Sherman

Christie's had a bumper night, tallying more than $300 million in sales. While not the priciest item up for auction that day, Cindy Sherman's "Untitled #96" from 1981 passed all records for photography, and was sold for $3.89 million. According to ArtInfo.com, the buyer was New York dealer Philippe Segalot, and the underbidder was Per Skarstedt, also a New York dealer. Christie's confirmed that this was a record for a photograph at auction, previously held by Andreas Gursky's "99 Cent II Diptychon," which fetched $3.35 million in 2006. Sherman recently had another high profile sale, with her work "Untitled #153," from 1985 reaching $2.7 million in late 2010.

(via ARTINFO via Popular Photography)

Why Using Groupon May be a Stupid Idea for Photographers

Just have to share this story. This guy is taking "turn and burn" to the extreme. A new twist on the classic story of the photographer that loses money on every job but plans to make it up on volume! Note the part that says Groupon takes 50% of his £29 (currently $47.47 US) off the top as well!, so he's netting $23.73 per job!

(via dvafoto and Petapixel)

 

Deal of the day website Groupon is the fastest growing companies in web history and a popular way for local businesses to generate some buzz in their areas, but some independent photographers are finding out the hard way that offering special deals through Groupon might be the worst marketing decision they ever made.

 
Here’s how Groupon works: local businesses offer a special deal through the site (typically at least 50% off), and people buy the deals directly through Groupon, which takes a 50% cut of the proceeds. Businesses that offer deals may actually lose money from the promotion, but the hope is that the hundreds or thousands of people who take up the offer may become repeat customers and help spread the word about the business.

This type of marketing may work for businesses like restaurants, which can fill up empty tables and generate some buzz about their food, but for independent photographers it might actually be a horrible idea. Case in point: photographer Tim Jones offered a £200 photo package that included a 1-hour on location shoot for £29.

Here’s what he included in the package:

• 1 hour photo shoot in either the comfort of your own home or another location
• Every photo taken will be put on CD or DVD in high resolution
• 20 of the images will be professionally edited and air brushed
• Also includes one 12×10 framed print, two 10×8 prints, two 8×6 prints, two 5×4 prints, two 4×3 prints, and two 3×2 prints
• Suitable for marking a special event or occasion
• Up to three outfit and one background change

Newspaper photographer Andrew Smith crunched some numbers, and came to the conclusionthat Jones is actually losing money for each of the 301 people who purchased his package.

Even if this photographer is doing each job to a bare minimum standard, he has committed himself to nearly a year’s work for no money. If that doesn’t sound like good business sense to you then be very careful if you decide to offer a deal through Groupon or any similar site. What may at first seem like success could very easily put you out of business.

Even if Jones does manage to plow through the hundreds of shoots he booked for himself, he still has the difficult challenge of making this promotion benefit his business in the long run. If using Groupon to promote your photography business has crossed your mind in the past, let this be a lesson to you: be careful not to bite off more than you can chew shoot.

Beware of the Groupon piranhas eating you alive!