DPC Mentorship - The Business of Photography

10/30/2005 09:15:03 PM · #76

How did you change the template that Netfirms had set up to the one you designed?

10/30/2005 09:17:54 PM · #77

I have a program called CuteFTP but you can do it with any FTP freeware. I think WS_Ftp used to be free and I could look for others. Basically it's like moving it from one folder to the other. Netfirms also has a web-based control panel I think and you can upload files that way.

10/30/2005 09:23:26 PM · #78

I uploaded a file to Netfirm. When I click on it I can see what it should look like. When I type in the webpage they say to use for now It shows me their version not mine.

10/30/2005 09:28:50 PM · #79

What's the page?

10/30/2005 09:34:43 PM · #80

the temporary page is www.photographybylorelei.netfirms.com

10/30/2005 09:37:15 PM · #81

and what did you name the page you uploaded?

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

10/30/2005 09:40:53 PM · #82

I just realized I named it wrong. Trying to fix it now.

wavelength

Nikon D300

10/30/2005 09:51:22 PM · #83

Tryineg to catch up here, but I don't see a 'free' option on netfirms.com.... set up the photoreflect account, downloading the software. I may be behind, because my main PC crashed and I've been working off the laptop for a week. Might have to finish catching up tomorrow.

Please clue me in about netfirms.

10/30/2005 09:53:41 PM · #84

Originally posted by wavelength:

//www.netfirms.com/web-hosting-free

I'm going to let this go on til at least tomorrow evening to let everyone catch up without adding anything really new. :)

M

10/30/2005 09:59:35 PM · #85

//www.syracuseweddingphotographers.com

If you click any of the links, they take you to the default page for now so that you can see there are actual pages there. The DPC Project link comes back to this thread and the View Your Photos link goes to my storefront.

All done thru MS Word in about 15 mins.

10/30/2005 10:21:42 PM · #86

While I am waiting for the money for a portfolio book, besides take pictures for the portfolio...what else can I do to get my business going? The website idea will not work for me since most of my clients will not have a computer and or internet service.

10/30/2005 10:22:38 PM · #87

Well I have a site. It is not fantastic by any means. Just temporary until I can figure out how to make a better web page. I used wordperfect office 12 to work on the web page. I tried downloading one to fix up but when down loaded it lost the background colors.

10/30/2005 10:25:35 PM · #88

Should I use Mpix as a printer? Or is there a better one? How much of a mark up should I price the photos? Is a $30 sitting fee too high? I was thinking about charging $30 upfront and you get 4x6 proofs with that.

10/30/2005 10:28:07 PM · #89

Lori - did you see the page of site templates too? Maybe you can find one that you like and eventually put your site into that?

Mandy - is your area really so wooded as to not have internet service? ;) Ok, if you want to skip the website for now, try a business card? You can either design one or use one of the designs at vistaprints and get free cards:

//www.vistaprints.com

I would use All American Photo, Mpix or WHCC as a printer. You are also a member of dpc, so you get ezprints sort of as a default choice if you upload things to your portfolio and print them. Also a default storefront if you want too.

M

10/30/2005 10:35:17 PM · #90

Internet service is offered where I live, but most people don't see a need for it. We can't pay our bills online or bank online. Yes Mavrik....I am in the BOONIES! Farm Country! We have no court house or red lights. I am in the sticks man. Will any of those print companys do? Are they all good that you suggested? Or is one better than the other?

10/30/2005 10:36:43 PM · #91

I prefer All American Photo because I can use it through Photoreflect. Since that is not a worry for you, think about "will I EVER want a storefront - to sell scenics, landscapes, event photos for a client?" If the answer is no, use Mpix. If you will want a storefront of any kind for anything you shoot, use Photoreflect and All American Photo.

M

10/30/2005 10:40:39 PM · #92

I will not need a store front so I guess I will go with Mpix. Should I make packages? How much should I mark up the price? A 5x7 for example is .99, I was thinking of charging $3.

10/30/2005 10:46:18 PM · #93

What I do with portraits is price things with a combo price. I include my shooting fee AND a prints credit in the price.

Originally posted by my website:

* Our standard 30 minute portrait shoot is $200. The first $100 of that is your session fee, the second $100 goes towards prints and products that you choose. This shoot can happen at your home, work or at a park.

After you decide on "package" prices of this sort, you need to decide on individual print prices. You can't undervalue yourself for sure this early in the game.
Lowest prices I would have:

4x6 $2
5x7 $4
8x10 $12
11x14 $20

Those are VERY VERY VERY low reprint prices. More studios look like this:

4x6 $12
5x7 $25
8x10 $40
11x14 $85

But when you are starting out, you will definitely want to price yourself in the respectable lower end to get more business.

10/30/2005 10:49:57 PM · #94

So no sitting fee? I was going to use that to buy the proofs. I think they would rather see the proofs printed than on my computer.

10/30/2005 10:51:09 PM · #95

Originally posted by mavrik:

Lori - did you see the page of site templates too? Maybe you can find one that you like and eventually put your site into that?

M

I saw the page of site templates. I tried downloading one but when I down loaded it I couldn't get it to work. It didn't import all the information into the editing program I was using. I just made one myself until I can figure out what went wrong.

10/30/2005 10:55:51 PM · #96

Originally posted by mandyturner:

So no sitting fee? I was going to use that to buy the proofs. I think they would rather see the proofs printed than on my computer.

The session fee is the first $100 and that's the sitting fee. That's mine. :) Their $100 worth of products would be say 3 8x10 ($36) and 8 5x7 ($32) and 16 4x6's ($32). Their 27 photos would be printed for about $18 on All American Photo. My $200 order would net me about $182 to my pocket. I would offer proofs in the form of a contact sheet. Photoshop makes these rather quickly and painlessly. You can automate it and I can figure out how if you haven't used that feature. I'd put 9 pictures on a page and it wouldn't take too many pages to print all the photos. I offer about 50 proofs to portrait clients so at 9 per page, that's 6 pages. $1.70 8x10s on All American = $10. I've still grossed $172 on this order.

M

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM

10/30/2005 10:57:27 PM · #97

Originally posted by LKMote:

Let me know if you can't get this to work. I'll download the same template and see if it's got something wrong with it. What editing program are you using? PM me if you can't fix it up and I'll step-by-step you that way.

:)

oOWonderBreadOo

Canon EOS-5D

10/30/2005 11:30:04 PM · #98

Just wanted to show you guys my portfolio. I know that presentation is everything and you are supposed to stick with the same size image every time. I picked an 11x14 album and 8x12 prints. My 5x7's look great with the 8x12's too... I started a folder for this thread specifically in my portfolio.

I have also ordered the catalogue and joined photoreflect but won't have it ready for a few days...
I didn't understand what you were saying about ez prints and DPC? Can you join the two to work together? I don't think DPC offers a storefront for things that aren't acceptetd right?

Originally posted by mavrik:

You are also a member of dpc, so you get ezprints sort of as a default choice if you upload things to your portfolio and print them. Also a default storefront if you want too.

10/30/2005 11:39:23 PM · #99

You do have to get things approved to sell them on DPCPrints - you don't have to have them approved just to order, in which case you can just order pics for clients through ezprints via your DPC portfolio.

If that makes sense. :)

M