I'll say what everyone else has already said - going on my 2nd year with nothing but excellent comments. Sure they do not have EVERYTHING you may need, but no one does. I would still like SM to offer web sized digital downloads and packages.
I just upgraded from Basic to Pro this week and love the extra options...but have not sold anything. In due time though.
Make sure you go to each Gallery, then to the Customize Gallery on the Tools drop down on the bottom, then select Yes for Protected...this will disable the Right-Click ability. If you want this is.
MichaelKirk wrote:
I'll say what everyone else has already said - going on my 2nd year with nothing but excellent comments. Sure they do not have EVERYTHING you may need, but no one does. I would still like SM to offer web sized digital downloads and packages.
feel free to ask any specific questions.
Michael
www.MLKimages.com is my SM site
Hello Michael!
Thank you very much for responding to my post. I have a few questions for you.
Q1: Are you uploading your images using the sRGB color space?
I was a bit shocked to see that SM and their in-house photog guru Andy Williams recommends this color space over the RGB (1998) color profile. For my own personal printing needs, I always use RGB (1998), but to be totally honest, I very, very seldom print pictures of people. My concern is that those who will have an interest in the event that I will be uploading to SM is nothing but people and if any one of them chooses to order a print, the flesh tones must be correct.
Q2: What is your method of determining the resolutions that you offer for your sellable prints and downloads?
I would prefer to use the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid) to save time and confusion. However, there may be good reasons of which I am not aware, that a wider variety of options would be preferable. I will be selling both prints and downloads on my SM site.
I sincerely appreciate the help. BTW, I took a look at your website and was impressed with your work.
Rebel Guy wrote:
I just upgraded from Basic to Pro this week and love the extra options...but have not sold anything. In due time though.
Make sure you go to each Gallery, then to the Customize Gallery on the Tools drop down on the bottom, then select Yes for Protected...this will disable the Right-Click ability. If you want this is.
Good luck with your selling.
-Frank
Hello Frank!
Thanks so much for responding to my SmugMug post.
I have been contemplating a SM Pro account for several months but am finally getting around to doing this. Actually, I really have no choice. I just covered an event here in Chicago and my client wanted the results to be uploaded to a site which offered printing services. Shutterfly was recommended, but since I was planning on using SM, I decided to upload this event to SM and kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.
Your tip about disabling right-clicking on images in invaluable. I have a lot to learn yet, but with tips such as yours and all the other info on SM's site, I think I've made a good choice.
I'll ask you the same question I just asked Michael above: Are you uploading your images in the sRGB color profile?
SM recommends this color space, but would like to know what you are doing in this regard.
This bothers me: when I clicked on your site, Services, Portrait Prices, then scroll down to the bottom and click on SmugMug, Pro Zone, it shows the actual prices that SmugMug is charging you, and your profit margin.
I wouldn't like the customer being able to see my exact profit per print. (I know there are other factors involved including time and overhead, but the client sees 0.19 for a 4x6 compared to $15, and they often don't think logically.)
MichaelKirk wrote:
I'll say what everyone else has already said - going on my 2nd year with nothing but excellent comments. Sure they do not have EVERYTHING you may need, but no one does. I would still like SM to offer web sized digital downloads and packages.
ssteppe wrote:
This bothers me: when I clicked on your site, Services, Portrait Prices, then scroll down to the bottom and click on SmugMug, Pro Zone, it shows the actual prices that SmugMug is charging you, and your profit margin.
I wouldn't like the customer being able to see my exact profit per print. (I know there are other factors involved including time and overhead, but the client sees 0.19 for a 4x6 compared to $15, and they often don't think logically.)
I just followed your steps to see what you just described and found this disturbing. You make a very good point. The customer service is excellent and I have sent them an email about this.
Q1: Are you uploading your images using the sRGB color space?
Yes,
Most consumer printer ALL require and print in sRGB colorspace - Millers, White House, EZ Prints, MPix, etc. Some you can send them your files in what ever colorspace you choose, but they convert it to sRGB to print.
Q2: What is your method of determining the resolutions that you offer for your sellable prints and downloads?
I upload full resolution files. SM currently offers 2 digital download options:
Low resolution (1Mpex) and High Resolution (4Mpex) - I also wish they offered a web sized option to use for web pagges, blogs, etc. You can choose not to sell downloads, one or both options - all your choice.
I sincerely appreciate the help. BTW, I took a look at your website and was impressed with your work.
I'm pretty sure the Smug Mug Link can be removed from the footer on the page, but all they would need to do is go to the SM home page and its listed right there.
Not a big issue in my book, when I go and buy anything at a store I know what I am paying for an item is much more than what it cost to make and more than what employees can buy it for - it's just the way the world works.
Common sence kind of thought process and if anyone/client would argue to me about it - I would just offer a quick explanation (noone has ever questioned it) and move right on.
Michael
PhillipAnthony wrote:
I just followed your steps to see what you just described and found this disturbing. You make a very good point. The customer service is excellent and I have sent them an email about this.
MichaelKirk wrote:
I'm pretty sure the Smug Mug Link can be removed from the footer on the page, but all they would need to do is go to the SM home page and its listed right there.
Not a big issue in my book, when I go and buy anything at a store I know what I am paying for an item is much more than what it cost to make and more than what employees can buy it for - it's just the way the world works.
Common sence kind of thought process and if anyone/client would argue to me about it - I would just offer a quick explanation (noone has ever questioned it) and move right on.
One of the places I took a look at when I landed on SM was this very page, but to be honest, I was more interested in other pro services they offered besides print prices. Having said that in todays click-and-surf world, any curious person could discover this info because vendor's have to make this info available to prospective new customers.
If you are showing your pricing to the client you clearly have a setting wrong. My guess is that you didn't put your markup pricing in the column correctly. The default setting has no markup. Either set them to 0.00 (they won't even show that print option) or set the pricing according to % mup or just throw numbers in there.
Going Two years and I am very happy. Clients love the quality of prints too.
Thanks for the resolution info. I fortunately save my CR2 files as they come from my Canon. Strangely, I never really had a real reason for doing this, but since I have the HD space (external HD) for this, I just did it. Now, with this new sRGB demand, I am very glad I did so, because my normal workflow is to immediately convert to DNG format after culling the poor shots.
I will also be utilizing SM's digital download services for two reasons. The first is, of course, the sale of prints. The second is the sale of header images for web sites which I have been working on for a month or so.
Once again, thanks for your help.
Phillip
P.S. I once shot a bicycle race in Telluride, CO and was nearly killed by a guy that flipped over coming down a mountain trial. I was in a great place to get some awesome shots, but never thought about the potential danger. That's a dangerous sport to cover, but it's a great place to capture true action shots.
Phillip,
My workflow is I shoot 100% RAW (Nikon), using Lightroom so I import and immediately convert to DNG. Save files on a 2nd internal HD and back to an external HD. Do my PP work in ProPhoto colorspace and export directly from Lightroom to my SM account using an uploader that is available as a plugin. Upload as a full resolution jpeg in sRGB colorspace.
Michael
Michael,
Thanks for the resolution info. I fortunately save my CR2 files as they come from my Canon. Strangely, I never really had a real reason for doing this, but since I have the HD space (external HD) for this, I just did it. Now, with this new sRGB demand, I am very glad I did so, because my normal workflow is to immediately convert to DNG format after culling the poor shots.
I will also be utilizing SM's digital download services for two reasons. The first is, of course, the sale of prints. The second is the sale of header images for web sites which I have been working on for a month or so.
Once again, thanks for your help.
Phillip
P.S. I once shot a bicycle race in Telluride, CO and was nearly killed by a guy that flipped over coming down a mountain trial. I was in a great place to get some awesome shots, but never thought about the potential danger. That's a dangerous sport to cover, but it's a great place to capture true action shots....Show more →
MichaelKirk wrote:
Phillip,
My workflow is I shoot 100% RAW (Nikon), using Lightroom so I import and immediately convert to DNG. Save files on a 2nd internal HD and back to an external HD. Do my PP work in ProPhoto colorspace and export directly from Lightroom to my SM account using an uploader that is available as a plugin. Upload as a full resolution jpeg in sRGB colorspace.
Michael
Michael,
Thanks for that info.
Sorry, but where do you make the sRGB conversion? Is this done in Lightroom since you use it to export to SM from there?? It would be great not to have to convert each file into sRGB one file at a time.
I saw something on SM about some Mac uploader, but did not notice that it was a LR plugin.
Phillip,
Correct, I make my conversion from ProPhoto colorspace to sRBG at export in Lightroom. The Export Plugin (which I use for SM and Flickr) give you the option of which colorspace you want to use at export. This is done in bulk so however many images I am exporting will all be converted when exported.
If your not using Lightroom - you should seriously take a look at it - it was a hugh time saver for me. I shhot mostly sports so I am uploading and PP 1000+ images per event.
MichaelKirk wrote:
Phillip,
Correct, I make my conversion from ProPhoto colorspace to sRBG at export in Lightroom. The Export Plugin (which I use for SM and Flickr) give you the option of which colorspace you want to use at export. This is done in bulk so however many images I am exporting will all be converted when exported.
If your not using Lightroom - you should seriously take a look at it - it was a hugh time saver for me. I shhot mostly sports so I am uploading and PP 1000+ images per event.
Michael
Michael,
Thanks again for the great info.
To get started, I use Lightroom A LOT! Ha, that's really an understatement because I practically live in LR, but I've NEVER used it to convert my DNGs to sRGB format. Live and learn, I guess.
Poking around in the export module of LR I did see the sRGB export option, so I'm good to go there. The issue I have at the moment is that I've already tweaked 200+ images in LR and converted them all to Hi-Res JPEGs. I'm now wondering if I can, using LR, export them as sRGB JPEGs and not lose any resolution in the process.
The real question banging about in my head is that there will probably not be a single person that will purchase a photo from this event. To be completely honest here, I really do not care because I was already paid (well) for this event and am simply following out my clients wishes to upload these images so that her clients can see these photos and purchase any if they wish to. Because of my inexperience with this - the converting to sRGB, this is turning into more work that I anticipated. Had I known about this early on, things would be a bit different. Regardless, I can get through this in a few hours of work. If I can indeed convert my already tweaked JPEGs, I'll be one happy dude.
All is going well so far. Uploading with the Lightroom SmugMug plugin works very well. LR crashed on me something during the night, but I am nearly finished uploading all of the shots from this event. Color looks very good as well.
Thanks to all of you who pitched in to get me on track.
Edited by PhillipAnthony on Jun 17, 2008 at 07:33 AM GMT
I've been using SmugMug for a little over a year. In general I'm not unhappy with what they do. I'm a bit disappointed that they've promised 'package' support for over a year now, but have yet to deliver.
The way I decided to do my pricing is that the more you order, you get a slight discount. I can't offer that through smugmug. So mostly I've used it for proofing, and then fulfill the prints either on my own printers or ordered. I have had a few people that just needed one or two prints order through smugmug and with exception of one person they were happy with the results.
The last person felt it was lightened too much. I did an event where I printed on site with my Mitsubishi 9550 and the print from smug mug was probably one to two stops lighter when they got it than what was represented on my calibrated display and what my printer spit out from Lightroom. Other than exporting using the plugin to SmugMug I'd made no changes since I printed it.
I just printed them two more copies from my 9550 and they were happy. Though I'm confused as to what happened her in that it was significantly lighter from SmugMug vs. what I did on profiled printers/display.
