Finally started using SmugMug and I have some questions. Do you ever crop your photos before uploading them into SmugMug/Zenfolio/etc? Also what type of profit margin do you build into your photos?
Also what about black and white for these photos? Since these photos are mainly for family members (ie parents) to purchase, and I think the older generation prefers color over black and white, it might be a better business idea to have these as color.
RyanPederson wrote:
Finally started using SmugMug and I have some questions. Do you ever crop your photos before uploading them into SmugMug/Zenfolio/etc? Also what type of profit margin do you build into your photos?
Thanks!
Ryan
I have cropped them before uploading them, but I also let my clients know if a crop doesn't look right for the size prints they want to contact me so I can make it perfect for them.
I've just started using the Smugmug service myself and this is what I'm doing (for now). First of all, before I found out about this, I uploaded 8X10 crops to the service because that is what I primarily print out at home. However, now...
I color correct and upload the full-sized versions to Smugmug. When someone orders (I've yet to have that happen BTW) they get the option to crop themselves based on the size of the print that they've ordered. Now, since I want control over the composition and quality of the photos, there is a section in the gallery setup where you can have a delay of up to 7 days before the order is sent to the printer and you'll get an email letting you know an order is waiting for your review. Now you'll have the chance to make sure the crop is to your liking and you can now re-upload THE file with the correct crop that will be sent to the printer.
Now...what happens if you have two (or more) people wanting the same photo at different crop dimensions? Don't know yet. I'm still in the learning stage. Maybe I should just let the customer do their own crops and let it go at that but then I'd lose some creative control. One other option I can see here is to only sell those prints that match the crop ratio you have determined is best for that particular photo (such as 4x5, 8x10, 16x20, etc).
I don't custom crop and upload the full-size images to smugmug (everything goes there as a tertiary backup). I have the order "proofing" turned on as pfnskyshots mentioned above so I can correct any errant crops that might get ordered.
That is a good idea techno because you can make your crops after they place their order. I think that would be easier. Now to answer the question about making a certain size, that I have not done. I just cropped images to make them look their best before uploading. But I think I might try it this other way.
pfnskyshots wrote:
I've just started using the Smugmug service myself and this is what I'm doing (for now). First of all, before I found out about this, I uploaded 8X10 crops to the service because that is what I primarily print out at home. However, now...
I color correct and upload the full-sized versions to Smugmug. When someone orders (I've yet to have that happen BTW) they get the option to crop themselves based on the size of the print that they've ordered. Now, since I want control over the composition and quality of the photos, there is a section in the gallery setup where you can have a delay of up to 7 days before the order is sent to the printer and you'll get an email letting you know an order is waiting for your review. Now you'll have the chance to make sure the crop is to your liking and you can now re-upload THE file with the correct crop that will be sent to the printer.
Now...what happens if you have two (or more) people wanting the same photo at different crop dimensions? Don't know yet. I'm still in the learning stage. Maybe I should just let the customer do their own crops and let it go at that but then I'd lose some creative control. One other option I can see here is to only sell those prints that match the crop ratio you have determined is best for that particular photo (such as 4x5, 8x10, 16x20, etc). ...Show more →
You will still want to check their crops because some clients are not going to know what that means and they might not have it set right. I had one order I went in and adjusted the crops to be the way I would want them and I don't think they had adjusted it (but not sure) because some of them were way off.
Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I am about to shoot a small 2nd wedding on Sunday and was wondering about this exact question. In past shooting dates, I have set up galleries for the client with the cropping already pre-arranged to at least 2, sometimes 3 print sizes. That was a considerable amount of work, and some shots just didn't go well. It's tough to explain to a client that the majority of larger, commonly available frames (bought by them at Kohls, Carson's, etc) don't just "match up" to the way the sensor records the image.
So, since this is an old thread, I'm wondering if those above have had more experience with this since. I do use SmugMug, by the way, and have never tried the process where the orders can be reviewed, although I did know it was there.
Definitely put the setting for as many days as it would take for you to approve the cropping or settings on the images ordered. I would not pre-crop for print sizes since smugmug already has that in their system. I still crop images as needed for composition, etc. and continue to tell my clients to contact me if something doesn't seem to have the right proportions for the size they want to order. I have been fortunate that most people who want to order prints come to me with their orders. It gives me time to really put the final touches before the images are ordered and most times they just give me the funds for the order and I place the orders and have them shipped to me first so I can check everything before it is delivered to the client. Many times I end up ordering from other labs to get the exact results I need for the items that are being ordered.
Do you ever crop your photos before uploading them into SmugMug/Zenfolio/etc? Also what type of profit margin do you build into your photos?