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Archive 2009 · On site Printing & Dye sub Printers

  
 
regish
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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · On site Printing & Dye sub Printers


luketrot hammy


have you ever though of replacing the CD by USB keys?

i really had bad experience with CD ...not working on another computer, people wanting to add stuff to it...

i was thinking of going with a usb key..... they are not as cheap as cd obviously but i can add that to the price and it is much easier to add images and much much much much much faster and easier.

or maybe simply sending it by email on the spot?



Jul 22, 2009 at 01:49 PM
luketrot
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · On site Printing & Dye sub Printers


Regish, the the expense is far to high, CD's are more marketable and with duplicators much faster to burn. We have looked into offering group buys in downloadable form.


Jul 22, 2009 at 02:04 PM
regish
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · On site Printing & Dye sub Printers


what duplicator do you use if i may ask?

humm.... little under $5 a piece for usb keys in quantity.....little more that i was expected.



Jul 22, 2009 at 02:17 PM
Hammy
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · On site Printing & Dye sub Printers


regish wrote:
humm.... little under $5 a piece for usb keys in quantity.....little more that i was expected.


$5 each for USB keys, more for larger sticks, even more if you want to advertise on them. and that advertising space comes out to about .5x2 on both sides (total of 2inē)

CD or DVD - 240dpi pre-printed labels: $0.54 and nearly 20inē of advertising space.

So 10x the price, 1/10 the advertising space for USB keys.

Duplication of discs is much easier and cheaper and mainstream - whereas USB duplication is coming out strong but still more expensive.




Jul 22, 2009 at 02:34 PM
Hammy
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · On site Printing & Dye sub Printers


timgangloff wrote:
Hammy,

Clearly, you have a different model than almost anyone here and probably most in the country and you offer wonderful insights. But one quick question. I think I recall reading here previously that you provided DVDs for contestants at some of your events, thus had to bring burners, replicators and media, etc. Is this much different than printing? And if you are doing this, I would suggest that it supports the notion that we do like instant gratification.


Yes, as I mentioned - its a business decision that when the show is large enough, it is more cost effective to print/burn onsite. It was cheaper to have burners and staff onsite than to mail 25,000 DVDs.


timgangloff wrote:
Anyway, It looks like your model is clearly working for you so no one can really suggest you don't know what you are doing or ignore your suggestions out of hand. I don't offer onsite sales (yet) or printing. But,then I don't do this full time (yet). I can see however, when on-site printing at some events could be a value-add service. I don't know that you would have to fullfil all of your orders that way and perhaps could even offer an onsite sales discount to those who select delayed delivery (mail order).


I agree - there are always different models that can work. Different solutions involve different expectations of time, money and satisfaction.


timgangloff wrote:
And what is amazing to me, is that just a few years ago, relatively speaking, none of this onsite viewing, purchasing or printing was even available. And in fact, this onsite selling method without view stations, order stations and printing stations still happens everyday when kids get their T&I pix taken. In my area, the company takes the order (pen and paper usually), takes the check, takes a picture or two, and then mails the products to the team or player. And this method seems to work pretty well too.


Exactly - my point to a T. There is no printing onsite for T&I. No need for viewstations either when you only take one shot and then print it. Point is - there is no instant gratification except in the bank account of the photographer!



Jul 22, 2009 at 02:39 PM
Hammy
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · On site Printing & Dye sub Printers


luketrot wrote:
As far as extra staff costs..... If crossed trained they also take orders, setup and break down equipment and even take photos when necessary to assist in breaks.


Totally agree... and obviously you don't deny that it still costs more.

luketrot wrote:
Hammy, you can't take your personal experience based on daisy chained inkjet printers over 8 years ago and translate that into relevant information for today's event photography business.


The fact that I had the goals and desires of every aspring event photographer getting started - I did what they are looking to do. I also tried something different - and found out that it worked. I did it again with pre-sold photos. I'm only offereing advice to others as I gathered advice from forums like this when I started.


luketrot wrote:
You also can't compare Amazon, Ebay or Newegg which sell based on price point NOT emotion. These are completely different business models.


Exactly why onsite SELLING is important - but not delivery.
However - the fact is that these companys can offer LOWER pricing - which does evoke an emotion by customers saving money! Shipping will be added which gets the price closer to stores, but most of the time, online places are still cheaper than storefronts.


luketrot wrote:
Even Wal-Mart understands the importance of a 1 hour photo lab.


Because they realize as a business - based on VOLUME - that they can still make money at it. It's really as simple as that - making money. Do you think they are doing it as a draw for customers to come into the store and all the while losing money with prints?

But as you can see by the case of more and more diminishing strip-mall One-Hour photo places, that it is NOT as lucrative as it once was.


luketrot wrote:
Now I just got back from a VERY successful weekend covering a National competition. Instead of dealing with 1000's of customers wondering where their product is and spending the better part of the next two days printing and burning CD's I'm off to the Marina to enjoy this beautiful day. I can of course because all my customers walked away that day with their images in hand and smiles on their faces. That doesn't make my business model small, just more complete....


Well, it's now Wednesday when you posted this - so what have you been doing for the past two days?

And again: different models for different strokes. If spending more money to be able to print onsite boosts one's ego to offer more for the customer, then that is what it takes.

As for me, on my day off yesterday, I inked another $250,000 contract.

Happy fishing...



Jul 22, 2009 at 03:02 PM
Jeff Napier
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p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · On site Printing & Dye sub Printers


Sorry to have started this thread and not been back for ahwile,my son (13) dove off a tree into the river late yesterday and fractured his C7 veribrea (broke his back basicly) He looks like hes going to be OK (no paralisis) still waiting on an MRI and I need to get back over to the hospital. I will read these when I can get a chance.

Thanks everybody, and continue to ad more info if you would like and have info to share.
I guess I may or may not print on site but I would still like to do it at the office and would still reqiure a printer either way. So with that I dont know if I would want first get the printer capable of the larger prints or if I would just get the one capeable of the smaller prints first? And send the others through the lab?
Anyway gotta run thanks again

Jeff



Jul 22, 2009 at 05:20 PM
regish
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p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · On site Printing & Dye sub Printers


hey...you will find few people that will say a thread on the net is more important that your kid.... take care of him...


Jul 22, 2009 at 06:32 PM
Carl Auer
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p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · On site Printing & Dye sub Printers


I am allowing this post to stay here but let me point out a couple things.

The second topic at the beginning of this board states that gear posts need to go into the appropriate board. Look around how many gear posts that are not specifically sports related are here?

Second, for all people posting on this thread, please remain professional and listen to what kind of advice is being passed on. For you new people, you may not have realized who you are getting answers from. It could be a rank amateur to a seasoned professional making their living off of event photography.

Lastly, my view of the printing on site debate has changed drastically over the last 12 months. I had always planned on expanding my youth sports business with a trailer and viewstations, and with the economy, sales slowing down, by business model has changed greatly. I have gone from seeking out contracts to letting clients seek me out. Instead of shooting whole leagues, I get contracted to shoot 5 to 10 kids and take home much more than I would hoping for parents to buy. The day may come when the demand is there for onsite sales, but when I can print from a lab and save money and have more time to control editing my files or printing on site and hoping whoever I have posting the photos can edit them to my taste, print correctly, and not post throw away files, I will take the lab side every day.



Jul 22, 2009 at 09:41 PM
regish
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p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · On site Printing & Dye sub Printers


we need an event photography board especially since prophotohome is pretty much dead




Jul 22, 2009 at 10:32 PM
mervifwdc
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p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · On site Printing & Dye sub Printers


I'd love to see an event photography board, there are loads of ideas out there.

For example, the DVD of a team. How do you word it as you'll no doubt have more pics of some kids on there than others, and maybe even some kids missed? (Think soccer, some kids dont get near the ball all the game long).

Sorry if this is a side shoot....



Jul 24, 2009 at 05:04 AM
Hammy
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p.2 #12 · p.2 #12 · On site Printing & Dye sub Printers


Merv,

I think it depends on how you sell it. If the sale is after you've taken shots, then we get some resistance from parents that have fewer pix. I even tell customers that only about 2/3 of the team will really go in on this, so they can expect that kind of participation and determine how much money to really collect.
If they go out and collect the minimum amount from the parents, then 1/3 don't want to go in, its very hard to collect a little bit more from the ones that already put in their share (but easier to give back if they all go in.)

If you are trying to sell it before taking the shots, you've got to be up front about the fact of fewer pix of some players - but also try to get more candids of them even on the sidelines. But I would still go with an expectation that some may not be willing to go in on it, and the rest should know to possibly chip in the extra.

Otherwise, I have in place an expectation that if we cover an event and don't get coverage of a child when all parents paid for the package, then we'll take care of that customer in some way by offering a large print of one of the few shots we did get, or even offer a refund or their portion if there is truly no good shots of one's child.



Jul 24, 2009 at 08:00 PM
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