All About Albums Twitter Party Wednesday, May 16!
WOO HOO! We are partying again! Next Wednesday, May 16th, at 11am CST, we will be discussing albums, album designs, listening to you share how to use them in your business along with other great tips!
Join us at the special time 11am CST to get in on the action! RSVP in the comments, with your Twitter handle to be entered in the drawing for one of four ‘$100 off your next album order’ promo codes!
New to Twitter? Go here for simple instructions on how to get prepped for the party.
It’s in the DETAILS!
When: May 16, 11am-1pm CST (12-2pm EST, 10am-12 noon MST, 9-11am PST)
WHO: @bripro
What: Twitter Party- All About Albums
How to Join in the FUN!: Follow hashtag #briprolt (enter this in the search field)
Prizes:
We will be giving out 4 promo codes good for $100 off your next album order!
Want extra entries for the Prizes?
1). RSVP for the party be leaving your Twitter handle in the comments below.
2). Help us spread the word about our party by tweeting:
All About Albums RSVP @bripro #briprolt Wed, May 16, 11-1 cst #briprolt
Next leave the link to your tweet here in the comments. (To get a link to your tweet, right click on the time and date stamp below your tweet. copy and paste in the comments here on the blog.) You may tweet more than once for more entries. Please be courteous and not spam your followers!
3). “Like” Black River Imaging on Facebook. Post a comment here on the blog that you did so.
4). Leave a comment here with an idea of how you plan to incorporate albums in your business!
All winners will be chosen using a random number generator. Winners will be tweeted out. Winners please send a DM to @bripro on Twitter with your email address.
See you Wednesday, May 16 at 11am CST!
Tweet Happy!
TweetSummer Sizzler 2012!
We are doing it AGAIN! That’s right we are holding another Summer Sizzler! You don’t want to miss this event!
Who: Black River Imaging
What: The Summer Sizzler is a day and half of intense learn from the industry’s best photographers! This year we are excited to have Natalie Licini and Gene Ho enlightening us on the ins and outs of their businesses!
When: July 29-30, 2012
Where: Ramada Oasis Inn and Convention Center, Springfield, Mo. Be sure to tell them you are attending BRI’s Summer Sizzler!
Why: Because we LOVE each and every one of you so much we want to educate you with the best photographers in the industry!
How Much: Individual-$65
Studio (2 or more)-$85
Additional Info: Hotel Rooms are available on-site for $75.00 per night, including breakfast. Off-site hotels are available in the area at your discretion. Plan for a full day schedule from 9:00 to 5:00 on Sunday with lunch included, and Monday from 9-12 noon, followed by an optional lab tour.
You can sign up in the BRI ROES software. Simply open the software, look for the Seminars catalog, fill out the information and then check out as usual.
Please submit your registration by July 15th.
See you there!
TweetHot New Products: Companion Books, Custom Magazines, and Specialty Shaped Folded Greeting Cards
With the release of Cascade 1.4.2, we have added 3 phenomenal new products into our lineup! Companion Books, Custom Magazines, ans Specialty Shaped Folded Press Printed Greeting Cards.
We are always trying to come up with ways to make the photographers job easier while saving time. Companion Books are a new solution that accomplishes those two things for you! They work great for parents of the bride and groom, grandparents of the newborn or anytime you’re needing a matching set of books for an album.
Here’s how it works. During the Album ordering process in Cascade you can order a matching set of books by simply checking a box. That’s it! No need to place a new book order. You simply add this bonus option on to your album order during the checkout process!
Companion Books – Details
- Come in sets of two
- Cover is a black fabric book cloth with a subtle canvas texture
- Pages are a matte seamless page that is creased and folded
- 8×6 Companion Books available for Sierra albums ordered in Cascade
- 8×8 Companion Books available for 8×8, 10×10 and 12×12 albums for Tuscany, Echo, Mosaic and Glacier that are ordered in Cascade
- You must order one of the qualifying albums to add on a Companion Book set
- The layout will be identical to the album ordered
- Must be purchased along with a Sierra, Tuscany, Echo, Mosaic or Glacier album in the Cascade software
- The price includes two identical books
With so many options for customization available, our Custom Magazines are economical and enduring. They work great for seniors, vacation photos, kids birthday memories, or anything else that needs a place to store memories.
Customize your own wrap-around photo cover created in Photoshop or your preferred design program. Pages are matte coated and you decide the number of images shown per page.
Take your Press Printed Cards to a new level with Specialty Shaped Folded Greeting Cards.
We know how much everyone loves Specialty Shaped Cards and can now take it up a notch with this new option. You can now choose from six designs in a variety of fold options to create a truly unique card that is sure to impress your clients.
- Available in 5×5 and 5×7 folded cards and 5×7 tri-fold cards
- Six designs available
- Cards sold individually (minimum order of 6 identical designs) so you are not limited to traditional increments of 10 or 20 cards
- Prices include envelopes (return address and printed envelopes are additional)
- Choose from four paper types
- Optional 6-color printing (for an additional cost)
Companion Books, Custom Magazines, and Specialty Shaped Folded Greeting Cards are now available in the Cascade software with the latest update to version 1.4.2.
For more information about these new products please visit our website.
Natalie Licini on The Art of Storytelling
Believe it or not, Natalie’s education and training in photography started when she worked on Wall Street. Having a finance background and economics degree from New York University not only helped Natalie build a thriving business, but it gave her the tools and support to focus on her art. She continues to travel the world to study with some of the greatest masters in the photography industry and never stops reading whether it’s a photography book or marketing and sales books or fiction.
Some of Natalie’s early challenges were navigating the technical aspects of photography since she didn’t go to school for photography. Natalie also had challenges with pricing and valuing her services. After she rebranded her business in 2011, Natalie dropped the number “one” in front of items on her price list. Eight by tens were no longer $29, they were $129. It was scary, and she encountered resistance at first.
Take the next 29 minutes to sit back and learn how Natalie uses The Art of Storytelling to increase her profits!
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Basic Steps to Proper Color Management
In today’s digital workflow color management is imperative, but where do you start with the equipment you have available? Do you purchase a better monitor or just invest in a calibration device? There are a lot of questions to consider when properly color-managing your workflow. This article will take a look at a few of those questions and hopefully give you the answers you need to get more consistent print results.
Q. How do I get the color on my computer monitor to look like the print I get back from the lab?
A. This is the first question you should be asking. It’s important to understand that the monitor is almost always
the culprit when a print doesn’t look like the image you’re seeing on screen. Owning a good monitor and using a
third party calibration device is the first step in getting your monitor to display your images more accurately.
Q. How does the age and condition of my monitor affect the image on screen?
A. If you’re monitor is more than 6 years old it may be nearing the end of its life as a useful editing tool. As monitors age they begin to loose their ability to hold calibration. The colors may drift in a few days or weeks after calibration and the screen may begin to wash out and loose detail in some of the tonal range. A newer monitor will also offer greater ability to be calibrated accurately vs. a dated model.
Q. Does it matter what type of monitor I am using?
A. Yes, this is the first step to having a color-managed workflow. A good LCD monitor is paramount in the quest for good calibration. Not every monitor out there has the dynamic range, contrast ratio and color adjustability necessary to get a good calibration. A good monitor for editing will have manual control over these variables as well as individual RGB control.
Q. So, how much should I spend?
A. When you really start to look at what the pros are using for photo editing you quickly realize how important this aspect of the workflow is. In many ways it’s just as important as what camera you’re using, so get ready to spend extra for a good monitor. In all my research I have not found a monitor that meets the high demands of color calibration for photo editing that costs much less than $1,000. Some of the best are $3,000 and higher. Yes, a good monitor can be had for $700 or less, but most in this price range fall short of a truly accurate screen-to-print match.
Q. Who makes the best monitors for image editing?
A. I am currently using an Eizo Color Edge monitor as well as an Xrite Eye One system to calibrate. This combo has proven very accurate in producing high-quality prints that are a perfect match to what I am seeing on screen. A few other highly recommended brands are: NEC, LaCie, and Wacom.
Q. So what’s this calibration device you’re talking about and do I need one?
A. A color calibration device, or colorimeter is used to “read” the color and brightness of you monitor. It will then create a profile for your specific monitor to ensure that you are getting an accurately displayed image. This calibration process need to be done at least once every 3 months on a good monitor that will hold its color and brightness and even more often on cheaper monitors. Keep in mind that using a calibration device on a poor quality monitor will not suddenly make it accurate. Many cheaper monitors cannot be calibrated correctly because they lack the inherent ability to be adjusted in this manner. A calibration device will only work to its fullest potential when used on a monitor that can handle the necessary adjustments.
As I mentioned earlier I am using the Xrite Eye One system, which can be purchased for under $200. This brand seems to be the most widely used calibration unit out there. It’s easy to use and I’ve always been very pleased with the results it’s given me.
A few other recommend brands are: Colorvision Spyder and Heuy.
Anyone of these devices can be purchased just about anywhere that sells photo equipment or supplies. As a lab we don’t endorse any one retailer, but as a fellow photographer I would be glad to point out a few of my favorite places to purchase equipment if you want to give me a call.
Q. You say it’s easy to calibrate. Are there any calibration settings Black River Imaging recommends?
A. Yes, the calibration process is fairly straightforward. The Xrite system uses a step-by-step wizard style interface that walks you through the calibration process.
There are several variables that you can manual set throughout the process. Here are the settings we recommend for a better match to our printing.
White Point: This variable is important in making sure the color isn’t too yellow or too blue. If you set this number too high your prints will come back looking warmer than what you are seeing on screen and if it’s too low your prints will come back looking cooler than what you see on screen. Keep in mind that the color of the print will also vary depending upon the color of the light you are viewing it under. As a starting point this variable
should be set to 5800k. However, if you know the exact color temp of the viewing environment, then start with your white point set to that value.
Black Point – CD/m2: This variable determines the luminance or brightness of your monitor. If this variable is set too high your monitor will display the image too brightly and the print will come back dark. If this variable is set to low your prints will come back too bright and blown out. Most calibration devices have the default black point set at 120 for LCD monitors. I feel that this is still too high for a good match to print. We recommend
setting this variable to 100. I also recommend ordering some test prints to check your settings after the initial calibration. A black point of 100 may be a good place to start, but this setting will vary a bit from screen to screen. You may need to adjust this value up or down depending on your monitor’s inherent brightness.
Gamma: This variable determines the base point for proper conversion of color and brightness between your computer and monitor. This setting used to depend on whether you were editing on a Mac or a PC. Older Mac OS uses a gamma value of 1.8 while windows used 2.2. Currently, both Mac and PC recommend a gamma setting of 2.2. This only applies to Mac if you are on OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard or higher.
Q. Now that I have this calibration thing figured out what should I use to edit my images?
A. This may depend on how extensive you want to edit or retouch your images. Adobe makes some of the best editing suits out there. For starters you might want to try Adobe Photoshop Elements. This program can be had for less than $100 and contains many of the tools you would use as a photographer.
For RAW conversion and batch processing I recommend Adobe Lightroom. With this software you can adjust one image and them apply those adjustments to many images after that one for a fast and simple workflow. There are also some excellent presets available from other photographers out there that will help enhance you images.One such photographer is Spencer Boerup who has several Lightroom preset packages available for purchase.
If you need the best in extensive photo retouching and editing then there’s really only one that leads the industry. Of course I’m referring to the full version of Adobe Photoshop. The current version is CS5 (creative Suite 5) and will offer you all the tools necessary to do in-depth design, color correction, retouching, and enhancement. The full version of Photoshop isn’t as intuitive as Elements and will require some dedication from the user to master the basics of what this program offers. The rewards in learning Photoshop are really endless. Similar to the presets available for Lightroom there are also Actions available for Photoshop. These actions can be installed in Photoshop and applied to one image or an entire folder of images with just a few clicks of the mouse. There are
Photoshop actions available for sale all over the Internet and even a few free ones.
A few other highly recommended editing programs are: Gimp (free at gimp.org), Picasa (free from Google), and Pictocolor Correct Photo (super easy one click editing).
Regardless of what editing software you use there are a few things that you can set to ensure that your program is also displaying the colors correctly. Make sure you are editing in the sRGB color space. You can check this in Photoshop by going to Edit -> Color Settings. Your color setting should look like this..
Also, be sure your images are in the RGB color mode. This also applies to black and white images. We cannot print an accurate black and white print form a Grayscale image.
Q. Do I need an ICC profile to make get an accurate print to screen match.
A. We do offer ICC profiles that are designed for creating a soft proofing setup in Photoshop. These profiles are not meant to be attached to a file and will have no effect on the image itself even if attached to the file. They are meant to create a way to proof the image as thought you were seeing it on the paper it will be printed on. Once
you have the proofing view turned on you can then compensate for any variance in the image by further adjusting it in Photoshop.
You can download these ICC profiles from the product spec guide next to each product. Once they are downloaded onto your computer you will need to copy them into a folder in
Windows.
For Windows install in this folder:
WINDOWS -> system32 -> spool -> drivers -> color
For Mac install in this folder:
Library -> colorsync -> profiles
Once these ICC profiles are copied into the correct folder on your computer you can then access them in Photoshop and save them as proofing profile.
To do this open Photoshop and click on View -> Proofset -> Custom
In the profile drop down menu choose the profile you want to use. Next put a check mark in the box marked Preserve Color Number and leave the other boxes empty. Now click save and give it a name that corresponds with the type of paper you are profiling and then click save (For instance “BRI Metallic” for metallic paper).
Now the option for BRI Metallic will show up at the bottom of the View -> Proofset menu and when you click that option you will see the color and contrast shift to more closely match that of metallic. You can toggle between that and your sRGB working profile by clicking ctrl+Y.
Please keep in mind that these ICC profiles will only be accurate if you are first calibrated for neutral monitor display as mention in the section of this article regarding monitor calibration.
Q. Where can I direct further questions regarding this article?
A. If you have more questions regarding camera settings, calibration, or editing I would love to hear from you.
Give me a call at 888-321-4665 or email me at jason@blackriverimaging.com
TweetIncrease Your Business Through Handwritten Thank You Notes
Imagine for just a moment if you will, you have just purchased a new car. You are enjoying the new car smell, the feel of the leather steering wheel, the comfort of the heated or cooled seats. Every time you get in your new car, a smile forms as you reflect on your purchasing decision.
Then BAM!
About a week after you have purchased your new car, you are innocently getting the mail out of the mailbox and tucked away between the gas bill and the cable bill, there it is, an envelope that has been hand addressed. Now you are thinking, ‘WOW! Credit Card companies are now hitting me up with a hand addressed envelope. Really? How desperate are they?’. You sigh and open the envelope anyway.
Much to your surprise, the card is not from a credit card company but from your salesperson at the car dealership thanking you for your recent purchase!
WOW! How AWESOME is that?!
It’s pretty awesome! You feel good about spending your hard earned money on a new car, the sales process was painless, you are enjoying your new car and then you are thanked for purchasing your new car! The next time you are ready to purchase another new car, you will definitely look at that dealership first, maybe even ask for the same salesperson.
So, how does the scenario above apply to your photography business?
Are you thanking your business partners for spending their hard earned money with you? Or is the last interaction they have with you is you saying thank you as they walk out the door?
Photography today is not just about producing beautiful imagery or having awesome products for people to purchase. Photography today is about building relationships.
Take the above scenario and change it to photography. Your client has just spent $2000 on family pictures with you. They pick up their order. The wall portrait is hanging in their home. Every time they walk by it, a huge smile forms on their face.
A few days later, your client is innocently getting the mail and between the gas bill and the cable bill is a hand addressed envelope. With a roll of her eyes, she thinks to herself, ‘WOW! Credit Card companies are now hitting me up with a hand addressed envelope. Really? How desperate are they?’. She sighs and opens the envelope anyway.’
Much to her surprise, it’s a gorgeous card (with one of your own images on the front and branding on the back), THANKING her for her recent purchase.
Wait. There’s more.
You have included two business cards in the card. One for her and one for a friend of hers with a free offer on their next session.
Your client is so impressed with the card, she hangs it on her refrigerator for all her friends and family to see.
You can be assured you will be in the front of her mind the next time she needs a photographer.
According to Mike Capuzzi, ‘…who doesn’t like to be appreciated and thought of? This is an extremely powerful emotion you should be tapping into regularly.’
When is it appropriate to send a handwritten thank you?
After a consultation.
After a session.
For a referral.
After a sales session.
There is an opportunity to send a thank you several times a day. Look for them. Take 5 minutes write a thoughtful note out and drop it in the mail. Your business partners will thank you for it!
Check out our full line of Press Printed Greeting Cards. They are perfect for thank you’s!
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Vanessa and Rob Adams Announce Next Round Of Workshops
We are excited to let you know Vanessa Joy and Rob Adams have announced their next rounds of workshops in the Philadelphia/New Jersey areas! If you are looking at taking your wedding photography to the next level, adding video to your current wedding business, or if you are just starting out with video, then these workshops are a must!
Details:
April 30th – May 1st: Mastering the DSLR Short-Form Wedding Workshop by Rob Adams
May 3rd : Photo / Video Fusion Workshop by Rob Adams and Vanessa Joy
May 9th – 10th: Vanessa’s Photography 101 & Wedding Photography Overhaul Workshops
We are proud to be sponsoring these upcoming workshops.
To learn more about Vanessa, check out her Featured Artist page!
TweetTwitter Party Anyone?
WOO HOO! We are partying again! Next Wednesday April 18, at 11 am CST, we will be discussing Graduation Announcement ideas for your high school senior clients!
Join us at the special time 11 am Central time to get in on the action! RSVP in the comments, with your Twitter handle to be entered in the drawing for a set of Graduation Announcement templates from Charta Design
New to Twitter? Go here for simple instructions on how to get prepped for the party.
It’s in the DETAILS!
When: April 18, 11 am- 1pm CST (12-2 pm EST, 10 am-12 noon MST, 9-11 am PST)
WHO: @bripro
What: Twitter Party- Graduation Announcements
How to Join in the FUN!: Follow hashtag #briprolt
Prizes:
We will be giving out 6 Press Printed Greeting Card sample packs with a promo code good for $15 off your next Press Printed Greeting Card order during the Twitter party.
One Grand Prize of a set 6 designs from Charta Design and a Press Printed Greeting Card sample pack with a promo code good for $15 off your next Press Printed Greeting Card order!
Want extra entries for the Grand Prize?
1). RSVP for the party be leaving your Twitter handle in the comments below.
2). Help us spread the word about our party by tweeting:
Graduation Announcements RSVP @bripro #briprolt Wed April 18, 11-1 cst #briprolt
Next leave the link to your tweet here in the comments. (To get a link to your tweet, right click on the time and date stamp below your tweet. copy and paste in the comments here on the blog.) You may tweet more than once for more entries. Please be courteous and not spam your followers!
3). Like Black River Imaging on Facebook. Post a comment here on the blog that you did so.
4). Leave a comment here with a marketing idea!
All winners will be chosen using a random number generator. Winners will be tweeted out. Winners please send a DM to @bripro on Twitter with your email address.
See you Wednesday April 18 at 11am CST!
Tweet Happy!
TweetSpencer Boerup’s High Dollar Portrait Sales
Are you tired of averaging $500 or less on your portrait sessions? Are you wondering how to raise your averages? Spencer Boerup has high dollar portrait sales figured out! Spencer’s average senior portrait sale is $2000 and his family portrait sales average is $3000!
Find 30 minutes today to sit down and watch Spencer’s WPPI 2012 booth talk in the Black River Imaging Cascade Theater on High Dollar Portrait Sales!
Enjoy!
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Gallery Show spotlights iPhone images on Metal Prints
The OTC Fine Arts Gallery, located on the third floor of the historic Gillioz Theatre complex in downtown Springfield, will hold an opening reception during First Friday ArtWalk on Friday, April 6, from 6-10 p.m. This month, the Gallery will feature artwork from iPhone photographer Elise Ellis.
Ellis explains how she got started in iPhone photography: “About 2 years ago, I was extremely burned out with traditional portraiture. I actually put my professional gear on the shelf and took a step back from photography. It was then I began to experiment with iPhoneography. In 2011, I began using the camera on the iPhone as my primary camera.”
She describes her work as follows: “Using the iPhone, I photograph and post process all images utilizing apps I have purchased from Apple’s App Store. Some of these apps are ScratchCam, Filter Mania, Filter Storm, Snapseed and Photo Toaster. The medium I have chosen to display my iPhone images on is metal. A dye sublimation process fuses the image to a piece of metal creating incredible visual depth and luminosity.”
“iPhoneography challenges me,” Ellis says. “It pushes me to be a better photographer and artist. When you take away all the fancy lenses, flash units, camera bodies, all you have left is your creativity, your vision, your skill in composition and in manipulating the light. iPhoneography is photography in the simplest form.”
In addition to the art on display, special musical performances will be provided throughout the evening by OTC Fine Arts students. Refreshments will be served.
The OTC Fine Arts Gallery’s regular gallery hours are Monday – Thursday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Fridays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information contact Kat Allie at (417) 447-8977, or via email at alliek@otc.edu or finearts@otc.edu.
Congratulations Elise! All of us at Black River Imaging are extremely proud of you!
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