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Archive for September 2016

7 Wedding Photography Trends To Watch This Year

7 Wedding Photography Trends To Watch This Year

Posted on September 15, 2016 by Photo Direct in Education with Comments Disabled Last Modified September 15, 2016

From the dress to the flowers, wedding styles change over the years — and photography is no exception. From how the photos are shot to how they are edited, the look that brides want today isn’t the same as the look from ten years ago. So what are the latest wedding photography trends that couples are looking for? Here are seven looks trending in wedding photography for 2016-17.

A photojournalistic style

Posed formals are out, storytelling is in. The stiff formal poses are falling out of style while more casual setups — like the couple looking at each other instead of the camera — are becoming increasingly popular. Some photographers are even ditching a majority of the posing and simply capturing events as they unfold, or setting up shots with an action instead of a certain body placement.

Soft, warm colors

While some photographers stick with a photojournalistic color palette as well, many are finding success using softer colors. This look mimics film photography, whether that’s through actually shooting film or adjusting the colors digitally in post. This look is best kept to a minimum, however — it’s easy to overdo film presets while the style is really for a more subtle color shift with a slight warming effect or palette adjustment.

Aerial photography

The rise in popularity of aerial photographs isn’t necessarily from a style stand point, but a technological one. Drones are becoming easier to use (and more affordable), making aerial options more readily accessible to photographers. Before you decide to jump on this trend though, be sure to look at both the costs and the laws in your area — countries like Australia and the U.S. require commercial drone operators to be certified.

Smoke bombs

Remember light painting with sparklers? Smoke bombs are the 2016 sparklers, at least according to Brides Magazine. These colorful smoke bombs add a burst of color and an unusual element to wedding photographs. Like any of the more unique trends, make sure using a smoke bomb as a prop fits your own photography style.

Less filters, more subtle edits

Instagram may have brought photo editing into the mainstream, but obvious filters are becoming less common, while more subtle edits are becoming more popular. In line with the photojournalistic posing style, many photographers are skipping out on the faked looks and opting for a simpler approach instead, with minor color tweaks and perhaps some zit zapping but without the airbrushing.

Wedding hashtags

Style in 2016-17 is just as much about what you do with the photos when you’re finished with them. Wedding hashtags help expand a photograph’s reach. Many couples are crafting their own hashtag to mark their day with — to make the wedding day images easy for friends and family to find, use the hashtag when you share, suggests photographer Bethany Cleg.

Just like lace wedding dresses went out of style and then back in again, wedding photography trends change with time. The difference? Wedding photography changes with both style trends and technology. Monitoring the latest wedding photography trends can help photographers determine what style changes to adapt into their work while still keeping true to their overall imaging style.

The Growing Home Decor Industry: Trends Photo Businesses Need To Know

The Growing Home Decor Industry: Trends Photo Businesses Need To Know

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Photo Direct in Education with Comments Disabled Last Modified September 13, 2016

Sure, photographs are memories — but they’re also home decor. And the recent growth in the home decor industry means that more consumers are looking for canvases, framing and other ways to incorporate personal photographs into their homes. But what does the growth of sources of inspiration like Pinterest coupled with an increased interest in DIY mean for photographers and photo printers? Here are 4 trends photo businesses need to know.

Style profiling is growing

While the abundance of inspiration is generally a good thing, that also leaves consumers with an overwhelming amount of options. Decor stores often curate products into different styles, making it easier to for consumers to find something that reflects their taste. Online companies use quizzes to help consumers find their style and recommend products.

So what does that mean for photography? Consumers are looking for help defining their style choices — and that applies to framing as well as the actual photograph. Photographers should work with clients ahead of time to find their personal style, perhaps by asking what photos they like and why. Framing companies shouldn’t be afraid to ask customers what their home looks like and what particular style they favor.

Budget options are becoming increasingly popular

While the home decor industry is now estimated to be worth $79 billion USD, many consumers are looking for budget options. With the growth of Pinterest and television networks like HGTV, many realize that they can get luxury looks for a lower price by attempting the project themselves.

That means pricing should always be a concern for businesses offering wall prints. Thankfully, the cost of ink and paper means that it’s often more affordable for consumers to have their photos professionally printed anyways, though some consumers will be more likely to pick up a ready-made frame over expensive custom options.

Consumers are looking for out of the box ease

Consumers that aren’t looking for DIY projects are looking for one thing: Simplicity.  These are the customers that want a home decorated to fit their tastes, but don’t have the time to mess with DIY.

That’s potentially good news for photographers and photo printers — since many customers realize they don’t have the time, skills or equipment to get great wall prints themselves. Businesses making it easy for their customers are likely to have an edge by providing quick sessions with online ordering, or offering easy canvas and framing options to complement their photographs.

Matching lifestyles is essential

Home decor is highly personalized — and photos are even more so. Many decor companies categorize their products by a theme or design taste, then recommend similar products based on their customer’s browsing history.

Photographs can follow the same concept — photographers can group their props and backdrops by different styles, such as modern, urban or rustic. Framers can follow suit by arranging different options that follow a similar style together. Matching the style of prints and framing to a customer’s personal taste — and making it easy to do so — will help businesses keep customer satisfaction high.

The home decor industry is growing — and what better way to personalize your home than with photos of your own life and family? Photographers, printers and framers can take advantage of the growing trends by working to offer customers an affordable, simple product or service that matches their lifestyle.

HP Z6800 Printer

HP Z6800 production printer special offer

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Photo Direct in Equipment, Wide Format with Comments Disabled Last Modified September 8, 2016

The population of HP Z6800 of these production workhorses is growing and the operators have been impressed.

We have been able to secure 1 unit at a very special price , contact us and we can discuss how this printer could help you improve your productivityHP Designjet Z6800 wideformat printer

Be quick we only have 1 unit in stock

 

Call 1300 364 817 or email us to find out more

Z5600 rear view

HP Z5600 44-inch high-impact graphics Multi Roll printing

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Photo Direct in Equipment, Wide Format with Comments Disabled Last Modified September 8, 2016

HP Z5600 printer

The HP DesignJet Z5600 44-inch PostScript Printer produces vivid, eye-catching graphics and technical documents with HP chromatic red ink. With a 6-ink printing system that optimises operating costs, the pigment-based HP Vivid Photo inks are water and fade-resistant for graphics, maps and technical drawings to last up to 200 years.

The multi-roll operation and flexible workflows enable productivity and express printing for users.

Cut costs with HP 6-ink printing system* Up to 20% ink consumption savings using HP’s optimized 6-ink printing system.
No maintenance cartridge—auto drop detection and nozzle switching reduce cleaning, maintain image
quality.
Less operator intervention and more cost-effective printing with 300-ml HP ink cartridges.
Optimize media usage by auto-arranging multiple images on a roll with HP DesignJet Click printing software.

Call 1300 364 817 or email us to find out more

We have the full range available for Z5600

SKU Product Description
T0B51A HP DesignJet Z5600 44-in PostScript® Printer
CN538A HP DesignJet 3-in Core Adapter
Q6709A HP DesignJet 44-in Spindle
J8025A HP Jetdirect 640n Print Server
G6H51B HP HD Pro 42-in Scanner
F9J86A HP 744 Photo Black and Cyan DesignJet Printhead
F9J87A HP 744 Magenta and Yellow DesignJet Printhead
F9J88A HP 744 Matte Black and Chromatic Red DesignJet Printhead
F9J95A HP 745 130-ml Magenta DesignJet Ink Cartridge
F9J96A HP 745 130-ml Yellow DesignJet Ink Cartridge
F9J97A HP 745 130-ml Cyan DesignJet Ink Cartridge
F9J98A HP 745 130-ml Photo Black DesignJet Ink Cartridge
F9J99A HP 745 130-ml Matte Black DesignJet Ink Cartridge
F9K00A HP 745 130-ml Chromatic Red DesignJet Ink Cartridge
F9K01A HP 745 300-ml Magenta DesignJet Ink Cartridge
F9K02A HP 745 300-ml Yellow DesignJet Ink Cartridge
F9K03A HP 745 300-ml Cyan DesignJet Ink Cartridge
F9K04A HP 745 300-ml Photo Black DesignJet Ink Cartridge
F9K05A HP 745 300-ml Matte Black DesignJet Ink Cartridge
F9K06A HP 745 300-ml Chromatic Red DesignJet Ink Cartridge

 

Understanding the 5 Stages of Consumer Decisions

Understanding the 5 Stages of Consumer Decisions

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Photo Direct in Marketing with Comments Disabled Last Modified September 8, 2016

The average adult makes 35,000 decisions in a day — some of them are simple, like what shirt to wear, while others are much bigger, like what car to buy. But for businesses owners, these consumer decisions are vital. What makes a customer choose your business over another? Understanding the five stages in the consumer buying process can give businesses insight in developing a business model that consumers say yes to.

Stage 1: Recognizing a need or a problem

Consumers buy to meet a need — but in order to do that, they have to realize that they actually have that need. According to The Consumer Factor, customers make a purchase to move from their current situation to an ideal one. For example, consumers may print new photographs because they have a need for change — they’re bored with the look of their current decor perhaps, or they need to show a happy moment in their lives.

Stage 2: Information

Once consumers recognize a problem (and that problem may be large like the need for reliable transportation or simpler, like new photographs) they look for information. Sometimes, that information is pre-existing, and other times they seek out details like recommendations from friends. Often, information may even find them through advertising or social media.

Stage 3: Evaluating the alternatives

By now, the consumer has recognized the need and dug up some information on potential solutions — but what other fixes might be out there? Most consumers compare products before buying, especially now that the internet makes that process much simpler. Consumers look at both objective information — like the specifications and price — as well as factors that are more subjective, like their opinion on the brand, color or style.

Stage 4: The purchase

Once the consumer has their information and has compared the alternatives, they’ll make their decision. The decision isn’t always quite set in stone however — a sale may sway them to one of the alternatives or an unpleasant experience may mean they leave the store empty-handed.

Stage 5: Post-Purchase

The purchase is finished — so now the process is done, right? Not always. After making a purchase, consumers often evaluate the product and decide whether that initial choice was the right one or not. When consumers like their purchase, making a subsequent buy from the same brand becomes simpler — that’s big for companies selling products that are often purchased again, like printing photographs. Positive experiences also spread information to other customers through word of mouth. A bad experience, on the other hand, often causes the process to start over again.

So how can brands — and particularly creative businesses — use that information to accelerate their reach? That first step is vital. When businesses approach their product offerings looking at how they can meet a need or pain point, they are already a step ahead. Advertising campaigns then are often designed around a customer’s need — and presenting the product as a solution.

Every purchase begins with a decision. Understanding the process that a consumer often goes through before every buy can help businesses successfully reach their target audience.

How to Take a Perfect Picture: 12 Photography Tips

How to Take a Perfect Picture: 12 Photography Tips

Posted on September 6, 2016 by Photo Direct in Education with Comments Disabled Last Modified September 6, 2016

With billions of photos on the web, the one that pauses that scrolling is truly special. But how do you take a perfect picture? Photography, like all art, is subjective — what’s perfect to one viewer my be uninspiring to another. Still, there are ways to improve your photography to take your images from boring to inspiring — here’s 12 photography tips to get you started.

  1. Use composition to eliminate anything that’s unnecessary from the photo. Use the zoom or simply move to a different vantage point until everything in the frame contributes in some way. That age-old Keep It Simple Stupid applies to photography too.
  2. Don’t automatically center the subject. The Rule of Thirds suggests placing the subject off to one side — and while it often leads to better photos don’t do anything automatically. Think about your composition. Why are you framing the photo that way — and is there a way you could make it better.
  3. Don’t always shoot from eye height. Some of the most inspiring images are taken from higher angles or even lower ones.
  4. Learn manual modes. Auto mode is simply shooting with a computer, and there’s still a lot that computers have to learn. Dig into manual modes and you’ll really find ways to accelerate your shots.
  5. Use depth of field to your advantage. Controlling how blurry the background is — or how sharp — lets you eliminate distractions and show off the subject or to show the dazzling surroundings.
  6. Find ways to introduce motion into your photography. Still photos can still have a sense of movement — blurring the background through the panning technique, for example, or simply adjusting the composition to show where your subject is headed will help.
  7. Light, light light. Photography literally means writing with light, so if you don’t know light, you don’t know photography. Look for harsh or light shadows in your images and learn how to create them.
  8. Don’t be afraid of the flash — but learn manual flash. Manual flash allows you to turn the power down so it doesn’t look like a flash was used at all. So why use it? Flash helps fill in dark shadows under the eyes and add in catch lights — and that’s just for portraits.
  9. While you are learning, practice with light coming from the side or front of your subject. Once you are comfortable in these scenarios, however, learn how to successfully shoot with backlighting. Shooting with the light behind the subject is tricky, but can be incredibly rewarding when done right.
  10. Learn your genre. While many qualities are the same, different types of images require different tricks. Identify what you like to shoot the most — like kids, sports, macro or portraits — and find some tips from experts in the field on that specific genre.
  11. Embrace filters — and not the Instagram ones. A polarizing filter will help make the sky pop as well as enhance or eliminate reflections. Graduated neutral density filters are great for capturing a dramatic sky and neutral density filters allow you to take long exposure images during the day.
  12. Shoot in RAW. Camera technology today is amazing — but still not as capable as the human eye. While it’s always better to get the shot right in person, photo editing is often necessary to make it look just as impressive as it did in person. RAW is like a digital negative, choosing this file type instead of the typical JPEG gives you more control over the final image.

The best photographers never stop finding ways to improve their craft, however small. While perfection in photography may be impossible, great isn’t with the right knowledge and practice.