March 2018 - Photo Direct

5 photographers share their in-house printing secrets

Posted on March 29, 2018 by Photo Direct in Education, Wide Format with Comments Disabled Last Modified March 29, 2018

Moving from using a print service to creating large format prints in-house can feel like a daunting task — but many professional photographers suggest the transition was as smooth and seamless as those giant prints. Five photographers recently shared the different ways they use Canon’s large format and photo printers in-house — and what they wish they knew before they made the switch.

Darren Jew, Underwater Photographer

As an underwater photographer, capturing an image for Darren Jew is much more than taking a walk down the street with a camera in hand — and the printer finishes the process. “I feel a photograph isn’t really complete until it has been printed — it’s the final expression of what my vision was when I took the picture,” he said.

The underwater photographer says his current Pixma Pro and large format printer line by Canon delivers the best quality that he’s seen yet, while the DreamLabo printers allow high-quality prints packed inside of a photo book.

Eugene Tan, Photographer and Gallery Owner

Switching to an in-house printer, for Eugene Tan, allows his beach gallery to create cost-effective images all on site, including anything from foam core prints to giant wall mounts. The photographer has even worked with Canon to print one of his images on the bottom of a pool. Tan chose the Pro Series printers because, in his work flow, he prints off small test images, then fine-tunes the colours to perfection, then moving to the large format print.

Tan says the software is surprisingly simple with just a click and drag that made it easy for his staff to make the switch to printing in-house. With the large format printers, Tan’s gallery can create same-day prints, or leave large print stock runs overnight.

Jeremy Cowart, Photographer

But large format printers aren’t just for displaying images. When well-known photographer Jeremy Cowart couldn’t find the exact backdrop that matched his vision for a shoot, he asked a graphic designer friend to create one. Using the Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-4000, the photographer had a custom 40 by 60” background — and it only took a half a hour.

Andy Farrer, Landscape Photographer

Outsourcing prints is actually what led Andy Farrer to his own in-house printing system. After getting a large format shot outsourced, he was so impressed by the quality, he asked the shop what printer they used. He then decided to test out the Canon PRO-2000 himself and was so impressed that he bought two Pro line printers in two sizes. Besides lowering the print costs, the change helped add another income source to his business too.

“If, like me, you print on both glossy/lustre and matte/fine art papers, it used to mean printing in batches to minimise wasting ink, which in reality is an utter pain,” he said. ”…the PRO Series doesn’t waste a single drop of ink when switching from photo black to matte black as it has its own proper ink head for each.”

Clive Booth, Commercial Photographer

While working with a luxury brand, a tiny LCD screen is no way to show off the quality of your work. That’s why photographer Clive Booth used an on-site 12 ink Canon iPF PRO-4000 to create proofs for the client before even leaving the site, showing the quality and colour of the images.

“There’s nothing better than seeing your work in print, nothing,” he said. “ It’s the only way a photographer can truly show their vision to another person.”

For more information on Canon’s large format printer range, reach out to the Photo Direct Customer Service team at (03) 9894 1644.

How small businesses can encourage the new trend in-store photo snapping

How small businesses can encourage the new trend of in-store photo snapping

Posted on March 15, 2018 by Photo Direct in Marketing with Comments Disabled Last Modified March 15, 2018

Nearly half of Australia’s population uses a mobile phone to shop online — but the same study also suggests customers are using their smartphones in-store too. One of those trends is snapping a photo, in-store, often to save the item for the future or to send as an idea to a friend. So how can small businesses capitalise on this new trend?

The study, sent to us by an industry partner and conducted by Bronto, suggests that 28 percent of Australians use their smartphone to snap a photo of a product in store, making it the second most common option for in-store shoppers by just a single percentage point.

Baby Boomers are in general less likely to use their smartphone, but the age group most uses a smartphone to snap a photo to save for later compared to the other categories in the survey. Millennials tend to snap the most photos, but they are also more likely to look up product info or reviews and compare prices.

Women also tend to tend to snap photos of products more then men. The study suggests 35 percent of females take snapshots of products in-store. For males, that number is only 21 percent.

So what can small businesses do to use that data in their business? First, make stores photo-friendly. Don’t discourage the practice of snapping photos in store, because that customer could later come back to buy. Make sure products are easy to access and not locked in cases or difficult to reach or otherwise photograph.

That image doesn’t have to only exist on that potential customer’s smartphone either. By creating a hashtag relevant to your products, small businesses can encourage customers to share that image, which could bring more people into the store. Hang a sign with the hashtag encouraging shares, or even host a monthly contest where customers enter by sharing an in-store photo with a hashtag. Businesses can also promote the new hashtag on their own social media networks.

Businesses will also want to factor in their target demographic too. The study concluded that younger generations, parents and those in a higher income category were more likely to use their smartphone while shopping in-store.

Smartphones aren’t just for online shopping — many customers use them while browsing brick-and-motar stores too. Small businesses should understand the trend in order to bring more customers in their store and make taking photos easier for current customers.

If you would like to discuss the latest trends for your small businesses, reach out to the Photo Direct Customer Service team at (03) 9894 1644.

4 Photo Booth Event Photography Secrets with Photographer Jess Pace

Posted on March 8, 2018 by Photo Direct in Marketing, Photo Printers with Comments Disabled Last Modified March 8, 2018

Photo booths are the instant photography of the 21st century, bringing instant printable photos to parties and events while creating keepsakes for the hosts. Jess Pace has been running a photo booth company, In an Instant Photography, for nearly 10 years, now working full time with her fiancé, Seb. We sat down with Jess to gather insight on the industry — and what photographers can do to get started in the growing industry.

Running a photo booth is an enjoyable way to own your own business

In an Instant Photography launched after Jess brought a light and a camera to a friend’s party — she enjoyed the experience so much that she later launched her business. Jess wasn’t a stranger to photography, however — she initially studied photography with plans of pursuing fashion photography, then worked with Pioneer Studios – now Sun Studios — for eight years before running her own company full time.

“I’ve also always been quite passionate about owning my own business and working for myself, I enjoy the freedom and responsibility of running a business,” she said.

But running a photo booth can also be a physically demanding job — with long hours

While part of her job means attending parties for a living, Jess says that running a photo both isn’t always fun and games. “Owning a photo booth involves quite a lot of physical labour, be ready for long days and late nights,” she says. “Although it’s incredibly rewarding! You definitely have to be a people person, as you’ll be interacting with loads of people at every event.”

Jess also recommends joining a Facebook group of other photo booth owners for tips and advice, including Photo Booth Owners Australia / New Zealand and Australian Photo Booth Friends.

Gear is a necessary but straight-forward part of running a photo booth event photography business

In an Instant Photography uses the Simple Booth App, an iPad and the DNP DS40 photo printer. The company also brings their own halo studio lighting, which helps give the company an edge over the competition by providing simple, studio-worthy lighting. Using an open air booth rather than an enclosed space also allows the photo booth to accommodate large groups.

Jess says her printer is efficient — and hasn’t had a major breakdown. “[DNP printers] are so efficient, we’re always receiving comments from guests at events at how quick they print out the images,” she said.

What about marketing?

Jess says word of mouth is their best form of advertising, but the photo both event photography company also runs promotions on Instagram, in wedding magazines and at wedding fairs. The duo also works to request reviews, earning a five-star rating on Facebook to keep new clients coming.

Like other businesses, Jess and Seb had to find what separated them from the rest of the industry — with easy to use gear and a fun personality, their company has thrived. “Because it’s just myself and my fiancé Seb who run In An Instant, you’re dealing with two passionate business owners who love being at every event that we’re hired for,” she said. “We’re quite attentive to our clients and guests throughout the entire process, from booking us via email through to the end of the event. We’re always told from our clients that what really made us stand out from the rest was how we interacted with the guests and how easy the booking process was. We’re just two fun and easy going people, so we’re just being ourselves!”

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