Focus on the five P’s of Packaging

Posted on January 30, 2007
Filed Under The Basics | 18 Comments

Letter P Sesame Street has the letter of the day and I am feeling just a tad left out. So I came up with my own letter of the day. Today, the letter of the day is “P”.

There are five really important “P’s” that really make up the whole of Photo Packaging. These are:

Presenting the art
Protecting the image
Preserving memories
Promoting the photographer
Profitability of the business

Can you think of any more?

How the Digital Era Affects Photo Packaging

Posted on January 25, 2007
Filed Under Packaging = $$$$ | 20 Comments

By (Guest Contributor) Greg Stangl M. Photog Cr., CPP

Digital camera lens Last time, I wrote about why photo packaging is important. Today, I want to talk about one of the biggest things affecting our industry, the digital era.

As digital technologies progress, photographic presentations are changing. Single-image prints are being replaced with multiple-image montages in increasing numbers. As photographers put more time, energy and effort into not only their originals, but also into creating the final images, they are looking for ways to reduce the overall time they put into their creations. One way many photographers accomplish this is by reducing the amount of time they need to invest in assembling their final presentations.

To this end some photographers have selected to give up a portion of their profits by allowing others to create the collage images or assemble their albums. However, savvy business photographers are looking for ways to keep those profits inhouse by finding simpler ways to produce their final presentations with options that showcase their images. This trend seems to be especially true with albums.

When we introduce premium display options to the client we are servicing both their needs and ours. Our goals as professional photographers are many, we work hard to satisfy our clients with creative images that capture memories, but we also owe it to the success of our businesses to do that in a professional, profitable manner.

A photographer’s mission is to combine portraiture with packaging to provide value greater than the sum of the parts.

The use of premium packaging creates instant impact with the client. It enhances the “wow” factor and gives the product a finished look. In my opinion, it’s the packaging and presentation that puts the images over the top. Packaging really reflects what your brand ultimately is.
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In short, our goal is to turn pictures into profits and customers into satisfied clients. Great packaging offers you the chance not only of making a good first impression but a lasting one.

How is a Photographer Like a Florist

Posted on January 23, 2007
Filed Under Packaging = $$$$ | 13 Comments

It’s not magic, simply common sense and a little extra effort.

By (Guest Contributor) Greg Stangl M. Photog Cr., CPP

So what is the biggest difference between the amateur and professional photographer?

In my mind, the amateur’s images usually end up stored in shoe boxes or hidden in a computer file somewhere. A professional photographer’s images are displayed everywhere, in wedding albums, on the mantel, and on the wall.

An easy way to make sure your images end up displayed rather than in a shoe box (and, incidentally, add to your bottom line) is not only to provide your clients with images, but also with completely finished presentations including folders, frames and albums.

As a photographer, I want the images that I create to be seen and enjoyed by everyone. As a business person, I want the images to be shown at their best and displayed properly. If you think about it, the professional photographer’s situation is similar to a florist. The florist gains profits, not merely from the flowers she offers, but from the entire presentation she provides.

As an example, imagine a beautiful collection of flowers in an artistic arrangement with decorative highlights and ribbons plus a nice gift card. Now picture the same combination without the vase or the other accessories? What have you got?

It’s nowhere near the same product artistically or profitably. Without the vase and the rest of the detail, those flowers just do not have the same impact. This is exactly what albums, folios and frames can do for our portraiture. Just as the florist wants their flowers presented in the right vase, I want my photographic images on display in the best presentations.

“The key to increased profits is providing the client with complete presentations, ready to display, not just photographic prints.”

Be sure to tune in for the next post when I will continue to discuss why a professional photographer should invest in packaging and presentation for their work.

Some Awesome Photo Packaging Information

Posted on January 17, 2007
Filed Under Events and Information | 9 Comments

Presentation Counts cover I just got back from the PPA Imaging USA Conference in San Antonio, TX. These kinds of events always get me excited about the industry.

There is so much happening that I often feel like I simply cannot keep up with all the new innovations and techniques.

Of course, one of the areas that I am most keen on keeping up on (and helping others keep up on) is the area of photo packaging. Some of us in the industry thought that it might be helpful to put together a packet of information on some tips and tricks that would help photographers understand a little more about photo packaging and how it can work for you.

This packet was handed out at Imaging USA to all of the attendees. Of course, I realize that not everyone was lucky enough to make it down to beautiful San Antonio, TX for the event. I thought that I would share this information with you in a PDF.

Here is the link to the Presentation Counts Photo Packaging Packet. Because it is a PDF, it may take a few moments for it to download, so be patient. I promise, it is packed full of information that will make it worth your while.

After you have read it, please stop back here and let me know what you think. Was it helpful? What did you like about it? Not like about it? What would you like to see more of? Or less of? Let me know.

In the meantime, enjoy the information. I hope that you will find it helpful.

How to Triple the Perceived Value of an 8×10 Photograph

Posted on January 9, 2007
Filed Under Packaging = $$$$ | 12 Comments

8×10 photographs are a popular item in the professional photography world. I would hazard a guess, that of all the pictures we take, it will be the 8×10 that will be most likely to end up displayed on our client’s wall.

And what do we charge for that 8×10 photograph? In the end, what we charge really depends on what the client thinks that picture is worth. If the client thinks that the 8×10 picture is worth $25, then a smart photographer will charge $25.

Increase your photo's value But just imagine if your client thought that the same 8×10 photo was worth three times more. And better yet, what they perceived to be worth $75 dollars only cost you about $5 and two minutes more of your time.

If you are a smart photographer, you are saying “Where do I sign up for that deal?”

It is all in the packaging.

According to a survey done by CMB & Associates, if a person looked at an unmatted, unpackaged 8×10 photograph, they guessed the price of it to be about $25.

When that same 8×10 was matted in a folder or easel photomount (which costs about $2), the person thought that the picture was worth $50.

When the photomounted 8×10 picture was put into a portrait box with tissue and the box was wrapped in a ribbon (with the studio name imprinted on the box, of course) (total cost on this is another $3), the person thought the same 8×10 photograph was now worth $75.

So let’s do the math on that. With the packaging, you would be able to make an additional $45.

And here is some further food for thought, CMB & Associates didn’t even look at what the perceived value of framing that same 8×10. If people think a paper mounted 8×10 in a pretty box is worth $75, just imagine what they think an 8×10 in a wooden frame (which costs about $30) is worth.

Oh, by the way, we are talking about 8×10s in this scenario, but this works for any picture size.

So next time you are going to give your client their prized 8×10 memory, are you going to hand them a clear poly bag with a loose picture in it or are you going to present them with a treasure the speaks to the memory inside?

What makes you buy photo packaging?

Posted on January 2, 2007
Filed Under Packaging = $$$$ | 15 Comments

A friend of mine just recently spoke at a photographic conference and while he was there, he took a quick survey of the professional photographers in the audience.

He asked them all to write down what they thought were the important factors in selecting photo packaging products. Here is what they said, in order:

Quality of the products
General appearance of the products
Availability of the products
Past experience with the distributor
Wide selection (choice)
Competitive prices

Quality Notice that the number one reason was quality. I did not find this surprising at all.

When people come to us to have their pictures taken, they are not looking for junk. They are looking for high quality photographs taken by someone who knows what they are doing. They are looking for “quality”.

Unfortunately for us, as many of us know, the average client couldn’t tell a good photograph from a so-so one unless the two were side by side.

Oddly enough, while they can’t easily tell a quality photograph, they can tell whether or not you are using quality packaging material. They can feel if the pages of an album are just a little too flimsy, or if the mount’s color is not as rich as it should be.

Even worse, low quality products reflect on the image contained within. You can have just taken a prize winning picture but if you hand that image to your client in low quality packaging, your client (who can’t tell a good picture from a bad one anyway) will think the picture is low quality too.

You don’t want to do that to your photographs.

But here is the good news. High quality does not necessarily mean high prices. There are plenty of high quality products that are very reasonably priced. Just take the time to look.

In my next article, I will tell you the secrets of finding a good photo packaging supplier where you can buy that high quality packaging for a good price.

Pieces and Parts of Presentation Photo Packaging

Posted on January 2, 2007
Filed Under Tools of the Trade | 39 Comments

Recently, I talked about how Photo Packaging could be broken up into two different aspects, Presentation and Sales/Marketing. Today, I want to talk about what makes up the “Presentation” aspect of photo packaging.

Here is a list of what I think goes into it: Puzzle Peices

Frame - to separate and display
Light - to draw attention
Caption - to define and clarify
Protect - to secure and preserve
Combine - to tell a complete story (multiple-image collages, folios and albums)
Promote - to spread the word

Over the next few weeks, I am going to go over each one of these aspects and talk about what they mean to the professional photographer on a deeper level.

I will also be sharing some tips and tricks on how to make the best use of the pieces and parts of packaging.