Free 4″x6″ Prints Giveaway
A few months have passed since my last free prints giveaway, so I think it’s time for another one. The last print giveaway revolved around becoming a fan of me on facebook, but this time I am going to implement different challenges so that you may claim the free print. Most likely, I will make announcements on my photoblog, or I will send out a challenge via twitter (you may follow me here).
As it stands right now, I have six 4″x6″ prints available. They are all printed on metallic paper (from Mpix). Since I don’t offer 4″x6″ prints for sale on my photoblog, this giveaway is perfect for those of you who are curious about the metallic prints and haven’t had the chance to buy or see one.
Hit the “read more” to read all the FAQs and to see which prints are available in this giveaway.
Imagekind Review: Prints and Customer Service
For many months now, I wanted to implement a system on my photoblog, Erudite Expressions, whereby customers could order prints and frames to go along with them. One company which would allow me to sell prints along with frames was Imagekind. I decided to give them a try by ordering two prints. The following is my experience with the prints and Imagekind’s customer service. The reason I am posting this review so late is that it took over a month and a half for Imagekind to resolve a print return issue.
Print Ordering
On April 10, 2009, I ordered two prints from Imagekind. The two prints were two of my high dynamic range (HDR) images, “Capri Unfolding” and “Old Blue Door,” shown below.
Capri Unfolding: A scene from the island of Capri
An old blue door seen in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia
For “The Blue Door” I chose the 16.0″x10.7″ print size with the Somerset Velvet Fine Art finish, and for “Capri Unfolding” I chose a 24″x16″ print with an Enhanced Matte finish.
Package Arrival and the Case for Flat Shipping
The package with the prints arrived around April 20, 2009 (the package was shipped domestic ground), so it took about ten days total for the package to arrive. When I received the package, I was immediately frustrated and disappointed. Why? Because the prints arrived in a tube, certainly something I am not used to when ordering prints from other places.
The prints which I ordered arrived in the tube shown
This was the first offense for Imagekind. It may be a personal choice whether you want to receive prints in a tube, but to me, there is no question about it: prints should be shipped flat. What’s really amazing is that the largest print size in the order was 24″x16″, and this print size is well within reason of being shipped flat. I made an informal inquiry as to why Imagekind shipped the prints in a tube, and their reply was:
Have to ship in a tube for the large sizes. We can ship flat for the smaller prints, but too much risk for large; they bend
Um, they bend? Not if the packaging in which flat prints arrive is secure. I have ordered prints as large as 30″x20″ from Mpix, and Mpix doesn’t have a problem shipping prints flat. In fact, every single order which I have placed from Mpix arrived in a secure, sturdy flat package, and I have yet to receive a print order from Mpix in which my prints arrived bent or otherwise damaged.
Look (and I am not sure if Imagekind gets it): if prints were meant to be shipped in a tube, then the expectation is that they prints are to be “consumed” rolled up. The fact of the matter is that it is impossible (or extremely difficult) to get the prints to lie flat after being rolled up. Is the intention of the rolled print to be dumped, or to be framed? If the intention is to be framed, then for me, the absolute requirement for print delivery is that the print is shipped the way it is printed: flat.
The images below show the two prints, as I received them:
Imagekind's print of the "Old Blue Door." After being unrolled, notice that the print does not lie flat.
Notice something about the print above? After being unrolled, I placed the print under a number of heavy books, hoping that the print will spring back into a flat shape. Such wasn’t the case, as you can see. How about the other print?
Imagekind's print of "Capri Unfolding."
Again, I had great difficulty flattening the other print, “Capri Unfolding.” Another angle of view of the print is shown below:
Another view of the "Capri Unfolding" print
Again, notice that the print does not lie flat. I captured this image well over a month after receiving it. During that time period, I placed the print under a heavy load of books and other stuff. As you can see, even an extended period of time under a heavy load did not help the print regain its original splendor.
Image Quality
The next item to consider is the quality of the prints. First, note that the initial impression of the prints was already damaged because the prints were not flat, and non-flat prints necessarily means their quality is less than perfect.
As I mentioned, I ordered the prints on two different finishes/papers. The “Old Blue Door” had the Somerset Velvet Fine Art finish, described on Imagekind’s website as:
Somerset Velvet is a delicately textured fine art paper engineered to give you the highest resolution and color saturation possible. It has always been the first paper choice among serious artists and printmakers dating back to the 1700’s and the days of handmade paper. Somerset Velvet is 100% cotton, acid-free paper with luxurious weight, texture and finish that truly delivers museum quality appearance.
The print of “Capri Unfolding” was printed on Enhanced Matte paper, described by Imagekind’s website as:
For artists and photographers seeking a flat matte surface, Epson Enhanced Matte Paper is the ideal choice. This bright, white paper is perfect for images that do not require gloss. It yields highly saturated images, while maintaining excellent highlight and shadow detail. Professional photographers, digital artists and amateurs alike will find Epson Enhanced Matte Paper a remarkable choice for any project.
I thought that the print quality of the Enhanced Matter paper was excellent. The colours of the “Capri Unfolding” print were vibrant and saturated, just as with the image I uploaded to Imagekind’s server. Additionally, as Imagekind’s statement about the paper claimed, the shadows and highlights were well maintained. For the 24″x16″ print of “Capri Unfolding” with the enhanced matter paper finish, I paid a total of $12.99. Definitely a solid price.
However, my opinion of the “Old Blue Door” print (the one with the Somerset Velvet Fine Art finish) is different. I thought the print looked muddy, the saturated colours of the blues were washed out, and the overall print texture wasn’t appealing. The print size was 16″x10.7″ (which is roughly equal to the 1.5 aspect ratio of the original image I uploaded). The biggest deal killer regarding this print is that it is quite expensive: $19.49. So, combining the following facts: that the print came in irregular size (why not just do 15″x10″?), that the print quality wasn’t amazing (I actually prefered the Enhanced Matte finish more than the Somerset Velvet Fine Art finish), and that the cost of the print most certainly didn’t justify its quality, I decided to return the print back to Imagekind.
Returning the Print
Imagekind has a great policy regarding prints with which you are unsatisfied. If you are unhappy with your print order – for whatever reason – you can return the print within thirty days for a full refund. Per Imagekind’s website:
We are confident in the quality of our products and your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. If for any reason you are not satisfied with your purchase, you may return it within 30 days of receipt for a full refund on the price of the item. To return it to us, please pack it in the original packaging and include the completed Return Form. Shipping charges will not be refunded.
I decided that I liked the 24″x16″ print of “Capri Unfolding,” but the 16″x10.7″ print of “Old Blue Door” didn’t warrant keeping. So as requested, I filled out a form in which I detailed my dissatisfaction with the “Old Blue Door” print, rolled the print back up and placed it in the original packaging.
I added "Attn: Imagekind Returns" before shipping the package back
I shipped the package back to Imagekind a few days after receiving a package from them. Since the tube is somewhat heavy, I shipped the package back by domestic ground (the cost was around $5). As Imagekind states, the company does not refund shipping charges.
Imagekind’s Customer Service
After shipping back the package with one of the prints, I expected that Imagekind would make an adjustment to my credit card within seven to ten days. Unfortunately, my experience was far from that case.
My assumption was that the print arrived back to Imagekind headquarters (at the latest) by May 1, 2009. I thus expected a refund of $19.49 visible on my credit card statement by around May 7 (that’s giving Imagekind a week to process the return and crediting back the amount). After checking my credit card statement for April 10 to May 15, I noticed that there was no adjustment made from Imagekind.
Frustrated, I contacted Imagekind customer service by email (care@imagekind.com) on May 17, 2009, asking them why my refund has not been issued. After making this initial inquiry I received a generic response from Imagekind letting me know that “We have received your inquiry and are assigning it to a representative. You can expect to receive a response from us within two business days.” The next day (May 18), I received a response from Tracy (one of the representatives at Imagekind) that they have “found a record of your returned item and issued a refund. You should see a credit on your account statement for $19.49 in 2-3 business days.”
So I waited three more days. I checked my credit card statement. Still no refund from Imagekind. I waited a few more days, thinking that it might take another day or two for the refund to go through. On May 31, I checked my credit card statement, and there was still no refund. This time, extremely frustrated, I send Imagekind another email asking why the refund hasn’t been issued…The response I received is both baffling and inexcusable:
“I’m sorry for the delay. Your refund was marked as complete in one area but we didn’t actually put the refund through.”
What? How does that even work? Complete in one area? Which area? A refund shouldn’t be considered complete unless the refund actually goes through and I see it on my credit card statement. Anything less on Imagekind’s part, and the words “refund” and “complete” should never be used together in the same sentence.
I sent Imagekind another email letting them know how unhappy I was with this customer service. Think about this for a second: when you send an item for a refund and the company receives said item, you expect the refund process to go smoothly and see it posted on your credit card statement in a reasonable amount of time. In my case, I had to send not one but two inquiries to the care team at Imagekind asking them what is taking them so long to process a refund. To me, that kind of customer service is most definitely sub-standard. My suspicion is that if I didn’t contact Imagekind (twice!), my refund would have never been issued.
However, this customer service story isn’t all bad. I finally received my refund on June 3, 2009 (after a month and a half of waiting). I also received a personal phone call from Tracy, who messed up processing the return the first time. She offered her sincere apology, and I received a $20 gift certificate for future purchases at Imagekind.
Verdict
Before ordering prints from Imagekind, I was almost certain I was going to use their services to offer customers the ability to buy prints and frames. However, after the two strikes (first, shipping the prints in a tube rather than in a flat envelope; and second, the major delay for issuing a refund for a returned print), I am hesitant in considering Imagekind for further print orders, and most certainly, for using their service to sell my prints with various options for prints and frames.
I must state that my review of Imagekind prints and their customer service is certainly not comprehensive: I only ordered two prints and possibly had an aberration with regard to receiving a print refund. Still, my review isn’t the only negative review of Imagekind you will find on the internet. I am sure there are hundreds, if not thousands, of customers quite happy with their experience (both in print order fulfillment and customer service) with Imagekind. Unfortunately, based on my experience, I will hold off offering the ability to purchase my prints via Imagekind, and I will continue looking into other alternatives.
Your Thoughts?
If you’ve had experience buying from Imagekind and/or offering customers the ability to buy prints/frames with Imagekind, feel free to chime in with your thoughts in the comments.
Review: Gallery Canvas Print from ZaZa Gallery
I recently received an 8″x10″ canvas print from ZaZa Gallery, a small company owned by Hugh Parker and his wife. The husband and wife team started out as an art company, but have since focused on creating canvas prints for customers. I received a complimentary 8″x10″ print of one of my images, Overlook in Mijas, which may be found on my photoblog here. In return, I’ve agreed to write a review of the canvas print which follows below.
Announcing: Two 10″x15″ Prints Giveaway (Free Prints!)
On January 17, 2009, I posted my 1,000th entry on my photoblog, Erudite Expressions. I created a collage of 500 of my images and posted them as my 1,000th entry. You can view the 1,000th entry by going here. You can view the collage in a larger size here.
Since this blog is dedicated to prints, I thought that I would host a promotion for free prints to commemorate my 1,000th post. Last time my promotion for name-your-own-price for a print was an utter failure (I have some ideas why, but I’ll spare my thoughts for now), so I thought I’d run a promotion for absolutely free prints!
The details of this promotion are presented below in an FAQ format, as per my usual style.
Q: What’s this promotion all about?
A: I am giving away two 10″x15″ (10 inch by 15 inch) metallic prints (of your choice) to two lucky winners.
Q: What’s the estimated value of the prize?
A: The regular price for a metallic 10″x15″ print which you may order from my photoblog is $50.
Q: What do I have to do to enter the promotion?
A: First, I hope you will read the entire caption in this post. It’s long, but I think it’s an interesting read.
Q: OK, I finished reading the caption. Now what?
A: If you read the caption in its entirety, you would have found a link to my facebook fan page. If you want to be eligible to win one of the two prints, become a fan of me before January 27, 2009 (11:59:59 PM EST). Until that time, I am keeping a tally of who is joining daily. Then, on or around January 28, 2009, I will write everyone’s name (i.e., those that became a fan) on a piece of paper, put the papers in a hat, and draw out two names without replacement. The two names that get drawn are the winners.
Q: What if I am already your facebook fan?
A: That’s fine. You don’t have to quit and rejoin. Just send me a message that you saw my 1,000th photoblog entry and I will enter you into the drawing .
Q: Who is going to conduct the drawing?
A: I will most likely let a family member or a friend draw out the two names…
Q: Are there certain restrictions on who is eligible to enter?
A: First thing that comes to mind is that you represent yourself (which shouldn’t be a problem since I chose the facebook route rather than soliciting for people’s email addresses). Second, you should have a valid mailing address to which I can send you the print if you win.
Q: Do you have any other restrictions?
A: Just to make it easier for me, I am going to ask the two winners to select photos which I posted on or after January 1, 2008. That means, as of this writing, you have well over 350 images from which to select for your print. It goes without saying, but the images available for a print are those that are listed as available for “purchase” (those that aren’t listed as available for purchase are either too small in resolution, are too noisy, or otherwise do not pass Eugene’s strict quality control tests on what would constitute a good print). Finally, please choose an image that has a 3×2 aspect ratio (read the FAQ in this post if you don’t know what aspect ratio is and/or how to figure it out from images posted) so that the image can be printed on a 10″x15″ paper without cropping. (However: if there is an image that isn’t in a 3×2 aspect ratio that you really want in a print, let me know, and I will still send you a 10″x15″ print which would have a border of some sort on the top and bottom).
Q: How will you contact the winners?
A: I will most likely send a facebook message to the two winners. Additionally, I’ll post the name of the winners on my wall and in a photoblog entry around January 28, 2009.
Q: If I win the drawing, and I don’t want to receive a print, can I redeem the prize for cash?
A: Sorry, but the prizes in this drawing cannot be exchanged for cash. If you win and don’t want the print, let me know, and I’ll draw another name.
Q: What if I have more questions?
A: If you have more questions, feel free to leave a comment to this post, or send me an e-mail to elbelbelb2000[at]gmail[dot]com.
Announcing: Pay-as-You-Wish for Prints
I’ve been reading some success stories about pay-as-you-wish pricing schemes (such as “What the Bagel Man Saw”, available as a PDF here, an interesting “no cash register” approach at a bakery in a Canadian city, and an awesome success story of a coffee store in Seattle; all those stories have been linked in the freakonomics blog, which I read daily).
So, the big announcement: I’ve decided to try out this business model for purchasing prints on my photoblog, Erudite Expressions. And so, à la Radiohead, you’ll be able to pay whatever you want for an 8″x12″ metallic print which you may order from my photoblog, Erudite Expressions. For now, this will be an experiment I am trying out. Consequently, this pay-as-you-wish offer will be valid only from Thursday, October 16, 2008 to Sunday, October 20, 2008 (with a possibility for an extension, depending on how things turn out). Additionally, the offer will be valid to the first twenty customers which place their order in the three days this promotion is running. Once the three days are up or the first twenty customers have purchased a print (whichever comes first), the promotion will terminate and I’ll re-implement my regular pricing structure for prints.
I’ve come up with an FAQ which will hopefully answer all your questions:
Q: What’s pay-as-you-wish pricing?
A: It means what it says, basically. You pay whatever you think the product is worth to you. You can pay as much as you can afford. You can pay as much as you want. You can pay (almost) nothing if you want. It’s your choice.
Q: What’s does the offer entail?
A: The offer is for one 8″x12″ metallic print. The metallic print has a glossy finish; if you hold the print under the light, it appears as though you’re holding a thin sheet of metal due to the way the print reflects the light. The images are printed in a professional lab; all the prints are printed on a Kodak Endura professional paper, which offers natural looking flesh tones, sharp details, and beautifully saturated colors. Also, the really cool thing: the paper on which the image is printed will be resistant to tearing! (I’ve tried tearing one of my 4″x6″ prints, and I couldn’t do it – the finish is very strong!). Click here to see an example of how the 8″x12″ prints look like when they are printed.
Q: Who is eligible for this offer?
A: If you live in any of the fifty states of the U.S.A. (and also District of Columbia), you are eligible to order a print. Only one order per customer and (home) address (i.e. I am imposing a restriction to send only one print to the same home address; for instance, it wouldn’t be fair if a large family (with different names, thus technically corresponding to different customers) in Utah ordered ten or more prints to the same address).
Q: Which images are eligible for this offer?
A: There are two basic limitations. First, only those images which have the PURCHASE link enabled (at the bottom of the image) are available for sale. The images that don’t have the purchase option are not on sale for various reasons (small resolution, noisy image, etc.) The second limitation is that the image size should have an aspect ratio correspond to 8″x12″ print – namely a 3:2 or 1.5:1 aspect ratio. Most of my images are presented in 3:2 aspect ratio (i.e. the images have dimensions of 800×533 pixels, 900×600 pixels, or 467×700 pixels). There are many ways to check the dimensions of an image. I’ve covered a simple way to check the dimensions of an image in a previous entry. If you are running Mozilla Firefox as your internet browser, you can just right click on the relevant image, click on properties, and you’ll see the dimensions of the image in the dialog box.
Q: What is the suggested price I should pay?
A: There is no suggested price. You can pay as little or as much as you wish. That’s the whole point of this promotion.
Q: But isn’t there a rough guide how much we should pay if we have no clue?
A: Well, if you insist. For your consideration: the regular price that I charge for a metallic 8″x12″ print shipped and delivered to your door is $35. When I was running my two-year anniversary promotion, the price for one 8″x12″ metallic print was $10.
Q: All right, I want to order a print. How do I order?
A: I’ve implemented an online payment system that is very easy to use. The only requirement is that you need to have a paypal account (if you don’t have a paypal account, you can get one for free if you have a credit card). To order a print: click the PURCHASE link (found at the bottom of the image whose print you want to buy) which is enabled for those prints which are available for purchase. Below is an image of an entry dated July 19, 2008 titled “old door” for which I’ve highlighted the PURCHASE option:
The purchase option is highlighted
After you click the PURCHASE link, you’ll see a dialog box that has a radio button with “pay-as-you-wish 12″x8″ metallic print @ 0.00 US Dollars” as the only option. Click submit. You’ll be taken to the paypal page which should look similar to the image shown below:
Paypal order form (in this case, for the "old door" image seen above); Unit Price can be adjusted to name your own price
From here, you can choose how much you want to pay for the print. By entering an amount into the “Unit Price” dialog box (as seen above), you’ll be able to select the price you want to pay for the metallic 8″x12″ print once you click the “Update Totals” box. Since you are ordering one print, the “Quantity” will be locked at 1, and the total amount will be updated in USD once you click the “Update Totals.” Important note: Paypal won’t let you get away with leaving the “Unit Price” at $0.00, so if you want to get the print for free, your best available option is to change the “Unit Price” to $0.01 or something like that. Below, I’ve created a price of $20.08 (reflecting the current year; you can be creative in dollar amounts) to pay for a print:
A print to be purchased for $20.08
Q: Can’t you potentially lose a lot of money running this promotion?
A: Yes, it is possible. That’s why I’ve implemented a cap on twenty customers. I’ve also set aside around $200 to fund this project. In other words, if everyone chooses to get a print for free (hopefully that won’t happen, but that’s the extreme scenario), I’ll use the $200 I set aside to print and ship the prints.
Q: So why take the risk? Why not implement a “minimum” price, such as $10?
A: If one is going to implement the pay-as-you-wish pricing structure, it goes against the principle to set a minimum price (I don’t consider the one cent minimum as a true minimum, but rather an unavoidable technicality that paypal requires). Also, I know a few people that wanted to order prints from my photoblog, but for whatever reason haven’t done so (this is their chance!). My regular print prices are quite affordable, but I wanted to give people the choice of owning one of my prints if they thought my regular print prices have been the limiting factor from them deciding to buy a print.
Q: Who benefits from this pricing scheme?
A: I hope I benefit and the customer benefits. I envision the mutual benefit because the customer has a beautiful print which he or she can then frame in their apartment or home (which will make me happy). Also, I don’t think some people realize the quality of the prints which they will receive. By allowing the customer to name their own price, it allows them to receive the print basically risk-free. Finally, I am a huge advocate that images are meant to be seen on paper rather than on the computer screen (the prints are printed at 300 dots per inch whereas your computer monitor most likely displays only 72 dots per inch). Even the largest monitors on the market today, whose native resolution is 2560×1600 pixels, would compress the full-resolution images (4368×2920 pixels) of my Canon 5D by a factor of more than two and a half on their screens. The point is this: images are meant to be seen printed.
Q: Will you use my personal data in any way?
A: Of course not! I am using the paypal structure because it allows the easiest way for customers to input their price and address to which I ship the prints to. I don’t sell or otherwise use any of your contact information.
Q: Are you a verified paypal seller?
A: Yes.
Q: Will you release statistics about who ordered which prints and at what-price?
A: By participating in this promotion, I might disclose information regarding your order in an aggregate manner; I will never disclose personal information regarding your order. In other words, I may publish what the average or median price for a print turned out to be. I won’t ever use your name or any identifying information with regard to your order. So, for instance, if there are two customers who chose to get the print for a penny, I might cite that “Two persons ordered the print for one cent” but I will never disclose names and any other personal information behind these purchases.
Q: How will I know if I am one of the first twenty customers to submit an order?
A: I will be monitoring the promotion closely. As soon as the twentieth customer has sent in their order, I will shut down the pay-as-you-wish purchase option. Basically, if you’re able to put in the order through, it means you should be set on receiving the print (barring a totally unprecedented event in which my photoblog gets thousands of hits and hundreds of customers trying to order a print in a very short amount of time – a highly unlikely event).
Q: Are there particular kind of images which would look great on a metallic print?
A: Any sort of image (landscapes, portraits, etc.) can look amazing when printed with a metallic finish. However, from my experience, any of the images in my HDR gallery would look especially striking when printed with a metallic finish.
Q: Can I tell my friends about this promotion?
A: Of course.
Q: I wasn’t able to get my hands on this promotion. Will you run something like this promotion in the future?
A: I am not sure. It depends on the success of this promotion. Best way to find out is to subscribe to this blog, in which I will make all major announcements regarding prints.
Q: I still have more questions! Can you answer them?
A: Sure, either post a comment to this blog entry or send me an e-mail to elbelbelb2000[at]gmail[dot]com.
Frames Coming!
Pretty soon I’ll implement a system whereby you’ll be able to order a print together with a frame. This feature will be useful for those hard-to-find frames, such as the 8″x12″ frames which seem to be almost impossible to find!
You can see the types of frames and their costs from my printing lab here: http://mpix.com/Product.aspx/frames. I will not be charging any premium on the frame. In other words, you’d be purchasing the print (not the frame). In this way, you will have a beautiful framed print delivered to your front door ready to frame!
On Prices, Demand, and Value
I’ve been thinking about the sale of prints on my photoblog, Erudite Expressions, recently. Basic economics dictates that when you’re not selling something, it is either because your price is too high (in which case, customers may buy substitute products from someone else) or that there isn’t demand for your product (so even if your price is low, customers will not buy it).
I have found out first hand that in my case, the amount of prints that I do sell isn’t entirely related to the price point. I had a sale about two months ago where I was hardly making a profit from the prints I was selling, and the demand for the prints was surprisingly low. I surmise that even if I offered the prints on sale for a price below which it costs me to print and ship to the customer, I would still be struggling to sell the prints. One may then interpret that the demand for my prints is low (due to a number of reasons, such as quality of my work, willingness and ability of the consumer to buy the prints, etc.).
However, I’ve extensively pondered the quality of my images compared to what I see around the web, and I can honestly say that the ratio of the price of my prints to the quality of my images (and the paper on which they are printed) is low compared to what other photographers (photobloggers) are offering. I believe that the demand for prints is low because I am not marketing myself enough.
So what could I do? Increasing viewership of my photoblog might help, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that I’ll have more buyers of prints (I found this out the hard way through my “marketing campaign” in Spain, in which I traveled with a group of people who were in the same places as I was, and yet I haven’t established enough of a connection with them through my images for them to own a print). I could decrease prices, but again, I found that decreasing prices won’t impact demand dramatically. The last option I was considering is to increase prices.
You’re probably thinking, “What? Increase prices? How does that make any sense at all?” Well, the idea here has to do with the fact that higher prices make individuals inherently think that there is a higher quality product associated with the price tag. Here’s an example dealing with cosmetics. If there are two lipsticks on sale and they have identical colours, the one that is priced higher may actually be demanded more by the consumer because the lower priced lipstick may indicate lower quality ingredients, and what woman wants to apply an inferior product on her lips?? So am I implying an upward-sloping demand curve here? In fact, yes. In a way, the prints should be considered (at least in theory) a Giffen good.
Let’s shift the scenario to photography. Suppose you’re looking for a wedding photographer, and you found three photographers advertising their business with the following price points: $200, $1000, $5000. Let’s assume for a moment that they are all going to invest the same amount of time shooting your wedding and providing extra services, such as burning all of your digital negatives on a DVD. Let’s further assume (and yes, this is a very strong assumption to make, but bear with me here) that these three photographers have equal experience and post-processing skills to edit your photos. Which photographer do you choose? Say you don’t have a large budget, so you immediately eliminate the photographer who is charging $5000. This leaves you two choices, the $200 photographer and the $1000 photographer. Here is where you need to make a decision, and where demand for these photographers is not directly linked to how much they are charging. Something about a photographer who charges $200 screams incongruity. It is almost too good to be true that you’re going to get a spectacular deal, especially since this photographer’s experience and ability (based on their portfolio) is very similar to the other photographer who is charging $1000. What may end up happening is that you start doubting the $200 photographer. In other words, something doesn’t add up. You will search for the inconsistency, the loop-hole, the fine print. Representative questions that you may begin mulling in your head will be: “Will he show up late to my event?” and “Will he promise to deliver everything and without conflict?” If there is doubt (brought about solely on the cheap price point of $200; i.e., your doubt is not based on the photographer’s experience or quality of work), you will be tempted to select the $1000 photographer. What’s key here is that the photographer who is charging $200 is essentially *de-valuing* himself and his abilities by charging so little (even if he has good reason to do so, such as trying to get more work to pay off bills, etc.). In the end, based on your doubts, you will end up selecting the mid-range $1000 photographer because he’s not *de-valuing* himself but at the same time he is not charging a fortune.
So what’s my point here? I believe I have been devaluing myself by setting the prices of my prints so low. Over the last few months, I have noticed a giant incongruity based on the quality of my work and the prints I offer for the price I charge. I believe my inexpensive prints may cause some kind of doubt to arise in the would-be buyer. Questions such as “Can I honestly expect my print to be delivered in four to five days?” (the answer is yes, by the way) and “Will the prints come packaged well?” (another yes) might trickle through the buyer’s head. In effect, these questions of doubt will make the buyer/customer ponder whether I will be able to deliver the goods based on the price at which the prints are offered. Now, in this particular case, the would-be buyer might not necessarily seek another buyer of prints (as compared to the person who is actively seeking a wedding photographer, and needs to find a photographer by a certain deadline). However, even if there are no substitutes, there is still the principle of “Well, I have these doubts at this moment in time, so I just won’t purchase.”
So, the sensible solution seems to raise the prices of my prints. Effective September 1, 2008 the prices of prints on my photoblog will increase between 20% to 40%. I hope the prices of my prints will still be affordable, but at the same time this move will shed potential doubt from would-be buyers about the quality of my work (since I do value it).
These Prints are Amazing!
I just received some prints of my HDR images. I ordered the prints from Mpix; the prints have the metallic finish, and these prints look absolutely astonishing. Seriously, it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before in a print. Best way to describe the metallic finish is to imagine a very thin sheet of aluminum or other metal, and then imagine how it reflects light from its shiny surface – this is how these prints feel in your hand, and how they look when you glance at them from the side.
I went ahead and arranged six of the 8″x12″ prints on my bed, and then I captured a photo. Here they are:
I’ve included an iPod Touch (dimensions: 4.3″×2.4″) in the image just so you can get an idea the size of the prints. The HDR prints are of the following images (click on the links to see the images in larger size and to read their description):
Top left: “The Forbidden Temple”
Top Center: “Two Sides to a Story”
Top right: “The Ship Inside”
Bottom left: “A Different Vision”
Bottom center: “Poseidon’s Fury”
Bottom right: “Winged Obelisk”
Again, you can order prints just like the ones above from the promotion currently ongoing on my photoblog. The sale is for 8″x12″ prints (just like the ones seen above) plus 4″x6″ prints for only $20 (shipping in the United States included in that price). The sale lasts through June 15, 2008.
Top Five List for Prints
There are only five days left for the print promotion currently ongoing at my photoblog. Since there are only five days left (the sale ends at 11:59 pm on June 15) to take advantage of this amazing offer, I thought I’d post my top five reasons why you should take advantage of the two year anniversary promotion and order some prints:
- Images featured on my photoblog are meant to be seen on paper. When you think about it, the images that you see on Erudite Expressions are displayed in small resolution (usually 800×533 pixels). Additionally, your monitor only displays up to 72 dots per inch. When you see the images printed at 300 dots per inch, you can see all the minute details…I’ve spent over $500 in the last two years getting my images printed in sizes ranging from 4 inch by 6 inch prints to the massive 20 inch by 30 inch posters. If that sounds like a lot of money to be spent on prints – it’s because I passionately believe images are meant to be seen on paper rather than on the computer screen.
- The quality of the prints is unrivaled. I use (arguably) the best printing lab in the United States (Mpix), and the images are printed on Kodak Endura archival paper designed to last one hundred years in a typical home. The prints also come with a metallic finish, giving them an incredible look.
- I’ve been posting an image a day (with just a few exceptions) on the photoblog for over two years now (what are some things that you’ve done every single day for the last two years? you probably skipped a shower, or a lunch, or even forgot to brush your teeth in the morning). If you do order a print, it gives me additional motivation to keep going and to continue posting an image a day indefinitely. Of course, if you don’t order a print, words of encouragement and comments are highly appreciated as well (as always). Still, there’s nothing like taking pride knowing that your work is good enough to be (hopefully) framed and hung on the wall of someone’s house or apartment.
- In the next few days, I am going to be upgrading to a more capable digital SLR (probably will be a separate entry in the coming days). Photography is an expensive hobby. You’ll be supporting me financially if you order a print.
- You have nothing to lose if you order the prints. Based on my FAQ found at this link, if you’re not completely satisfied with the 8 inch by 12 inch prints (plus the 4 inch by 6 inch prints which are included in the sale as well), simply return the prints in their original condition, and you shall be refunded your $20, no questions asked. You can even keep one of the 8 inch by 12 inch prints for yourself, simply because you gave it a chance and decided to go through with the order. I’m not sure if I can be any more convincing.
Finally, thanks to all those who have ordered prints so far!
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