• choosing an online photo partner: part two: first response

    djp7220/9/2008

    despite the nay-sayers {cough -aaron spence- cough}, i am getting replies to my questions to the five contenders for my online photo needs… and all the replies i get will be shown to you here to keep you in the loop.

    now keep in mind that my email was sent on 19 September 2008 4:04:41 PM. the first reply i got was from Zenfolio - less than 5 minutes later - hmmmm….. prompt reply is one thing but…. so zenfolio win the award for the first reply but let’s have a look at their reply:

    {note i am finally using the “insert more” tag so my blog page doesn’t assault your good sense with great big long entries…. so as they say in the blogging world: read the email after the jump…}

    (more…Wink

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    choosing an online photo partner: part one

    djp7219/9/2008

    it is way past due time for me to get my clients online photo experience too the best level possible! i am sadly still using flickr for a lot of my online needs - which is fine for my personal / social needs - but not great for clients… and with almost 80,000 items on flickr {& nearly 200,000 views} it’s time for me to dive in to the wild world of online photo ocean!

    here are the 5 players:

    zenfolio
    zenfolio.com

    smugmug
    smugmug.com

    big black bag
    bigblackbag.com

    exposure manager
    exposuremanager.com

    redbubble
    redbubble.com

    and here is the opening play: my introduction letter to them:

    G’day!
    my name is dj paine and i am a professional photographer from the Gold Coast, Australia. i shoot people. weddings, families, kids, music, portraits in a {hopefully} creative and fresh style. i shoot canon {5D} for digital and lot’s of lomography cameras for film. i run apple mac only. i have a good fast fat connection to the internet and use the net a lot!
    i have my business website {that is going through a drastic overhaul} www.djpphotography.com - and i will use that for information, contact, sample galleries etc.
    i have just registered a new domain - www.photographsof.me  - and i want to use that as my client galleries.
    i have been searching online, asking friends and generally just going crazy trying to work out what companies out there would be best to “partner” with to do everything i want to do with my client galleries.
    so… i have lots of questions that i am hoping you can help me with.
    i am more than happy to call you on the phone / skype / ichat to ask these questions in “real time” - i just need your details and a good time to contact you.
    but if emailing / online is the best way, that’s cool too.
    but if you reply to my questions with “just look at the website the answers can be found there somewhere….”, then you have lost me already.
    if you reply with direct links to the website that answer my questions, great, but i don’t want to go looking for a needle in the proverbial haystack…
    {sorry to sound negative, i’ve had some bad responses - and good ones too! - from emailing companies for help.}

    so… questions:
    {in no order of importance}
    1} private client login
    2} can i use my own web address {as mentioned?}
    3} what is the domain name structure like - i’d love to use simple domain names for my clients. for example: wwwphotographsof.me/clientname  -  wwwphotographsof.me/johnnyb   -   wwwphotographsof.me/bobby
    4} how much space does you company provide?
    5} how flexible are your “slideshows”? are they embed-able?
    6} self fulfilment, how easy is that to do? what percentages do you take for that?
    7} i know anyone can do a screen capture of any images online, but how do you protect my images online? can people just right click and copy?
    8} do you do “sets within sets” - or “albums” within “sets” - for example i would love to have my long term clients have multiple sets online and the domain name structure make sense for that - so if my client Susie Q. knows her page with me is wwwphotographsof.me/susieq and she comes to me every year so her albums / sets are under that umbrella - example wwwphotographsof.me/susieq/2008 wwwphotographsof.me/susieq/2009 - hope that makes sense…
    9} can i sell my images as digital downloads?
    10} payment methods- how easy is it for my clients to pay online and offline?
    11} how do i get my money? how do you pay me?
    12} custom price lists? how easy is that to do?
    13} can i upload my original raw images for back up? size limits for uploading?
    14} i am on the Gold Coast of Australia, how would that hinder or help my experience with you?

    and finally….
    15} why should i choose you?

    let me apologise for such a long email, once again, i’d be happy to call you and talk in person.
    please be as detailed as possible, and explain everything as simply as possible…
    i am looking forward to hearing from you and establishing a great partnership with a company that take me to the next level. i am using flickr for alot of my online photo needs - i currently have almost 80,000 items on flickr & nearly 200,000 views. So i am not new to “being online”…
    ok that’s enough for now, let’s get the ball rolling….

    thanks
    d.j. paine
    djp photography

    ok… there ya go.
    my journey has begun. i hope you stick with me as we decide on where to go…
    any suggestions, ideas etc - let me know!

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