PMA Magazine - Connecting the Imaging Communities articles from December 2007

PMA Magazine - Connecting the Imaging Communities archives from December 2007

Rocker chic meets Lomography.(Newsline)(The White Stripes teamed with camera manufacturer Lomography )
December 1, 2007... Want to know what the "youngsters" are shooting with? It's not just digital cameras or cameraphones. Plastic toy cameras shooting medium-format film are so old-school they're cool. These types of plastic cameras allow 20-somethings (teens, and...

What the duck.(Connections)(Cartoon)
December 1, 2007... GIVE YOUR LATEST AND GREATER CAMERA PLEASE. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AND TOSS IN WHATEVER ACCESSORIES A WORLD-CLASS PHOTOGRAPHER NEEDS. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AND HOW 'BOUT A BIG BOX OF PRACTICE TO GO ALONG WITH THAT? I'LL...

Urban photography.(Newsline)
December 1, 2007... Do you want to see the world through a plastic camera sporting a fisheye lens? Urban Outfitters offers its Generation X and Y customers Lomography products, including various plastic toy cameras, accessories, and books in its stores and online....

Market your work documentary-style.(Newsline)(Wise Elephant launched Pocket Documentary)
December 1, 2007... Mini documentary videos showcasing photographic work may be o way to reach a new audience of viewers (and customers) online. New York, N.Y.-based Wise Elephant launched Pocket Documentary, a new service that produces and distributes online...

"Connected worlds".(Newsline)
December 1, 2007... You may think one world, one life, is enough; but there is a host of avatars in Second Life who think two is better than one. And these Second Life avatars want to see photo exhibits, too, just like in the real world. [ILLUSTRATION...

PMA data watch: a new era dawns in custom photo product promotion.(Newsline)
December 1, 2007... Since the introduction of digital cameras, U.S. spending on digital photo products, services, and consumables has grown considerably. In 2006, that spending was the highest ever at more than $13 billion dollars, 15 percent higher than spending...

Experts rise to the top: PMA Qualified Digital Processing Center and Expert Photo Center programs provide retailers with added credibility.(Connections)
December 1, 2007... Do you consider yourself an "expert" at photo processing? If the answer's "no," then please proceed to the next article. If the answer is "yes," you should be getting the recognition you deserve by increasing your profile and credibility with...

Dancing with Ze: new media entrepreneur, and a very funny guy, Ze Frank will share insights in his keynote at DIMA 2008.(Connections)(Interview)
December 1, 2007... If you're still unfamiliar with DIMA 2008 Opening Keynote speaker Ze Frank, then you are among a rapidly shrinking population who don't know how to dance properly. It was a funny video called "How to Dance Properly" that launched Frank...

Business sense: PSPA 2008 keynotes to feature sessions on leadership, sales, and service.(Connections)
December 1, 2007... The "pedal's to the metal" for the three high-caliber PSPA 2008 keynote sessions in Las Vegas, Nev., running Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2008. For the first time, there are three keynote speakers at the event, and each speaker is a dynamo in his or...

Long term customers: long term photo care program helps retailers educate customers and keeps them coming back.(Connections)
December 1, 2007... Do most photo retail customers know their computer hard drive is one of the least safe places to store photos? Probably not. PMA offers the Long Term Photo Care (LTPC) program to its specialty retail members for this, and many other, reasons....

Why buy? On vacation with a broken camera, the Anonymous Consumer is won over by service--despite an unpleasant store.(Connections)(Personal account)
December 1, 2007... The AC was on vacation, visiting friends in Orange County, Calif. Everything was going perfectly, except her camera was giving her problems. It was a 2-year-old Canon PowerShot SD400 that had recently been repaired after being dropped. Even...

Going strong: with a continuing commitment from manufacturing and service companies, Agfa minilabs remain viable for labs and retailers.(Business & Marketing)
December 1, 2007... The outlook was questionable at best for Agfa equipment owners when AgfaPhoto became insolvent almost 2 years ago. But today, that picture is much brighter, with a range of options for new and used Agfa minilabs as well as service and spare...

The movie of your life: technology from Sequoia Media Group helps consumers make much more than just DVD slide shows.(Trends & Technology)
December 1, 2007... As retailers seek new ways to get consumers to make products with their digital images, one of the most promising draws is a custom photo DVD. With its solution present in Kodak and Fujifilm kiosks used by retailers like Wal-Mart and Costco,...

DVD delight: manufacturers present new options for high-margin custom DVDs.(Trends & Technology)
December 1, 2007... Personalized media publishing solutions are delivering on the promise of digital imaging. Consumers can now make just about any unique, one-of-a-kind media product with their own images. Whether or not they do that, though, depends on many...

Back to school: Panasonic offers courses taught by local photographers in major U.S. cities for shutterbugs of every level.(Business & Marketing)
December 1, 2007... Photographers of all experience levels have room for education. That's why Panasonic Consumer Electronics Co., Secaucus, N.J., launched the Panasonic Digital Photo Academy by Panasonic Lumix (www. digitalphotoacademy.com) in June. The academy...

Front and center: marketing trends make customer--rather than product--the focus.(Business & Marketing)(Cover story)
December 1, 2007... At first glance, the term "customer-centric marketing" may appear simply to be marketing speak. Business owners, however, would be well-advised to learn this term and apply it to their businesses, marketing experts say. "There are only two...

Get local: use online advertising to draw in local customers.(Business & Marketing)
December 1, 2007... Newspaper inserts, cable commercials, and business cards aren't the only way to draw in local customers anymore. Many retailers, who are already harnessing the power of the Internet through a company website, forums, and access to industry...

Generational divide: shaped by the world around them, each generation brings its own strengths and challenges to the business world.(Business & Marketing)
December 1, 2007... Whether you're trying to work with them or sell them something, the behavior of people who are significantly older or younger than you may sometimes leave you scratching your head. General attitudes and values of each generation are molded by...

Photo books--Kiwi style: new product revitalizes business for eight-year-old retail shop.(Trends & Technology)
December 1, 2007... Like many retailers, Steve Worley, co-owner of Yes Photo & Digital, Wanaka, New Zealand, with his wife, Lea, had pondered the future of his business in the last few years. With the 4-by-6 print a diminishing commodity, what would be his niche?...

A crafty idea: photographer and author Barbara Smith makes custom thank-you notes, invitations, and more.(Trends & Technology)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Several years ago, Los Angeles, Calif.-based photographer Barbara Smith found a way to combine two of her passions--photography and paper crafts. That passion evolved from handmade greeting cards, to invitations,...

Behind digital scrapbooking: the trend is growing, but who's doing it, and why?(Trends & Technology)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] A transformation in the scrapbooking market is taking place. The digital revolution, which reidentified the imaging industry, is also impacting conventional scrapbooking. Traditional methods of scrapbooking...

Better business: retail reporter and trend analyst Laura Heller looks at the holiday season through a different lens.(Business & Marketing)
December 1, 2007... This holiday season, retailers shouldn't just provide customers with good gift ideas. They should also give tips on how to turn dinner parties and family gatherings into memorable events complete with keepsakes. It's the gift that keeps on...

Kids' cameras come of age: Sally deVincentis, chief executive officer of APTE Inc., offers a look at the potential market for kid-friendly cameras.(Parting Shot)
December 1, 2007... A niche market that has significant growth, but remains under the radar is found in kid-friendly digital cameras. Kid cameras are just beginning to hit their stride in both the home and school markets. Barbie was the first kid's digital...

Photo industry copyright law summary.
December 1, 2007... A Message From PMA on Copyright Today we live in a digital world. With very little effort, we can capture an image, upload that image to the Internet, and print that image for friends or family to pick up at a facility somewhere across the...