PMA Magazine - Connecting the Imaging Communities articles from July 2006

PMA Magazine - Connecting the Imaging Communities archives from July 2006

What does a 3-year-old photographer prefer?(Fisher-Price Inc. introduces digital toy cameras)
July 1, 2006... What do preschoolers prefer: digital cameras or One-Time-Use Cameras (OTUC) depicting SpongeBob or Dora the Explorer? Do kids that young even take pictures? The digital versus film debate is raging, and it affects everyone, even 3-year-olds....

PMA data watch: the changing definition of imaging success.(Newsline)
July 1, 2006... With the adoption of digital cameras, gone are the days of measuring the photo industry by film sales and film processing. To gauge the status of the current market, many photo retailers look at digital print volume. This casts a somewhat dire...

Teens want a full birthday experience, not just a cake.(Newsline)
July 1, 2006... Teens naturally have more defined tastes than preschoolers. With the growing trend toward lavish "Sweet 16" or "Quinceanera" birthday parties--just watch the MTV "Sweet Sixteen" show if you don't believe it--memory making reaches new heights....

Cornering a new market: framing boosts business for Nevada-based almost Instant Photo.(Business & Marketing)(Norine Armstrong)(Bob Armstrong)(Company overview)
July 1, 2006... Bob and Norine Armstrong have operated and owned Almost Instant Photo in Incline Village, Nev., by Lake Tahoe, for 22 years. Wanting to do something to boost sales, they added framing services in September 2005. Framing has turned out to be a...

Passport photos in a snap? The Anonymous Consumer discovers while-you-wait passport photos can be less than speedy.(Connections)
July 1, 2006... The Anonymous Consumer was visiting her folks--partly vacation, but mostly to help them. Her stepfather was scheduled for cataract surgery; and the AC was there to assist her mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Breakfast was the...

Blogs: the simple, quick, free, essential tool for retailers.(Trends & Technology)(Rick Segel)
July 1, 2006... When retail consultant and professional speaker Rick Segel, author of several books, including "Retail Business Kit for Dummies," and the forthcoming "The Essential Online Solution: Five Step Formula for Small Business Success," read an article...

Successful debut: first meeting under AIE name provides a winning format.(Connections)(Association of Imaging Executives )
July 1, 2006... The Association of Imaging Executives held its first event in May under the AIE name, and attendees agreed it was a hit. Last year, the former Association of Professional Imagers (APCI), composed of commercial and professional imagers,...

MotoPhoto steps up: with a new focus on Education and Experience, MotoPhoto stores are tapping a potentially huge market segment.(Business & Marketing)(MOTO Franchise Corp.)
July 1, 2006... While it's easy for specialty retailers to blame the transition to digital or the Sept. 11 attacks and their devastating, long-term ripple effect for the challenges they now face, Harry Loyle, president and CEO, MOTO Franchise Corp. (www...

Just the right call: Australian photo retailer finds success in mobile phone sales.(Business & Marketing)(Ben Harper)
July 1, 2006... Ben Harper loves the photo business. In 1999, after earning a degree in accounting, he bought the specialty photo retail store where he'd been working, for the sheer joy of it, since he was 13 years old. Since then, his business has grown to...

Starting with [alpha]: Sony enters the DSLR arena with 10-megapixel camera.(Sony Corp. introduces digital single lens reflex camera)
July 1, 2006... The red-hot DSLR market got even hotter in the launch of a Sony-branded model in June. The [alpha] (alpha) DSLR-A100, shipping in July, combines a foundation from its Konica Minolta (KM) roots with more contemporary Sony features. From the...

Facing the future: facial recognition technology is changing the way images are captured and used.(Trends & Technology)
July 1, 2006... Picture this scenario. You send an e-mail via your cameraphone. Before the phone completes the function, it uses face detection algorithms to find your image in its viewfinder, takes your picture, and compares it to pictures you loaded at...

Print progression: HP executives discuss home, retail, and online printing markets and strategies.(Trends & Technology)
July 1, 2006... At PMA 2006, Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP), Palo Alto, Calif., showed the world its commitment to the printing of digital photographs in all their incarnations. In June, HP agreed to buy Switzerland-based Silverwire Holding AG, a digital photography...

In compliance: really, there are no health and safety issues for digital?(Connections)
July 1, 2006... Q: have been told there are few, if any, health and safety issues associated with digital imaging. Is this true? A: Well, the guidance you have been given is a word game. While it is true there may be fewer or better-stated issues...

What's in a website? Effective website design combines information, interaction, and presentation.(Trends & Technology)
July 1, 2006... As a metaphor for stability, the three-legged stool comes to mind, perhaps more readily than the tripod. Such is the case for Web design, according to Dirk Knemeyer, owner of Involution Studios LLC (www.involutionstudios.com), Santa Clara,...

Restoring memories: Brian B. Ainsworth Sr. of Photos Ar' Nice Inc. discusses how photo restorations support more business.(Viewpoint)
July 1, 2006... As a specialty camera store, custom photo lab, and custom frame shop, the photo restoration business is a natural fit. About 11 percent of restorations end up in our frame shop for some service, such as a new frame, print mounting, new glass,...

Real color photography: Brad Malcolm of Athentech Technologies Inc. discusses how what we see isn't always what we get.(Parting Shot)
July 1, 2006... Have you ever read a book and then gone to the movie... only to be disappointed? Remember the last time you read a great book and envisioned the characters in your mind's eye? You then went to see the movie based on the book. But the two...