PMA Magazine - Connecting the Imaging Communities articles from May 2008

PMA Magazine - Connecting the Imaging Communities archives from May 2008

Going where the Jennifers are.(Newsline)
May 1, 2008... Women-focused websites aren't new (the community iVillage launched in 1995); but they do seem to be growing more mainstream, partly to attract advertisers. In late March, Yahoo! Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif., launched Yahoo! Shine at...

Lift off.(Newsline)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Digital technology is providing capture and transmission at lift off. Reuters partnered with Canon U.S.A. Inc. and Sprint to develop a system that captures NASA shuttle launch images from multiple remote cameras...

Mail meets recycling.(Newsline)
May 1, 2008... Your mail carrier just got a little greener. The U.S. Postal Service, Washington, D.C., launched a limited pilot program in the spring, allowing customers to recycle small electronics and inkjet cartridges by mailing them free of charge. The...

PMA data watch: photo greeting card market grows more competitive.(Newsline)
May 1, 2008... The growth of photo greeting cards made from personal photos slowed significantly in 2007, according to the 2008 PMA U.S. Digital Imaging Consumer Survey. The survey showed U.S. consumers made 563 million greeting cards from photos they took...

What the duck.(Connections)(Cartoon)
May 1, 2008... WE LIKE THOSE KINDS OF PICTURES THAT ARE CROOKED AND OFF-CENTERED. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] OH, AND WHERE PARTS OF THE SUBJECT ARE CUT OFF. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LET'S ROLL. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

In compliance: read about the specific rules for Employer-Paid Personal Protection Equipment.(Connections)
May 1, 2008... Q: Can you expand on Employer-Paid Personal Protective Equipment rule changes? I am in discussions with my employees about who pays for what. A: Many Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) health, safety, maritime, and...

London challenge: underground retailer grows photo business from $25,000 to $1 million in 2 years.(Business & Marketing)
May 1, 2008... The cold winter rain lashed down mercilessly on Piccadilly Circus in the vibrant, soaked West End of London. All the London nationalities struggled through the wetness, but were dazzled by the huge moving ads above for Sony, Sanyo, Samsung, and...

Career transitions: first woman executive at Pakor retires after 51 years with the company, attributing her longevity to embracing change and challenges.(Business & Marketing)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ernal Nienaber began her career at Maple Grove, Minn.-based Pako Corp. (renamed Pakor Inc. in 1988) as a 3-month temporary worker in 1956, and stayed for more than 51 years. "I didn't plan to stay with the...

My media: AOL offers new BlueString site for personal media management across platforms and services.(Trends & Technology)
May 1, 2008... Does the world need another photo storing and sharing website? Yes, said America Online (AOL) last September, when it took the wrappers off the beta release of BlueString at www.BlueString.com. So, what's the difference between BlueString...

Good for business: how to create a great workplace through trust, pride, and camaraderie.(Business & Marketing)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] We spend the bulk of our time in our work environment, so it makes sense to ensure it's a nice place to be; but making a company a great place to work creates many more benefits than just a pleasant workday. ...

Portrait potential: Clay Blackmore discusses how practice enables him to work from the heart when shooting the familiar and unique.(Business & Marketing)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ever wonder why your piano teacher made you drill and drill and drill on those scales? It was so your fingers would automatically know where to go to get a certain note. For Clay Blackmore, Clay & Co....

Photo book trends: the 2008 PMA Photo Book Report gives an inside look into the growing market.(Trends & Technology)(Report)
May 1, 2008... Photo books are an imaging industry hit. In 2007, they accounted for almost one-third of the $951 million custom photo products segment, according to PMA Marketing Research. The revenue generated by photo books is expected to grow approximately...

Kids' art, for keeps: entrepreneur and mOm Jen Chaky creates photo books of children's art.(Trends & Technology)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With an ingenious twist on traditional photo books, Jen Chaky, founder of ForKeeps (www.forkeepsbook.com), Montclair, N.J., has launched a business by offering a product every mother will want. She came up with the...

Preserving home movies: retailers can help customers preserve films and videos indefinitely through transfer services.(Trends & Technology)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The chances are good anyone interested in preserving the music they listen to upgraded from that old self-made mixed tape long ago to a more reliable and modern medium. Why should photo and video be any different? ...

Shoot in style: trendy camera and lens bags targeting women take over the photography scene.(Trends & Technology)(jill-e designs LLC )(Shootsac)(Cover story)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Attention photographers and retailers: Those satisfied with bulky camera bags and traditional style need not read further. For anyone else interested, the photography industry has changed; and women are increasingly...

Child's play: photo, video products use digital technology to give kids a starring role.(Trends & Technology)
May 1, 2008... Cartoon characters are beloved to young children, in both books and videos. Companies have capitalized on this interest to give children an interactive experience with their favorite TV and movie stars. Their products make kids the star of the...

House specialty: youth sports photographers boost profits with own trading card, magazine cover designs.(Trends & Technology)
May 1, 2008... In youth sports photography, trading cards, magazine covers, and similar products are the hot sellers now, say photographers. While products featuring licensed characters are popular with the toddler and preschool set, photographers are finding...

A microtrend: for less than a cup of coffee, microstock photography sites offer high-quality stock images.(Trends & Technology)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] According to online reference site Wikipedia, microstock photography is an offshoot of traditional stock photography. More specifically, it says a microstock photography company sources its images almost exclusively...

Outsourcing options: there are many choices for outsourcing photo books. How do you select the right one?(Trends & Technology)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If you're ready to jump into photo books but can't justify bringing the functionality in-house--or if you want to offer more photo book choices than you can fulfill yourself--there are many companies willing and able...

Better business: trend analyst Laura Heller looks at the popularity of digital photo frames.(Business & Marketing)
May 1, 2008... I've been trying to figure out why digital photo frames are so popular. I set about researching the subject in the most professional and scientific manner possible: I ran around asking everyone I know why they liked, or thought other people...

The new negatives: Cynthia Heigold of StoryLife envisions more life in 4-by-6 prints.(Parting Shot)(Interview)
May 1, 2008... The photo industry has tried for years to get rid of the negative aspects of photography, and we have now succeeded--literally. There are no more negatives, meaning of course, the little orange strips that were such a pain for consumers and...