PMA Magazine - Connecting the Imaging Communities articles from November 2006

PMA Magazine - Connecting the Imaging Communities archives from November 2006

Business legacy: Harry D. Carhart Jr. "inherited" Carhart Photo, but his ideas made it successful.(Connections)
November 1, 2006... Business ownership was in Harry D. Carhart Jr.'s blood. In 1914, Harry Carhart Sr. started Carhart Photo Inc. with help from his friend George Eastman. In those early days, Eastman Kodak Co. often used Carhart Photo as testing grounds for their...

Wanted: a bag with personality.(Newsline)
November 1, 2006... The holidays are coming; and as more consumers purchase DSLRs this year for gifts and for themselves, they will also need to purchase more bags for those cameras. (Read DSLR consumer statistics from PMA Marketing Research on page 26.) Many...

PMA Data Watch: cameraphones not encroaching on single-use cameras.(Newsline)
November 1, 2006... In 2005, about 202 million single-use cameras were sold, down from a peak of 218 million units the previous year, according to PMA Marketing Research. While the sales may have decreased, the decline is nowhere near the drops film rolls have...

Your personal art museum.(Newsline)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... If you can't make the trip to Paris to see Claude Monet's "Poppies at Argenteuil" in person at the Musee d'Orsay, you could view his painting on your television by widescreen DVD. GalleryPlayer (www.GalleryPlayer.com), Seattle, Wash., provider...

More than a phone: Nokia launches new members of the Nseries as "multimedia computers".(Trends & Technology)
November 1, 2006... When is a cell phone not a cell phone? When it has grown into a "multimedia computer." At least, that's what Nokia, Espoo, Finland, said after the release of three new devices in the Nokia Nseries line as a new product category called the...

Marketing takes the stage: PMA Canada Exposition focused on business and customer marketing.(Connections)(Photo Marketing Association International)
November 1, 2006... You don't need to be told the retail world has changed--and continues to change--you live it. PMA can assist you with ways to work with those changes and profit from them. That was the message at the successful second annual PMA Canada...

In compliance: reviewing health, safety, and environmental regulations for labs in Canada.(Connections)
November 1, 2006... Q: So we are prepared if we get a WorkSafe visit, please review the basics of health and safety compliance for imaging labs. A: Kudos to you for wanting to be prepared! Compliance isn't foremost on your mind until an employee complains or...

Variations on a theme: companies offer simple, print-style photo books, but take different approaches.(Business & Marketing)(Bigger Picture Productions's together book)(Jessops PLC's new Photobook)(Shutterfly Inc.'s new Snapbook)
November 1, 2006... Consumers are falling in love with photo books, and imaging companies are responding with a range of options, from very high-end, coffee table-style books to inexpensive flip books. Some consumers appreciate the accessibility of photo books...

Merging photo and print: American Color Imaging adds photo book press to lab services.(Business & Marketing)(Eastman Kodak Co.'s Kodak NexPress 2100 digital press)
November 1, 2006... As the popularity of photo books soars, professional imagers like American Color Imaging (www.acilab.com), Cedar Falls, Iowa, enter the market. Rather than wading in cautiously, American Color immersed itself by making a $700,000-plus...

Click and send: Card Cafe service simplifies greeting card delivery.(Business & Marketing)(Company overview)
November 1, 2006... Many consumers have the best intentions of sending a greeting card--only to falter somewhere in the process. Going to the store, selecting a card, signing it, addressing it, finding a stamp, and mailing it all take time. Online greeting...

Form and function: DSLRs offering more features at affordable price points.(Trends & Technology)(Cover story)
November 1, 2006... The SLR camera has been the mainstay of the photo specialty channel for decades. Now, in its digital incarnation, this venerable format has spawned new life and interest. For many hobbyists who want fully manual control of their photography,...

Shooting higher: DSLRs still gaining new customers.(Trends & Technology)
November 1, 2006... Due to their dropping prices, DSLRs are no longer just for professionals, as the newer models are marketed to advanced amateurs. Units now sell for far less than $1,000, with some DSLR bodies available for as low as $500. Consumers previously...

What is PPFA? Learn about this PMA member association, its benefits, and resources.(Framing 101)(Professional Picture Framers Association)
November 1, 2006... The Professional Picture Framers Association, or PPFA (www.pmai.org/ ppfa), is the PMA member association for the art and framing industry. Supporting a membership of more than 3,500 custom picture framers, art galleries, manufacturers and...

Make the grade: PPFA offers CPF and MCPF certification programs.(Framing 101)(Professional Picture Framers Association)(Certified Picture Framer)(Master Certified Picture Framer)
November 1, 2006... PPFA allows members to increase their knowledge and skill, and attain a valuable, highly regarded designation through the PPFA certification programs. The Certified Picture Framer Program The PPFA Certified Picture Framer (CPF) Program...

Framing in profile: PMA Marketing Research offers new statistics on framing customers and the market.(Framing 101)
November 1, 2006... The photo imaging industry continues to grow more competitive, and retailers are increasingly seeking new ways to compete. Many are diversifying their offerings by expanding digital output options and increasing portraiture business. Another...

A natural step: for many photo retailers, framing is a logical--and profitable--progression.
November 1, 2006... Several photo specialty retailers have branched into framing as a way to complement their imaging services and add to their bottom lines. Larry Smith, CPF, owner of two photo specialty stores and a custom framing business called Village...

On the inside: a peek into the giclee market.(giclee printing)
November 1, 2006... Many retail and commercial imaging labs are offering giclees--inkjet prints made from original pieces of fine art. While some artists are finicky customers, providing them with giclees of their work can be a profitable niche. Dan's Camera...

Not a vending machine: Zoom Systems "robotic stores" offer everything from aspirin to Sony digital cameras.(Zoom Systems Inc.)
November 1, 2006... What do a Snickers bar, a Diet Coke, and an iPod have in common? If Gower Smith, founder and CEO of Zoom Systems Inc. (www.zoomsystems.com), San Francisco, Calif., has his way, the answer will soon be you can buy each from a machine at any...

On the horizon: European exhibition photokina 2006 conveys technology trends.
November 1, 2006... The biennial photo trade fair, photokina 2006, held in Cologne, Germany, sported a fresh face this year. The new exhibition areas included four new halls and renovations to the former eastern halls. Despite the new look, the European fair...

More than a new name: dotPhoto becomes part of Exclaim, the company's new identity.(PhotosByNet)(dotPhoto.com)(Company overview)
November 1, 2006... PhotoByNet may not sound familiar now, but it was once a player in online photo sharing. During the past 7 years, the company has evolved, much like the online space where it started. Founded in 1999 by Glenn Paul, Joe Godcharles and Bill...

From the shoebox: Chad Richard, CEO of Simple Star Inc., talks about getting photos onto the screens of our lives.(Chad Richard)
November 1, 2006... The digital photo revolution has created some unintended consequences and, at the same time, amazing opportunities. What we do with our images after we capture them is changing rapidly. In addition to the now common options for storing,...