PMA Magazine - Connecting the Imaging Communities articles from September 2008

PMA Magazine - Connecting the Imaging Communities archives from September 2008

Strappy chic.(Newsline)
September 1, 2008... With entry-level DSLRs reaching beyond pros and even advanced amateurs and into the mainstream, the accessory market may have more room to grow. Lenses, filters, and camera bags all seem like natural fits, but what about camera straps? Not...

PMA data watch: finding your place in a price-competitive print environment.(Newsline)
September 1, 2008... The quarterly online print pricing report by PMA Marketing Research revealed several online firms had dropped prices on 4-by-6 prints to less than 10 cents at the beginning of July. This past summer, Snapfish, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Clark Color...

Winning butterfly.(Newsline)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... TakeGreatPictures.com, an online resource for consumer photographers of all ages and abilities, celebrated National Photo Month in May with a photo contest. Entrants submitted their best spring or summer photo, which was judged by a panel of...

Gaining stock cred.(Newsline)
September 1, 2008... User-generated photos are gaining some additional credibility in the world of stock photography. Distributor of photos and other digital media Getty Images, Seattle, Wash., and photo sharing community Flickr, owned by Yahoo! Inc., are working...

What The Duck.(Newsline)(Cartoon)
September 1, 2008... DAD, ARE THERE ANY PICTURES OF ME AS A BABY? OF COURSE THERE ARE, SON. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LET'S GO TAKE A LOOK AT THE OLD SCRAP-- [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] --PILE [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

RAW 101: the need for RAW file education is growing as more consumers upgrade to DSLRs.(Trends & Technology)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The RAW file format used to be the domain only of fine-art photographers and other high-end pros willing to spend an hour or two making sure each image was perfect. For everyone else, RAW was just too much trouble....

The big 50: PRO embraces the past, prepares for the future.(Connections)(Photographic Research Organization )(Organization overview)
September 1, 2008... What began as a relatively modest enterprise with Eastern U.S. photo dealers in 1958 has grown into the leading national photography buying group, with 131 members and 41 participants in its Affiliate Test Program, representing approximately...

Retail longevity: London Drugs aims to be a part of people's lives as a camera store, drugstore, and more.(Business & Marketing)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Wynne Powell, president and COO of London Drugs Ltd., headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, was a couple minutes late because another meeting ran long. There was good reason for the delay, he notes,...

Staying power: remaining relevant through industry changes key to growth for SPFE, which celebrates its 40th anniversary.(Connections)(Society of Photo Finishing Engineers )(Photo Marketing Association International )(Organization overview)
September 1, 2008... Formed in 1968, the Society of Photo Finishing Engineers (SPFE) had one overriding goal: to assist photofinishers in producing the best possible quality in the most efficient manner. This was six years before the Master Photo Dealers and...

In compliance: what's the best way to deal with water-damaged photos?(Connections)
September 1, 2008... Q: With the recent floods in the Midwest, my customers have presented several questions concerning what can be done to attempt to preserve family albums and photos. What is the best response? A: The American Institute for Conservation of...

Leica legacy: Leica maintains photographic tradition while looking toward the future.(Trends & Technology)(Interview)
September 1, 2008... Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and Leica Camera AG proclaimed May 6 as Leica Day. The daylong event, hosted by RIT, was celebrated with speeches, lectures, tours, slide shows, seminars, and parties. The occasion also marked a...

Call it a day: scrapbookers flock to full-day events to complete projects, socialize.(Business & Marketing)
September 1, 2008... To the nonscrapbooker, an entire day devoted to working on +a scrapbook might seem overwhelming. Avid scrapbookers, however, are flocking to 12-hour crops, as they're called, and even weekend retreats where they can work on their projects and...

The TAP trifecta: new branding push shows customers "The Power of Three".(Business & Marketing)
September 1, 2008... TAP (Taprell Loomis), a division of The Chilcote Co., Cleveland, Ohio, has tapped into "The Power of Three," this year. As Glen A. Clark, vice president, Corporate Marketing and Sales, puts it, "We're not your father's company anymore." In...

Lightning strikes twice: the Anonymous Consumer makes a photo book three times in Atlanta.(Connections)
September 1, 2008... The Anonymous Consumer (AC) was in Atlanta, Ga., visiting friends for a week. While his friends were occupied at another function, the AC decided to check out the local camera stores. He is always interested in the latest equipment. In...

The fine print: Bell Arte Camera discusses potential in canvas photo printing market.(Trends & Technology)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] The regular 4-by-6-inch vacation print is now wall decor, the 8-by-10-inch glossy family portrait is art, and that cool architectural shot is now sell-worthy--but how? Canvas photo printing is becoming a popular way...

The pocket internet: as smart phone use increases, business owners must consider mobile website users.(Trends & Technology)
September 1, 2008... Most people have a love/hate relationship with technology. When it works well, it's our best friend; when it doesn't, we long to hurl it from the highest nearby point. Technical problems are frustrating enough played out on the large...

DSLR demand: what makes first-time DSLR purchasers take the leap, and what do they want after the purchase?(Trends & Technology)
September 1, 2008... What turns a digital point-and-shoot user into a DSLR wielder? Once a DSLR user, how can retailers and manufacturers keep consumers interested in photography, help them understand the benefits of additional lenses and accessories, and encourage...

Images for sale: Imagekind offers an easy option for photographers and artists to sell their work.(Trends & Technology)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Selling art is not an easy task. Even legendary painter Vincent van Gogh had trouble--selling only one painting in his lifetime. Fortunately for modern day artists, help is available to display, market, and...

Better business: trend analyst Laura Heller looks at concept stores and how they encourage new retail ideas and innovation.(Business & Marketing)
September 1, 2008... The new Borders digital concept store is garnering a lot of attention. Sure, it has some cool new digital merchandising, interactive environments, and a new focus on imaging. It's not the details of the store, however, but the attention being...

The power of PR: Mitch Goldstone, president and CEO of ScanMyPhotos.com and 30 Minute Photos Etc., discusses how to use PR to your advantage.(Parting Shot)
September 1, 2008... Imagine either the desolate sound of chirping crickets or the buzz of crowds queuing up to shop at your store, just as they steadily do at the world's smartest retailer, The Apple Store. All it takes is the power of pubic relations, backed by a...

The world of dry printing: retailers, studios, and labs discuss the benefits of digital dry printing systems.
September 1, 2008... Choosing the right printing equipment for a retail dry photo lab is crucial to business. Deciding on the wrong system means a sizable investment in something that doesn't meet all your needs. There are countless factors to consider when...

Full-system approach.
September 1, 2008... Eastman Kodak/ Wal-Mart Canada Wal-Mart Canada is testing a Kodak Adaptive Picture Exchange (APEX) dry lab system in an Ontario location. Installed in December 2007, Wal-Mart Canada chose the unit because of its speed, small size,...

Kiosk approach.(Lucidiom Inc.)
September 1, 2008... Lucidiom/Art's Cameras Plus The three Art's Cameras Plus stores in Wisconsin have five kiosks apiece--all from Lucidiom Inc., Vienna, Va. Of the five Automated Photo Machine (APM) kiosks, two in each store are equipped with Luci Content,...

Dry printing system specifications.(Table)
September 1, 2008... Dry printing system specifications Disclaimer: Information is provided by specific companies and may vary in type of response given. (1.) What type of print system (inkjet, dye sublimation, etc.)? DNP * NexLab--Dye...