Zenfolio Blog

You take beautiful photos, you have a beautiful website with Zenfolio, and your clients would like to purchase a beautiful album of their photos. Selling albums is an important part of making your business profitable, and it also can define the type of studio you are. At the end of the day, your clients love albums because they become a keepsake item for families, friends, and loved ones. Producing clean, classic designs that stand the test of time are the type of albums you want to be creating.

Image Credit: Images and Design © Marko Dusak, Spinaker Photographics

Offering unique and beautifully designed albums does not have to be a drain on your time, energy and resources – it should be fun and profitable! If you are a Premium or Premium Business user, you can easily offer albums as self-fulfilled products. While creating that album using Photoshop can be time consuming, we have found Fundy Software’s Album Builder to be beneficial to any work flow. Most of their users report having cut their album design time in half!

Erica Peerenboom, a member of our Pro Team, has a passion for photography that is easy to see in her vibrant and dynamic images. Based in rural Ohio, Erica has been photographing people for as long as she can remember. Her raw talent combined with a casual, documentary style approach makes her a photographer to keep your eye on. Today Erica shares insight into her favorite type of photography, senior portraits. Shooting and marketing seniors today is not what it used to be and senior portrait photographers, such as Erica and Jessica Edwards (featured in a past blog post), are often using these current strategies and efforts to stay on top.

Shooting and Marketing Senior Portraits - by Erica Peerenboom

When I first started my business I had no idea how much I would love shooting seniors.  Once I realized how much fun I was having during the sessions, I began to market my business heavily towards seniors.

Know Your Market

First and foremost, I researched the market and learned as much as I could on the trends and styles. Seniors' pictures today are not what they were back in my day - and that’s definitely a good thing. Back then our pictures were taken in the gym with cheesy backdrops and number blocks. There was no individuality and no creativity at all. Guess they figured the hair and make up from that time was creative enough!

We would like to take a moment and wish you all a Happy Holiday Season!

Zenfolio has had a brilliant 2011 and we look forward to what the next year has to bring. We thank each and every Zenny for making the past year as bright as it could possibly be!

May you all have the best of luck in the New Year! And enjoy the holiday season - may you drink, dine, laugh and enjoy life to its fullest during this cheerful time of the year.

Don't forget to put aside some time to just relax and be Zen!

We have some exciting news to share with our UK Zennies. In 2012 Zenfolio will be traveling to the UK and exhibiting at SWPP!

Don't miss this opportunity to meet your favourite Zen team, ask them questions or give them a big hug. Come by the Zenfolio booth #66 to meet our industry experts and:

• Get a free book about creating a successful photography website written by industry experts 
• Try out all the latest features for yourself 
• Take advantage of incredible show specials
• Learn how to make the most of your photography website
• Win your very own BlackRapid strap

Whether you’re concerned about SEO, design, marketing, or generally setting up your website, we’ll have experts on hand to answer all of your questions.

TRADE SHOW HOURS:

Friday, January 13

10:00 – 17:30

Saturday, January 14

10:00 – 17:30

Sunday, January 15

10:00 – 16:00

Mark your calendars and we will see you at the show!

We hear Imaging USA is going BIG in 2012! Join Zenfolio in New Orleans and see just how big it can get!

Don't miss out on meeting your favorite Zen team and experts in the industry, asking them questions or just giving them a big hug. At the Zenfolio booth #611 you will be able to do all this and more:

• Get a free book about creating a successful photography website written by industry experts
• Try out all the latest features for yourself 
• Take advantage of incredible show specials
• Learn how to make the most of your photography website
• Win your very own Manfrotto Photo Bag

Whether you’re concerned about SEO, design, marketing, or generally setting up your website, we’ll have experts on hand to answer all of your questions.

Make sure to attend one of our small group presentations given by Zenfolio staff and professional photographers Sara Kauss, Damon Tucci and Dan Ballard. See our Facebook event for details and presentation schedule.

TRADE SHOW HOURS:

Sunday, January 15

11:00am – 4:30pm

Monday, January 16

11:00am – 4:30pm

Tuesday, January 17

9:30am – 1:30pm

Mark your calendars and get ready for a great time. Don’t forget to register for a free expo pass too! All you have to do is click here and use the promotional code 2012TSC when prompted.

See you at the show!

Aaron Johnson is the cartoonist behind the popular comic strips known as What the Duck. His photo-centric comic strips started on a whim in 2006 and they have been featured in magazines and newspapers internationally since then. Between his day job, his daily comic strip, and being a father, Aaron has found time to write a post for us - so read on to find out what you can learn from this cartoonist!

3 Things A Photographer Can Learn From A Cartoonist - by Aaron Johnson

So what can a photographer really learn from a cartoonist? Not much. But here are 3 pieces of advice that I've used with the comic strip that I think are equally important for photographers.

Matt Miller is a successful NFL Bleacher Report Columnist, one of our very own ZenMasters, and husband to the award winning photographer, Jessica Edwards. As a photographer, it may be hard to imagine what it is like to not be the one behind the camera. Others may wonder what it would be like to date or be married to a photographer. Your questions are answered today as Matt shares his experiences and thoughts, offers advice and tips, and sheds light on what it is like to be the spouse of a professional photographer.

The Hubby-Tographer, by Matt Miller

When I was asked some time ago to write a blog post talking about the experiences involved with being married to an award winning photographer, Jessica Edwards, I really wasn’t sure what direction to go with the post. I could use this outlet to subtly complain about the life as a husband to a photographer, or as a way to give advice to others in my position. After carefully reviewing the consequences of said posts, I’m going a different direction here.

My first title for this blog post was, “The Life of a Second Shooter, Reflector Holder, Secretary, Ice-Breaker, Conversationalist, Accountant, Builder, Gopher, Catch-All Husband.” That may be too long, but it’s the most accurate description of what my wife would like from a photographer’s husband. I’m probably somewhere around 10 percent complete.

The life of a photographer’s spouse should be broken down into categories, if only to offer a little organization in what is generally a very unorganized life. I say that with complete love and a good sense of humor. Call it “right-brain-ism”, if you will. My wife, as amazing as she is (going for brownie points here), is a smidge unorganized. I’m sure as a photographer the reader can relate.

Shelley Paulson is a talented Equestrian Photographer from Minnesota and is a part of our very own Pro Team. As a horse lover herself, it is no surprise that she focuses her lens on these beautiful creatures and their owners. One look at her images reveals a deep understanding of the bond between human and horse. Today Shelley shares some of her insight and tips on how to take better horse photos.

Five Steps to Better Horse Photos - by Shelley Paulson

Horses are some of the most beautiful creatures on the face of the earth and it is natural for photographers who love beauty to want to photograph them. However, I have found that many who try, come away from the experience wondering why they weren’t able to capture that beauty in their photos. Here are some steps that will give anyone the right tools for creating better horse photos.

Step One: Know How to Handle Horses

My number one piece of advice for anyone who wants to photograph horses is to know how to work safely around horses. If you have no riding or horse handling experience, you may put yourself and anyone else involved in the session at risk.

Horses are prey animals, which means if they feel endangered in any way, they will do whatever they need to do to escape to safety. Sometimes, you have very little notice that this is about to happen, and you need to know how to diffuse the situation or get out of harm’s way.

What I recommend is that if you are serious about learning to photograph horses, that your start by taking riding lessons at a local barn. The other great benefit of this is that you will get to know people who own horses, and who would likely want to have some nice photos of their horses.

Zenfolio is always open to improvements, which is why we make our interface easily accessible for third party development. Recently, a Zenfolio user went about making a Photo blog plug-in for their own use. Today, this Zenfolian is sharing with everyone how he created it and how you can use it too!

Note that Zenfolio is working towards a full-scale blogging solution and that this blog plug-in is a third party development and not our answer to incorporating a blog into your site.

Photoblog Plugin - by Will Hughes

I'm a bit of a jack-of-all-trades: photographer, writer and developer.  I began using Zenfolio to host proofs for clients.  I quickly realized how much easier the entire process became of finding clients, communicating with them and then selling to them using Zenfolio.

But I knew to increase my reach, I needed to socialize my site and immediately began looking into whether there was an integrated solution for photo blogging.  Zenfolio said that while it was in the works, they don't have one at the time. I then learned about the Zenfolio API, a programming service they provide for interfacing with Zenfolio. And thought, well, maybe I could write a photo blog.

I'll say from a developer standpoint, the Zenfolio API is excellent. In no time I had the basics of the photo blog working.  And then Zenfolio *really* stepped up.  They worked with me time and time again, giving me feedback, offering suggestions and even brainstorming ideas on how I could leverage Zenfolio to market and even sell my new plug-in!

I developed it for myself, but I know many of you would love something like this. So check out the screen shot below of my blog -or you can check out the live photo blog and see if it is something you could benefit from.

We owe the success of Zenfolio to our wonderful fans and customers, and we think it is time to give back! What better way to give back than with awesome prizes from some of the most innovative companies in the industry?

From November 14th to the 18th we will be giving away prizes everyday on Facebook. See what you could win from SanDisk, Adobe, Think Tank Photo, Wacom, and BorrowLenses.

How to win one of these awesome prizes

These contest giveaways are exclusive to our Facebook fans, so make sure to “like” our Page. We will post about one great prize each day with details and a description. For your chance to win, simply comment how badly you want to win the prize and why.  We will select the comment with the most likes at the end of the day to be the winner! Involve your friends, family, clients or strangers if you’d like. Make sure all of them “like” Zenfolio and “like” your comment!

Good luck Zennies!

The holiday season – for some this means rushing around like chickens without their heads. We want to help you avoid that this year, so read on.

Between now and December 24th more print orders will be placed than in the three months leading up to it. Here are some pointers and tips to make your holiday season as stress-free and Zen-like as possible. Note that this post is specific to US vendors. For UK vendor deadlines see here.

Requesting Changes and Cancellations

Our partner labs have the best turnaround times in the industry while maintaining consistent print quality. They work extra hard on keeping up this reputation during the holiday season - often printing, packaging and shipping the same day the order is placed – this means any request for changes needs to be sent within minutes of placing an order or it may not be caught in time.

Approving Orders

Having an Order Approval enabled in your price list (Premium and Premium Business feature) allows you to review orders placed and make changes before sent for printing, but it also delays sending the order to the lab. Until you approve the order, it is not submitted for printing. With this in mind, be sure to approve all orders as quickly as possible!

Some Tips for Peace of Mind

During the holiday season USPS is not as dependable of a carrier and a package cannot be tracked. Encourage your clients to select a carrier with tracking, such as FedEx.

Shipping Deadlines

For your convenience, we have gathered a list of recommended deadline dates and tips for each of our integrated vendors in the US. Please keep in mind that your orders must be placed and approved before the cut-off dates in order to be delivered in time for the holiday.

The holiday season – for some this means rushing around like chickens without their heads. We want to help you avoid that this year, so read on.

Between now and December 24th more print orders will be placed than in the three months leading up to it. Here are some pointers and tips to make your holiday season as stress-free and Zen-like as possible. Note that this post is specific to the UK. For US vendor deadlines see here.

Requesting Changes and Cancellations

Our partner labs have the best turnaround times in the industry while maintaining consistent print quality. They work extra hard on keeping up this reputation during the holiday season - often printing, packaging and shipping the same day the order is placed – this means any request for changes needs to be sent within minutes of placing an order or it may not be caught in time.

Approving Orders

Having an Order Approval enabled in your price list (Premium and Premium Business feature) allows you to review orders placed and make changes before sent for printing, but it also delays sending the order to the lab. Until you approve the order, it is not submitted for printing. With this in mind, be sure to approve all orders as quickly as possible!

Shipping Deadlines

For your convenience, we have gathered a list of recommended deadline dates and tips for our integrated vendor in the UK. Please keep in mind that your orders must be placed and approved before the cut-off dates in order to be delivered in time for the holiday.

One Vision Imaging

One Vision Imaging is able to send packages all over the world, excluding the US and Canada. Shipping times depend on the product and quantity, but to error on the safe side have your orders placed by the dates provided below and choose Courier Delivery.

Also, keep in mind the days of operation over the holiday period. The table below displays which days One Vision Imaging will be open and operating normally.

We wish you the best holiday season yet!

Once again Mpix is having an awesome promotion!  Starting today until Wednesday, October 26th you get 15% off all prints from mini's to 24x36! This includes e-surface, true B/W, and Metallic.

The discount does not apply to finishing services such as specialty products, Gallery Wraps, Lustre Coating, Standouts, Retouching, or Mounting.

As usual, there is no need for a coupon code, the discount is automatically applied when ordering from your Zenfolio account.

If you want to shoot faster and look good doing it, let us introduce you to our friends at BlackRapid, the makers of the original camera sling. BlackRapid camera straps allow you to carry your camera around easily and comfortably, and have it readily available for that perfect shot. And, of course, you will look your best while shooting in any situation! Now, let's work on getting you one of these awesome BlackRapid straps for free!

Here is how the contest works:

• Copy and save the image below and post it on your own blog
• Comment on our blog below with a link to your blog post about Zenfolio and BlackRapid
• On November 1st we will read through all the blog posts and select a winner
• The winner will receive a BlackRapid R-Strap of their choice!

Not sure how to copy or save this image? Use your mouse to right-click and save the image or take a screenshot.

Have fun posting!

Zenfolio partners with great companies to get you the best of everything and at a great deal. When you hold an account with Zenfolio, you have access to our Benefit Page, which will get you awesome discounts and offers from all sorts of photography-related companies.

ProShow Web is an online video creation tool that’s simple, fast, and professionally polished. It turns your photos and video clips into beautiful, client-ready shows in just minutes.

The process is simple:

• Import photos directly from your Zenfolio albums

• Stand out in a crowd with stylish themes and effects

• Enhance videos with the built-in royalty-free music library

• Embed finished videos on your blog, website, Facebook or YouTube

Love HD?  Download DVD and Blu-ray ISO files to burn discs for clients. ProShow Web offers full 1080p HD downloads for all your videos at no extra cost.

Speaking of cost, there is no cost to try ProShow Web – and if you like what you see enjoy 20% off a Premium subscription with the exclusive code found on our Benefit Page.  That means the normal $150/year will be yours for just $120/year!