diane_rose

<p>Hi Nicole,<br>

I've been making calendars (landscape and travel) for years, and have sold them on my website in the past. I find that people might pay $20 for an 'artisan' calendar, but really it's a stretch. We are competing against Ansel Adams quality photo calendars for $12-15 range in big chains.<br>

I rationalize it to myself that a calendar isn't like a print, because it's not high quality photo paper, not as good a print quality, and not archival.<br>

Over the years I tried printing them myself (which I found a nightmare just making 20 calendars!). In recent years, I found a good print shop. I make photo-ready pages (i.e. layout photos and captions on a white background, turn to CMYK), burn them to a dvd, and send them priority to the print shop (they provide the month grids and customize them with a banner of my contact info). They send me a color proof for free. I can FTP any fixes. And they charge me $13/calendar. Not big profits, but able to compete in the calendar market. Low enough price that I can send a few promotional ones where having my work hanging on walls can spark interest...<br>

I'm very curious to hear others' experience in this area!<br>

Good luck!<br>

Diane <br>

www. dianerose. com</p>

<p>I can't help with info about how much people charge to make a website, however...<br>

When I wanted to get a professional-looking site, I couldn't afford it so I did it myself using a template from Allwebco. I spent around $100 back then, plus my time. The templates are all written so they can be modified with any text editor (don't need special web building software, etc.) and the instructions were very clear for non technical people and easy to follow for how to modify the template in numerous ways. There are a lot of templates for all kinds of businesses with a whole section for artists.<br>

The photographer/artist sites start here: <a href="http://allwebcodesign.com/setup/cool-2.htm">http://allwebcodesign.com/setup/cool-2.htm</a><br>

[NOTE: <strong>I have no financial interest in this company</strong>. I used them and found them very reasonable, very easy to follow instructions, and a lot of flexibility for modifying the template. When I wanted a particular template but with a different background color, they did it for me. And they were very good support. So I am a very satisfied customer, and have no other interest in them.]<br>

You can see my site at <a href="http://www.dianerose.com">www.dianerose.com</a> [This is not an advertisement, just an example...] <br>

Good luck!<br />Diane</p>

<p>Thank you, that's wonderfully helpful!<br>

Thanks so much!<br />Diane</p>

<p>Thanks Mikael, that's really helpful. I so rarely work with stock/publication sales that I haven't bought the Photographers' Market or the pricing book for almost a decade. It's time I get them again, and look into the other sources you mentioned; so I'll be prepared next time!<br>

BTW, since you are being such a great resource, can I ask you your opinion of online stock websites like iStockPhoto.com? It's a bit confusing since they talk about getting royalties (which look like cents!) from 'royalty-free' images... but with the tantalizing offer that their top-sellers get into Getty, etc. I would love to know what you know and think of this type of website. My gut says avoid it, but I'm having trouble understanding how it works.<br>

Thanks again for all the help and advice - it's much appreciated!<br />Diane</p>

<p>Mikael,<br>

Thanks - that's helpful. <br>

Do you know of any books about pricing photos that (the ones with charts for size of printing, where photo used, etc.) are especially helpful in this exercise to find the right price? Part of my problem is that - not usually getting published - I have priced myself lower than a true professional to get the resume/experience. But then I don't want to get stuck in that level of expectations by the same organization later. Also some of these organizations are ones that use the work of 'local artists' (amateurs), so I don't know if they are used to working with professionals. It's so hard to figure this stuff out -- it definitely seems more art than science when coming up with prices! That's a great idea to have preferred vendors - I must remember that. Would your 75% price on reprints include using the same photo on a different book? (i.e. is it reprinting the image or reprinting the same book?)<br>

Again, thanks for the feedback. It's greatly appreciated!<br>

Diane</p>

<p>Mikael,<br>

Thanks so much for your reply. Negotiations went quite quickly... so it's already a done deal (just now as I started to type this)-- <strong>but I would still love to hear feedback on how I handled it</strong>!</p>

<ul>

<li>Printing of 3000 with no reprints</li>

<li>Used nationally by their congregations, no int'l printings</li>

<li>English-only </li>

<li>Book is 5x7 inches</li>

<li>72-pages of meditations</li>

<li>They put out a different meditations book yearly</li>

</ul>

<p>They implied that since I originally shot the photo for them at their request, that somehow it should make it cheaper. During a friendly conversation about what the project was, I told her in a nice way that I was "taken aback" by the price they offered me.<br>

I explained that they're paying for the intellectual property rights, which are the same whether I took the photo now or before. And that "I'm sure you understand" it's a business, etc... They told me they never paid more than $150 for one of these types of photos (and implied they usually use other photographers if they can't afford an image, etc.). I told her that the price is $250, and I'd appreciate it if she could talk to her production manager about whether they could do anything more than $150...even just $200. She came back to me soon after saying they'd agree to pay the full $250.<br>

<strong>Now does that seem like a reasonable price? </strong> (Relative to the starting price it feels like a win - especially since I stupidly put the $200 out there...) I would love to hear feedback about how you (and others) would have handled it, given that I didn't want to walk away from an easy sale. (Turns out they still have the production file from the old project, so I don't need to do anything but sign the letter allowing use.)<br>

[i was taken aback that they still had the file 10 years later; but clearly they honor copyright law and don't use it without an official contract - thankfully.]<br>

I really stink at negotiating, and I'm very uncomfortable doing it. I'm also uncomfortable setting prices in general since it's never cut and dry. <strong>I would love feedback on this situation so I can learn for the future.</strong><br>

Thanks!<br />Diane</p>

<p>Hi folks,<br>

I'm semi-professional (don't make my full living from photos... yet). <br>

In 1999, I was commissioned by a national (religous) non-profit to shoot a photo they could use on the cover of the pocket guide to their religion. The usual -- I shot slides, they picked which one they liked -- and I charged them $250. I would've come up with this number by looking in the current Photo Pricing handbook, approximating the print run, talking to people, doing some voodoo, and then I'm sure I discounted it, because it was a personal contact and it was my first commission and taking into account their budget. <br>

(I don't do a lot of publications. Most of my published images to date have been donations to non-profits for a good cause and to build a resume; most of my income comes from selling large-sized prints for personal and corporate, so as you can tell, I'm clueless about publishing.)<br>

Now, fast-forward to 2009. They have approached me asking for the rights to use the same image for the cover of another publication (not the main handbook). They say they can offer me $150 -- $100 less than 10 years ago. <br>

I don't know anything yet about the print run (probably a few thousand, but that's a guess) I'm totally taken aback by that low-ball offer. I plan to call to discuss this/negotiate with my contact. <br>

Truth is, my photo business is on a back burner due to illness and I'm not actively marketing my work at this time - so a sale that falls into my lap is a good thing. And in this economy, and considering that the work is done (I don't have to shoot it again), I will consider a heavily discounted price. <strong>But I thought I'd check in with the experts on photo.net to see if you have any sage advice</strong> <strong>-- either about ballpark prices or how to handle negotiations.</strong><br>

Any (constructive) advice is welcome!<br>

Thanks so much for reading this!<br>

Diane Rose</p>

I've noticed sites that sell "New in Box" "retail" versions of

Photoshop CS2 for nearly half price. What they are doing is selling

NIB retail versions of an old version of PS (e.g. PS6 or PS7) plus a

NIB retail version of the upgrade to CS2. These sites swear it is

fully registerable with Adobe for support and future upgrades. One

site even "guarantees" authenticity with a "certificate of

authenticity" -- is this legit? Is it really a question of saving

money by running install twice??

Has anyone bought software this way - and was it a good or bad

experience?

Thanks in advance of any input!

Thanks - that is good to know. I have 2 follow-on questions for you:

1. How much time were you spending shooting every day? I have 2 batteries and 2 1-gig memory cards, but I'm not able to get out and shoot for more than an hour or two a day.

2. Was there a reason you didn't shoot RAW instead of TIFF? I thought I'd read that RAW is as good on detail (perhaps marginally better?) and takes about half the space. I shoot mostly landscapes so I've been planning to shoot RAW (as soon as I figure out my PS-RAW reading problems...)

Thanks again for your input. I appreciate it!

PLEEEEASE do not reply telling me to buy another camera. That is not an option and suggesting it is not helpful. I'd appreciate *constructive* advice, about how to work with what I have.

I understand there are many people out there who don't approve of my choice. I'm trying to connect with others who have this camera and can help my situation.

[bTW, the 8800 is hardly a point-and-shoot! It has all the key features of my N70 (except the detachable lens) and more. That's sort of the reason for my problem -- trying to figure out which features I need to use and how to avoid tripping over unnecessary menus...]

Constructive advice would be greatly appreciated - thanks.

I grappled with the decision over the D70, but in the end I'm very low tech and don't like to carry multiple lenses. I'm not thrilled with the lens I have on my N70 (Tamron 28-200). I toyed with getting a D70 and finally getting a new higher-quality lens...but I didn't have the budget (and realistically I hoped the digital camera would replace the N70).

What attracted me to the 8800 was the zoom range with VR and the ability to print large sizes (Nikon specs say the D70 prints up to 11x14 whereas their specs for the 8800 say they make high quality 20x30" prints).

I'd rather not start a thread on why this was a bad choice. I'm still optimistic that it will work well for me, if I can just get myself over the learning curve. I don't know any other photographers locally to talk to and I haven't had time to work with it on a consistent enough basis. I was hoping to learn from others' experience when they confronted the learning curve...

I'm a semi-professional photographer who is having a tough time

transitioning from a Nikon N70 to a new Coolpix 8800 digital camera.

I was wondering if there were any others out there with similar

experience with the 8700 or 8800. If so, I would love to hear any

tips you have for making the transition easier.

I take primarily landscape and scenics. I sell my work, often in

large print sizes (up to 20x30"), so I need to shoot with large file

sizes.

I have an overseas trip coming up next month. I'm trying to learn

the new camera well enough by then that it becomes second nature,

but I'm so frustrated by the learning curve (slow write times and

tripping over menus) that it's become a painful process.

If you have any tips for how to get used to shooting digital with

this camera (e.g. how to compensate for slow file write and

focusing, how to customize the menus, etc.) -- I'd be very grateful

to hear from you. The manual really falls short, and I thought it

would be a lot more intuitive.

If you have grappled with this, I'd appreciate any advice.

Thanks!

I'm trying to decipher the practical differences between the cards

below when used with the Nikon Coolpix 8800. If you have experience

with that camera and any of the following cards -- I'd love to hear

your suggestions.

The kinds of questions I have... Firstly, are these all CompactFlash

I cards or are some of these CFII?

What is the practical difference between all these -- is it really

as simple as the higher read/write speed is always better? (if so,

wouldn't I just go with the 20MB/sec Extreme III?)

(I'm including their current price on the B+H website just for

comparison's sake...)

Lexar 1GB 40x CF with Write Acceler Tech (6MB/s) $90

Lexar 1GB 80x CF w/ Write Acceler Tech (12MB/s)+recov s/w $100

Lexar 1GB 4x CF Card (600KB/sec) $80

Sandisk 1GB CF Card $75

Sandisk 1GB Extreme CF (9MB/sec) +recovery s/w $100

Sandisk 1GB Ultra Extreme CF (write 9MB/s read 10MB/s) $90

Sandisk 1GB Extreme III (20MB/sec)+recovery s/w $110

Anyone who wants to share their knowledge and opinions about which

card(s) might work best in the 8800, I'd be most grateful!

Thanks,

Diane

Does the Battery Charger (MH-56) that comes with the Nikon Coolpix

8800 in the States have a converter built into the power cord (so

that it can accept 110-240 volts)?

After buying it in the US, I'll be using it sometimes in the UK, and

I'm wondering whether I just need the plug adapter (to match the

prong shapes of the outlets) or whether I need an actual converter

as well to convert 110v to the UK standard 240.

Can someone who has the 8800 and it's battery charger let me know?

Thanks!

Diane

At this point I'm thinking, since they are relatively cheap, I would probably get one of each -- a USB2 and a pc card adapter.

I didn't know that about CF II cards. This may be a naive question... when buying online (when you can't see the depth of the card), how can I tell whether a CF card is CFI or CFII? I find when looking at the details online they say the name/model the storage, etc. but don't always say whether which type of CF it is. Am I missing something obvious?

I'm looking at an 8MP Nikon Coolpix 8800 and I'll be shooting as large a file as possible, since I frequently have prints made (by a pro lab) up to 20x30".

Since I haven't gotten the camera yet and haven't started shooting digital yet, I was surprised to hear that you shoot MORE with digital than film. I could take as much as a whole roll for bracketing and similars and in-camera dupes before, and I assumed since you could see the work 'live' that wouldn't be as necessary (at least not to the level of film). Here I am, glimpsing the learning curve...

Since you mentioned types of CF cards, I have more questions... I was looking at the Lexar 1GB 40x CompactFlash Card with Write Acceleration (WA) Technology ($89 at B+H). And B+H sells a 'kit' that bundles the 8800 with the Sandisk - 1GB Ultra II CompactFlash Card for $889 (before the $100 rebate - this is $70 more than the price of buying just the camera, they charge $89.95 for the same card alone). Is this card worth $70, or would another be a better investment?

Can someone tell me the differences between these 2 cards? Both are 1gb. The Lexar is 40x -- does anyone know how many "x" the Sandisk Ultra II is? Anyone have feedback on the "Write Acceleration" technology (or is this just marketing jargon?)? From the information I can get online I'm having trouble knowing how to compare (again, the learning curve...). Both are CF I, right?

I'm thinking I should buy a spare battery (of course) and a spare CF card. Would it make sense to get these 2 cards and use whichever is slower as backup? (Though obviously if they are close in price, 2 faster ones would be better...)

Since I haven't used any of this equipment (and am just trying to learn about it), I apologise if any of these questions are stupid.

BTW, after reading everyone's suggestions and looking into various options... I've decided that I should take my laptop with me. There are other rather big non-photography benefits to having it. It has a good size internal drive and a DVD burner. And if I bring it along I can avoid spending ~$250 for another storage device or portable burner, etc. My travels are relatively low-risk theftwise (as far as traveling goes)... other than airport scanning, I'll have it in my hand and will be at friends' houses and in private cars, etc. so that's not a big worry. (But of course I'll make sure it's insured just in case...)

Thanks to everyone for their helpful suggestions and for helping me along the learning curve!

Diane

>You do realize that the Ultra II card is CF I, not CF II?

Actually, I hadn't. Thanks for clearing up my confusion.

>A 32-bit PCMCIA card reader runs at about the same speed as USB 2.0.

Thanks - that's what I needed to know!

Now I have a follow-on question to the first reply... should I get a compactFlash I or II card? I know they differ in width, but how does their performance differ? I have no other CF devices so I'm free to get whichever would be best for the CP8800. (The reason I was looking at the Sandisk 1GB Ultra II CompactFlash Card is because B+H is selling a bundle kit with that card and the 8800 for a good price.) Should I post this as a new thread?