Image Partnering Websites

[markmoore]

Hello All,

I recently was laid off from work (no sympathys please as its probabaly going to be one of the best things thats happened) so im trying to go pro with photography.

Ive had some orders already and done some shoots etc

My current issue is this, there are a lot of image partnering websites out there which will allow you to upload your images, give your customers a unique password to enter to view there images all without the hassle of you setting up this type of website.

These websites print the images, they set up wedding albums, canvases and send these out to your customers, basically saving you a lot of hassle and aslo helping you to look really professional.

Does anyone know of a really good one, im looking at I can get canvases from once company at a good rate but when going to an image partnering website,the canvases were twice as much than if I sourced these myself.

I know they have to make mark up, but so do I and need to have the competitive edge regarding price especially the way the market is these days.

If someone does know of any good ones, thats a one stop shop for all your printing and framing requirements but not twice as much as the individual shops on teh internet< i would be really interested to hear about it.

Many thanks,

Mark.

[chrisburns]

I have literally just set one up myself today.

I'm using a trial at www.zenfolio.com

My site is here for you to take a look at. www.chrisburns.zenfolio.com

It does everything you have asked for.

you can lock folders and images for specific wedding or contract work so only someone with a password can access it and they do all of the sales stuff for you as well for a fee of course.

there is no harm in trying it out like I am for 14 days to see if you like it.

the full package which is what you will need to sell your work will set you back $100 US dollars per year which is currently £60 UK

which isnt too bad for what they are offering.

They also do all of the watermarking and loads more .

[markmoore]

Thanks for the reply Chris,

Ive had a look what they dont let you know befor eyou have to sign up is there prices, what you have to buy the prints/canvases/coffee cups etc.

Colorworld is one I looked at, which I thought great, first of all until I signed up and saw the price there selling me there canvases for, this is twice the price I can get them from a canvasing company on the internet, thus my selling price would be have to be more ( as I have to make my mark up ) and I would likely to get less work from it.

An instance here is there canvas Up To 10x8 IS £55.00

Where I can get a 10 x 8 on the internet for £20.00, profesionally done all high quality stuff.

So im just being lazy really haha and seeing if there is one out there that offers a good price for prints.canvases so I can make the mark up and not them.

Thanks again, appreciated.

Mark.

[TPilgrim]

have you checked out photoboxpro galleries?
They are free and you can set your own markup/ price for your pics.
I have set one up here http://www.photoboxgallery.com/TPilgrim but I haven't really started using it properly yet so i don't know all of the intricate details, but it seems pretty straight forward and simple to use. It was very easy to set up different groups for folders and you can set it to upload via ftp so you dont even have to go to their website to load up new files.

[chrisburns]

I know what you mean..

but with zenfolio you have the choice which option you want to use.
if you want them to simply collect money via paypal etc and then send the order to you to process and post they do that
so you can buy whatever products you like.. they just charge a flat % on the sales whatever price you set them at.

if you want to use a third party you can do that and if you want to use their service you can do that as well.

this is their list here: http://www.zenfolio.com/zf/selling.aspx#custom


I've only just started this account today so i'm not completely in the know about it but it seems quite good...

[Chris Humphreys]

I have a Smugmug site for the galleries which links to Photobox for sales (link below). It's all automated now, so the only thing I have to do us upload photos as I see fit and hope somebody wants to buy them!

Pro sales through random hits on galleries are pretty rare though, so don't expect a rags to riches tale. I make most of my money through architectural photography commissions. Competitions and galleries are also worth targeting, but again, it's hard work to make cash out of it. Gallery commissions are usual 30-40% so you don't end up with much profit if you keep your prices realistic.

Sorry, that turned out to be a bit of a sermon, which you didn't ask for!

Cheers
Chris

[markmoore]

Thats fine the more knowledge the better!

through my findings though, even thought "it takes the hassle out" your still going to paying them a fair old wack of money, which means you are losing revenue.

A canvas for £55 when you can source one for yourself at £20, so the mark up anyone with one of these sites has got to go in at is incredibly higher than my mark up, in teh market today im more than likely to get the work as im not as expnesive.

I will stick to sourcing the products myself, its not difficult and I cant justify a 100% price increase to customers purely because ive changed to a different website ??

thanks very much for you help and your input, its much appreciated.

Regards,

Mark.

http://www.dphotographer.co.uk/show_profile.php?userid=249

[JamieWillmott]

A canvas for £55 when you can source one for yourself at £20, so the mark up anyone with one of these sites has got to go in at is incredibly higher than my mark up, in teh market today im more than likely to get the work as im not as expnesive.

Have you compared the quality of the £55 and £20 canvas products?

You have to remember that being cheap does not guarantee more work. People can also equate cheap with lesser quality. Don't force your price down to undercut everyone else because people will pay for what they believe is a quality product, even in today's market.

[markmoore]

this is a specific canvas website who only specialise in canvases and nothing more.

I was wary about quality issues but im also wary of nearly three times the price differing from one company to another, its a bit like insurance, you will go to the cheapest as they all do the same job, as long as the quality is not effected that much and the canvases come out good, then great.

Im sure that to the general eye you couldnt tell the difference that much, not to justify a three times teh price difference, i know people will pay for quality, but also people will shy away from hiring a photographer in general especially in the current climate purely because of the prices they have to charge, so the more savings that can be made to my mind the more work you are going to attract.

im all for quality and wouldnt put my name to it unless it was quality, but im also wary of someone else making money instead of me, being in sales for 15 years gives you that type of grounding.

But thanks for your comments, interesting reading, really appreciated.

Mark.

[Seanmcc1]

Hi Mark,

I think it'll be a good move for you and wish you the best of luck with it.

I have no experience of any of these sites but have heard good word on red bubble. i think it's www.redbubble.com. The likes of Dave Whenham, Mike Scott, Dave O'Callaghan, have had some experience of it and seem to get on well with it......I'm sure you could ask them, they aren't as active on this forum but their messaging from here could reach them. Any hassle and i could ask them to contact you.

Good luck with it.

Sean

[chrisburns]

I fully understand mark I was thinking along the same lines myself

I believe zenfolio use photobox, Mpix, IYP and fotoflot as their partners for it.

however you've got to weigh up the pros and cons of letting them take over all of the process and you just sit back and wait for the cash.

If you just use a web site for the actual advertising and sales then not only do you always have to make sure you have enough product at your home but you need to spend a lot of time producing the item then posting it out and not to mention the possibility of problems or returns..

These sites will obviously add on to the price and or take commission for this process but for me its something i'm willing to live with seen as they literally do everything for you and you can sit back and just concentrate on your photography.


I can appreciate you wanting to keep the customer costs down but maybe you could compramise, EG, for large canvases or prints over a certain size then you do them personally but for general downloads and basic images and cup / callanders etc you could let the site take care of it.


there is lots of choice either way so best of luck whatever you decide on.

[markmoore]

Thanks all very much for the replys, taken on board every angle you have spoke about.

I have been in talks with a canvas printer and I have manged to negotiate preferable rates as I am trade, in fact they all do it, if you are trade.

So this means that the canvases that the image partnering websites sell them to me for are ridiculously expensive compared to how much I can source them for.

I still might use them for clanedars and the likes though chris, great suggestion!

Sean, Jamie, Chris, Tpilgrim,

Many thanks!

Mark.