Professional Photo Lab and Photo Printing Blog

The extremely popular social networking site Pinterest has been the subject of a bevy of criticism lately concerning its potential lack of safeguards against mass copyright infringement. While the extent of their liability remains to be seen, the site’s management has continually responded with efforts to assure users and copyright holders that they are, at least, taking the copyright issue seriously. For those with a penchant for legalese, check out their virtually unreadable Term of Use.

Bottom line is that by posting any content to the site, users are indemnifying Pinterest and representing that each individual user has complete ownership to the copyright of anything they post. While this is a not so thinly veiled attempt to insulate Pinterest from any and all coming legal challenges, I doubt that it will work as even Pinterest knows that most posted content comes directly from 3rd party websites using their numerous browser plugins, rather than desktop uploads. Users specifically grant to Pinterest rights to posted content, but only for the purposes of distribution through the site itself.

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See what is happening on the last day at WPPI!

It’s time to build your wedding product line.  As you know, if you don’t show it, you don’t sell it!  I am very excited, as I have found the best kept secret in the photographic industry.  I am talking about H&H’s line of photo albums for photographers.  WOW – is all I can say.

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Be sure to check out part 1 of this post from earlier this week, where we introduced school and sports photography online sales systems.

Online Prepay

If you are selling your school or sports photography using a prepay or proof plan flyer, consider selling your packages using online prepay.  When you add an option to your sales flyer to purchase using a credit card online, and prior to picture day, you will:

• Make it simple for mom to buy late at night – when she typically has time to thoroughly study your packages and add-on items
• Make it simple for mom to use a credit card – buyers who use a credit card typically purchase more
• Add security – most consumers do not want to write down their credit card information on a flyer and send it to school with their child.  Online secure transactions are what consumers are used to and are comfortable with.
• Reduce studio labor – no more trying to read handwriting, manually typing in credit card information, and managing declined credit cards.
• Provide a simple way for students to buy if they forget their flyer on picture day.  By leaving the online prepay form live for 24 hours after picture day, these customers can still buy and you can still get these orders in your initial package order. And it’s a great way to solve the issues of providing sales to grandparents and separated parents, as well.

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The tools available to professional photographers for online sales have matured dramatically in the last 3 years.   Each type of photography – weddings, portraits, commercial, stock, historical, corporate, event, school, sports – all have different tools needed to provide positive sales results online for that type of photography.

While the market is crowded with options for wedding and portrait online sales, and stock and historical image web sales are dominated by a few large players, the school and sports photography online sales market has been a largely underserved niche.  In order to do this volume business well, the online sales system has to be able to:

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