BorrowLenses.com sells out...

[sm4him]

Photography is not the only industry affected by new technology. How many of you buy off the Internet because you can get a better deal than a local store? Ebay? Amazon? The sign of a successful business, photography or otherwise, is their ability to adapt and profit despite adverse market conditions. It is a fool of a business person that blames others for their inability to adapt and lack of foresight.

Well, revisit this thread when a client refuses to buy your custom designed album and only wants "a disc" so that they can go create their own for $20 on shutterfly.

No one's saying it doesn't kinda stink--but the problem is hardly unique to photographers.

Businesses that don't adapt to the changing market are doomed to fail. Businesses that find a way to adapt and revise products and strategies have a much greater chance to thrive.
Some of it is just inevitable as technology improves and people's "wants" change--cars "killed" the horse carriage business. Why? Because, while at first cars were considered foul, ridiculous inventions--once people got a taste for getting there faster, they wanted that. Then they wanted even faster, and more reliable. Then sleeker…and on it went. Horse carriage makers were undoubtedly not too thrilled about the whole thing, but they could either adapt and change with the market or they could go the way of…well, the way of the horse carriage.

How about the food industry? Butchers were commonplace just a few decades ago. Then came the ability to package "convenience" foods and with it, less of a need to go to the butcher every day for the meat you'd use for that day's meal. THEN came fast-food restaurants, and then MICROWAVES and now society is all about buying food that is instant and portable, even if it doesn't exactly taste like the stuff from the local butcher or the corner deli.

Typewriter manufacturers were likely not too thrilled about personal computers. The music industry. The movie industry. They are ALL having to adapt and change and find ways to provide what TODAY's market is after.

Photography is no different. First it was the transition from film to digital. Yes, film is still used, but it's not exactly a thriving, Top 10 kind of industry. Once digital became popular, the change was inevitable and companies and/or individual Photographers who don't find a way to adapt and meet the needs of TODAY's consumers will find a tough road ahead.

Shutterfly is just providing what the consumer wants. Oh, and Shutterfly, BorrowedLenses and the rest don't really care a WHIT about "saving the photography industry" anyway. They just want to make sure that when the fiscal quarter ends, their profits are up. I'm just surprised that BorrowedLenses hasn't yet started renting iPhones for your photographic needs. They haven't, have they?

EDIT: Oops! Accidentally deleted the whole post instead of editing it. That takes skill. Thanks for the "like," Pixmedic, but it went away with the original post!

 

[Juga]

From that article in the OP:

""This acquisition gives Shutterfly a presence in the rapidly expanding sharing economy. We now have a greater ability to diversify our revenue streams, reduce fourth quarter seasonality and improve upsell and cross-sell opportunities among our family of brands," added Housenbold." (boldface mine)

Sharing economy...

Oxymoronic, or just...moronic???

With that sort of thinking would prostitution be considered 'sharing economy?'

No one for cheap humor today huh? Maybe I am just not that funny.

Photography is not the only industry affected by new technology. How many of you buy off the Internet because you can get a better deal than a local store? Ebay? Amazon? The sign of a successful business, photography or otherwise, is their ability to adapt and profit despite adverse market conditions. It is a fool of a business person that blames others for their inability to adapt and lack of foresight.

For what it is worth I strongly agree with Pixmedic. You really can't blame someone for 'your' inability to market yourself strongly. Also you have to look at what the times are now...for the most part people want quick cheap service with loads of options. When I started charging this is actually one thing I took into account. I know that most people don't like being 'forced' to purchase a package or option of prints that are highly priced so I charge based on my level of experience, time, and cost of my gear or the gear I rent. I also make sure my clients know my experience level and highly advise them to NOT use places such as Walgreens, Wal-mart, etc. because of the poor print quality and that I happily offer better quality printing. So in the end I just charge based on what I just listed and go from there. But I definitely do let them know that printing from places such as this isn't in their best interests.

 

[PhotoWrangler]

You think we haven't run into that before? Thats just business. But we dont blame anyone else. We are responsible for our own successes and failures. We will stand or fall by our own hands, not by someone elses. I refuse to blame others for MY lack of business abilities. The few successes i have are because i took responsibility for my own actions and worked hard. If someone wants to feel better by blaming their failures on someone else, thats their business. I wont though.

BS. Walmart and big box stores are what's killing mom and pop businesses. Your words are noble, but meaningless.

 

[PhotoWrangler]

That's usually symptomatic of an ineffective selling approach.

Do you pre-qualify your client prospects, and refer potential clients who don't qualify to other photographers?

i quit commercial photography. There's no money in it, and those who are successful, usually have a husband working full time to support the household, or have a full time "joe job", or work for National Geographic.

 

[Derrel]

If one wants to take on cheapskate clients, one makes SURE that one is payed for his time, expertise, and his "shooting", and one forgets about trying to ream cheapskate customers on high-margin prints. Pretty simple idea, and one that came into vogue about a week after inkjet printers became decent...

The old model of a lowball bid to get a shooting contract, in hopes of selling high-margin albums no longer works on a wide segment of the wedding photography client base...that model died out long ago as a model that was applicable to every,single wedding client.

Right now, Shutterfly is trying to get the printing business that goes mostly with wedding rentals of lenses and cameras...they see the lens and camera rental business as a way to gain more customers for their photo printing biz. Apparently they believe that a direct supplier/customer relationship with camera and lens rental customers will allow them to get more printing work for their machines, to keep the orders coming in more across the entire year.

 

[KmH]

That's usually symptomatic of an ineffective selling approach.

Do you pre-qualify your client prospects, and refer potential clients who don't qualify to other photographers?

i quit commercial photography. There's no money in it, and those who are successful, usually have a husband working full time to support the household, or have a full time "joe job", or work for National Geographic.

I was referring to qualifying retail photography clients.

Good luck with your future business endeavors. :thumbup:

 

[pixmedic]

You think we haven't run into that before? Thats just business. But we dont blame anyone else. We are responsible for our own successes and failures. We will stand or fall by our own hands, not by someone elses. I refuse to blame others for MY lack of business abilities. The few successes i have are because i took responsibility for my own actions and worked hard. If someone wants to feel better by blaming their failures on someone else, thats their business. I wont though.

BS. Walmart and big box stores are what's killing mom and pop businesses. Your words are noble, but meaningless.

Really? Cause there are still plenty of "mom and pop" stores in my area, and we have a wal mart. Has it made it harder? Sure. Impossible? Maybe for you, but not for those people that choose to reinvent, innovate, and refuse to give up instead of just quitting and blaming the big bad corporate boogy man.

 

[PhotoWrangler]

Really? If its so easy to make it in photography, why are you a paramedic?

 

[pixmedic]

Really? If its so easy to make it in photography, why are you a paramedic?

Seriously? Dumbest question ever.
Answer is easy though.
Im not a career photographer, my wife is. Its her only job. I just help out. Paramedic is my career, photography is my hobby.
Also, please point out where i said photography was an easy business, because i think you just made that up.

 

[grafxman]

I am not a commercial photographer however I have more than a few graduate level business courses. Innovation and differentiation appear to be demanded here. This is just an idea that may help a little. Since cameras these days come with wifi perhaps someone should try offering same day or 24 hour service. I'm visualizing photos being transmitted to the wife/husband/partner for processing immediately at a remote location after each shot. Then immediately creating a password protected photo album online for viewing by the newlyweds and other interested parties. The online album could be displayed on a TV screen so particular photos and album arrangements could be selected at the site of the wedding. Cell phone coordination with the helper may be necessary. An 18 or 20 inch portable TV may prove handy for this. A large screen laptop could also be used. The album and all the photos could be printed immediately at the wedding site if a portable generator, a high quality inkjet and other materials are on hand in a nearby van. Alternatively everything could be printed at the remote site and either quickly delivered or dropped off the following day depending on the distance involved. Payment could be made with a credit card. I don't know anyone who likes to wait for their photos. Most people these days are accustomed to instant everything and this process would satisfy that expectation and may well prove profitable. It leverages all the technology I'm aware of however it will require a tech savvy photographer and a helper.

 

[amolitor]

If you're trying to make money in photography, do this:

- sell unique objects
- sell unique experiences

If you're just selling pictures, you're at the tail end of a business. Pictures are dropping in value daily, and are pretty close to zero now. The pool of customers who can be persuaded that pictures are worth 100s or 1000s of dollars is shrinking fast.

Large prints almost count as unique objects, so there's probably some life left in that one, but that's just a question of eking it out a bit longer. Soon the guy who does the framing and matting will be making money, but the photographer will not.

Unique objects are things like ambrotypes. Unique experiences are things like trash the dress events.

This is happening across the board in the first world. Non-unique things are virtually free, as they can be made by the container load for pennies a ton on the pacific rim. Things are valueless, experiences are what people pay big bucks for, and unique objects are next in line. People pay money to take part in Mud Runs, for crying out loud. Why? It is a unique experience.

 

[Derrel]

I am not a commercial photographer however I have more than a few graduate level business courses. Innovation and differentiation appear to be demanded here. This is just an idea that may help a little. Since cameras these days come with wifi perhaps someone should try offering same day or 24 hour service. I'm visualizing photos being transmitted to the wife/husband/partner for processing immediately at a remote location after each shot. Then immediately creating a password protected photo album online for viewing by the newlyweds and other interested parties. The online album could be displayed on a TV screen so particular photos and album arrangements could be selected at the site of the wedding. Cell phone coordination with the helper may be necessary. An 18 or 20 inch portable TV may prove handy for this. A large screen laptop could also be used. The album and all the photos could be printed immediately at the wedding site if a portable generator, a high quality inkjet and other materials are on hand in a nearby van. Alternatively everything could be printed at the remote site and either quickly delivered or dropped off the following day depending on the distance involved. Payment could be made with a credit card. I don't know anyone who likes to wait for their photos. Most people these days are accustomed to instant everything and this process would satisfy that expectation and may well prove profitable. It leverages all the technology I'm aware of however it will require a tech savvy photographer and a helper.

The above is some of what Doug Gordon advocates in his Creativelive.com multi-day seminar "The Doug Gordon Experience"...he's actually doing SAME-DAY wedding stuff by the time the reception is going on...a slide show ON THE DAY of the event, at the reception... proofs up and on-line and ready for ordering with a time-limited "discount" on all early print orders...he's advocating shooting in JPEG mode and getting it right, in-camera, with very fast touch-ups and minimal edits on same-day stuff.

Please note Doug's deliberate use of the word "experience"...

 

[grafxman]

I am not a commercial photographer however I have more than a few graduate level business courses. Innovation and differentiation appear to be demanded here. This is just an idea that may help a little. Since cameras these days come with wifi perhaps someone should try offering same day or 24 hour service. I'm visualizing photos being transmitted to the wife/husband/partner for processing immediately at a remote location after each shot. Then immediately creating a password protected photo album online for viewing by the newlyweds and other interested parties. The online album could be displayed on a TV screen so particular photos and album arrangements could be selected at the site of the wedding. Cell phone coordination with the helper may be necessary. An 18 or 20 inch portable TV may prove handy for this. A large screen laptop could also be used. The album and all the photos could be printed immediately at the wedding site if a portable generator, a high quality inkjet and other materials are on hand in a nearby van. Alternatively everything could be printed at the remote site and either quickly delivered or dropped off the following day depending on the distance involved. Payment could be made with a credit card. I don't know anyone who likes to wait for their photos. Most people these days are accustomed to instant everything and this process would satisfy that expectation and may well prove profitable. It leverages all the technology I'm aware of however it will require a tech savvy photographer and a helper.

The above is some of what Doug Gordon advocates in his Creativelive.com multi-day seminar "The Doug Gordon Experience"...he's actually doing SAME-DAY wedding stuff by the time the reception is going on...a slide show ON THE DAY of the event, at the reception... proofs up and on-line and ready for ordering with a time-limited "discount" on all early print orders...he's advocating shooting in JPEG mode and getting it right, in-camera, with very fast touch-ups and minimal edits on same-day stuff.

Please note Doug's deliberate use of the word "experience"...

I've never heard of the guy but I guess minds think alike!!

 

[Steve5D]

Well, revisit this thread when a client refuses to buy your custom designed album and only wants "a disc" so that they can go create their own for $20 on shutterfly.

I love watching people get their knickers in a twist over some imagined catastrophe.

I'm gonna' give you a special little nugget of business advice. This advice is sound, and it's inarguable: If you don't want a client running to Shutterfly with a $20.00 disc of your photos, don't sell them a disc of your photos for $20.00.

See how easy that is?

For whatever reason, you seem to be stumped by some non-existent problem. If you don't sell them the disc, they're not printing out a damn thing.

Personally, someone who would insist on such a thing is not a client I would want. Your mileage may vary, but my experience has proven to me that such clients are far more trouble than they're worth.

But, more to your point, I've not seen the "demise" of photography. I've seen its evolution. Trying to blame Shutterfly for the demise of anything is silly.

I've used BL in the past, and I will continue to do so...

 

[KmH]

The OP said:

Nothing is worse than working your ass off trying to sell your product, just to show up at the reception and see your bride's guest book made with your photos that were printed using swiped screenshots.

No mention was made of a disc of images, at any price.