Online Picture Proofing?

cfphoto · May 14, 2010

Who do you use/recommend for online picture proofing, that includes a shopping cart and/or payment options?

I've looked around and onlinepictureproof.com seems to be a pretty good deal ($30 a month with no contract), but I'd like to be sure before I commit and put work and money into getting something set up.

Thanks!

bigtwinky · May 14, 2010

I've read that alot of people use Smugmug

cfphoto · May 15, 2010

I'll check it out. Thanks for the suggestion.

Big Mike · May 17, 2010

I use Photocart. It's an application that I bought and have loaded onto my website. It's very customizable and has many options. After purchase, there are no fees or commissions...plus, I don't have to send me clients away from my website.

EmmaIam · May 18, 2010

Hi, I use a company called Gurnell Software....we accept major credit cards through them, we also have the ability to set packages so that when our client is proofing the order comes straight to me along with their package . We have used them for 2 years now, the images are protected and it's easy for our clients to use. I think we pay around 80.00 per month.

Here is the address for my client site, with a password and reference so you can see how the images are displayed. The gallery you will be viewing is changed every month, we upload around 300 new images monthly in roatation, effortlessly, clarifying how easy this is to use, I am a technophobe, rubbish at all things techie, but even a lamer such as myself can manage it!

www.emmaflavellclients.co.uk

Reference WEDDINGS

password GUEST

you need to use upper casing for both

Good luck in your quest .

Emma Flavell

http://www.emmaflavell.co.uk

cfphoto · May 18, 2010

Emma,

thanks for the information. Though $80 a month seems a bit high to me I will def. take a look and see what they have to offer.

tsaraleksi · May 18, 2010

I like SmugMug-- you have a great deal of customization options and it's a lot cheaper than some of these that you're looking at, coming in around $150 a year (if you don't get coupons for it). Check out my site to get an idea of what it's like.

KmH · May 18, 2010

Online proofs for what kind of photography?

For portraiture and most retail photography, sales totals are much higher if you proof in person.

Zenfolio is less expensive than and as customizable as, SmugMug.

EmmaIam · May 19, 2010

I guess it depends how much you are going to use it..proofing at my Studio is only an option 30 percent of the time as most of my Clients live in England and come to the Highlands to be married, so a 1400 mile round trip from their home to my Studio to proof is simply not viable. It is imperative to our business that we accept all the major cards, and that we can at any one time put at least 1000 images in various galleries on the site. We have unlimited use of passwords for our clinets, and can keep I believe up to around 10,000 images on there for our clients indefinitely, though ourn contract states that images will be removed after three months, invariably the client will ask for more time in order for friends and family to get around to ordering their own prints. Anyway, Im guessing you can buy an 'off the shelf' one for peanuts, and if you have the time and the expertise ( which I dont ) then creating one might be a less expensive option.

Good luck

Em

cfphoto · May 19, 2010

Thanks again for all of the input.

After looking at all of the suggestions, it looks like Zenfolio is the one that is going to suit my needs most appropriately. I like the idea that I will be able to choose who I want to print the photographs in the 'create my own products' feature. The price is good as well, though there are some related fees that take a bit of digging to find, never-the-less, they seem like the way to go for me.

Thanks.

littlesandra · May 24, 2010

I'm using instaproofs.com right now, they take a percentage of each shoot and charge me for processing the order and what not, but they pay my payments to me through paypal and have an incredibly easy system set up!

cfphoto · May 24, 2010

littlesandra said:
I'm using instaproofs.com right now, they take a percentage of each shoot and charge me for processing the order and what not, but they pay my payments to me through paypal and have an incredibly easy system set up!

Thanks for the info. Sandra...looks like a good service for sure. Can I ask what your normal commission to them is and does it seem to be a better value than a monthly or annual fee?

Thanks.

littlesandra · May 24, 2010

I believe it's 13%, which is cool on smaller orders, but the bigger ones you start to notice that 13% being gone. It turns out to be more expensive in the long run, but it's more convenient for me in not having to drop a big amount down right away for an annual fee.