Print Instantly - on site - Santa

[MadMacMom]

I have been asked to take Santa pictures at a local distillery. In the past they have just taken Polaroids, but now they can't buy the film. They asked about hiring me ( I am not a professional-a hobby). They want me to be able to print the photos that night, on site to send home with the kids.

This is free for the kids-obviously quality isn't the top of the list, since they just did Polaroids in the past. But now they are looking to hire someone, so maybe they are expecting more? Or maybe, it's as I already said, they are stuck due to no Polaroid film.

I am not current with all the tricks of the trade to know how to go about doing this.

I did notice that Polaroid now has Pogo, and that looks inexpensive and a possibility. Anyone have any experience with this?

What are my other options?

Also, how am I going to smoothly run this operation? Organize getting the prints out timely w/o long waits.

What about a fee for my time? We are talking about maybe 70-100 kids in central KY.

 

[Garbz]

Given that even Canon's cheapest inkjet printer support PictBridge, where you can plug your camera directly into the camera via USB and click print on the camera, I don't see why this is an issue.

Sure you can make it more complicated. Such as put a laptop, connect the camera to the laptop and via software like cameracontrol pro print directly to printer. But really take photo, press 3 buttons on the camera, picture comes out of printer.

If you want to get really fancy get a small LCD tv and connect it to your camera's AV out so they can see the picture when you take it and before they buy it.

 

[PatrickHMS]

Or have an assistant, maybe spouse or significant other with you, with a laptop - card reader - printer setup. Use multiple (2-3 should do it) memory cards, swap out card every new photo subject. Have assistant print out card, exchange cards each new subject.

Since you are new to this (or I am just assuming) that way you can concentrate on taking the photos, let someone else do the printing and feeding empty cards back to you.

Give your card out with each set of prints.

If you get a smooth system down and working, it might even get you other work this time of year. Malls, kids places like Chuck E. Cheese, pet stores like PetSmart, schools, Kindergartens, who knows?

GOOD LUCK!!!!

 

[MadMacMom]

Thank you, this is what I was looking for! I have a HP Photosmart 375 I can use, but I wasn't sure how to go about printing w/o interupting taking photos. I have only one camera, so I couldn't very well stop taking photos every 10 or so peeps to print those out. I am expecting 150-200 photos. So I also couldn't really shoot them all and then spend an additional 2-3 hours just printing them out. I don't know why I never thought to switch memory cards. I have 4 cards.

The business I am doing this for said they looked into a Canon system to print photos for them, do you know what they are talking about?

 

[JamesMason]

Shoot tethered into aperture and rent a subliminal dye printer to print instantly. Nice and smooth and you will get top quality.