What does everyone use for client gallery viewing?

Chris, how are you customizing your smugmug to run flash like that? As far as i know.. the only flash you can run is your banner and a slide show..

its a cross between using the smug mug slide show, and some html.. it can be found here

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=73247

also i finally had a chance to make smug mug custom for those who said they didnt like the look of smug mug.. heres what it can look like with a bit of html and java know how... http://chrisburke.smugmug.com/gallery/6123874_bmXAJ#385166562_8YxcU

notice, that the only smug mug mention is at the bottom where it says "powered by"

i wont be using smug mug as my main gallery viewer for like portfolio and such.. i will only be using it as a way for my clients to buy their pictures.. so they will only see their gallery, not all the other stuff on smug mug
 
I have been very happy with SmugMug (my site is at www.suebrucephotography.com). I hired someone to put in a few hours of work and customize my site. I think I will be rehiring them to add a page in the next month or two.

The gallery password facility is great. Also, they stand by their guarantee. I have had 2 clients not happy with their orders - both the clients fault - but SmugMug totally reprinted with different finishes and/or sizes ... at no cost to my client OR me. Extremely excellent service!!

Sue
 
Hey I just started useing photoreflect & Express digital has everything you will need to sell to clients with password protection . Also you have a tremendous amount of photo labs to do your fulfillment. Also there is no upfront costs to open an account. ck it out it might just be what your looking for good luck.
 
I second SmugMug, the amount of customization you can do to it is great. And i have a good client area set up so far.
 
Smugmug looks great. The only reason I'd want to use it is to maybe start making some cash from my photos, but I'm a little hesitant to pay $150 for their service; I'm not sure my photos are quality enough to make that money back in a year.

Ugh, I don't know.
 
Smugmug looks great. The only reason I'd want to use it is to maybe start making some cash from my photos, but I'm a little hesitant to pay $150 for their service; I'm not sure my photos are quality enough to make that money back in a year.

Ugh, I don't know.

That's why you use it as a supplemental tool. Charge some one a $75 sitting fee and sell them prints from whatever package you put together, then provide them with a password protected photo gallery where they can order more from. You could make $100-$150 off of on client. Do that twice and it will have paid for itself.
 
I love smugmug and have never come across anyone that has ever taken offense or been taken aback by the name. That's a new one for me.
 
yea, if your making any money at photography, its very easy to cover the cost of a pro account with smug mug... my account was free (i can talk people into almost anything) but 150 bucks is nothing in the photo world.. if I had paid for smug mug i would have had it paid off in one sitting... i charge the client $60/hour for the sitting.. so the sitting was 1 hour.. then i put the pics online.. they ordered i $160 worth of prints... so in one sitting I actually made more than enough to cover the cost...
 
Oh wow, no offense guys, but why would you let someone take a commission off of your sales? No way, no how would I do that.

I too use PhotoCart for sales but I use IntoTheDarkroom slideshare max for showing clients because I like that you can show the images big and it automatically watermarks (they then click on the shopping cart icon which takes them to photocart which is hosted on my site - eventually when IntoTheDarkroom has more customization ability for their shopping cart, I will use that too...).

I'd rather pay the $150 or maybe a bit more (like PhotoCart) for something that doesn't take a commission from my sales.

And is smugmug printing the prints for you? If so, are they professional quality? Are you having them mounted on styrene or something? Sprayed finish for protection? etc. etc.?

I'm a control freak of my images, and I wouldn't go for anything less than the best professional quality prints, that's why I am asking...
 
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JodieO... I totally understand your concerns.. I too am a mega control freak.. thats why before I decided to go with smugmug, I researched it for like 6 months... i had them send me numerous sample prints, in all the different finishes they offer.

Yes, smugmug takes a cut of your profit, but in all honesty, the quality of the work they do is well worth the small cut they take... I have no quams about giving them that cut.... there are ways around the amount that they take off your profit, but I don't recommend them, because smugmug is worth every penny.

Going to smugmug has cut down the amount of work I have to do significantly... before I had to prepare portfolio's for clients, drive to the printers to drop off, drive back to pick up, then make sure the clients got their pics (either by having them come pick them up, or by me dropping them off) now I do the session (whether its a wedding or a portrait session) go home, make some edits, put the pics online send an email to the client with their web gallery address and password... then i'm done.. no more work for me... the client places their order online... then smugmug sends me an email saying "this is what your client has ordered and in these sizes" I double check the crops to make sure they look good.. and thats it.. smugmug prints (in amazing quality) and ships it right to my clients house....
 
There was an interesting article in shutterbug a month or two ago about their service. It's 12.95 monthly or 99.95 yearly. They take 10% per sale but that includes credit card sales. I have been toying with the idea of doing this. I currently have no "gallery" for the customer to access after a shoot. I really need to get that added to my site.
 
JodieO... I totally understand your concerns.. I too am a mega control freak.. thats why before I decided to go with smugmug, I researched it for like 6 months... i had them send me numerous sample prints, in all the different finishes they offer.

Yes, smugmug takes a cut of your profit, but in all honesty, the quality of the work they do is well worth the small cut they take... I have no quams about giving them that cut.... there are ways around the amount that they take off your profit, but I don't recommend them, because smugmug is worth every penny.

Going to smugmug has cut down the amount of work I have to do significantly... before I had to prepare portfolio's for clients, drive to the printers to drop off, drive back to pick up, then make sure the clients got their pics (either by having them come pick them up, or by me dropping them off) now I do the session (whether its a wedding or a portrait session) go home, make some edits, put the pics online send an email to the client with their web gallery address and password... then i'm done.. no more work for me... the client places their order online... then smugmug sends me an email saying "this is what your client has ordered and in these sizes" I double check the crops to make sure they look good.. and thats it.. smugmug prints (in amazing quality) and ships it right to my clients house....

Nope, still wouldn't convince me. The lab I use is incredible with customer service and quality, absolutely incredible. All I do is the session, edit, upload to the net, the customer orders... and after my printout comes to my email saying "You've got cash" which automatically goes into my bank account, I print the sheet which is my customer's order. I simply upload their order straight to my lab using ROES, and I can either have it shipped straight to them, or have it shipped straight to me (for FREE) where I can then "fluff it up" in nice professional boxes, etc., and then ship to them (or they pick up from my studio if they would like).

No one takes a cut from me, and I can see all the images, and I don't have to leave my home office for any of it. :thumbup:

I do the same thing when I order fine art canvases or gallery mounts, coffee table books, albums, etc.
 

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