1. Who Doesn’t Like A Discount?

    November 13, 2009 : Written by NPL staff : Comments (0)

    We certainly do and since we’re rapidly approaching the holiday season, we know albums are even hotter than normal right now.  So, we’re giving you 10% off all album orders now through November 20th.  Yep, designer covers and all!  Encourage your clients to give the gift of albums this year, be it from 2009 (and earlier!) weddings, family events, or just a collection of cherished images.

    To redeem your 10% discount, simply enter the promo code ALBUM in the review order screen!  Better hurry- this offer expires on November 20th!

    Just in case you haven’t already realized Nations’ offers the ultimate in quality and price for albums, check out our just launched product spotlight video and see for yourself!

    http://www.nationsphotolab.com/albums.htm

  2. Photoplus 2009- A SUCCESS!

    November 4, 2009 : Written by NPL staff : Comments (3)

    We delivered on our promise to wow attendees of the International PDN PhotoPlus Expo, which took place in NY, NY from October 22nd to the 24th.  Our booth was a buzz all weekend with current customers, new customers learning about all of our offerings, and thousands of $25 order giveaways getting handed out like candy.  Some PhotoPlus attendees were stunned to receive the free $25 orders from our lab, but we assured them that it is our way of letting potential customers try our lab with no-strings attached.  So… we came, we saw and we left satisfied!  Hope it was the same for you.

    To give those of you who were unable to attend a glimpse of what we just spoke about, we have inserted some great photos of our team, hard at work!

    Have questions for us, want to drop us a line?  Then click on the comments box below and let her rip!

    Ashley preparing the free $25 order giveaways... We gave away thousands!
    Chris and Molly sneak a quick high five before the start of Day #1!

    Infinity Flush Mount Albums
    Just some of our amazing products!

    Ryan, Molly, Chris and Ashley on Day #1 of PhotoPlus 2009
    Chris discusss the endless options for our Infinity Flush Mount Albums

    Ashley going through our brand new catalog with a booth visitor
    Jon busy behind the booth discussing one of many products!


  3. Stock Tips- Churn and Burn?

    November 3, 2009 : Written by jonathan : Comments (1)

    Competition among photographers has grown exponentially in the last few years. With the advent of digital, lower pricing and a wealth of information on the Internet, there are more professional photographers than ever. And with this comes stiff competition.

    One strategy is to just give your clients a disk of the high resolution images and send them on their way. Sure, it’s the easy way out; shoot, burn and move on to the next client. While this approach simple and neat, it may not be in the professional photographer’s best interest. Once you give that disc out, it’s like handing over your artwork and letting the consumer paint whatever they want on your finished canvas. There is no telling where the images will get printed and what you intended to shoot could become misrepresented. The pictures will likely be passed around to family and friends (who could also be potential clients) and your name is associated with prints that you had no chance to approve. The moral of this story: the perception of your prints is as important as anything in your business model.

    On the other hand, I think that the client has the right to a disc of the high resolution files. I do not think there is anything wrong with burning a disc, especially because of the high demand for that service.

    That being said, I think the best approach is a combination- one that offers professional prints, albums and products combined with a high resolution disc. This approach will satisfy your clients, keep you competitive and ensure that you have provided them with high quality prints that will be passed down for generations to come.

  4. Stock Tips: Wrap It Up- I’ll Take It

    September 9, 2009 : Written by jonathan : Comments (3)

    So, you have captured the best moments of the wedding you recently shot. You’ve edited your images and even had beautiful prints made for the couple. Now what?

    What is the best way to present these wonderful memories to your client? There is a simple and elegant solution; Boutique Packaging. You will make an amazing impression when you present your clients with their photos in beautiful custom boxes. The perception of your prints is taken to a whole new level. Rather than handing your client their photos in a clear bag or envelope, have them open their box of pictures like a present. The packaging can also serve as long term storage as well.

    To get a better idea of what I am talking about, take a look for yourself at

    http://www.nationsphotolab.com/boutiquepackaging.htm

    You are sure to please your clients when you use boutique packaging!

  5. Stock Tips: Shiny Happy People

    August 5, 2009 : Written by jonathan : Comments (2)

    Please Note: “Stock Tips” is intended for new and emerging professional photographers

    When I discovered digital photography back in 2000, one of the most common problems at that time was overblown highlights, or what we would describe as “waxy” digital skin tones. Since then, improvements in technology have vastly minimized this issue. However, I still see new and even experienced photographers producing these unwanted results. Once you overexpose your image there is virtually no going back. When digital information is gone from the image, you will be hard pressed to recreate it.

    There are many variables that can contribute to this. Generally speaking, there are easy preventative measures you can take to avoid overexposure. With digital photography, something as simple as frequently viewing your histogram should keep your images properly exposed during a shoot. For more information on histograms, check out this link found on www.dpreview.com:

    http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/key=histogram

    Another simple rule is to bracket your shots. Try taking different exposures by changing your shutter speed or aperture. On the other hand, many photographers are overexposing their images to achieve a certain effect. I would be careful with this trend as the images may not look as good printed, especially when ordering metallic paper. Metallic paper will exaggerate color and exposure, giving an overexposed image a very undesirable print.

    My advice would be to limit this style and stick with finding that perfect exposure, while mixing a few of these trendier shots to add variety. You are always better off underexposing a bit and optimizing that photo later in post production…… or just let us take care of it for you!

  6. Stock Tips: Stop, Crop and Roll

    July 15, 2009 : Written by jonathan : Comments (3)

    By: Jonathan Weinstock
    Please Note: “Stock Tips” is intended for new and emerging professional photographers
     
    Framing your image properly is one of the most common details overlooked by new photographers. Many new photographers do not realize the importance of framing your subjects. Also, they do not understand why certain sizes just won’t print the way they’d like. Most of these mistakes are made when taking headshots or group photos. Nearly all SLR cameras are a 3:2 ratio.

    This means that when shooting with an SLR camera, you need to realize that 8×12 is your full frame. And you will have to prepare your shot for 2 inches of cropping if you want to have an 8×10 photo printed. Too often, I will see group shots that were taken way too tight and the result is deciding between cutting someone’s shoulder or ear off or be forced to print the full frame 8×12.

    A simple solution to this is to zoom out a bit or take a couple of steps back, so you will be sure there is enough room for cropping later on.

    So remember, leave enough cropping room on your shots and you will always be able to print the size you want!

    Original: Full Frame Before Cropping

    Original: Full Frame Before Cropping

    Cropped: Shot Too Tight – cropped original image to an 8x10. Image loses bridesmaids elbows and a portion of their bouquets.
    Cropped: Shot Too Tight – cropped original image to an 8×10. Image loses bridesmaids elbows and a portion of their bouquets.

       

  7. A Note From Our President: The ABC’s of Business

    June 30, 2009 : Written by ryan : Comments (1)

    Ryan Millman

    Ryan Millman

    In the famed 1992 business movie Glengarry Glen Ross, Alec Baldwin states the ABC’s to be “Always Be Closing”. I take issue with that. I believe the ABC’s of business are “Always Be Customers”.

    Nothing can drive a business’ success more than to always put yourself in the shoes of your customers or potential customers. In fact this principal is so important you should spend an ample portion of every day not only thinking about your customers but talking to them and listening.

    Do you know the one thing I love to hear more than customer raves? Customer complaints! I love customer complaints. Well, of course the goal is to satisfy each and every customer and never get a single complaint, but I believe there is ALWAYS room for improvement with any business.

    Feedback and listening is what has driven Nations Photo Lab to become a leader in the world of photofinishing and it can drive your business as well. Our company motto can be found on every employee’s desk “Every Customer, Every Order, Every Day!”

    So how does listening to your customers turn into running a successful business? Collectively your customer’s ideas and suggestions are better than your own. They will tell you about what new products and enhancements they are looking for. They will tell you why they have decided to be a customer or what you can do to gain their business. More importantly they will appreciate your willingness to listen and evolve with them and they are 10 times more likely to refer you to their friends.

    Success is defined by how your customers define you. So no matter how large or small your company is or will become, never forget the ABC’s.

  8. Meet Jonathan Weinstock, the VP of Nations Photo Lab

    June 23, 2009 : Written by jonathan : Comments (0)

    Hi and welcome to “Stock Tips!”  My name is Jonathan Weinstock and I am the VP for Nations Photo Lab.  My contribution to our series of blogs will mostly be tips and techniques for newbie photographers and those that take photography seriously as a hobby.  I speak with so many of our clients on a daily basis and get so many of the same questions and concerns. Newer clients are always seeking advice on shooting and post production.   In the following entries, I will address many of the most common mistakes and misunderstandings about digital photography and how to get the best finished product; from capture to print.  I hope you all enjoy!

  9. Let’s Get This Blog Started…

    February 3, 2009 : Written by chris : Comments (3)

    When deciding whether to launch a blog my CEO and I spoke at length about the purpose our BLOG would serve. We asked all of the necessary questions, including what would we talk about? Would anyone want to read it? And one of the most important questions of all…What wouldn’t we BLOG about? Would there be specific information that we just wouldn’t touch? Would we talk about financials, or the overall state of the company? Honestly, those answers are still up in the air, but we know one thing, we launched this BLOG for the sole purpose of letting our customers into the daily life of the Nations Photo Lab Family. We want to let our clients see us on a more human level, a level that EVERY company should eventually get on with their customer base.

    Ryan Millman, our founder and CEO (and another blogger that you will soon get to know), started this business with ONE GOAL in mind…building long term relationships with our customers based on quality products, low prices and MOST IMPORTANTLY, the highest level of customer service.  We have an internal motto at Nations Photo Lab and unless you were a fly on the wall in our weekly operations meetings you may not know it, but this motto keeps everything in perspective for us, the motto is…”Every Customer, Every Order, Every Day”.  It is this motto that everyone who works at Nations Photo Lab adheres too and tries to emulate with every action.  This is why we recently re-designed our website, this is why we consistently are adding new products, this is the reason that our customer service staff is top-notch and this is the main reason that we are not afraid of trying new things, this motto keeps us grounded, keeps us pointed in the right direction and keeps our customers as the number one most important aspect of our business!

    Now that I have stated the reason for this blog, or better yet, stated the intention of this blog I want to officially introduce myself.  My name is Chris and I am the Marketing Director here at Nations and will be one of the prominent bloggers you will be hearing from, but don’t worry we will be introducing you too many more of the characters that work at Nations Photo Lab. As for how I came to Nations Photo Lab, well it was a road that started with a Marketing undergrad degree and a Masters degree from an amazing university in Eastern Carolina, aptly named East Carolina University.  After a stint with a large advertising agency in Baltimore, MD, I was lucky enough to meet Ryan (through my future wife) and score that ever important interview…the rest is history.

    I hope you enjoyed the inaugural blog of Nations Photo Lab and I will speak to you soon.