MILWAUKEE (Jan. 12, 2009)—Photographers can now market personal brands of photo products through Apollo Photo Imagizing’s custom online photo stores.
Photo Boutiques by Apollo are private websites where a photographer’s clients can proof images and order photo products with those images. Each online storefront can work in conjunction with a studio’s existing primary website or stand alone.
“The consumer benefits by getting professional-quality products from the local photo studio, which contributes favorably to the local economy; the photographer benefits by getting the studio brand out there,” said Eric R. Hegwood, president of Apollo Photo Imagizing.
Site owners can have their logos printed on backs of photo cards, calendars and other products sold through their sites.
“Studios can use these boutique sites to expand the selection of high-quality, professional products within the local community," Hegwood said. “Consumers are getting a quality photo product locally that they can’t get anywhere else, with the convenience of online ordering.”
Each site hosts image collections organized by occasions, such as weddings, graduations or family portraits. A boutique owner uploads image collections to the site and then invites clients to view it with an e-mailed link and password for a specific image collection. Clients can view proof books, memory books and other photo products predesigned by the photographer.
Along with online photo proofs and shopping-cart functionality, each site has a built-in previewer that lets viewers virtually page through photo books and even share them with family and friends via a “send-to-friend” button. This often results in additional orders for the photographer. Depending on the site owner’s preference, orders can be sent to the studio for processing or directly to Apollo Photo Imagizing for streamlined photo-order fulfillment.
Photographers can even let clients upload their own snapshots to the image collection, blending professional portraits with their own personal digital images. The ability to use additional casual and spontaneous photos encourages the consumer to experiment with designing and ordering more products, especially items for personal use like photo journals, calendars and day planners. A couple placing an order for a wedding guest book or memory book designed with the expertise of the pro might enjoy making their own signature board or photo save the dates.
“Boutique sites get customers to interact with a photographer’s website, which draws them into the local studio for additional sessions, ideally as lifelong clients,” Hegwood said.
Products that a photographer might not actively promote due to minimal revenue return on design time can now generate revenue without additional effort by the photographer. That photographer simply uploads the image collection to the photo boutique and establishes a unique username and password for the client. The customer is free to use those images to make products such as photo dry-erase boards, locker calendars and photo notebooks.
Photo Boutiques by Apollo can also be used exclusively as online studio proofing software with all products designed by and ordered via the photographer. The lab’s full selection of products will be available through the photo boutiques.
Many providers of online photo-ordering sites pass orders along to outside labs and charge a certain percentage as a commission. Because Apollo is a full-service photo lab, all products are printed by the lab’s own presses at the onsite manufacturing facility. Orders do not leave the building until they are shipped to customers.
The lab will not collect any commissions on products sold. Each site owner controls the percentage of profit generated by products ordered via the site and receives a check for that amount. After initial construction of the site, owners pay only a flat monthly fee.
“We produce the product; they get revenue with no commission involved,” Hegwood said. Apollo began offering the boutique sites to photographers at Imaging USA, the largest photography exposition in North America.
About Apollo Photo Imagizing
Apollo Photo Imagizing, a division of SyNet Media, is a photo lab catering to professional photographers. In addition to Photo Boutiques by Apollo, photography services offered by the lab include printing, retouching, mounting and finishing. Apollo’s signature collections are the Illuma® ProPress line of press-printed products that includes deckle-edged photo books made from recycled paper and ProPhotoCreations specialty photographic items, such as canvas gallery wraps, signature boards, dry-erase boards and photo notebooks.
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Contact:
Eric R. Hegwood
Apollo Photo Imagizing/SyNet Media
info@apollo-imagizing.com
800-747-7371
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