After responding to an email about how to start up a business, I thought I’d share a few of the resources that I use and swear by. I’m not endorsed by any of these companies – I just really like them!
1. Instaproofs.com – Instaproofs is a “free” online proofing system. Their service has no setup or monthly fees, instead, they only take a small percentage (about 15%) of your sales. However, the benefits of Instaproofs largely outweigh their small commission. Instaproofs gives you several ways to promote your proofing galleries – you can send out bulk emails, you can set discount rates, and there is a section to highlight certain galleries. Everything is also customizable. You set your own print prices, your watermark, your extras, etc. There is even a section where you can alter their CSS for a little more personalized look on your proofing page.
If you sign up for Instaproofs, make sure you put my email address (tasha@redwallphotography.com) in the referrer box!
2. Dropbox (getdropbox.com) – Dropbox is online file sharing space whose ftp system integrates with your computer. Simply put, you download Dropbox’s software, which then creates a folder on your computer. To upload anything to Dropbox, you merely drop the file/folder into the designated Dropbox folder, and voila, it uploads! I mainly use Dropbox to send files to clients. All I have to do is upload the files I want to Dropbox, then right click to get the download link where my clients can then download the files, and I send the client an email with their unique link to download their files. Everything is secure, as the link only allows access to their specific files. It’s more professional than sites such a Mediafire, and is easier than uploading something to your own web server.
Dropbox offers 2 gigs of free space to begin with. You can either buy more space or earn more space through their referral program. Basically, they give you a unique link (this is mine), and if people sign up using that link, you get an additional 512MB of storage space, per person that signs up! By the way, did I mention that my personal link is here if you want to sign up?
3. Presetsheaven.com – Free Lightroom presets. While I’m a huge advocate of creating your own actions and presets, Presetheaven has some nice Lightroom presets that are created by various photographers. All different types of presets are featured on the site – everything from basic contrast tweaks, to vignettes, to complex presets that can completely transform your photos. At the very least, it’s a great place to get some ideas or to get the basis for some personally-tweaked presets of your own. Oh, and p.s. – they also have some tutorial videos and other goodies.
Thanks for sharing this. It’s interesting and will be useful, especially for instaproofs.com.
FG
Hey FG, thanks for checking it out. Glad you might get some use out of instaproofs. I love them.
Great tips – thanks
Definitely a cool post.
How does insta-proofs work? Do they print stuff, too, or are they like drop box?
And while I’m here and keep forgetting – when you use highslide JS for your pictures that pop up in your posts, do you have to copy each link for each thumbnail and photo and place them in the post??? It’s so annoying!
They don’t print, print fulfillment is up to the photographer (which I actually like better, because I like going through WHCC). They’re not like dropbox, because they’re actually a proofing gallery. Clients can see the photos and then order through the site. My proofing site is http://redwallphotography.instaproofs.com if you wanted to see a sample of what it’s like.
No way. I don’t have time to copy each thumbnail. I just have to put in the number of the set in, and it pulls the whole set. It takes two seconds
Cool, I checked it out. So when they click add to cart for a photo, or certain number of photos, and order them – it pays you for those photos and then you just go to your folder on your computer and print those photos through WHCC?
Yep, exactly.
Ok, I hate to ask again (but hey, you are getting hits on your site = good for you
:) ) – could you possibly link me to the highslide you use? The highslide I use makes me copy EVERY thumbnail and EVERY photo… is it just a plugin for your wordpress?
Thanks for sharing.
Nice resources!
Chris – I use the Crossroads plug-in (http://www.bravenewcode.com/crossroads-flickr-plugin/). You have to pull the code for each large shot that you want to post, but it does the set with just inputing the set number.
Wow, thanks! I am still having trouble putting it in, though. I read the website, and brought it into my dashboard on wordpress… but what do you put in the post to install the set?
They say to do something like
But.. that’s definitely not it??
Nope, thats it. You put that code in the blog, and then replace the number symbol with the set number from flickr (click on a set, and then it’s the last set of numbers in the URL).
Thanks Tasha! I probably won’t use the drop-box one (I always just use my own server), and I STILL don’t have Lightroom (I think I’m the only photog on the planet who doesn’t), but the instaproofs one looks pretty ideal!
I used to use my server to transfer stuff, but Dropbox just seems easier to me for some reason. And you need to get Lightroom – it’s such a timesaver! Let me know how Instaproofs works out for you though. I adore it!