TGIF!

Excited Photographer Cafe is back for a new giveaway / vendor / guest post!

Photographer Cafe is dedicated to providing photographers with a beautiful shop filled with practical, fresh products, along with an inspirational blog and active Facebook page. From marketing resources to card templates to newsletters to album templates, Photographer Cafe has all the tools photographers need to look great and save valuable time.

Get a jump start on your client holiday marketing efforts with the new 2012 calendar sets. Pair a personalized calendar with a coordinating client card, and you’re well on your way to connecting with your clients this holiday season and getting your name out to countless potential clients. Choose from a variety of designs and styles, including our popular Playful set and our chic Loft set (shown below). Add coordinating business and marketing templates, and you have the tools to create a cohesive, professional presentation in no time at all.

Photographer Cafe is giving away a $100 shopping spree to one lucky Paperie reader. Here’s how to win your choice of fantastic products from the Photographer Cafe shop:

1. Visit Photographer Cafe and dream about how you would spend $100. Come back here to leave a comment, telling what you would purchase if you won.

2. Follow @PhotogCafe on Twitter, and tweet the following (and tell us where you did):
Enter to win a $100 shopping spree from @PhotogCafe / PhotographerCafe.com at @PaperieBoutique / PaperieBoutique.com – http://is.gd/w3vzLa

Each entry requires its own separate comment here. (In simple terms: If you want TWO chances to win, you have to do the two things listed above, and then make two separate comments here telling us how you did them.)

Comment that you have followed @PhotogCafe / posted to your Twitter account, with a link to where you did it in the comments here – in addition to making another separate comment stating what you would buy if you won – to have multiple chances to win!

ATTENTION: All links you post must direct to public-access accounts. We cannot verify links on private, friends & family only, or passworded accounts and they will not be eligible to win this item. If we have to subscribe to your feed, a website, or forum – or request permission to see them – your entry will automatically be disqualified.

Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, August 23rd. You can enter up to two times total. Post that you have met both requirements in separate comments to have multiple chances to win!

You can enter / post up to two times total – one entry each for both the options listed above. (PLEASE NOTE: Comments are held for moderation and may not appear immediately. Please be patient! They will show up eventually.)

You have two chances to win, but only one chance PER OPTION – please do not post the same link multiple times. Duplicate links will be removed. Each entry requires its own separate comment to have multiple chances to win!

Comments on this entry will be numbered in order of posting. The winning number will be chosen by Random.org, and the winner will be contacted within 48-72 hours of the winner-announcement to claim their prize.

Good luck!

Thanks to Photographer Cafe for the great giveaway – what a nice way to kick off the weekend!

Hope everyone has a great one!
-Robyn and Todd

we’re back, baby!

After a brief hiatus (our 15th wedding anniversary vacation to the Keys, a visit with my mom in from Oklahoma, Easter weekend with my boys, and shooting…shooting…and more shooting), I’m happy to say Paperie is online and running once again!

Today I’m joined by New York-based wedding photographer Jenny Ebert who has discovered the perfect answer to that very popular question from your clients: “Where can I purchase photo products online?”

Beautifully Simple Photo Products: Pinhole Press
by Jenny Ebert

As a wedding photographer, no detail is too small to be photographed because I know gorgeous detail shots and stunning portraits alike help to tell the story of the big day. It’s this same attention to the little things that are always on my mind: before the shoot, during the shoot, during post-production and even when my customers ask me where they should go to make photo products with their digital prints.

I’ve been oh-so reluctant to recommend any online vendor because the quality associated with these vendors has been questionable, but now I am so excited to have a brand I can confidently recommend to my clients: Pinhole Press!

The quality of the paper, the chic designs and the array of unique products are in line with my photography brand and I know I won’t have to worry about the integrity of my photographs in any of these products.

The best part about this new brand is that they recently launched a new online platform for photographers called Pinhole Pro. Pinhole Pro allows professional photographers the ability to make money off of the products our clients make. Now how does that sound? All you have to do is visit PinholePro.com to create a photographer’s code and you can start making money off of the products your clients make with YOUR photos.

The Panoramic Photo Book is quite lovely, and with the lay flat pages no member of the bridal party gets stuck in the crack!

What friend or family member wouldn’t want one of these? Your clients will find many uses for this Photo Pad – I promise!

This small Brag Book has the beautiful ability to tell the story of your client’s big day with just eight photos.

Your clients are going to be on the hunt for Thank You Cards and these cards say “Thank You” in a chic and memorable way.


One lucky Paperie reader will have the chance to win $100 worth of beautifully simple Pinhole Press products. All you have to do is sign up for Pinhole Pro (for free!) and then post a comment on Pinhole Pro’s Facebook page.



Thanks so much to Pinhole Pro for such a fantastic giveaway, and Jenny Ebert for her article! Good luck to our readers!

If you’re waiting for an e-mail from me, please be patient! Between Paperie, Buttons and Bows, and my freelance work, I’m trying to return to ‘business as normal‘ as quickly as possible. If you don’t get a reply in the next couple of days, please check in again and make sure I received your original communication. Thanks for your understanding and patience! -Robyn

stop the presses!

Yesterday I posted about the new Keepsake Soft Cover Books and Press Printed Calendars from Color Inc. Now you can win them!

Color Inc. is giving away one free 20-page Keepsake Soft Cover Book and five free Press Printed Calendars to six Paperie Boutique winners! Here’s how to enter:

1. Like Color Inc. on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Color-Inc/190322407656875

2. Follow Color Inc. on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/colorinc/

3. Post the following to Facebook or Twitter (and tell us where you did it):
Win a press printed book and calendars from @colorinc / colorincprolab.com at PaperieBoutique.com / @paperieboutique – http://is.gd/jn02vm

4. Leave a note in the comments here saying what you would do with either product if you win.

Each entry requires its own separate comment. (In simple terms: If you want FOUR chances to win, you have to do all four things listed above, and then make four separate comments here telling us how you did them.)

Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, March 27th. You can enter up to four times total. Post that you have met all four requirements in separate comments to have multiple chances to win!

You can enter / post up to four times total – one entry each for the options listed above. (PLEASE NOTE: Comments are held for moderation and may not appear immediately. Please be patient! They will show up eventually.)

You have four chances to win, but only one chance PER OPTION – please do not post the same link multiple times. Duplicate links will be removed. Each entry requires its own separate comment to have multiple chances to win!

Comments on this entry will be numbered in order of posting. The winning number will be chosen by Random.org, and the winner will be contacted within 24-72 hours of contest’s end to claim their prize.

Good luck!

And if you just can’t wait to get your hands on one of these, Color Inc. is offering a special deal for every Paperie reader:

Huge thanks to everyone at Color Inc. for such a fantastic offer and giveaway!




Design Aglow has done it once again with a stunning new marketing set -
“The Glamorous Life“.

With an updated color palette, we are excited to re-release The Glamorous Life Marketing Set. Every studio can strut the red carpet with this complete set that marries delightful design with delicious dazzle. Our fully customizable templates appoint your studio with everything you’ll ever need: business cards, gift certificates, accordion brochures, price lists, letterheads, envelopes and even packaging stickers. So many scrumptious options to choose from, your most difficult decision will be which shoes to wear. Clients will fall for this collection, and you’ll love how good you’ll look.

PRODUCT DETAILS:
This colorful set includes:
• Two-sided 4×5.5, 8 panel accordion brochure to market studios
• Two-sided business card
• Two-sided 5×7 gift certificate
• Letterhead and envelope
• Packaging sticker for client DVDs or anything else
• Price list for offerings
• This set is fully customizable, consisting of fully layered Photoshop
   PSD files to easily change the look
• Compatible with Photoshop CS or newer, Windows and Mac.

You can also purchase a coordinating 8 Page Brochure separately. The marketing set has special pricing through 5 pm EDT on March 28th.

Don’t forget to follow Design Aglow on Facebook and Twitter for chances to win gift certificates! And check out this new post made 03.25.11 for a chance to win a $100 Design Aglow gift certificate!




P.S. If you are interested in advertising with Paperie Boutique, please contact todd @ this domain. If you are a photographer and are interested in having your packaging featured – or are a vendor and are interested in having your business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured – please contact robyn @ this domain to be added to the posting schedule.

cinq.

Recently I was asked to preview two new products from Color Inc Pro Lab – the Press Print Calendars and the Full Wrap Soft Cover Press Print Book from the Keepsakes Collection.

Since Buttons and Bows Photography is about to celebrate it’s fifth year in business this spring, I thought it would be the perfect time to put together a small retrospective.

From Color Inc: Check out our NEW Press Print Calendars and Keepsake Soft Cover Books! These Press Print Books and Calendars are a great addition to our Press Print Product line, both of which allow you to share your special memories of a wedding, vacation, or photographic portfolio with the flip of a page!

Press Printed Calendars are a great way to personalize a years worth of memories and provide a great way to spruce up any wall, refrigerator or door! Opening to a full 11×17, Press Printed Calendars offer plenty of room to jot down appointments, notes and reminders on 3 unique grid designs ranging from classic solid colors to bold and modern patterns. Printed on durable 110lb. card stock, Press Printed Calendars will easily withstand everyday use complete with acid-free paper to ensure the quality of your images for years to come.

Keepsake Soft Cover Books are a great new way to offer customizable photo books your customers are sure to love! With custom printed soft photo covers on the same 100lb archival paper found in the Keepsake Hard Cover collection, these beautiful, affordable books are perfect for parents and friends, or as handy brag books for sharing the joy of a newborn or family pet.




Review by Robyn: I’m always looking for the perfect client thank you gift or client “stocking stuffer”, and both of these fit the bill! The color and quality are excellent, and the size of the soft cover book is great for that little “something extra”. Here – see for yourself!

Client calendars are the perfect way to make sure your client thinks of you and your business every day. Just add your logo to the front and back cover (and even on each page inside!) and it’s a year-long gift full of their memories and your branding. I think the soft cover books would be particularly cute as a storybook for a toddler or young child session – it could be designed as “the story of you”, and its soft cover and price-point are both perfect for ending up in tiny little hands. They would also make nice brag albums as an add-on to identical hard cover albums.

And as luck would have it, if you place your Color Inc order today you might just get it for FREE! There’s one winner every hour! (Valid on orders placed from 2:00 pm EST 03/23/2011 until 2:00 pm EST 03/24/2011.)




Last but not least, I have three contest winners to announce! First up, the winner of the Stash camera bag is…Wilkins Portraits!

The winner of the first Trendy camera strap is…Studio Bliss Photography!

The winner of the second Trendy camera strap is…Liz Bedwell Photography!

The winner of the SwitchBack Starter Kit from Trendy Camera Straps is…Hybrid Photography!

And the winner of the Vintage U Creations camera necklace is…Brooke!

I’ll be in touch with you all shortly to claim your prizes!

calendar girl

Today Dawn Wallace Photography is stopping by to share a few photos of her packaging / marketing materials.

UPDATE: Post has been updated to include vendor information/additional photos!

Hi. My name is Dawn Wallace and I have been an on-location photographer for the past 5 years. I discovered Paperie Boutique back in 2009 and have been soaking up information and ideas since then. This year, I had the very talented Jeanine Linder design a custom logo for me. I figured this was the perfect time to put what I’ve learned from this wonderful site into action!

Here are examples of what my welcome packet looks like. I send these to my clients when they book their session, then I go over it all at our consultation.

My collections include digital files. I send these on an imprinted wooden flash drive from Pexagon Tech. My clients love them because they are pretty and they can reuse them. My senior clients take even take them to college!

And Dawn shared photos of our free calendar / biz card template in action…

To achieve Dawn’s look:

• Logo Design by: Jeanine Linder
• Client Welcome Brochure, Business Card & Pricing Card
  Templates: PT4P
• Logo Stickers: Vista Print
• Folder & Envelopes: Paper Presentation
• Jewelry Catalog: Planet Jill
• Wooden Flash Drives: Pexagon Tech
• Ribbon and Buttons: Hobby Lobby
• Marketing Materials are printed at ProDPI and business cards
  are printed at Moo
• I print the contract and model release myself

Thank you so much Dawn – everything looks amazing!

We’d love to feature your packaging here as well! Please e-mail robyn @ this domain to be added to the posting schedule.

8 days a week

Every year I make client calendars as a New Year’s gift for my Buttons and Bows clients. (Last year’s, and links to years-previous, located here.) This year I decided to speed up things a bit and go with mini-accordions and custom pearl photo-covers (i.e. no paper trimmer and case assembly).

The design is a modified version of two Design Aglow “Playful Calendar Collection” templates. I couldn’t be happier with them and the feedback I’ve got so far solidifies the decision.

2011. The year I try to simplify! simplify! simplify! once and for all….

first post of the New Year

I recently posted a FREE template for a folded pocket-calendar (inside-spread only, 6 months included). I have them printed as folded-bookmarks at ProDPI, with a regular business card front / back on the opposite outer side. My new ones for 2011 just arrived yesterday and here’s a peek:

If you missed the big after-Christmas sale for the entire “Fit to Print” store, don’t lose heart! You can now buy the entire store for $65.00. See “Fit to Print” for more details…

Have an amazing 2011!
-Robyn

save the date

Last summer I posted a free download for the inside of a folded business card that doubles as a 6-month calendar for your clients. (Perfect for tucking in their checkbooks!) The months included on the calendar were July – December, so it’s time to update things again for 2011.

You’ll have to come up with the front and back design. (I used a regular business card front/back design for mine – see an updated photo of the finished product here.)

This download is only for the inside-spread that includes the calendar. I have included the crop-guide layer. You’ll have to add your logo and contact info if desired. The month names, calendar dates, and month box background colors are not customizable (unless you delete the layers and add your own in their places). However, the background color and bar-stripe colors are easily changed with the click of the mouse.

The white background color can be changed with one click as shown in the Photoshop background color fill layer in the Layers Palette. The text for the month names, the date text, and the box backgrounds for each month cannot be changed. However, the top stripe CAN be changed and your logo can be added using the included lab crop-guide for ProDPI.

→ download link ← (please note this file was designed in CS2 and you must have Photoshop or Elements and know how to edit a .psd layered file — I do not provide technical support for this download)

Hope this helps you start off 2011 with a bang!
-Robyn

P.S. Don’t forget – you can still get the entire “Fit to Print” store on sale (for $40.00) through January 1st, 2011! Get over $300.00 in products (including the binder template) for $40.00 – an 87% savings and some designs retire in 2011!

And I’ll be posting more “business packaging / holiday packaging contest“ entries tomorrow so stay tuned!

Template is ©Robyn Pollman, 2010. All rights reserved. Template may not be copied, resold, made available for download or given away elsewhere, or redistributed without my written permission.

drop it like it’s hot

First up before the big giveaway (yes I said “big giveaway” so read ’til the end), I have a freebie download. To celebrate surviving the year being half-over I recently made mini-calendars for my clients. I had them printed as folded bookmarks from ProDPI, and they look fantastic if I do say so myself.

You’ll have to come up with the front and back design (I used a business card front/back for mine), but I’ve attached a download for the inside-spread that includes the calendar. I have included the crop-guide layer. You’ll have to add your logo if desired and the month names, calendar dates, and month box background colors are not customizable (unless you delete the layers and add your own in their places) – but the background color and bar-stripe are easily changed with the click of the mouse.

The white background color can be changed with one click as shown in the Photoshop background color fill layer in the Layers Palette. The text for the month names, the date text, and the box backgrounds for each month cannot be changed. However, the top stripe CAN be changed and your logo can be added using the included lab crop-guide for ProDPI.

→ download link ← (please note this file was designed in CS2 and you must have Photoshop or Elements and know how to edit a .psd layered file — I do not provide technical support for this download)

And now as promised…the big giveaway by Heather Green of The Drop Shoppe! Heather has stopped by for today’s guest post…

The Drop Shoppe (thedropshoppe.com) sells thick, matte, high quality vinyl backdrops in large sizes that are affordable for photographers. You can use these with studio lighting or natural light. Each image is created in Photoshop or Illustrator to be the absolute sharpest possible when it’s printed in large format. Currently we sell two sizes; 5 feet by 8 feet and 10 feet by 8 feet. The 5′x8′ drops are $90.00 and the 10′x8′ drops are $150.00 All prices include free shipping to the continental United States. If you are out of the country you do have to pay shipping, but we work hard to find you the fastest and most affordable shipping solution. Each backdrop has an extra 1/2″ white border around the outside, which is perfect for you to clamp to your backdrop stand. This way you’re not clamping directly onto the backdrop image.

Here we have a simple set up of hooks screwed into the wall, a metal pole and three large clamps holding the backdrop.

There’s a variety of ways to hang these backdrops. You can just clamp them to your horizontal pole on your backdrop stand (with large clamps you can purchase at a hardware store), or you can hang hooks on your wall with a pole and clamp to that. We used the hooks/wall method in our small office since we couldn’t fit my larger backdrop stand in there. A quick Google search will also turn up quite a few do it yourself backdrop stands that you’re able to make at home for very little cash.

We have all sorts of patterns and styles for you to choose from. There’s plenty of grunge, messy paint, realistic background photos, wallpaper, doors, floors and much more. The possibilities for these backdrops are endless. Use them in your studio, use one for the popular ‘photo booth’ set ups at weddings, even hang them outside for big parties or family get togethers. The backdrops arrive in a shipping tube, which we ask you to keep so that you can store your backdrop in it when not in use. The best ways to store these are either rolled up, hanging or laying flat. If you should wrinkle them, usually laying them flat in a hot room or outside in the shade will remove the wrinkles. These also wipe clean with mild soap and water. No worries about that baby or toddler making a mess, just wipe it up!

I’ve also included a size chart for the 5′x8′ drops, showing the size of an adult woman and the size of our backdrops – a good way to show how big these drops really are:

Here’s an example of our backdrops in use! The following photo was taken by Holly McCaig with our Aged Red Doors backdrop.

Another backdrop photo by Chrissy Avila.

The backdrop I want to give away here on Paperie Boutique today is our Aged Copper Wall, sized 5′x8′. It’s one of my favorites and works well when shooting just about any subject…from kids to women to men.

Here’s a few sample photos taken with that Aged Copper Wall backdrop – first by Chrissy Avila Photography:

And one by me using more of a cross processed/vintage technique:

Winner will receive one Aged Copper Wall size 5 feet by 8 feet backdrop with additional 1/2″ white border around it. Backdrops do not come with any kind of rods, clamps or pockets to hang them – you must supply your own way to hang it up. Backdrop will be shipped to the winner 3-7 days after the contest ends.

There are three different ways to enter between now and 11:59 p.m. on Friday, July 9th – each entry requires its own separate comment:

1. ‘like’ The Drop Shoppe on Facebook, come back and post here that you did so

2. post on Twitter (then leave the link here):
I entered to win an Aged Copper Wall backdrop at paperieboutique.com by @shutterblog from The Drop Shoppe/ thedropshoppe.com/store

3. leave a comment here on the blog about what your favorite backdrop is from the shop (thedropshoppe.com/store)

UPDATE The winner has now been posted here – check it out!

And last but not least…everyone gets $5 off their purchase from The Drop Shoppe by using the code paperie at checkout!

Huge thanks to Heather and The Drop Shoppe for such a fantastic prize giveaway! Head to Facebook and tell them thanks ‘in person’!

And to wrap things up for today, I’ve been posting photos of my new office setup over at Flickr as things progress (including info on how to create the wrap station yourself, and the Photojojo poster). Here are a couple of teasers for now.

Stay tuned this week. More fun ahead!
-Robyn

P.S. If you are interested in advertising with Paperie Boutique, please contact todd @ this domain. If you are a photographer and are interested in having your packaging featured – or are a vendor and are interested in having your business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured – please contact robyn @ this domain to be added to the posting schedule.

fine art

I’m so excited to share this guest post by Ana Brandt. In addition to being an amazing maternity and newborn / baby photographer, she runs the theartofpregnancyandnewborn.com website, myLIFE workshops, and TAoPaN Magazine. (Oh and by the way, there’s a free download at the end so don’t just skim!) Now without further adieu…

I love this site. The eye candy is so great and it’s fun to be featured on here!

As photographers we all know how important it is to develop your niche and create your brand. That’s what theartofpregnancyandnewborn.com is all about.

As we speak I am revamping many of my websites but even as is, they still mark who I am. One of my main passions is pregnancy aand newborn photography. I LOVE newborns! Don’t we all? But I LOVE pregnant women even more. I know many photographers just shoot the maternity session in anticipation for the newborn session, but I love pregnancy and capturing it is a must.

I created a separate site for my pregnancy and newborn titled Belly Baby Love. It has a classic signature black and white look. My standard color palette is browns for studio work, but for the pregnancy and newborn sessions I wanted to keep it simple.

This year I joined a company that delivers gift baskets to celebrity clients each month. I am the sole photographer in their “BUMP basket”, and when they get the call that a celebrity or their spouse is pregnant, my information is included in that basket. I teamed up with a client of mine that creates cards for Envelopments and they helped me come up with something cute and simple to put in the “BUMP basket”. Since we are already a part of the Envelopments dealer program I knew what pieces would work so we developed a promo piece with relative ease.

The main goal was to keep it classic and simple…

• Calendar is by CPQ
• The stickers are by ProDPI
• The trifolds inside are our own design (available on our
  site at theartofpregnancyandnewborn.com)
• Our designer created what we wanted and printed it on
  cardstock from Envelopments and used coordinating
  papers and envelopes – these are great because we
  can change them at will and just print as we need
• The gift card is a two sided wallet from ProDPI (we
  love how sturdy these wallets are!)
• Inside the pocket we have our pregnancy, newborn
  and first-year trifolds printed on pearl paper at WHCC

These have been sent to celebrities such as Bree Turner, Jamie Oliver, Annie Wersching, Mario Lopez, Alicia Coppola, Kevin Costner, and Catherine Bell just to name a few – plus a slew of other celebrities. The baskets usually go out very early, so it takes a bit until we hear from them. But we can’t wait until we get that phone call!

When venturing out and seeking opportunities, make sure you have all of your materials ready. For Pregnancy and Newborn you should always have the following:

• Pregnancy Pricing
• Newborn Pricing
• A package to include both
• A first year plan/option
• Standard pricing

Clients want to know all of their options. Most of our clients choose a package and many come into the plan. The key is to have amazing classic images. In many of our materials we provide stock images for other photographers to use in their material. We also highly recommend you have some very classic pregnancy and newborn images in your hands ready to create material. Our material has information on what to bring for the session, as well as what to wear. We also give clients a list of foods they should not eat before coming in for a newborn session. The more prepared we can make this client the more comfortable they will be.

Remember, you are dealing with the two most sensitive times of a clients life – being pregnant and having a baby. We want our clients to come in and feel they have been prepared for and are being taken care of. They know what clothing we have – we have a large collection of mama dresses from our Thredz line, as well as diaper covers for the baby. Our studio is equipped with water, wipes, snacks, music, a noise machine and a hundred other things that are handy to have around.

To view a list of products to support your efforts and join us in webinars or our online workshop, visit theartofpregnancyandnewborn.com. To view a copy of our free magazine go to taopanmag.com.

Shop for marketing products at the TAoPaN Store. Use the coupon code PAPER to get 15% off everything. The store is being reopened temporarily just for this promotion.

And as a special gift for Paperie readers, you can download a free nursing card from theartofpregnancyandnewborn.com.

→ download link ← (The card is what we give to clients prior to their session. It contains a list of foods to avoid so their baby isn’t fussy and gassy.)

Also visit our Thredz Store for baby, children, and mama.

Thank you so much, Ana! If you don’t subscribe to myLIFE workshops, and TAoPaN Magazine, make sure to do so!

Have a great weekend everyone!
-Robyn

If you’re interested in having your own business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment).

If you are interested in advertising with Paperie Boutique, please contact todd @ this domain. Check the sidebars – several advertisers joined us this week!

golden ticket

I’m so excited to have Stacey Duncan of La Pomme Design and Goldapple Photography back for another guest post (January 2010, October 2009)! Make sure to read all the way to the end, because one Paperie viewer will get very lucky this week!

It’s a pleasure to be back at the Paperie Boutique! I have received so much inspiration from this blog and from the generous souls who are featured on here, so I love that I get to be part of it!

I have spent several months developing my branding, my marketing materials, and really, my business, and have fallen in love with it. Last year was my first year in business, and I didn’t realize how important it was to really LOVE the business side of my business. I mean, as photographers, we love the photography side of the business, but there is so much more to it! Even if you aren’t a business-oriented person, as a business owner you have to be somewhat savvy (or hire someone who is!), and you can enjoy the business more when you develop it to your tastes.

After determining my ideal client, my market, my business plan, and it was time to let my branding follow accordingly. I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted, and I knew how my main competition is branded, so I knew how to NOT brand myself as well! My logo was my starting point.

I developed a brand that is elegant, timeless, and is adaptable to all different types of portrait photography. It is appealing to my ideal clientele, and I am absolutely in LOVE with it – which is the most important part!

When a client books a session over email/the internet, they fill out the info form and contract online and pay online. I then mail the client a welcome packet in an envelope from Paper Source. The welcome packet includes a general information brochure, an investment brochure (which is my full price guide), a client gifts card, a session card that is specific to their session type (maternity, newborn, engagement, etc), a personal note handwritten from me, a fashion wallet guide, a set of paper examples, and a couple business cards.

If a client wants to meet in person for a consultation, I will bring the physical info form and contract for the client to sign. I bring the exact same welcome packet, except I bring it all in a large Paper Source envelope with the forms.

Some of my other marketing materials include a gift certificate, referral card with personalized image wallets, and a personalized 11×17 wall calendar. I also print stickers for my welcome packet mailings, shipping labels for client purchases, and copyright stickers to put on the backsides of image enlargements.

I get so many compliments from clients about my marketing, so I know it is successful in that they recognize it and admire it. I actually did a family session last Sunday night for two graphic designers, and they both were thoroughly impressed with it, which I took as a WIN. It’s like when another photographer admires your work, you take that as a higher compliment than when a client admires it.

Many of you know I am the owner of La Pomme Design, The Photographer’s Boutique. I have taken all of my marketing templates and made them completely customizable, able to work with any branding, and a perfect jumping off point for photographers who don’t have the time, inclination, or knowledge to create a full marketing campaign. I have even included a couple templates that I know other photographers use that I haven’t incorporated yet!

Introducing the Goldapple Photography Premier Marketing Kit! The kit includes unflattened .psd templates of the following:

- Business Card (front and back) (ProDPI)
- 2010 Calender
- Copyright Sticker
- Gift Certificate (WHCC)
- Special Occasion Gift Certificate (WHCC)
- Information Card (ProDPI)
- Investment Card (ProDPI)
- Session Type Card (ProDPI)
- Notepad (VistaPrint)
- Post-it (VistaPrint)
- Paper Texture Wallets (WHCC)
- Referral Card (WHCC)
- Referral Wallet (front and back) (WHCC)
- Shipping Label
- Limited wording is included

The Premier Marketing Kit is on an introductory sale for only $48 through April 30, 2010, only at La Pomme Design. On May 1st, the price will go up to $68, so now is the time to invest in your business and create a solid marketing campaign!

Also through the month of April, use the code “PBROCKS*” in the La Pomme Design Shoppe and get 20% off your purchase – no minimum!

*This discount does NOT apply to the Premier Marketing Kit, but does apply to everything else.

And just because I love getting free stuff as much as you, here is your opportunity to win the Premier Marketing Kit!

Step one to win: Either subscribe to the La Pomme Design newsletter or become a fan of the La Pomme Design Facebook page.

Step two to win: Go to your blog, Facebook account, Flickr account, or Twitter account and post the following:

I want the @goldapplephotos & La Pomme Design / lapommedesign.com Goldapple Photography Premier Marketing Kit – visit paperieboutique.com!

Step three to win: Post the URL(s) to your link(s) in the comments for THIS ENTRY. Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 8th.

Please note: The link you post must direct to a public account. We cannot verify links on private, friends & family only, or passworded accounts and they will not be eligible to win this item.

You can enter up to four times total – one entry each per public, non-private blog URL / Facebook / Flickr / Twitter account.

You have four chances to win but only one chance PER LINK – please do not post the same link multiple times – duplicate links will be removed. And post your 1-4 separate links in separate comments to have multiple chances to win!

Comments on this entry will be numbered in order of posting. The winning number will be chosen by Random.org, and the winner will be contacted within 24 hours of contest’s end to claim their prize. Good luck everyone!

(P.S. If you win and have already purchased the kit, you will get a refund of your purchase!)

UPDATE The winner Sean Walker Photography has been announced here! Congrats and thanks to La Pomme Design and everyone who entered!

Thank you so much Stacey – you’ve been so good to the site and I know everyone appreciates it! Drop by and see her work at Goldapple Photography.

Don’t forget to enter the new Design Aglow contest (open until 11:59 p.m. EDT) if you haven’t already!

If you’re interested in having your own business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment).

If you are interested in advertising with Paperie Boutique, please contact todd @ this domain. Check the sidebar – several new advertisers are joining us this week!

Small wonders

Make sure you read ’til the end because there is another AMAZING (yes, AMAZING) give-away!

But since I’m a firm believer in “dessert first, main course later…” here’s another great packaging feature. Today’s guest post is by Carrie Small of Carrie Small Photography in Fayetteville, NC. You might remember that Carrie was featured here last August. She recently updated her packaging and it’s visual proof that lightning can strike the same place twice!

Appointment Reminder – sent out to clients after they send in their deposit to hold a session. The template came from Pink Ink Studios and is printed at my print shop as a folded bookmark.

Avery Notebook – holds my signed model releases, frames examples, and receipts. Purchased from avery.com [Note from Robyn: for more information about, and photos of, the Avery organizers see this previous Paperie entry]

“Flair for your Fridge” – used to seal the ribbons on my presentation boxes for my clients, I purchased them from somethingbluestudios.com. They are really magnets.

Copyright and Print Release – printed front and back press printed 5×7 card from my print shop. I add one to each presentation box. I purchased the template/wording from thepolishedphotographer.com.

High Resolution CD/Case – CDs are printed from CPQ, enclosed in a trifold 5×5 card from my print shop. The template/wording was purchased from thepolishedphotographer.com and includes copyright info, a signed print release, and printing recommendations. The CD hub was purchased at shop4tech.com.

Low Resolution CD/Case – I print the label for these CDs myself, and they are included free of purchased files. They are added to the presentation box with the clients images. Included is a the copyright information and terms of use for the photos. The CD hub was purchased at shop4tech.com.

Client Info Packet – includes a 5×5 Trifold Contract, Model Release and Price List (printed as a sell sheet from MpixPro) and 2 business cards, enclosed in a presentation envelope purchased from Paper Source.

Referral Packet – added to each client order. Includes a 5×5 flat press printed card containing my referral information. I print wallets of each order with my website information and referall information on the back of the wallets, and include them tied in a ribbon to the referral packet. They are then enclosed in a petal envelope from paper-source.com and sealed with custom stickers from Moo.com (not pictured).

Presentation Boxes – I purchase my boxes from Rice Studio Supply and enclose all prints in clear bags from clearbags.com. The box is then wrapped with a ribbon matching my branding and sealed with a flair for your fridge magnet from somethingbluestudios.com.

Calendar – printed from CPQ, I use this as my calendar for scheduling.

Thank You Card – this is a 5×5 print that I print after editing a favorite photo from the session – I try to do this the day after the session. It includes a thank you to the client as well as information on viewing the gallery when it is ready. I mail this in a 5×5 envelope from paper-source.com.

Thank you so much for coming back to share a follow-up, Carrie! Your work, and your packaging, are nothing short of perfection. You can catch Carrie to say thanks at her blog here.

Still with me? Good! Because here’s the amazing give-away coming up for one lucky reader!

Recently I was contacted by a regular reader, Tosha Francis, of The Captured Life Photography. This site has been a tremendous help to Tosha and her business and she wanted to “pay it forward”. So she is donating the “Studio Look Book – Basic” from Design Aglow ($175.00 value). I already have the download information. All you have to do is win it!

“Professionally written and graphically designed, our fully customizable template is divided into categories to help sell all your fabulous studio offerings, from everything from albums to wall galleries, specialty items, high resolution negatives and more. Our 30 page, 8×12 catalog template makes selling every single product your studio offers an easy and beautiful experience…simply insert your own product photo into our layouts.”

So exactly how do you win? That might be helpful information, no? Go to your blog, Facebook account, Flickr account, or Twitter account and post the following:

Win the @designaglow / designaglow.com Studio Look Book – visit Paperie Boutique / paperieboutique.com by @shutterblog to find out how!

Please note: The link you post must direct to a public account. I cannot verify links on private, friends & family only, or passworded accounts and they will not be eligible to win this item.

You can enter up to four times total – one entry each per public, non-private blog URL / Facebook / Flickr / Twitter account. Post the URL to your link(s) in the comments for THIS ENTRY. Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Friday, March 26th.

Comments on this entry will be numbered in order of posting. The winning number will be chosen by Random.org, and the winner will be contacted within 24 hours of contest’s end to claim their prize. Good luck everyone!

Don’t forget to tell Tosha “thank you” over at her blog, too! I ♥ my readers!

UPDATE: We have a winner! It’s Belinda Olsen Photography!

Congratulations Belinda and thanks to everyone who entered. More giveaways are in the works (including this current one by Photoflashdrive.com that runs through Sunday evening) – so check back!

And just a little FYI, you might want to make sure you check back in Friday. That’s all I’m sayin’ for now!

Last but not least… If you noticed things were a little wonky here earlier in the week, my amazing host (Hosting Matters) has been taking great care of us. They put Paperie over in its own space away from my other business and personal sites to make it even bigger / better / faster. I’ve been with Hosting Matters since 2001 and I can’t imagine being anywhere else. If you need a web host, check them out! You can get quite a deal if you say you’re from Paperie Boutique!

If you’re interested in having your own business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment).

calendar girl

The very first year I was in business in Tampa, Karen Leslie (of KarenLeslie Photography here in Orlando) shared a client desk calendar template on a forum I was on – the members there were always trading ‘gifts’ back and forth as a ‘pay it forward’ kind of thing. My 2007 calendars using Karen’s template were such a hit, I made them again for 2008 with my own design after we’d moved to Orlando. By 2009 they were ‘expected’ by my clients as an annual tradition, and they are honestly the only real form of mass-marketing that I ever do.

They have brought me so many referrals, and the word of mouth based on them is incredible. Everyone wants to show off their little Miss or Mister [insert month name]. The front and back covers have become a sort of ‘bragging rights’ with my clients. (View the above image larger.)

I decided to switch things up a bit for 2010, and instead of doing the 5×5 prints in a CD-style case, I went with landscape cases (style SF22) and 4×6 images. Although I’m very happy with how they turned out overall, I’m not very happy with the cases. They were sold as being able to hold a 4×6 photo. Actually they can hold one 4×6 photo if it’s slightly bowed. Multiple 4×6 photos at full size? Well not so much. Once again my paper trimmer became my best friend, because I have nothing but time right?

I created an original 4×6 image template for my calendar pages with a .20″ solid black bar down the left hand side. That black bar was my trim-guide and I just lopped it off and voilà! Suddenly the images would fit in the case, no problem. However, where the square cases would hold up to 22-23 images / calendar pages inside the plastic “lip”, this particular landscape case design only holds about 16 pages max. The “lip” on the landscape SF22 cases is much thinner than its square counterpart.

Since I’ve been so busy over the holiday and through the New Year, my client calendars are going out a couple of weeks later than usual this year. I included pages for January and February 2011 to compensate for this. I made a separate little packet for these extra pages plus my alumni program, my referral program, and the spring Stylized Portraiture fairytale event here in Orlando which I’ll be sponsoring for the second straight year.

If you view the above collage larger you can get a better look at the pages in the 2010 B&B client calendar that’s just now hitting the streets.

Hey, I found something that just might be your bag, baby! The cool kids over at Photojojo are launching a brand new SLR Sloop camera bag.

“Weary, sick, and tired were we of the drab camera bag, trapping our dearest of friends in black nylon drag. (It nigh made us gag.) So we sailed a strong breeze across the seven seas, to summon an SLR chum, second to none. (Plus, much more fun.)“

“A part time camera satchel, full time stripey sultress, the SLR Sloop is the siren song to any camera’s heart. With five adjustable and padded compartments for your camera plus a wallet, keys, cellphone (er, compass), windbreaker, flash, and extra lenses.“

“Fashioned from the same super-durable material used for boat sails, she’s water repellent, never fades, and is a cinch to clean. She slings across your back like a messenger bag, saving your neck and shoulders from the hardships of long voyages. And with zippered pouches inside and out, she’s a terrific tackle tote for all types of bait.”

The bag dimensions are 11x14x5″ – stop by the site for details & color options!

Please check out helpingheartsphotogs.org and follow on Twitter – it’s a small, grassroots effort by photographers to help in their communities and in the world.

If you’re interested in having your own business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment).