gratitude. journal.

When word got out from a recent post, I can’t even begin to describe the response. My brain, and heart, are overflowing with joy and amazement. How do you truly say thank you for something like this? Or the forum posts full of concern? Or the vendor notes of support (like the one when Moo‘s Vice President alerted several colleagues on staff to make sure I was taken care of just because he could). Or surprise gifts in the mail. Or Tweet DMs to check in – one from Pixel2Canvas on vacation in the middle of the Grand Canyon. Or the dozens of e-mails we’ve received. Or a note from a photographer who had just lost her husband and the father of her 5 children, worried about MY FAMILY. (We are so ok by comparison.) Or the little surprises in our PayPal account just because. I mean, it’s more than the human mind can really wrap around.

You go through life trying to do good and just make it day to day. You stumble. Sometimes you stumble hard. Sometimes you even hurt people. You dust yourself off eventually, regroup, reprioritize, remember you’re not really all that (well maybe all that, but often minus the potato chips), and promise yourself that if you don’t learn from those past mistakes what’s the point of the future…so buckle down and get to it… That’s been my 2010. I’ve buckled down and got to it. I had another such gut-check / perspective experience on a CT-scan table just over a week ago to make me even more focused on what’s really important.

In my recent Rangefinder piece, I wrote about the photographer community and my close relationship with my vendors. While being interviewed about this website, the article opened and closed with the following:

I let ‘Fit to Print’ evolve into Paperie Boutique, a standalone blog, through which I’m paying it forward to those who helped me along the way…..What has this experience taught Robyn? “I’ve learned to never underestimate the generosity of people and their willingness to teach and share,” [Robyn] says. “Just when you think you couldn’t possibly be more proud of your professional community, something as simple as a ‘thank you’ or ‘I can help with that’ never ceases to amaze.”

I’m used to being on the organization and donation collection end of things. It’s been humbling to be on the receiving end to say the very least.

Then yesterday the latest ‘random act of kindness’ showed up on my door step.

It’s no secret that I love HB Photo Packaging, but this was just beyond unreal. This was a surprise just for me, just because. You can read more of the details over here at Flickr – please make sure to add to the comments and thank them on behalf of our professional community!

And shop their weekend sale—HB Packaging is having a 10% off summer sale!

And speaking of vendors, we have a winner in the recent Design Aglow contest! It’s Silvine Designs / Silvine Photography:

Congrats to Michelle and another huge round of THANKS to Design Aglow for being such big supporters of this site, and for donating such fantastic prizes! Thanks to everyone who participated as well, and have a great weekend!

EXTRA! EXTRA!

We’re back in limited capacity! Thanks so much to everyone for their well-wishes and support! To our new advertisers, welcome! We’ll do our best to get you added in the days ahead.

I’m happy to announce we have an awesome Design Aglow giveaway this week – their new Studio Newsletter Collection magazine-style marketing tool. Read on and see more!

Want to get in front of your target market and stay in touch with your best clients in the most beautiful way? Our quarterly newsletter collection is a must for the studio who wants to stay at the top of their market!

Pre-designed, pre-written, yet 100% adaptable, we offer up a bounty of fresh ideas for topics that easily market all aspects of your studio. Show off new products, your most current images, and inspire with fab session ideas while you keep in touch with clients and prospective clients.

Four quarterly issues used for marketing with a luxury feel, printed as quadfold and mailed to best clients or used in high-tech yet cost efficient way, online. We have included instructions to make sideways scrolling online newsletter to blow your clients away via the web.

This beautiful product includes:
• four sets (winter, spring, summer, fall) of professionally written and designed pages complete with patterned backgrounds, design elements, and space to insert your own images
• A full tutorial

PRODUCT DETAILS:
• Fully customizable, consisting of unflattened .PSD files to customize all colors, text, fonts, and images
• Each brochure contains 8 – 4 x 5.5 inch pages – easily print as an accordion at your favorite lab
• Includes product images, but not portraits
• Contains directions to make an amazing online pdf with Photoshop, Acrobat and Bridge, and a slideshow with Lightroom
• Compatible with Photoshop CS or newer, Windows and Mac

How do you win? It’s simple! Leave a comment here with a positive testimonial why you love Design Aglow.

Then go to Twitter or Facebook and post:

I love Design Aglow / @designaglow – visit Paperie Boutique / paperieboutique.com by @shutterblog to win a new Studio Newsletter Collection

One lucky reader will be picked at Random by random.org from the numbered comments. Contest ends at 11:45 p.m. EDT on Friday, June 25, 2010. Good luck!

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

The Photo Professional:
      It’s a total ExPROsion!

Today we are extremely lucky to have a guest post / prize giveaway by Michelle Black of The Photo Professional.

The basis of the giveaway spreading the word about our blog, Twitter, and Facebook page. You will need to do at least one of the following and then leave a comment here to state which one you have done and where (viewable on a public link – links to private, passworded, or friends/family only sites are not eligible):

• PROMOTE OUR FACEBOOK FANPAGE by suggesting us to your Facebook friends and letting them know about this giveaway – a then leaving a comment on this entry telling us just HOW MANY friends you suggested us to. You will receive one point for each friend’s first name that you list – each friend’s name you list is worth one point. *IF WE REACH 3000 FANS ON FACEBOOK BY NEXT FRIDAY, ALL FACEBOOK FANS WILL RECEIVE A $20 GIFT CERTIFICATE CODE! That’s ’cause we love you!

• Post a link to the giveaway on your Facebook page (and provide us with a link to your update in the comments)

• Leave a comment on our FACEBOOK FANPAGE

• Join our affiliate program

• Follow us on Twitter and/or Tweet about the giveaway

• Subscribe to our blog via RSS or by email

BEST OF LUCK! WE WILL ANNOUNCE THE WINNER ON SATURDAY, JUNE 19TH, 2010 AT 9AM EDT!

*Don’t forget to let us know what you’ve done to win and earn points by leaving comments here!*

The winner will receive:

1. The all new Spritzers Action Sets I and II (Photoshop 7 & above – $40 value)
2. The new Picture Perfect Workflow Action Set (Photoshop CS & above -
    $49 value)
3. Magic Vintage Textures and Actions ($50 value)

You are only required to do one of the above and leave one comment stating which option you have chosen and completed in the comments. However, if you invite friends for the Facebook Fan Page and list those names you will collect “points” and be eligible for the following prize:

“I’m giving away a separate, additional $50 gift code to the person who invites the most friends on Facebook. Remember to list the people you invite in the comments!”

Good luck and have fun!

Thank you so much Michelle – it’s great to have you back at Paperie again so soon!



   ”contest: Is your packaging the fairest of them all?”

So for almost a year now this blog has helped you kick your packaging and presentation up a notch. Now the Design Aglow blog is calling you (yes, you) out. Do you have what it takes?

Packaging that’s so pert it’ll tickle you pink. That’s what Design Aglow wants to see.

Send us your best packaging ideas for the opportunity to be immortalized in Issue 11 of Design Aglow magazine: The YOU Issue. The more creative the idea the better.

Shoot us your pictures in full res/full size, with at least 2 shots of each package, along with a paragraph blurb extolling the packaging, the design process, who inspired or designed it, where you bought it, any obstacles in the process, why you love the packaging so much, what your clients/peers say, and anything else you think readers might want to know.

Make sure to give credit if it’s an idea you’ve borrowed, give a nod to the designer/company, and be sure to shout out the company that makes the packaging.

Whether it’s cinched, pulled, gathered, glued, tied or taped, make us proud and you’ll receive a free copy of the magazine issue along with a $100 Design Aglow shop credit. What’s more, you’ll forever be worshipped as the prime purveyor of packaging magnificence.

So go ahead, ladies and gentlemen: pimp your packages. Send us your entry here by July 1, 2010.

I’d love to see a Paperie reader win. Please share what you submit if you enter!