deux années – giveaway 21

BLACKJACK! Our #21 giveaway is the perfect way to kick off the weekend – it’s “The Posebook” by The Boudoir Divas! (Can you believe we’ve already offered up over $5350.00 in prizes this week? Sheer craziness! Happy birthday to us all!)

Read here for more – this book is recommended for beginning boudoir photographers, to help find flattering boudoir poses for all body types.

How do you snag this great prize? It’s easy!

1. Like The Boudoir Divas on Facebook.

2. Follow The Boudoir Divas on Twitter.

3. Post the following to Facebook and / or Twitter (and tell us where you did it):
Win The Boudoir Divas “Posebook” / TheBoudoirDivas.com / @BoudoirDivas at @PaperieBoutique / PaperieBoutique.com http://PaperieBirthday.com

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

Comment that you have posted to your Twitter and/or Facebook account(s), with a link to where you did it – or that you’ve liked one or both vendors on Facebook – in separate comments here 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 Monday, July 25th. You can enter up to four times total. Post that you have met both requirements in separate comments to have multiple chances to win!

You can enter / post up to four 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 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 48-72 hours of the winner-announcement to claim their prize.

Good luck!

Thanks to The Boudoir Divas for celebrating our 2nd birthday and giving our readers such a great gift!



It’s the weekend and I still have two more pages of giveaways left!
We’ll keep going ’til all of them have winners – see ya’ soon!
-Robyn

P.S. Vendors, if you are interested in being a part of the birthday celebration, e-mail me at “robyn AT paperieboutique DOT com” ASAP!

bonne fête – giveaway 16

Our next prize pack is simply amazing! Boudoir Business Boutique is back again, and this time they’re going to give one lucky Paperie reader copies of their Lighting Guide, Posing Guide, new 24-piece Business Set, and new 4-piece Album Template Set! That’s $850 worth of products!

Boudoir Business Boutique:
The Boudoir Business Boutique – a resource for boudoir photographers including a posing guide, lighting guide, branding, marketing, album and product templates! A great resource for all boudoir photographers – those who are wanting to learn boudoir photography or improve their boudoir business. Brought to you by Kathy Honeybourne of Honeybourne Intimates, Toronto’s leading boudoir photographer. Visit the store, have a look around and enjoy!

Complete Guide to Lighting:
With over 200 images, lighting diagrams and pull-back shots demonstrating everything from lighting basics to advanced techniques in an easy to follow format, this is the complete guide to boudoir lighting ! Over sixty pages packed full of information, this manual is all you will ever need for shooting boudoir photography and creating beautiful images. From soft wrap around lighting to the most dramatic of looks, you’ll learn the principles and lighting set-ups and be able to apply them to any environment from a studio backdrop, to a lavish bedroom or hotel setting.




Posing Guide:
Containing over 300 pages, the boudoir posing guide outlines the most flattering poses, tips and tricks to enhance your clients best features. Hands, legs, props, detail shots, camera angles and variations of many poses are all covered indepth. Also included is a Quick Reference Guide of over 100 standard boudoir poses to which you can add your own creativity.

New 24 piece Business and Marketing set in Mod Pink or Mod Blue
•   Everything you need to get your business up and running
•   Beautiful Charcoal and Color papers, Coordinated Branding
•   All items are completely layered PSD files, Free or standard fonts used
•   Easy to use clipping masks, Instructions included
•   Available for immediate download
•   Templates Include:
        Business Card, Boudoir Information Trifold, Investment Guide Trifold,
        Marketing Post Card, Image Box and Proof Borders, CD/DVD and Case
        Template, Session Reminder Card, Thank You Card, Referral Plan and
        Rep Cards, After Sale Add-On Marketing Card, Receipt, Packaging Sticker,
        Client Information Trifold, Gift Certificate, Blog Post Template, Facebook
        Profile Template, Digital Negative Trifold Wording for FAQs, Wording for
        Website/Literature

New Mod Pink and Mod Blue Album and Product Templates
•   10×10 Album
•   5×5 Album
•   4×8 Accordian Album
•   3×3 Accordian Album
•   CD and Case Template
•   Image Box and Proof Borders

Visit the store at:
BoudoirBusinessBoutique.com
Check back often for new items and sign up for our newsletters for updates!

So how do you win this wonderful prize pack? It’s easy!

1. Go to your Facebook and Twitter accounts and post the following on either or both (then tell us where you did):
Win a HUGE BoudoirBusinessBoutique.com / @BoudoirBusiness prize pack at @PaperieBoutique / PaperieBoutique.com – http://PaperieBirthday.com

2. Like Boudoir Business Boutique on Facebook.

3. Follow Boudoir Business Boutique on Twitter.

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

Comment that you have posted to your Twitter and/or Facebook account(s), with a link to where you did it – or that you’ve liked one or both vendors on Facebook – in separate comments here 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 Saturday, July 23rd. You can enter up to four times total. Post that you have met both requirements in separate comments to have multiple chances to win!

You can enter / post up to four 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 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 48-72 hours of the winner-announcement to claim their prize.

Good luck!

Thanks Boudoir Business Boutique for this super-sized prize pack! And don’t forget the Boudoir Business Boutique is offering 40% off anything in the store through August 30th for all Paperie readers! You can find that code, and several others from our featured vendors (just updated TODAY) here!




More prizes going up tonight – check back soon!
-Robyn

P.S. Vendors, if you are interested in being a part of the birthday celebration, e-mail me at “robyn AT paperieboutique DOT com” ASAP!

in living color

Today is jam-packed full of “pretty” and creativity! First up, we have a guest / vendor post and giveaway from Vintage U Creations. And don’t miss the color-inspiration discussion at the end of this post!

Looking for some goodies to add to your prop collection? Here they are! Vintage U Creations is your one stop shop for photography needs! From vintage inspired headbands, to camera necklaces, actions, tutorials and more you won’t be disappointed while browsing through this site. This darling little shop was started by Shannon, a fellow photographer herself. She wanted to add some fun to her sessions with some cute headbands, they were a big hit!

Each piece is hand crafted and made with love. The headbands are SUPER stretchy, so instead of buying the same headband in different sizes, you can save you money and get a variety with one headband and use it for a newborn and adult!

Every headband is different, each one has it’s only style so it fits the needs of every customer.

That’s not all Vintage U Creations offers… Want to be the envy of all your photographer friends? Then you need to pick up one of these “Vintage Camera Necklaces” with your choice of center gem in red, purple, soft pink, and clear.

We love these necklaces SO much that one lucky reader is going to win their very own camera necklace with choice of center gem!

So what do you need to do to win?? Head over to the Vintage U Creations shop at vintageucreations.bigcartel.com and comment here which piece in the shop is your favorite.

Then for a second chance to win “like” Vintage U Creations on Facebook – tell them that Paperie Boutique sent you – and then come back here and let us know you did so.

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

Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, March 18th. 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 twice – 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 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 24-72 hours of contest’s end to claim their prize.

Good Luck!!

Thanks to Vintage U Creations for stopping back by with another incredible giveaway for Paperie readers!




One of the hardest parts about deciding what ‘branding’ look you are going for is picking out a color scheme.

I recently ran across a site colorschemedesigner.com that will help you do just that with ease.

First you select a color from the color wheel and then it will show you similar coordinating colors.

Here I’ve selected another color from the wheel, and clicked the compliment tab – it will add in additional color families that go together well.

You can also view your color schemes (another complimenting set shown above) how they would look together on a webpage – in both light and dark combinations.

Web page demos are also offered in light (and dark) when more than one color group is selected. You just have to play around with all the dials and have fun!

The Colors Palette Generator allows you to upload any image and view a color palette based on the image’s primary colors. I uploaded one of my recent photos as an example. It even gives you the hex # to duplicate colors in web designs.

Similar color generators of note:
1. kuler.adobe.com
2. colorhunter.com
3. colorcombos.com

These color sites would work great in conjunction with “inspiration boards” on Pinterest to design an entire brand and web presence around the things (and colors schemes) you love!




Quick reminder – you have until 11:59 p.m. EDT tonight to win a maternity session ensemble from TAoPaN.

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.

You say boo-tique, I say bow-tique

Very excited to bring you our first vendor / guest post of the year by the Boudoir Business Boutique…

The Boudoir Business Boutique – a resource for boudoir photographers including lighting and posing guides, branding, marketing, album and product templates! A great resource for all boudoir photographers – those who are just starting out or those who want to improve their boudoir business. Brought to you by Kathy Honeybourne of Honeybourne Intimates, Toronto’s leading boudoir photographer. Visit the store, have a look around and enjoy!

Lighting Guide – The Lighting Guide is finally here and on sale until Monday January 10th:

With over 200 images, lighting diagrams and pull-back shots demonstrating everything from lighting basics to advanced techniques in an easy to follow format, this is the complete guide to boudoir lighting! Over sixty pages packed full of information, this manual is all you will ever need for shooting boudoir photography and creating beautiful images.

From soft wrap around lighting to the most dramatic of looks, you’ll learn the principles and lighting set-ups and be able to apply them to any environment from a studio backdrop, to a lavish bedroom or hotel setting.

The principles and lighting set-ups demonstrated throughout this book can also be applied to other areas of photography. Many are ideal for shooting seniors, maternity, model portfolios and general portraiture.

Posing Guide:

Your time during a boudoir shoot is precious and quite often very limited. The posing guidelines are designed to be the most flattering and fitting to all women, regardless of body type or comfort level. Containing over 300 pages, the poses are tried, tested and true and will get you started, keep your shoots flowing efficiently and enable you to capture more than enough poses and looks to fill an album. The sequential nature of these standards allow you to flow from one pose to the next in a timely, efficient manner capturing a great number of flattering, sellable images for women of all sizes.

Boudoir Marketing & Business Sets:

Boudoir Business Sets include everything you need to get your boudoir business up and running: information guide, client guide, digital negative trifold, business card, marketing card, gift certificate, thank you tag, sticker, generic CD and case. Also available are website wording, faqs wording and boudoir investment guide templates. All pieces coordinate with one another for perfect boudoir branding. Also available are marketing pieces to boost your sales, attract new clients and have current clients returning over and over. All marketing materials co-ordinate with our other business and branding templates.

Album Templates:

The store is brimming with boudoir album templates! Rich and creamy damasks, textured blacks, hawt pinks, sultry blues, romantic word art and much more. Ranging from 3×3 to 10×10, each design has coordinating templates for image boxes, proof borders and cd/dvd cases. Matching papers are also available to create your own coordinating designs.

Visit the store at:
boudoirbusinessboutique.com
Check often for new items and sign up for our newsletter for updates.




Great news for Paperie readers – thepolishedphotographer.com is giving everyone 25% off your purchase over $50. To take advantage of this awesome offer, just use the code PAPERIE6686424401 through January 15th!

Thanks so much to the Boudoir Business Boutique and The Polished Photographer!

And don’t forget this is the last day to VOTE in the packaging contest!

Have a great weekend!
-Robyn

Joyeux Noël de Fit to Print

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

Happy Holidays!
-Robyn

the hunt for green October

The digital edition of the October 2010 Professional Photographer Magazine was released today.

(P.S. Keep reading for a special discount from Sassy Designs, Inc. Plus a new packaging feature and the winner of the Paint the Moon contest!)

For this month’s article, I reviewed several press-printed “client gift idea” products by Moo.com, Miller’s, WHCC, CPQ and ProDPI.

Click each of the magazine pages above for a .pdf version. You can find the article on pages 54, 55, and 56 of the print-version when it hits mailboxes. And you can also download the digital edition now if you’re a PPA member or digital subscriber.

And to celebrate her templates being featured in the above article – Sassy Designs, Inc. is offering 50% off a purchase of $25 or more – today through 10/31. Just use the code PBPPMAG.




Today our guest post / green packaging feature is by Heather Armstrong Photography. If you’ve been wanting to go green with your business, this is an excellent resource!

I live on the west coast of Canada, the Gulf Islands, in a very green-conscious city. We have a fantastic recycling program, lots of eco initiatives, and government sponsored programs to help homes cut cost and live more environmentally friendly. As both a business owner and a parent it’s important to me to honour the Earth and do my part to keep as much garbage as possible off it.

Over time my packaging has evolved to become more Earth-friendly, producing less and less less waste as I find better companies to do business with. My brand is all about being organic: my style of portraiture is very natural and easy-going, and I want my packaging to reflect that…but not at the expense of the planet. I do not put in client “welcome packages”, medallions, advertisements or samples in the mail – packaging is about showcasing and protecting your print, and the more your client has to dig through to get to it, the worse it looks.

All invoicing, information and pricing communication is done electronically. If something does need to be printed, I print on renewable hemp paper and encourage my clients to recycle after they are done. I even use biodegradable pens and pencils for signing forms!

I work only with labs that will ship and package in the most environmentally friendly way possible. I understand that some products may require bubble wrap, but in the last year (thanks to some pushing and inquiring with the heads of various companies) I’ve only received four packages that included it…which was then reused. 99% of the time my labs ship to me in cardboard packaging with either shredded paper as a buffer, or corn-based packing peanuts (completely biodegradable with exposure to water). I recycle all boxes and bags that come to me; our local recycling depot will take plastic sheeting if you drop it off directly, and yours might too! Be sure to check with your city!

When my clients receive their prints, they’re packaged in unlaminated boxes with matching photo folios and CD sleeves. All are made with post-consumer recycled materials, and fully recyclable themselves.

Inside they’re wrapped in recycled tissue paper and sealed in a biodegradable corn-based bag (the PH level is not friendly to photos when kept inside for a long period of time, so tissue paper must be placed as a buffer between them). Instead of stickers, I use a custom rubber stamp with wooden handle and earth-friendly inks. Instead of cloth or plastic ribbons, I use biodegradable “crinkle paper” ribbon or wraphia. Instead of laminated thank you cards, I print my own messages on hand-crafted plantable paper and thank my client for choosing a green company. (Plus, it gives them the extra gift of wildflowers in a few weeks’ time!)

I even print my business cards with a company that uses only vegetable-based inks, post-consumer recycled materials and energy efficient printing techniques.

The completed packaging: 100% biodegradable and recyclable – nothing needs to be thrown away, and anything that accidentally does can break down easily in a landfill. And the waste I produce? Just one tiny piece!

In the last six months my business has produced less than one pound of non-renewable waste – both in my home, and my clients’. I keep a compost, have my recycle picked up twice a month, do research into the companies I purchase from, and keep tabs on my power meter to ensure that I’m using as energy efficient business practices.

It isn’t hard, nor that expensive, to be a green company. We can all do our part by caring about the environment and going the extra mile to find green products: every step counts. You don’t have to sacrifice style, brand or presence, and your clients will thank you for the effort you put into preserving our planet for their children to enjoy.

My products are purchased from:
1. http://www.greenprinteronline.com
2. http://www.ricestudiosupplies.com
3. http://www.goodplanet.com
4. http://clearbags.ca (look for their corn-based, biodegradable bags!)
5. …And local businesses committed to providing earth-friendly products




And the big winner in the Paint the Moon contest is…Kaley Lein!

Congrats to Kaley, thanks to everyone who entered, and thanks to Paint the Moon for yet another amazing giveaway here at Paperie!

Happy October everyone! Have a great weekend!
-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.

fit to print

For this weekend only, starting now through 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, September 26th, 3:00 p.m. EDT on Monday, September 27th, the entire Fit to Print store is on sale.

Everything in the store combined is worth over $260 so this is an amazing savings. Items included are:

1. “design one” information packet and matching Moo thank you template
     (color customizable)
2. “design two” Special Delivery / Do Not Open ‘Til tags
3. “design three” information packet (2 different front designs, color
     customizable)
4. “design four” 5×7 flat postcard promo / mailer / announcement (2 front
     designs to choose from)
5. “design five” information packet with “bonus pack” matching postcard /
     business card
6. “design six” CD / DVD cover design (for use with Epson Stylus R380)
7. “design seven” 5×5 trifold for cards or promo pieces
8. “design eight” Moo sticker templates
9. “design nine” Moo thank you card templates
10. “design ten” Moo business card templates
11. “design eleven” press-printed card client paper sample pack template

I’m even kicking in the following two Moo mini templates you can only get here:


Heads-up! New Moo.com customers can get 10% off their Moo orders through 9/30 with the code W9K55V.

You must purchase this special deal on Paperie only using the purchase button below – not through “Fit to Print”!

Happy shopping!
-Robyn

gimme an S! an E! an O!

The digital edition of the September 2010 Professional Photographer Magazine was released today.

(P.S. Keep reading for a special giveaway from photographers-seo.com!)

For this month’s article, I reviewed several digital media storage products by BellaGrafica (“Jeff & Julia Woods General Collection“), DNL Photo Packaging, JLee Albums, Loktah, Miller’s Professional Imaging and The Designer Concept, MpixPro, Pexagon Tech, Rice Studio Supply, and Verbatim.

Click each of the magazine pages above for a larger view. You can find the article on page 48 and page 50 of the print-version when it hits mailboxes. And you can also download the digital edition now if you’re a PPA member or digital subscriber.

And last month Heather Lickliter of Stylized Portraiture helped me write the August “The Goods” column. This month she’s escaped over to the new “Workflow Polish” column where she shares her post-session workflow, with added comments / critique by Audrey Woulard. Congratulations Heather!




Today’s guest / vendor post is by Zach Prez. He has freebies and a prize for Paperie readers!

Hi, I’m Zach Prez. I specialize in search engine optimization for photographers, although I’ve been helping small businesses rank in Google for about 10 years. There’s no better feeling than helping someone become successful on the web and grow his or her business. Okay, maybe there are a few things better, like cycling on the American River Bike trail near Sacramento, CA.

I wrote Photographers SEO Book almost 2 years ago now. What started as some informal phone conversations with my photographer friend quickly expanded into ninja tactics that boomed her business from Google in a matter of weeks. Everyone wanted to know her secret, so I turned those conversations into a non-technical how to guide that any level of photographer can follow. It has since helped hundreds of people understand and improve in search results.

Earlier this year I released Photography Blog SEO Zen. It’s an ebook for photographers, designers, or wedding vendors on how to update your blog infrastructure and write blog posts to rank more easily. Blogs typically output many more pages than a traditional website, meaning more chances to rank in search. Blogs are especially helpful in ranking very specific phrases (long-tail SEO) so I would hope you see about 3x the traffic from your blog compared to your photography website. My blogs and ebook help you get there.

I’m giving away one of each product above for Paperie Boutique readers. Enter to win by commenting on any blog post on either of my websites – photographers-seo.com -OR- photoblogseo.com – by the end of the day on Saturday. (We’ll notify and announce the winners on Monday.) You’ll learn something new and hopefully share your thoughts about the post, what you learned, or something insightful

If you want something FREE right now, check out my Search Engine Optimization Guide for SmugMug Sites -OR- Email SEO Class for Photographers.

UPDATE: The winners have both been announced here – check them out!

Thanks Zach for sharing such valuable information with our readers!

And don’t forget we currently have two giveaway-contests going on here at Paperie. Through midnight Wednesday you can have a chance to win your choice of camera bags from Jo Totes. And through midnight Thursday you have the chance to win a $50 gift certificate from Denny Manufacturing.

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.

pick a color – any color!

My recent aqua / aqua photo boxes from HB Packaging have caused quite the Internet stir. The company is actually considering offering that combo as an option now. Raise your hand if you’re interested in the comments!

HB Photo Packaging would also like to know, “Is there a color or packaging item you want for your business but can’t find?” If so, please post about it here in the comments – they are listening! If your branding is centered around colors like grey or orange that are impossible to find photo boxes to match, this is your chance to speak now or forever hold your peace.

HB does offer “print your own” packaging that you can design from scratch using blank templates—but these color suggestions on Paperie Boutique would be for their Standard, and Boutique, and Prestige packaging lines.

So dream it and post it! They’re waiting to hear from you…




And now the follow-up to yesterday’s guest post / photo teaser by Photoumbra Studios. Everyone loves the packaging posts here and this one will not disappoint!

Inspired by so many posts on the Paperie blog, I set out a few months ago to give my packaging, marketing, and price menus a good dose of consistency, simplicity, and of course some pretty! I didn’t venture far from what I had already been giving my clients, but I felt like I could vamp up my look and information a little better. I didn’t change my color scheme nor my logo, which I do think is important because as we all know, it is so crucial to be consistent and it was very important to me to incorporate my website and blog branding into my print and packaging.

Besides staying true to our current branding, it was also very important to me to be able to design tools that could help my clients make smarter and hopefully larger purchases by providing them with an easy to navigate price menu, a wall display design guide, and the ability to choose a portrait collection or build their own. As with any project, there are things I would do differently next time, but also things that I learned work great and I will continue to implement.

First lets start with the packaging. I’ve been using Kraft products to package with for some time, but what was new was some new little cards that I made up that I now include in every order. The cards include a blank “Thank You” card where I can hand write a message, a “Portrait Care Tips” card that is included with any enlargements, a “Spread the Love” card that talks about our referral program, and a “Copyright Info” card.

(If you are interested in purchasing the templates or a copy of our “Portrait Design Guide”) see the bottom of this post.

Our packaging includes:
• Boxes from Rice Studio Supply
• Stickers from WHCC (but I will soon be trying out
  Black River Imaging‘s die cut stickers)
• Bags, Tissue and Ribbons from Nashville Wraps
• Little stickers from MOO
• Thank You, Copyright Info, Referral Info, and Portrait
  Care Tip Cards printed by Overnight Prints

Next up is our “Portrait Boutique Catalog”. The version that I give to each of my clients is 5.5×11 folded press printed card with a 5x5x8.5 insert. The Catalog outlines each of our print and product lines with brief descriptions of each and standard size pricing. The insert features our “Portrait Collection” on one side (5 to choose from) and a “Build Your Own Collection” option on the other side. The BYOC has been very popular and I have found that most of my clients are enjoying the freedom of it.

Our Catalog and insert cards were printed by Overnight Prints.

Finally, is our “Portrait Design Guide”. This guide is given to select clients who are interested in investing in wall portraits. It includes a cover, an introduction to the guide, 14 inspiring designs for wall displays, a card for them to record measurements throughout their home where they would like to create a wall display, and a card where they can jot down any notes, or draw ideas. The cards corners are rounded an they are bound by a single hinged silver ring. Also included along with the guide is a 60″ measuring tape that we had custom branded for our studio with the tag line “Design Away – Photoumbra Studios“, they also receive a pen branded with our studio name and website. Each of these items fit into a nice 5×7 box decorated with our studio logo and a ribbon.

The “Portrait Design Guide” vendors are:
• Cards printed by Overnight Prints
• Wall Display Design purchased from Gradybug Designs
  but altered to reflect our studio colors and I also included
  some other design elements and text into these
• Tape Measures from American Bridal
• Pens from Ink Spot

If you are interested in receiving a digital or hard copy of our “Portrait Design Guide” we are offering them for sale for Paperie Boutique readers.

** Please note that I will not include the actual wall display templates in the sale of the digital copy because I purchased those from another vendor. However, I will include the cover pages I designed myself along with a digital copy of our Thank You, Copyright Info, Referral Info, and Portrait Care Tip Cards. You can order yours HERE. If you say you are a Paperie reader you will get $20 off the digital download price ’til July 4th – making it just $29 instead of $49.**

Huge thanks to Monica Burby and Photoumbra Studios. I learned of new vendors myself with this post, and have a lot of fun ideas swirling around in my head now! Don’t forget to stop by Monica’s website and blog to say “thank you”, too.

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.

let’s be Petty

Paperie Boutique has hit the marketing jackpot! Today’s guest post is by none other than Erin Verbeck for Sarah Petty’s Café Joy from the Joy of Marketing.

Café Joy was named a PPA 2009 “Hot One Award” winner in the educational resources category!

Here’s a little background info… Café Joy is going up to $59 for the mailed version (will stay $35 for a downloadable version) on February 1st. So this is the last chance for Paperie Boutique readers to join Café Joy to lock in the $35 / month rate for the mailed version of Café Joy.

Here’s the additional info.

Some of you may have heard of Sarah Petty’s The Joy of Marketing from the FREE Websummit and Telesummit events we recently had for photographers. That’s right, we put those on. At the Joy of Marketing, we teach marketing! But not just any kind of marketing. BOUTIQUE marketing. What¹s boutique marketing? It¹s a philosophy that teaches you to grow your business by focusing on building your brand and strong relationships instead of relying on price discounts to create sales. At the Joy of Marketing, we draw from our 30+ years of marketing experience, successful photography studio ownership, ad agency backgrounds and MBA’s to teach you how to grow the business you want without having to work so hard!

One of the ways we teach photographers is through our monthly subscription program, Café Joy, which we¹re giving a free sample of to all of your readers! Yay! Unique in the industry, Cafe Joy is a hands-on subscription program that takes much of the guesswork out of planning your marketing. Follow us, month by month, as we guide you to success. Cafe Joy provides you with gentle reminders and consistent deadlines to achieve amazing goals for your business throughout the year. Café Joy is what I wish I had access to 10 years ago when I started my photography business. It¹s filled with the marketing inspiration, ideas and secrets I¹ve learned over the years in growing my multi-million dollar boutique photography studio. And the best part is it¹s not overwhelming. Each month as a Café Joy member, you receive a proven, actionable, practical marketing lesson from an expert, a promotional idea, or professionally designed piece. Café Joy will save you valuable time spinning your wheels trying to figure out what works for your boutique business.

Subscribe today for a monthly subscription fee of $35*, and you’ll receive a BONUS recipe tin, starter recipes for success and marketing samples. Each month, for a minimal $35* investment, you will receive more recipes, an audio cd or dvd of marketing ideas and strategies, printed samples, design templates plus so much more. This monthly program was created by demand for niche photography business owners who desire more specialized marketing support. The emphasis is on building your brand by focusing on beautiful promotional pieces that encourage client interaction while also paying attention to the important details in your business. For less than the price of a skinny, triple grande latte, your marketing will benefit from this monthly shot of caffeine… without the jitters.

*International rates apply.

To get your FREE Café Joy sample, an hour-long Promotional Planning movie that our Café Joy members received in January, chock full of ideas to get you started on the right foot in 2010, go to:

https://app.e2ma.net/app/view:Join/signupId:67167/acctId:11781

To sign up for Café Joy just go to:

thejoyofmarketing.com/product/cafe-joy-monthly-jolt-marketing-caffeine

It’s your last chance to lock in the $35 rate for the mailed version of Café Joy. On February 1 the price goes up to $59 / month*

So hurry – there’s not much time to take advantage of this amazing offer! And big thanks to Erin and Sarah for hooking up the Paperie readership!

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).

for example

I posted an entry here a few weeks ago that discussed the paper sample kits I send to my clients for birth announcements and holiday cards. I enclose paper sample kits with every client “welcome kit” I mail following a package booking. I’ve created a new template for Fit to Print based on that kit, but with a twist.

Birth announcements, invitations, and holiday greeting cards sell better if the client can see both the product — and the QUALITY of the product. This will help each of your clients feel the difference between the type of custom, press printed professional products you offer vs. cheaper, consumer-grade products from chain stores and public online printing services.

Having paper samples in-hand while ordering also minimizes client confusion and makes certain their cards arrive exactly how they envisioned.

These templates were designed to maximize your client purchases while reducing your costs. You select the paper types you want to offer your clients and then print your various cardstock samples accordingly. Save money and paper at the same time!

Most professional print labs will print 4×5.5″ flat-postcards in qty. 25. By dividing the template into three parts, with a simple paper cutter you can triple that amount and offer your paper samples in “bookmark” form with sample text and images on the fronts, and paper type and your logo / URL on the backs. (All you will need to do is cut each card into three parts, flip over, and write down the particular paper-type in the space provided, as shown above.) The paper sample packs can be held together with binder-rings, brads, snaps, or “belly bands” — or even presented looseleaf inside of a decorative envelope. Get creative!

These custom-made .psd templates are designed ready-to-print and have been tested at two different professional labs. You will only need to add your own images, logo, sample text and change any colors if desired. A .doc file will be inclued with instructions on how to use and order (including font names and the print labs used). You must be able to edit layered .psd files in either Photoshop or Elements.

I’m making “design eleven” available now at a special PRE-ORDER discount. The first batch of templates has already been mailed out. The pre-sale discount price has been extended through 11:59 p.m. EDT on Friday, October 16th.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask in the comments!

joy to the world

(Originally posted to Flickr forums in July 2007.)

This (FREE!) Christmas card template was originally designed to print as a 4×8 photo card in sRGB from WHCC. (You can view a larger demo version here.)

→ 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)

The three images that go in the black area of the bordered image boxes should be 660×450 pixels (300 dpi) or 2.2 x 1.5″. See this previous free-download-post for information on changing the background color.

The font I used for the top and bottom of the card is “Frivolous“. It can be downloaded (FREE!) here. The text for “JOY / WONDER / FAMILY” can be hidden but not changed.

This template is ©Robyn Pollman, 2009. All rights reserved. It may not be copied, resold, made available for download or given away elsewhere, or redistributed without my written permission.

put a ring on it

(Originally posted to Flickr forums in June 2009. Announcement template design shown below is by Diana Hall.)

Since I’m only taking packages at this time, most include either a holiday card or birth announcement selection. I have online galleries of the designs I offer, and each "client welcome kit" includes a paper sample packet. I use this card design to print on five different paper types (when my lab runs its annual press-printed sales, I stock up in bulk):

I’ve found that red changes the most between the paper types (because not all paper is “true white” before printing). This gives them a pretty good example of the color-shifts between their available choices. Two envelope paper selections are included as well. The back of each sample has the paper type listed:

I bring accordion albums along with me to the newborn (or holiday) sessions – they are filled with samples of previous clients’ flat and folded press items so they can see paper types and styles with the other designs I offer for their own birth announcements and Christmas cards:

Quick tip if you’re on a limited budget to start… Design your sample template with 3-4 identical “strips” either horizontally or vertically. Like basically fitting 3-4 bookmarks on a card — instead of designing an announcement or card here, you’d be designing a bookmark and then printing multiple ones uncut on one flat postcard. When they arrive, take a paper cutter and slice into your bookmark-sized strips. Voilà! Paper sample pack for clients, with 3-4 more times the samples for you to give out. (If you don’t know where to begin, I now offer a template for this at “Fit to Print“!)

P.S. Don’t forget the Moo.com code exclusive to Paperie Boutique viewers expires on August 25th, 2009!

I’ll pencil you in…

I pretty much book packages exclusively now. It’s become a part of my business model. I’m constantly getting asked how I keep it straight, how I remember to book the remaining sessions…and do I forget upcoming sessions and overbook sometimes?

It wouldn’t be kidding to say I have an elaborate system of graphs and flowcharts to keep me on track. (In an addition to constant iCal pop-up reminders.) The photo above is an example of the first half of my monthly schedule print outs for 2009-2010, and also one my package booking sheets by client for 2009-2010.

The sheet on the bottom is one of my monthly schedule lists. If you look really closely you can see the names checked off for each session completed in the early part of 2009. The sheet on the top is one of my package bookings lists.

Each client has every session in their package broken down by “completed”, “scheduled”, or “schedule”. Dates already on the calendar are in Tiffany blue. Each of the package types I offer is jewel-coded, and a client doesn’t get a jewel by their name until their contracts and model releases have been sent back.

Both systems remind me, by month, that it’s time to schedule upcoming sessions. As does iCal. The monthly breakdown also allows me to see when any given month is full and lets me know to close it off for future bookings.

If you’ll look to the left of my monitor in this old office photo from 2008, you’ll see one of these multi-schedules poking out. I keep copies posted to the wall in my office right behind my desk, and also in the kitchen near the phone. That way all I have to do is cross-check a given month (right now through November 2010 as I already have holiday sessions on the schedule for next year) when a potential client inquires about my availability.

I always remember to pad a weekend off in the schedule every few weeks, not only because time with my children and husband comes first and foremost to me (and my boys are not getting any younger – one starts kindergarten this month). But also because when dealing with births, babies never fail to surprise you and all arrive at once, be it early or late. I had six newborns in May 2008 because two from April went late, two from May were born on time, and two from June went early. It was like the perfect storm. Without that extra padding, I would have been doomed. It also allows me to catch up on my processing / orders and guarantee some much-needed “downtime”.

I took most of July 2009 off as a mini-summer vacation with my boys. Of course, it took me until the last week of the month to finish proofing sessions and fulfill print, product, and canvas orders. But now it’s August and I’m mentally ready (especially now that I’m “caught up”) to dive head first into the holiday season, which for me begins in September on my shooting calendar.

If you’d like to see more of my office, I have a group of photos tagged on Flickr. And don’t miss this photo by Pinkletoes—she single-handedly defines office organization.

I should have another guest-post up on the site this week so stay tuned! It’s in the final tweaking stages!

As mentioned previously…I’m working with a handful of photographers to add more guest posts to this site so it’s not filled with my ideas and photos/demos only. If you’re interested in having your packaging, marketing ideas, or products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment). It’s always fun to share and “pay it forward“! Not to mention improve your SEO in the process… Win / win!

showcase showdown

This is another guest post by Heather James of Heather James Photography in Princeton, NJ. I’m beyond excited that she’s sharing these here. The idea is nothing short of brilliant and the presentation is absolutely fantastic!

I have quite a long price list as most of us do. Typically, I’d email a potential client a few hyperlinks to various web pages that showcased my work, what my sessions are like, and what my pricing is. It has been a great way to get my information out quickly and in an eco-friendly way. Then I had an inquiry from someone who doesn’t have an email address. WHAT? I was completely in shock mostly because the person sounded much younger than my 75 yr old grandmother who ichats on a regular basis. I needed a way to sell myself, my work and get all 5 hyperlinks into 1 envelope without breaking my bank account. So the accordion price guide was born. The following was a must to have on:

1. get all of my pricing in.
2. share a few of my best images.
3. most importantly: share who I am and why I am a lifestyle photographer and get them excited about scheduling a session with us.

Once I set the guidelines in place, designing it was a breeze for me. I just went with my gut and created something I would enjoy looking at every day – and I do look at it just about every day! The entire front side is all about the session. The only pricing is my session fees and each panel discusses who we are and what we’re like. When I say we, I mean my husband and I, as we truly are a team in every sense.

The back is the nitty gritty stuff. All of my print packages, special collections and premium à la carte pricing. There’s a few photos scattered around both sides that showcase most of the types of sessions I offer. Its neatly sealed in a white envelope with a round 1.5″ sticker from zazzle.com with my logo on it.

I find now that I not only send this to potential clients who don’t have access to the internet, but I also give this to my clients with a thank you notecard and a business card at the end of each session. Now that their session is complete, it gets them thinking about the next step in the process and excited about their proofs coming!

Every 3 months, or when I run out, I update the photos on the card based on the season and am always introducing new sessions into my marketing. And I always send along a sample of any marketing piece I use a client’s images on to them. They get super excited and show all of their friends and family their 5 seconds of fame which is instant free marketing for me!

Thank you so much for sharing these Heather! Drop by her blog and say “hi“!

As mentioned previously…I’m working with a handful of photographers to add more guest posts to this site so it’s not filled with my ideas and photos/demos only. If you’re interested in having your packaging, marketing ideas, or products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment). It’s always fun to share and “pay it forward“! Not to mention improve your SEO in the process… Win / win!