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See who’s behind this issue.

Read about PMA 2010 camera trends, and the latest PMA Marketing Research in “Data Watch.”

Safety programs on a budget.

Association’s highest honor recognizes long-time member, Ron Koch.

PMA 2010 award winners – Kevin R. Donohue, Vivian Kistler, Brian Noble, Richard Robertson and Donald N. Spring Jr. – are invaluable contributors to the photo imaging industry.

Winners of the 2010 PIEA International Student-Teacher Photo Competition named.

Specialty Color Services promotes caffenol film processing while helping Vitamin Angels save kids.

Proven Pictures grows photo-product business by partnering with large photo retailers.

Trend analyst Laura Heller describes the danger of retailer hubris.

Secrets of the Durst Quadro Array.

Ninebird Publishing helps people create photo products around whatever they love.

President * Brian Wood, Photovision, Salem, OR President-Elect * Mark Klostermeyer, MCPF, Design Frames LLC, Falls Church, VA Vice President * Gabrielle Mullinax, Fullerton Photographics Inc., Fullerton, CA Treasurer * Robert L. Hanson, Harold’s Photo Center, Sioux Falls, SD Executive Director/Secretary * Ted Fox, PMA, Jackson, MI Trustees * Rainer Th. Schorcht, Foto Schorcht GmbH, Gütersloh, GERMANY * Allen Showalter, King Photo/Showalter Imaging Group, Harrisonburg, VA Ken Strawbridge, Strawbridge Studios Inc., Durham, NC Hubert A. Rothärmel, CeWe Color AG & Co. OHG, Oldenburg, GERMANY Fred H. Lerner, Ritz Interactive Inc., Irvine, CA Trustees-At-Large Neil Hoversten, Photo Imaging Center, Sheridan WY Glen Hutchinson, Costco Wholesale, Issaquah, WA Robert C. Bagliolid, Bell Arte Camera Foto Source, Hamilton, ON, CANADA Michelle Bogosian Heckmann, The Camera Shop, Bryn Mawr, PA Bill Eklund, Sharp One Hour Photo, Eau Claire, WI Mona Kelly, Walgreen Co., Deerfield, IL John T. Mark, Mark Lab-Dorian Studio, Spokane, WA Tony Miresse, Art’s Cameras Plus, Pewaukee, WI Peter N. Sandrian Jr., Sandrian Camera Shops, Lebanon, NJ

Australia Richard Robertson, Ted’s Camera Stores (Vic) Pty Ltd, South Melbourne, VIC, AUSTRALIA Brazil Mario Shimoda, Shimoda Photo e Video Ltda, Volta Redonda, Rio de Janero, BRAZIL Canada Anthony Chodas, Forest City Image Centre Ltd., London, ON, CANADA + France Christophe Coste, Photo Christophe, Cadaujac, FRANCE + Germany Armin Thorn, H. Kertscher & Co., Hamburg, GERMANY + Italy Dario Bossi, Ascofoto, Milan, ITALY + Mexico Rolf W. Schmidt, Foto Prisa SACV, Mexico City, MEXICO + New Zealand Graham Boswell, Snapshot Ltd., Hamilton, NEW ZEALAND Peru Luis Salas Paredes, Foto A SRI, Lima, PERU United Kingdom Phil P. Rigby, Spectrum Imaging, Newcastle Upon Tyne, ENGLAND United States Kirk Sidley, Picture Perfect, Portland, OR

Australia Eastern Region John Ralph, John Ralph’s Camera House, Erina, NSW, AUSTRALIA Southern Region Brendan Cassidy, Thornton Richards Camera House, Ballarat, VIC, AUSTRALIA Western Australia, South Andrew J. Mason, Photo Continental Pty Ltd, Brisbane, QLD, AUSTRALIA Australia, Northern Territory, and Queensland Region Brazil Rio and Northeast Sergio Luiz Yago, Shimoda & Yago Photo Service, Resende, Rio de Janero, BRAZIL South and São Paulo Marcos Kamimura, Mit Lab Fotogr Ltda (Foto Paulo), São Paulo, BRAZIL Canada British Columbia Caroll Ross, Foto Source (Reid’s), White Rock, BC, CANADA Central Harry Mac, Downtown Camera Ltd., Toronto, ON, CANADA Eastern Michel Lacaille, Le Pros De La Photo, Montreal, QC, CANADA Prairie Provinces Lisa Otto, Banff Photography, Banff, AB, CANADA Germany Wolfgang Abendroth, CeWe Color AG & Co., Oldenburg, GERMANY Martin Wagner, Ringfoto GmbH & Co. Alfo Mktg KG, Fürth, GERMANY Mexico Alejandro Silvio Garcia Romero, Concepto E Imagen Digital SA de CV, Mexico City, MEXICO New Zealand Katrina Maguire-Alves, Pictiur Perfect & Katrina Maguire Photography, Matamata, NEW ZEALAND Peru Leisy H. Landauro Medina, Foto Club Digital SRL, Lima, PERU United Kingdom Gareth Davies, Davies Colour Ltd., Cardiff Bay, WALES United States Dixie Christine M. DeCocker, AccuPhotoLab Inc., Charleston, SC Great Lakes Aaron Saldana, Nettle Creek Color Systems Inc., Griffith, IN New England Dave Marsh, Precision Camera, Enfield, CT New York/New Jersey Metro Joseph Vetere, Madison PhotoPlus, Port St. Lucie, FL North Central Bob Dolajak, Bob’s Photo, Bismarck, ND Northern California Fran Herman, Ellaprint.com, San Francisco, CA Pacific Northwest Randy McCrea, Timeless Photo & Portraits, Boise, ID Rocky Mountain Jirair Christianian, Mike’s Camera Inc., Boulder, CO South Central Chriss Cooter, Cooter’s Village Camera, Dallas, TX Southern California Stephen Wormser, Stephen Wormser Photography, Redlands, CA Southwest Mark Treadwell, C.R.I.S. Camera Services, Chandler, AZ

Association of Imaging Executives Ken Wilson, Lustrecolor Inc., Canton, MA Certified Photographic Consultants Chris Lydle, CPC, Chris’ Camera Center and Digital Photo, Aiken, SC Digital Imaging Marketing Association Chris Lydle, CPC, Chris’ Camera Center and Digital Photo, Aiken, SC Environmental, Health & Safety Susan Borea, Fujicolor Processing Inc., Valhalla, NY Mass Merchandisers Joe Miller, Giant Eagle Markets Inc., Pittsburgh, PA Minilabs/Local Markets Donald Spring Jr., Cavalcade Color Lab, Huntsville, ON, CANADA National Association of Photo Equipment Technicians Kim Volz, Ritz Camera Service Center, Beltsville, MD Online Imaging Richard Tranchida, Ritz Camera Centers Inc., Beltsville, MD People Labs Co-Chair Donald Burrell, Burrell Colour Imaging, Crown Point, IN Co-Chair Richard Miller, Miller’s Professional Imaging, Pittsburg, KS Photo Imaging Education Association Carole Lichty-Smith, Cincinnati Country Day School, Cincinnati, OH Photo Retailers and On-Site Labs/Local Markets Peter Sandrian, Sandrian Camera Shops, Lebanon, NJ Photo Retailers and On-Site Labs/National Markets Richard Robertson, Ted’s Camera Stores (Vic) Pty Ltd, South Melbourne, VIC, Australia PMA Copyright Steven Noble, PMA, Jackson, MI Professional Picture Framers Association Gene Ausili, CPF, The Picture Show, Valencia, CA Professional School Photographers Association Todd Wilbert, Creative Images, Galena, MD Retail Portrait and Event Photography Jeffrey Wilson, JW Party Pictures, El Segundo, CA Sports Photographers Tom Hayes, Visual Image Photography Inc., Cedarburg, WI Society of Photo Finishing Engineers Tom Kelly, Ritz Camera Centers Inc., Beltsville, MD Suppliers Eddie Ritz, Ritz Camera Centers Inc., Beltsville, MD * Executive Committee + Auxiliary Member

Read more about Specialty Color Services on page 18.

PMA MAGAZINE – CONNECTING THE IMAGING COMMUNITIES (ISSN 0031-8531) is published monthly, except July/August and November/December. Copyright 2010 by Photo Marketing Association International, 3000 Picture Place, Jackson, MI 49201 USA. No part of the contents of this magazine may be reproduced by any means without the written consent of PMA magazine. Periodical postage paid at Jackson, Mich., and additional mailing offi ces. Available only to fi rms and individuals in the photographic industry. One-year subscription prices for U.S. $50/with Newsline $85; two-year subscription $90/with Newsline $150. Canada: one-year subscription $55/with Newsline $90; two-year subscription $100/with Newsline $160 (payable in Canadian funds plus GST). International: one-year subscription $70/with Newsline $105; two-year subscription $130/with Newsline $190 (payable in U.S. funds). Single copies $5 each. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to PMA magazine at above address or email Laura Covey at lcovey@pmai.org. Change of address notices should show both old and new addresses. PHOTO MARKETING ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL offi ces are located at: 3000 Picture Place, Jackson, MI 49201 USA, 517-788-8100, FAX 517-788-8371; Unit 9, 14 Frenchs Forest Road, Frenchs Forest, NSW 2086, AUSTRALIA, 61-02-9454-2444, FAX 61-02-9454-2454; Alameda Irerê, 105-Jardim Itatiaia, 06844-260 Embu, SP, BRASIL, TEL/FAX 55-11-4781-2863; P.O. Box 81191, Ancaster, ON L9G 4X2, CANADA, 905-304-8800, FAX 905-304-7700; Wisteria House, 28 Fulling Mill Lane, Welwyn, Herts AL6 9NS, ENGLAND, 44-01-438-840367, FAX 44-01-438-716572; Hiltenspergerstr. 9, 80798 Munich, GERMANY, 49-089-271-8671, FAX 49-089-273-0291 (PMA Europe), or 49-0175-157-3946, FAX 49-089-273-0291; Via Passo di Brizio 2, 20148 Milano, ITALY, 39-02-40-5775, FAX 39-02-40-07-2078; P.O. Box 89102, Torbay, North Shore City, Auckland 0742, NEW ZEALAND, 64-09-473-1670, FAX 64-09-473-1693; P.O. Box 523, Moscow 107061, RUSSIA, TEL/FAX 7-499-161-3778; 1010 Massachusetts Avenue N.W., Suite 400, Washington, DC 20001 USA, 202-639-8888, FAX 202-296-5333.

Executive PublishersTed Fox

Bruce Aldrich

PublisherGary Pageau

gpageau@pmai.org

Copy Editor/Fact CheckerCathy Haldane

chaldane@pmai.org

National Sales ManagerJames Byles

jbyles@pmai.org

Executive, Graphics and ProductionYvonne Philpott

Production ManagerMelissa Hempstone

Graphic DesignerCarrie Joers

Editorial Offi ce3000 Picture PlaceJackson, MI 49201

517-788-8100FAX 517-788-8371

For article ideas or “Letters to the Editor” submissions, contact

Gary Pageau at gpageau@pmai.org.

For advertising, article reprints, or direct mail inquiries, contact James Byles at

jbyles@pmai.org, or call 202-973-6448. Th e media kit is also available online at www.pmai.org.

For subscription address changes, contact Laura Covey at lcovey@pmai.org.

Jennifer Barr Kruger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jkruger@pmai.orgBonnie Gretzner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .bgretzner@pmai.orgDon Long . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dlong@pmai.org

Herb Stein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hstein@pmai.org

Jacques Kauffmann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jkauffmann@pmai.orgChad Munce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cmunce@pmai.org

Dimitrios Delis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ddelis@pmai.orgLaura Heller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lfheller@gmail.com

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70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

-10%2006 2007 2008 2009

(est)2010(proj)

Photo Publishing Retail/Online Printing

Source: PMA Market Research

$400

$350

$300

$250

$200

$150

$100

$50

$-2006 2007 2008 2009

(est)20052004

Source: PMA Market Research

 Money is tight, but I know I need to invest in some safety efforts. Do you have any suggestions

on where I can get the biggest bang for my buck?

 If we look at this purely from a numbers standpoint, it might give us a better idea of where to invest limited

resources. From January 2007 through January 2010, federal and state Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offices conducted 33 inspections of photofinishing-related operations (North American Industry Classification System codes 54192 – portrait studios, and 812921 and 812922 – photofinishers and one-hour photofinishers).  Of those inspections, 18 were planned, 12 were the result of complaints, and 3 fell into other categories. Seventy-six percent of the inspections were at portrait studios, with the rest being in photofinishing lab operations. Of the photofinishing labs, 75 percent of the inspections were because of complaints.   A total of 38 violations were issued. The table lists the violations and the description of the standard that was violated. A total of $6,075 in fines was issued – if we exclude a single $5,000 fine issued to one lab as the result of an injury. Those violations marked with asterisks resulted in the highest fines being issued.

OSHA Regulation     Description of Violation   1910.0023  Floor and Wall Openings – General1910.0151c  Medical Services – First Aid    1910.0305  Wiring and Components1910.0023 D01  Stairway Railings1910.0023 A08 Floor Opening – Guarding1910.0022  Walking and Working Surfaces 1910.0132 D02  PPE – General1910.0134 F04  PPE – Respiratory Protection1910.0157 Fire Extinguishers – Portable    1910.1200E01 (*) Hazard Communication – Right to Know1910.1200G01 Hazard Communication – Container

Labeling 1910.1200H01 & 03 (*) Hazard Communication – Training  1910.303 Electrical General Requirements   1910.133 Eye and Face Protection 1910.151 c (*) Eye Wash Stations

1910.37 Exits (egress)

Current penalties ranged from zero to $1,000. The more common penalty amount was in the $250 to $300 range. Current penalties are the negotiated or final settlement amount. A good rule of thumb is the final penalty amount is reduced by 50 percent from initial amounts. Keep in mind, even though the dollar amount of the fines may not be staggering, once a facility has been issued a citation, the likelihood of additional inspections greatly increases. Also, these fines do not take into consideration the internal costs incurred to bring the facility into compliance in the agreed-upon time frame as part of the settlement. Let’s go back to your question concerning where to invest limited resources available to commit to this effort. If we look at this strictly from a fine avoidance standpoint, investing in a Hazard Communications program is by far the wisest. A hazard communication program is a really good starting point, as there are sample programs that can be easily customized, depending on the size and complexity of your operation. Also, hazard communications programs are one of the most commonly cited violations. Even though they can be a fairly simple process to set up, a good hazard communication program is more than just a written document. Employers and managers need to train employees about the materials they are working with and how to safely work with them. The lack of employee training is a popular citation among safety program inspectors. Another area receiving additional attention in the past couple years is general housekeeping. Keeping a clean work area can avoid citations in several areas, such as egress (exits), fire extinguishers, and walking and working surfaces. A large percentage of OSHA citations can be avoided by conducting simple housekeeping activity items, such as not stacking boxes so they block exit routes, and fire extinguishers. Keeping a clean work area can also go a long way toward indicating the company has a good attitude about the work environment of the employees. If you don’t know where to start in this process, OSHA does have a good selection of etools on its website at www.osha.gov/dts/osta/oshasoft/index.html; or call the PMA Regulatory Activities office, and we would be happy to walk you through the process. ■

By Steve Noble

PMA strives to offer members varieties of programs and benefits that will help save money and grow business. From vendor partner discounts to programs developed by PMA for the exclusive benefit of its members, here is a roundup of the newest programs available to help your bottom line:

Through a new partnership with Money Transfer Systems Inc. (MTSI), members have access to a free electronic check recovery service, checXchange – the national leader in electronic check recovery. The checXchange system results in successful collections of 70 percent to 85 percent of all NSF checks, and you don’t have to do a thing. Furthermore, PMA members will receive 100 percent face value of the check when collected, a reduction in bank fees, as well as a $6 share of the NSF fees collected. It’s simple! No long-term contract or agreement. No enrollment fees. No equipment to purchase. No hidden charges. Easy enrollment to automatically receive the no-cost checXchange service, which includes free 24/7 online reporting. Enroll today and enjoy the benefits of an automatic and effective service, which enables you to manage your business without the time and hassle of collecting bad checks. Call 800-208-2964 for details.

PMA members receive 15 percent more credits on every purchase made in an entire year from Fotolia. In addition, those who are new to Fotolia can sign up for a free membership and instantly receive 10 credits. Start downloading high-resolution images, vectors, illustrations, and HD videos right away. Fotolia images really do start at just $1 because all files include standard licensing, and most have the option of upgrading to extended licenses. Put more than 7 million images at your fingertips with www.fotolia.com/PMAOffer.

Conveniently available wherever you are, PMA webinars provide tips and solutions on various topics. New topics are added monthly and are archived for 30 days. Here is a look at two upcoming programs: On Tuesday, March 16, at 2:00 p.m. EST, join Chris Tarantino

for a discussion on advanced Photoshop techniques and high-end retouching. Chris was selected by Phase One as one of the top 100 retouchers in the world, and was featured in Digital Photographer UK, issue 52, as the beauty retoucher to use. On Tuesday, April 13, Jennifer Cisney, chief blogger and Social Media manager, and Thomas J. Hoehn, director, Interactive Marketing and Convergence Media, will present “Social Media @ Kodak: Lessons Learned, Some the Hard Way!” The webinar will begin at 2:00 p.m. EST. All PMA webinars are free to PMA+ members and available to PMA members for only $10 with early registration. Regular price is $29 for members and $39 for nonmembers.

Research, compare, and evaluate photo publishing software and equipment with a new online resource that includes:

• The Digital Big Picture, an overview of the photo publishing market.

• A business marketing plan.

• Marketing research reports.

• ROI calculator and analysis.

• Success stories from photo retailers.

• Coming Soon – a photo publishing software comparison tool.

Go step-by-step through a ready-to-use business plan to implement the best photo publishing solution. This program is available exclusively to PMA+ members. Upgrade your membership to PMA+ for only $50 per month or $600 per year, and experience new ready-to-use tools to help save time and money. Contact the membership department today, or join online at www.pmai.org.

Contact us with questions, comments, and suggestions about PMA member benefits and services by calling 800-762-9287 (United States and Canada only), 517-788-8100, or emailing support@pmai.org. ■

By Laura Covey, executive, PMA Membership Sales and Services

Ron Koch, whose illustrious career with the Eckerd Corp. featured 28 years of high achievement, abundant contribution to PMA, as well as philanthropy and civic concern, is the 2010 recipient of the PMA Hall of Fame, the highest honor awarded by the association. The recipient is selected by the PMA Board of Trustees, based on career success and his or her role in the advancement of the photo imaging industry. Koch was honored during the Official Business Session, Sunday, Feb. 21, at the PMA 2010 International Convention and Trade Show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Southern California. During Koch’s tenure with Eckerd Corp., a subsidiary of J. C. Penney Co. Inc., he was a major contributing force to the retail operation growing from 400 to more than 2,900 stores with more than 1,300 one-hour photo centers. Throughout his career, he guided the very successful photo program and always shared his insights with PMA. He has participated in training seminars and committees, including the chairmanship of the mass merchandisers advisory committee. He has served as a PMA trustee, and he received the Distinguished Service Award in 2000. Most important, Koch mentored and helped develop many associates who have achieved significant success in the photo imaging industry. He encouraged and supported his staff and managers to participate in all aspects of PMA activities. Koch began his career with Tru Foto, a division of Progressive Industries Corp. of Dayton, Ohio. He started as a management trainee in 1961, after graduation from Ohio Wesleyan University and active duty in the U.S. Air Force. He quickly learned the basics of photo processing and became the lab manager. As the business expanded rapidly to five labs, he was promoted to vice president of Operations. In 1973, Koch joined Eckerd Drug Co. in Clearwater, Fla., as general manager of photo processing; and in 1976, he was promoted to vice president of Photo Operations. He assumed added responsibility for the Eckerd Optical operation in 1978. In the 1980s at Eckerd, he managed the development of Visionworks, a free-standing optical retail store with an on-site lab, while continuing to lead photo operations. The photo business expanded rapidly with the aggressive rollout of on-site processing labs within the stores. Eckerd consumer research, combined with PMA research and knowledge, stimulated the development of branded photo services and products. Positive consumer response led to significant gains in market share. Koch retired from Eckerd in 2001, but has remained active in the photo industry with his continuing PMA advisory committee involvement. Outside the photo industry, Koch supports several worthy endeavors. Among the beneficiaries of his efforts is his church, United Way, Little League, Junior Achievement, Children’s Miracle Network, and Bay Area Youth for Christ. He was honored by the American Jewish Committee with its Human Relations Award in 1997. Koch and his wife Gloria have 6 children and 8 grandchildren, and reside in Seminole, Fla. ■

By Gary Pageau

Five members were honored with the PMA Distinguished Service Award during the PMA 2010 International Convention and Trade Show, Feb. 21, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Southern California. This honor is given based on career commitment and invaluable contributions to the imaging industry. The 2010 honorees are Kevin R. Donohue, Vivian Kistler, Brian Noble, Richard Robertson, and Donald N. Spring Jr. Following is a brief professional biography of each recipient:

Kevin Donohue’s 35-year career as an executive in photo imaging has centered on turning companies around – in particular, his present position with Digital Portal Inc., Grand Prairie, Texas. Donohue was appointed CEO in 2002 and, within 18 months, turned an operating loss into a profitable position – synergizing all technical operations with its sister company, Photo-Me USA. Donohue did a similar thing as president of Fujicolor Processing Inc., Elmsford, N.Y., where he led an executive team involving a nationwide operation of 26 plants and 2,800 employees. Donohue served as executive vice president of Qualex Inc., Durham, N.C., and worked for 29 years with Eastman Kodak Co. in various managerial positions. Donohue’s industry involvement includes supporting and participating with the PMA Dixie Division Inc.

Vivian Kistler, MCPF, GCF – who sadly lost a long and courageous battle with cancer Jan. 6 – is the first custom framer to be honored with a PMA Distinguished Service Award. Kistler owned Columba Publishing Co., Akron, Ohio, and was no stranger to awards. In March 2009, she was honored with the Professional Picture Framers Association (PPFA) Lifetime Achievement Award; and in 1999, she received the PPFA Award of Recognition for Innovation – an award that now bears her name. Kistler, who had a degree in art and a certificate in finance, owned and operated a large retail gallery and frame shop for more than 20 years. She also owned a craft store and a commercial framing company that supplied framing and art to hotels, coliseums, and hospitals. She was the author of numerous books and videos, and her monthly articles appeared in many industry magazines. A PPFA framing competition judge, educator, and keynote speaker for PPFA at annual conferences and chapter events, she traveled the world training framers; she taught at the PMA Australia Imaging Technology Show last May, and was slated to teach three classes at PPFA 2010. She created and developed National Art & Framing Month to promote public awareness of the craft. Kistler was certified as a Master Certified Picture Framer by PPFA and as a Guild Commended Framer by the Fine Art Trade Guild. She also was a former senior chairholder for the Color Marketing Group.

By Gary Pageau

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Th en Robertson’s career took off in full force when he joined Ted’s Camera Store (Vic) Pty. Ltd. in 1971, and is now in his 39th year of service. Starting as a salesperson, he worked on the sales counter and gradually worked his way up from store manager to area manager, sales manager, and general manager. In 1986, the company was sold; he was made the managing director of the company by the new owners, a position he still holds today. Robertson has served on many PMA boards and has been an active member of PMA for more 25 years, holding the positions of committee president, state committee chairman, TVP, DIMA board member, and is now the Australia national chairman.

Donald Spring Jr. started his wholesale photofi nishing business, Cavalcade Color Lab, Huntsville, Ontario, Canada, in the late 1970s, and knew, to survive a rapidly changing industry, he needed to collaborate with other people. Getting involved with PMA was the answer, and PMA has been his guiding light during his 30-plus years in the industry. Spring spent 10 years on the PMA board and served as PMA president in 2003. Spring has also been the chairman of Foto Source Canada, chairman of the Buck Rogers Group, served on the PMA Minilab Committee, and has received the Canadian Photo Retailer of the Year award. Outside the industry, he is an avid outdoorsman with a keen interest in hiking, canoeing, skiing, and riding his bicycle. Spring is the current chairman of the largest provincial park in Canada. Th rough his work with Algonquin Park, he is involved with wildlife research involving bears, moose, wolves, and fi sh. ■

Brian Noble’s commitment and contribution to PMA has spanned 30 years, since he fi rst joined his family owned business, Noble’s Camera Shops Inc., in Hingham, Mass. After graduating from Bent-ley University, he began working at the photo retail operation. Part of learning the business from his father, Warren, included an appreciation for his father’s involvement with PMA, which the younger Noble has certainly followed. For PMA, Brian has served as president of the PMA New England Division Inc.; Territorial Vice President (TVP); U.S. national chairman, trustee-at-large, and chair of the Photo Retail, Local Markets Committee. He has spoken at PMA annual conventions. Noble’s volunteer contributions have spanned outside the industry, as well with local involvement with the Rotary Club of Cohasset, Mass., the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, the Town of Norwell Finance Board, and the Town of Norwell School Board.

Richard Robertson’s career in photographic sales started in 1968 as a trainee salesman for a local spe-cialty retailer in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He had not even owned a camera until then. He quickly learned how to sell; and in 1970, he worked as the senior salesman of a photo store at the Melbourne international airport.

The Photo Imaging Education Association (PIEA), a PMA member association, announces the winners in the 2010 PIEA International Student-Teacher Photo Competition. The 2010 contest offered more than $147,680 in prizes donated by 61 sponsors. The competition is open to students everywhere – of all ages – and to their teachers. Entrants competed in 9 categories by age group. Each category awards Grand, First, Second, Third, and Honorable Mention prizes. Students in Grade 9 and Below compete in single images only, and the other student levels and teachers compete in both single images and portfolios. Complete results can be found at http://pieapma.org. The judges chose 110 images from 84 entrants, from the 5,984 images entered by 1,362 entrants from 112 schools in 9 countries. Student and teacher winners come from middle schools, high schools, colleges, and universities in Australia, Canada, China, Guatemala, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Judges this year were Natasha Naveau, W. Byron Reaves, and Jay Kinghorn. Naveau lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and works as a freelance photographer and at Focal Point – The Visual Arts Learning Centre, as the senior program coordinator. Reaves has been in the advertising business almost 20 years and has developed many campaigns across numerous categories for blue-chip clients. He is currently working with Cows In Trees, Chicago, Ill., as an associate creative director. Kinghorn, of Salt Lake City, Utah, is an author, speaker, and Adobe Photoshop Certified Expert trainer. His company, Kinghorn Visual, works with clients to develop automated workflows for print, web, and interactive marketing. The top 110 photographs were exhibited at PMA 2010. Two 2010 PIEA International Traveling Photo Exhibitions will tour major conventions, schools, colleges, and museums for 3 years in Australia, Canada, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. ■

Adobe Systems Inc.: Nine copies of Adobe Photoshop CS4, and nine copies of Adobe Lightroom 2.0

Allworth Press: Nine copies of Richard Weisgrau’s “Selling Your Photography,” and nine copies of “ASMP Professional Business Practices in Photography, 7th Edition”

Alpine Innovations LLC: 150 SPYW25 18 percent Gray Spudz XL 10x10 Lens Cloths

B&H Photo Video: Four $25 gift certificates

Bienfang Framing Products, a division of Elmer’s Products Inc.: One Bienfang Masterpiece 250 Mechanical Mounting Press; one 25-sheet pack each of 8x10 ColorMount, 16x20 ColorMount, 8.5x11 Rag-Mount, and 16x20 RagMount

Bogen Imaging: One Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 Carbon Fiber Tripod and Manfrotto 322RC2 Grip Action Ball Head

Brooks Institute: Three full-tuition scholarships to a Brooks one-week summer “5@9 Workshop” for high school students

Canon USA Inc.: Two Canon EOS Rebel XSi/EF-S 18-55 IS kits

Chimera Perfect Lighting: Nine Chimera Mini Lightbanks and Speed Rings

Cone Editions Press Ltd.: One Piezography CIS kit for a supported Epson printer (2800, 2400, 2200, 1900, 1800, 1400)

Corel Corp.: Two copies of Painter 11 and two copies of Paint Shop Pro Photo

CostaRicaWorkshops.com: 20 three-day/two-night or four-day/three-night hotel vacation certificates for 20 resort locations in the United States and Mexico

CRU-DataPort/WiebeTech: Nine ToughTech XE 1TB Hard Drives for the schools of grand prize winners

Datacolor: Two Spyder3Pro colorimeters and three SpyderCubes

Digital Silver Imaging LLC: Nine 12x18 Fiber Based HARMAN Digital FB (Fiber Baryta Base) True B&W Prints from digital files

Eastman Kodak Co.: 200 rolls each of T-Max 100 and T-Max 400 film; 100 rolls each of Portra 160 NC, Portra 160 VC, Portra 400 NC, and Portra 400 VC film

Falcon Safety Products Inc.: 100 Dust-Off Digital Camera Cleaning Kits (International winners will not receive the compressed air or liquid cleaning spray due to shipping regulations)

Fine Print Express: Certificate for a free 16x20 gallery-wrapped canvas print

Fujifilm North America Corp.: 800 rolls of 35mm Acros Black-and-White film

Full Color Inc.: $250 lab credit

Graphic Authority: Eighteen sets of Behind the Scenes Backgrounds DVD collection, nine sets of Our Studio Collection First Edition templates, and nine sets of Our Studio First Edition Premium templates

GTI Graphic Technology Inc.: PDV-1e Professional Desktop ISO Standard D50 Color Viewer

HARMAN technology LLC: 180 rolls of Ilford Black-and-White film

HP Co.: Two Photosmart Pro B8850 printers

Kinetronics Corp.: 10 Outdoor Photographer’s Optics First Aid Kits

LaserSoft Imaging Inc. USA: Five copies of SilverFast HDR Studio

LEE Filters USA: Two GSBW Gel Snap Filter Holders, a set of four Black-and-White filters and two GSSOFT Gel Snap Filter Holders, and a set of four Soft Focus Filters

Lensbaby: Five certificates for the Original Lensbaby

Lightware Inc.: One MB1606 Gray Digital Messenger Bag

Logan Graphic Products Inc.: One 450 Intermediate+ Mat Cutter

Lowepro USA: One Fastpack 350 backpack, one CompuPrimus AW backpack, two SlingShot 200 AW sling bags, one Pro Trekker 300 bag, two Flipside 300 backpacks, and two Versapack 200 AW backpacks

LumiQuest: One Ultra Image, one Quik Bounce, one FXtra, and one book

Mitsubishi Imaging (MPM) Inc.: 30 packs of Pictorico GEKKO Green inkjet paper

New Century Direct/Light Impressions: One $100 gift certificate and two CD/DVD storage cases

Nik Software Inc.: Three copies each of Sharpener Pro 3.0, Viveza, and Silver Efex Pro

Nikon Inc.: Two Nikon Coolpix S640 digital cameras

Norman: One CRK-42 5-in-1 42-inch Collapsible Reflector Kit

Olympus America Inc.: One Olympus E-3 camera body, and one Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 SWD

OP/TECH USA: 12 Envy Straps, 12 Pro Straps, and 20 two-packs of Rainsleeves

Pelican Products Inc.: Two iM2950 Pelican Storm Cases for show travel

Pentax Imaging Co.: Pentax K2000 with 18-55mm and 50-200mm Lens Kit

PMA: Five All Conference Connection Passes, 10 Full Trade Show Only badges, and PMA Student Membership for all entrants

Photogenic Professional Lighting: AKC320 Light Studio Max III with C4-12C and ESR Lamp

Photographer’s Forum Magazine: 10 one-year subscriptions to Photographer’s Forum Magazine

PhotoLynx Inc.: 100 copies of the Mr. Gray Software

Pohlig Bros./Century Archival Products: Ten 11x14x1 Century portfolios

Print File Inc.: Two certificates each for $100 in products from the Print File catalog

Rangefinder Publishing Inc.: AfterCapture magazine for every U.S. entrant, and Rangefinder magazine for every U.S. winner

Red River Paper Inc.: Ten $50 gift certificates for Red River Paper

Seahorsecases.net: One SE-540 Black Case with foam, and one SE-710CC Laptop Case in gun metal gray

Sigma Corporation of America: One 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM Lens

Smith-Victor Corp.: One K61 2-Light 600-Watt Quartz Lighting Kit

Tamrac Inc.: One 3385 Aero Speed Pack 85 Dual Access Photo/Laptop Backpack, one 5768 Velocity 8x Sling Pack, and one 5585 Expedition 5x Backpack

Tamron USA Inc.: One certificate for an AF18-250mm Di-II f/3.8-6.3 XR LD Aspherical IF Lens

The Tiffen Co.: One Domke F-5XZ RuggedWear Shoulder/Belt Bag, three Tiffen Dfx Essentials Creative Digital Effects Software packages, and one Photo Twin Pack

ToCAD America Inc.: One Sunpak 13-Inch Digital Photo Frame with 1GB built-in memory, and one Sunpak PRO 723P Carbon Fiber Tripod

Unified Color: Nine multiple-station HDR PhotoStudio licenses for the schools of grand prize winners, and 36 single HDR PhotoStudio licenses for winners

UPstrap: Two SLR Classic camera straps, two SLR Kevlar camera straps, two RF camera straps, one QR camera strap, and one LT camera strap

Varta Consumer Batteries, a division of Spectrum Brands: 120 packages of four VARTA AA photo batteries

Wacom Technology Corp.: One Intuos4 Medium Pen Tablet

Werner Publishing Co.: Five certificates each of one-year subscriptions to Digital Photo Pro magazine, Outdoor Photographer magazine, and Digital Photo Magazine

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An estimated 190 million children worldwide suffer from vitamin A deficiency, a condition that costs the lives of 670,000 infants and kids younger than 5 years old every year, and causes blindness in another 350,000. For a mere 25 cents per child per year, Vitamin Angels (www.vitaminangels.org) can provide essential nutrients, such as vitamin A, to these undernourished children. When Glen Hodges and Gabe Cano, owners of Specialty Color Services (www.colorservices.com), Santa Barbara, Calif., learned about the good work Vitamin Angels is doing across the globe – and in 50 major U.S. cities – they decided to help. Specialty Color Services has its own connection to vitamins: the

lab offers caffenol film processing, using coffee and vitamin C. In August 2009, Specialty Color Services began donating $1 to Vitamin Angels for every roll of caffenol-processed film.

“In January 2009, on the DIMAcast, there was an interview with Lorrie Thomas, who teaches at Berkeley and the University of Southern California – Santa Barbara,” says Hodges. “Then Lorrie heard the DIMAcast interview with Gabe on how we’re marketing on Facebook. Lorrie invited us to share our experience with that with her class. One of her students, who works with Vitamin Angels, really liked our company motto, which is ‘Photograph Your Love,’ and the way we’re marketing through social networking. They approached us about working together. That’s where it all began.”

By Jennifer Barr Kruger

Specialty Color Services began experimenting with caff enol processing last year, after Hodges read about it in the Photojojo newsletter. “Th e basic ingredients in caff enol processing are instant coff ee, vitamin C, and soda ash, which is sodium carbonate or washing soda,” Hodges says. “It gives the images a vintage look with an extended tonal range, which makes great negatives for scanning. With high-speed fi lm, we get a very fi ne-grain appearance. We also tried it with C-41 color fi lm, and we got an old cyanotype look. Th e results are really beautiful.” Hodges and Cano decided to try the old-fashioned processing method with Holga cameras, and began off ering workshops. “We held our fi rst photo walk in June with Holgas, and people who didn’t have a Holga just used their regular fi lm cameras,” Hodges

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says. “Then we came back and showed them how to process their film in coffee.” The workshop was such a hit, the lab began offering caffenol processing as a service. “At first, the majority of people interested in the caffenol processing were Holga users; but as word got around, more and more people started digging out their 35mm cameras to try it,” Hodges says. “We have samples of images we’ve processed in coffee and vitamin C here in the lab; and people tend to have a

strong, positive reaction to them. That’s what we wanted: to help people have fun with photography and bring back the interest in taking and sharing pictures.” When Specialty Color Services began supporting Vitamin Angels through the caffenol processing service, interest grew even stronger. “When people find out how many children we have helped this way, it has quite an affect on them,” Hodges says. “They go home and put it on Facebook or Twitter, which is how we’re doing the

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majority of our marketing also. Many more people have become involved in this as a result.”

Thus far, Specialty Color Services has supported Vitamin Angels with two other promotions. “The Friday after Thanksgiving, we began offering free metallic 4-by-6 prints on Fujifilm Pearl glossy paper, of which most consumers are unaware,” Hodges says. “We only asked people to donate whatever amount they wanted to Vitamin Angels in exchange.” About 160 of its Facebook fans took the deal, raising $200 for Vitamin Angels with that single promotion. It also introduced many people to this type of paper – prompting more testimonials on Facebook and Twitter. “People were saying they’ve never seen their prints look so fantastic,” Hodges says. “Several people wrote about it on their blogs.” Specialty Color Services followed with its Photograph Your Love photo contest, in which fans were invited to upload pictures of the people and things they love to the Specialty Color Facebook

page. Each entry helped promote Vitamin Angels. The Grand Prize winner received full tuition and airfare to attend a Jesh de Rox Photographic Workshop (http://jeshderox.com), and had the winning image appear on a Jones Soda bottle. Specialty Color plans to continue offering both the coffee and vitamin C processing, and its support of Vitamin Angels, for the foreseeable future. “The process isn’t going away anytime soon,” Hodges says. “There is so much interest in it, and our customers are constantly asking when we’re going to do another workshop with the Holgas and coffee processing. As for our support of Vitamin Angels, we will definitely continue. They’re great people, and what they’re doing is remarkable. As long as they want to be involved with us, we want to be involved with them.” ■

Durst has been making waves with its Rho series UV inkjet printers since the first model was introduced almost a decade ago, including a Digital Printing & Imaging Association Product of the Year award for the 500R last year, and for the 320R the year before. The focus for much of the praise has been its much-touted Quadro Array. Don’t confuse this with the car manufacturer Audi Quattro four-wheel drive technology. There’s only one connection between the two: a Rho can print a picture of an Audi Quattro braving mountain overpasses in midwinter. Prior to launching the first Rho, Durst invested heavily in testing and research and development of the printhead. The company took what Chris Howard, senior vice president of Sales and Marketing, Durst US, Rochester, N.Y., calls “a relatively standard printhead” from Spectra, and from it developed Quadro, well beyond “standard.”

Today, the Quadro Array is in its third generation, known officially as the Quadro 30D Array. Within the array in each Rho machine, explains Howard, are design elements specific to Durst. This includes the firing electronics, designed and manufactured by the company, which control how the ink is pushed through the nozzles. A special osmotic filter degasses the ink, to get all the bubbles out of the ink before the ink gets to the nozzle plate. That ink is recirculated constantly, says Howard. It isn’t just injected into the nozzle plate and sprayed out. The recirculation allows the maintenance of a consistent ink temperature, “and that is absolutely critical in UV inkjet for the consistency of the drop mass,” as well as keeping the nozzles from drying out or dropping out. Pop the hood on a Rho (sorry, Audi, for encroaching on your territory) to see the multiple print nozzle plates lined up – a different number of them, depending

on the Rho model – mounted to the aluminum box where the ink is circulated. Each printhead consists of four Spectra slots with 128 jet outlets, for a total of 512 jet outlets per Quadro head. Precise fabrication of the carrier plate and exact assembly of the slots delivers equally spaced jet distances of 127 microns, with what Durst calls “an excellent straightness of the fluid coming from the jets.” The Quadro printhead jets are controlled by 8 independent actuators, each controlling 64 independent jet channels. The single jets are controlled through a serial parallel converter. The jets can be addressed individually or simultaneously. What the array delivers, says Howard, is “really accurate drops,” allowing the printer to be used at its higher speeds without suffering the problems commonly associated with those speeds – banding, for example. “In UV printing, when the droplets aren’t accurate, they’re not landing where they should,” he explains. With the Quadro Array, “droplets are accurately placed, without print anomalies.” Reliability is also an issue. “We really don’t get much in the way of nozzle dropouts.” He points to inkjet purging and the downtime associated with it – cleaning the nozzles out every once in a while when they lose the meniscus in the nozzle plate or one of the orifices. “Generally, in the Rho world, customers report they’ll do their standard purge in the morning before they start production; and once they’re printing and into production for the day, the machine doesn’t need purging.” For Howard, the reasons are ink circulation and constant temperature.

By Don Long

The same technology is in every current Rho machine, he says. It’s a 30 picoliter droplet size delivering 600-by-600 dpi. The Rho lineup includes both flatbed and roll machines; the flatbed models are actu-ally hybrids, handling both rigid and roll. Flatbed models handle materials up to 98 inches wide, with model variations relating to speed. The Rho 800 delivers 624 square feet per hour in POP mode, the 900 almost doubles that, and the 1000 hits 3,000 square feet per hour in POP mode and 6,000 square feet in draft. The latter machine can print 4-by-8 feet sheets at the rate of 100 per hour, which, as Howard puts it, is “crankin’ fast.” The Rho 320 roll machine handles materials to 3.2 meters, and the Rho 500 to 5.0 meters. In the Rho 500, there are 2,048 nozzles per color, with printing at

speeds to 4,300 square feet per hour. In addition to CMYK colors, all Rho models have the option of white underprint, white overprint, or varnish. The Rho series, says Howard, is a natural extension of the Lambda line, created in

response to the needs and demands of Lambda users, with eco-friendly inks able to print to board and various substrates. The Rho was a “big investment” for Durst, Howard acknowledges, but it has paid off. ■

 

Limbach says: “We’ve been able to grow because of the photo business. Our photo revenue was up 55 percent in 2009,” and he looks for a strong 2010.  In fact, to support growth in both photo products manufacturing and its marketing services business, Proven Direct in February 2008, moved its corporate headquarters and manufacturing to a 53,000-square-foot production facility in Milwaukee. Its technology infrastructure enables it to process more than 15,000 orders daily.   “In fact, on our biggest day, during the holiday season,” says Limbach, “we had more than 17,000 orders.” In 2009, the company fulfilled more than 500,000 orders, with an average turnaround time for all products of 1.5 days.

By Bonnie Gretzner

Proven Pictures outputs products on its 7 HP Indigo 5000 Digital Press series sys-tems. Today, Proven Direct has 50 full-time employees and 20 to 25 seasonal employees during the fourth quarter for increased holiday business.  

Proven Direct initially entered the photo business after speaking with representa-tives from the HP photo products division. “They showed us industry studies and re-search that convinced us to go in that direc-tion,” Limbach says. Proven Pictures began working with independent retailer members of the photo buying groups Independent Photo Imagers (IPI) and the Photographic Research Organization Inc. (PRO).   “A few years ago, book, greeting card, and

Consumers may not know the name, but many products photo enthusiasts purchase come from Wisconsin-based Proven Pictures. Launched in 2005 by direct marketing services company Proven Direct, Proven Pictures supplies several large internet-based photo companies with photo products, such as photo books, calendars, greeting cards, and more.   Business has been booming in this area, and Proven Direct President Mike

Business & Marketing

PMA — March 2010 — www.pmai.org 25

calendar manufacturing at retail was not nearly as prevalent as it is today,” Limbach says. “Few retailers were offering press-printed products in-store.”   The business continued to grow, and to-day the company has manufacturing con-tracts with large online imaging solutions providers, including Shutterfly, LifePics, and many others.   Recognizing the lower- to mid-quality demands of the consumer market were being served fairly effectively by the in-store one-hour output devices, Proven Pictures photo products are targeted toward the higher end of the consumer market, as well as professional photographers. Within the photo books category, Proven Pictures offers: Keepsake for special events; Occasions as the next level up in quality for weddings, artwork displays, and more; and Signature, its highest-quality product. Professional photographers comprise a good portion of the customers, and Limbach notes the pho-tographers’ attention to detail and demand for high-quality products helps the com-pany maintain a high level of performance.   Partnering with Proven PicturesThe company is dedicated to helping its partners succeed. First, it only works with businesses that serve consumer or pro mar-kets. It doesn’t try to market directly to the end-customer; therefore, Proven Pictures puts its resources into helping distribution partners increase their businesses. Distribution partners can log in directly at the Proven Pictures site to access its library of marketing assets designed to help promote the products. “As a manufacturer, and with our roots as a marketing business, we feel our job is to provide our distribution partners with marketing assistance,” Limbach says. “We offer animations of our book line and professionally written marketing copy. We’ve had professional photo shoots of our products for partners to use. “In addition, we’ve created a simple-to-use Customer Service Portal, where our partners can log in for order tracking and

make changes, such as cancelling an order or changing the ship-to address. These are competitive advantages.” Limbach says another advantage for partners is the rapid turnaround time. “We average a 1.7 day turnaround on books, and 1.1 days on calendars and greeting cards,” he says. That turnaround time, the ability to track orders, and customer service are the reasons LifePics has worked with Proven Pictures the past 2.5 years, according to Carl Fredrikson, manager of Creative Products Development at LifePics.   “Their books are beautiful, bookstore-quality products that come in various sizes and price ranges, which we knew our retailers would be excited about offering their customers,” Fredrikson says. “Proven Pictures also provides top-notch customer service in terms of communicating with our team and responding quickly to our questions or concerns.”  Fredrikson says LifePics currently offers five printed (custom) cover photo book siz-es, with two lay-flat options coming soon. In addition, LifePics offers four folding card options and plans to add calendars.

The digital imaging and production areas at Proven Pictures are housed in a new 53,000-square-foot facility.

Looking aheadWhile the holiday season remains the busiest time, Proven Pictures is growing the business at other times of the year. Its marketing services business keeps numbers steady year-round, and more consumers are purchasing photo books at other times. Wedding books and albums boost business throughout the spring and summer months, and the company is pursuing additional markets. In fact, Proven Pictures has entered the yearbook market, which will increase business in April and May. Proven Pictures has licensed LumaPix (www.lumapix.com) FotoFusion software for its yearbooks. New products remain a key to continued growth. Proven Pictures launched several new items last year, and its product port-folio now includes more than 100 SKUs. Limbach says plans include introducing about 20 new products this year, such as trading cards and softcover photo books. “It’s important to listen to our partners’ needs and keep up with the trends,” Lim-bach says. “We’re always looking at ways to help our partners succeed,” which means success for Proven Pictures as well. n

Pages 22-36.indd 25 3/4/2010 7:59:17 AM

Some people are really into dachshunds that wear pink sweaters. Find a way to help them get creative with pictures of their chic wiener dogs, and you may have just discovered a very lucrative market. Some brides prefer drama to tradition. Help them make their wedding photo products as unique as they are themselves, and you may win new customers for life. Allowing consumers to create something a little different with fun, unusual, quirky photo products is what Ninebird Publishing LLC (www.ninebirdpublishing.com), Portland, Ore., is all about. “Ninebird was born from a creative shop we put together about 12 years ago called Curiosity Group. Curiosity found a very interesting niche in the market, which was helping large brand companies such as HP, Sega, Disney, and DreamWorks take their entertainment properties from the movies to the home or, in the case of HP, sell a lot of ink,” says Ninebird CEO Wendi Spiess. “The best way to do that is to engage someone’s creativity. We were doing little valentines and beautifully crafted print-at-home products, and it started to really take off as a specialty. In 2008, we took all that expertise and knowledge, boiled it down into a retail product, and call it Ninebird.” Ninebird products first found a retail home at Sam’s Club Digital Photo Center; and in slightly more than a year, we have expanded to eight major retailers, including Wal-Mart, Snapfish, and Walgreens. Given the company also recently launched direct-to-consumer products, people might assume Ninebird isn’t inviting independent re-tailers to the party; but that’s not true at all. “I’m very dedicated to my retailers – independents, too. Ninebird is all about personal creativity, and I think independent photo retailers can do

that even faster and better than the big guys,” Spiess says. In fact, she says she hopes to see enough interest in Ninebird products to warrant creating a collection of products specifically for independent retailers, available at an affordable price.

Ninebird offers unusual photo products such as play date cards, rec-ipe cards, and a web cam line. Even the more conventional products are anything but typical. Its bridal offerings are perfect examples. “Everybody is headed toward the traditional bride – but what’s out there to serve the bride wearing a ball gown, who has a tattoo on her arm?” Spiess says. “There is a huge opportunity for retailers here. One of our lines, for example, has a 1930s Hollywood, vampy darkness kind of wedding theme. It’s dangerous beauty – the heroine who is in trouble or being chased. It’s Grimm’s Fairy Tales. It’s so much fun.” There is also an emerging trend of weddings that are truly artistic productions, with every little detail reflecting the personality of the couple or the bride, she says. “Once the bride has gone through that process, she doesn’t want to

By Jennifer Barr Kruger

give up the limelight after the wedding,” Spiess notes. Ninebird is help-ing photo retailers tap into what she calls the “wedding aftermarket.” “There are a million photo stories in a single wedding,” she says. “Let the bride talk about her dress – just the dress, forget everything else – and she will go on and on about it. After the wedding, she’d love to send a photo card to all her friends just about the dress. They may be sick of it, but she isn’t – and it’s her wallet.”

Launching soon, Ninebird 3D ThinAir products are a high-tech approach to photo products bound to impress any consumer. “Video game makers are incorporating 3D technology into their products. When users hold up a code to a web cam, they can actually see little characters from the game around them in the air. They are literally playing in 3D,” Spiess says. Ninebird used that technology to embed codes into the artwork on a photo card. “One example of the usage is an engagement. A guy gives his girlfriend a card for Valentine’s Day. Then he takes her to the computer, goes to a website, holds the card up to the web cam, and suddenly this 3D experience comes at her,” she says. “It could be an image of a ring or a photo of them together with the text, ‘Will you marry me?’ Of course, she faints – and then says yes.” As cool as that is, it’s only the beginning. “When they get to the website, we market contextually. We have the opportunity to ask them, ‘Just got engaged? Great. Need save-the-date cards?’” Spiess says. “I guarantee that woman is going to send everybody she has ever met in her life to the website to have that same experience, just to show them how he proposed.”

Spiess says the Ninebird goal is to engage the imagination of consumers – something most marketing efforts utterly fail to do. “That’s what’s so sad about marketing: there’s a lack of imagination. There are so many arrogant brands and marketers who just talk at people. From the very beginning, we realized if we spoke with people, we could have a very different conversation.” Conversation is at the heart of reaching communities and affinity groups, also known as subcultures or tribes – those people who, like the dachshunds-in-pink-sweaters folks, have a passion about some-thing. “These individuals are fiercely dedicated to whatever it is they tribe around, whether they’re quilters, snowboarders, or whatever. Once they begin to learn from the communities, retailers can become an authentic part of the discussions,” Spiess explains. “The people who put these communities together – whether it’s through an old-fashioned newsletter, a Facebook group, a blog, or whatever – do it

because they love it. Empower that feeling and ride that momentum.” Companies that can join subcultures and offer photo products specific to their passions can find a lot of success. To do that, though, they must first carefully listen and observe, Spiess says. “It’s that simple rule our moms taught us a long time ago – to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. Be observant. Photo retailers can do this, because they are creative souls.” Ninebird products are designed to help members of subcultures creatively express their devotion to whatever inspires them. “Ninebird products are so different and interesting and, admittedly, sometimes a little weird; but that’s the beauty of humanity. It’s dark and it’s light,” Spiess says. “We’re not all the same.” If retailers are doing products for teens, she says, “we have to realize not every teen is blond and blue-eyed with pom-poms. Some are dark and Goth and kind of creepy.” Those ‘creepy’ kids want to do creative things with their pictures, too – and they will, if given an opportunity and a product that appeals to them. Authenticity is crucial to tapping these subculture markets, Spiess says, so choose them carefully. “It starts with understanding an audience so well that we are part of the community and we can speak their language,” she explains. “Or, retailers can start with what they love; because if they love it, their own passions will come through, and people will be drawn to it.” The second step, of course, is helping the people in that community create products around their areas of interest. “Sometimes retailers don’t know how to make their products emotive,” Spiess says. “That’s where Ninebird comes in: These communities are looking for ways to create emotive products around their passions. There are huge communities of people who just want to create.”

Perfectly suited to targeting online subcultures is the Ninebird Photo Nest, a little store that can be placed within a blog. “It’s a combination of an interactive ad and content that goes on a blog site, replacing Google AdSense. It opens a page of content relevant to the blog subject matter, such as: ‘How to take a picture of a dachshund in flight’; or, ‘Oprah loves our Dachshund cards. Check out her favorites.’ Then it offers these amazing little Ninebird products,” Spiess says. “I’ve been trying to get my retailers to offer maybe 10 products in the Nest, and change them often. The nest will upload products every month, or more frequently if needed. It’s a very intuitive experience. The products are priced to be extremely competitive, and the quality is very good.” ■

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of PMA magazine or PMA.

When does a retailer go from being the little guy everyone roots for to the big – some might say evil – corporation that oppresses its workers, kills small communities, and is the enemy of independent business every-where? While there’s no clear answer, this is an issue that may present more of a problem to retail chains in the near future, and an opportunity for independents as well. Nearly a decade ago, just after the 2000 presidential election, a retail trade associa-tion invited Ralph Nader to speak at their annual conference in Dallas, Texas. The Retail Industry Leadership Association (then called the International Mass Retail Association) is a pretty conservative lot. George W. Bush was a prior guest speaker as governor of Texas, so Nader’s presence was certainly a memorable event. More memorable, however, was the first question asked by an audience member. “When does a company go from being the upstart to the bad guy?” I’m paraphrasing here – 10 years is a long time – but that’s the gist. The person at the microphone was Brad Anderson, then COO of Best Buy and soon to be its chief executive. The answer Nader gave is irrelevant. He clearly held the entire industry in contempt and didn’t think any member of a mass retail association was acceptable or worthy of a thoughtful answer. The question still haunts me and seems even more pertinent today than in 2000, which is when Best Buy really overtook Circuit City in terms of sales and profits. Best Buy had survived a financial debacle several years earlier and emerged as the unexpected dominant leader in the electronics sector. It was forcing Circuit

City to re-evaluate its business model; and Best Buy was growing so fast, executives were worrying about growing faster than the company could handle. Anderson was also worrying about the moral and social implications of success. For so long, the company was the under-dog, battling not just Circuit City, but manufacturers that wouldn’t ship Best Buy products once it switched to the noncom-missioned model, fearing the warehouse club format would cheapen its brands. Best Buy had faced extinction so many times that being on top was new, but not without worry. Could the corporate culture remain intact, or would consumers abandon the retailer now that it was the biggest in the product category? Wal-Mart was once in that same position. Wal-Mart, Kmart, and Target all opened their first stores in 1962; but Kmart was part of S.S. Kresge, and Target sprang from Dayton Hudson. The department store pedigrees lent authority to their efforts, and Sam Walton was just a country bumpkin whom suppliers wouldn’t take seriously. The efforts he went to just to get product shipped to stores are well documented. The point is that each company went from scrappy underdog to triumphing over bigger retailers, against all odds – success stories to be sure, but also cautionary tales. The backlash against Wal-Mart is global and colors just about everything the company does today. Since the liquidation of Circuit City stores, Best Buy is facing its own similar issues. In fact, it’s quickly on the path to becoming one of the most criticized American retailers. With online chatter about Best Buy

customer service, restrictive return policies, aggressive sales techniques for extended warranties to home services such as the Geek Squad, alleged misleading advertising, and accusations of questionably necessary services as alleged in a recent Consumer-ist report, Best Buy has become a target of criticism. Too few retailers and one dominant player in the specialty channel often allow companies to become a bit too enamored of their business models. Hubris is the downfall of successful retailers. Is a revolt happening? Not a full-blown one, but there are rumblings of extreme dissatisfaction. News outlets everywhere picked up the Consumerist piece, and Best Buy was criticized. A roundup of return policies written for AOL Walletpop.com elicited scores of responses complaining about customer service and arbitrary restocking fees. The growing grumbling won’t kill a $48 billion business; but once the retailer on top loses its bloom, there is an opportunity for a new upstart to come along and knock it off its pedestal, much as Best Buy did to Circuit City. A small independent photo retailer is not going to knock Best Buy off its pedestal, but someone will try. HH Greg is busily expanding and filling the vacuum left by Circuit City. There will be conflict and con-fusion, and opportunity for photo special-ists to continue to do what they know best – provide unquestionable customer service, instruction, and attention, in addition to selling cameras – because even the big guys are vulnerable once every decade or so. ■

By Laura Heller

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When Greg Norris, owner of Huntington Hall of Frames LLC, Huntington, W.V., started his business 15 years ago, he did not collect payment until he delivered an order. Some years ago, he changed his markup to reflect a 10 percent increase in prices and offered a 10 percent discount for customers paying in full at the time the orders were placed. “My thinking was, if the business was going to offer credit for an amount equal to half the order, there should be some increased revenue to offset this risk,” he says. Norris also required, from mid-November onward, orders due by Christmas had to be fully paid before work began. The changes improved his cash flow and returned a level of sanity to his life, he says. His accountant now urges Norris to collect full payment on all orders, since 50 percent does not cover costs. Also, since orders are turned around within a week, the deposit system only defers payment for customers who delay picking up orders. “It’s frankly frightening to consider this kind of change right now,” Norris says. On the other hand, receivables of longer than 30 days would pay overhead for a month; and Norris has about $5,000 in items left for more than a year he will probably never collect on – yet, legally, they remain the property of the customers. These “losses” on paper contribute to his prices. His accountant also suggests getting basic credit information for those customers who do not pay the full amount up front. “I’ve learned a lot,” Norris says. “I didn’t know, for instance, all the big box store customers always pay for their entire orders in advance. Another thing I learned is in-creasing prices by 10 percent does not really cover the cost of a 10 percent discount.” Norris found he could ask for full payment for holiday orders with little or no resistance, making exceptions for customers

with a compelling argument for paying half. “It changes the balance of power a bit to make the deposit the exception,” he says. Most of his frequent customers have been receptive to paying in advance to avoid price increases, he says. “I was surprised how much many of them understand about the finances of my small business.”

Wally Seeley, owner of The Hanging Place in Englishtown, N.J., suggests a sign stating, “In God We Trust – All Others Pay in Advance.” For more than 10 years, Seeley has required a minimum 50 percent deposit on all work – and sometimes offers a 5 percent discount for work paid in advance. “I find 95 percent of my customers take advantage of the savings. It’s almost like not paying sales tax,” he says. “I discount the price pretax, and then tax the discounted amount. “Customers are quick to pick up their work when it’s done. I have a few who pay in advance, and it’s like finding hen’s teeth to get them to pick up the work. Then, I will drop it off at their houses if I have to get rid of it. It’s easier to store paid things than unpaid items!” Seeley also suggests a sign stating unpaid balances and work not picked up after 30 days is subject to additional charges and/or abandonment.

In the retail framing industry, a 50 percent deposit is customary and reasonable, says Jim Miller, owner of Artframe Inc. in Pickerington, Ohio. “Taking in framing orders without a de-posit invites customers to delay picking up

their orders or to abandon them altogether,” he says. “When they have a real investment in the project, they tend to come back for it. If they do not, the 50 percent deposit would generally cover the cost of materials.” At the conclusion of the design process, Miller and his staff ask, “Would you like to pay half today, or all?” “About half pay the entire amount up front,” he says. “For some, it’s a matter of budgeting, as they play against the closing dates on their credit cards; but new customers may be skittish about paying the whole amount in advance, thinking they would have no leverage if our work was unsatisfactory for any reason. That’s OK – we have no fears about that, and wish to put them at ease.” Miller posts his store policy on the wall near the front door. It explains the requirement of a 50 percent deposit, policies regarding special orders and returns, warranties, bad checks, and projects left more than 30 days beyond completion will be assessed a storage fee. “There’s no way to completely eliminate delayed pickups or abandoned projects, but collecting a deposit and agreeing on a completion date help minimize those issues,” he says. Aside from encouraging customers to pick up on time, collecting a 50 percent deposit is a great help to cash flow, as the cost of materials is essentially prepaid for each custom framing order, plus part of the labor, Miller says. “When customers pay before we buy the materials, we are more easily able to earn cash discounts by paying early. That helps us build strong business relationships with suppliers, which helps us earn better pricing and favors from them. The advantages of collecting deposits may be compounded on the supplier side of the business.” ■

By Sheila Pursglove

Service that’s above and beyond. That’s been our promise to our customers for years. And now, the name you know and trust isn’t exclusive to Noritsu products. We are available to service just about any imaging product on the market. If you are looking for a national support organization for your equipment, look no further than Noritsu. Talk to an NTS representative at Booth 3140 at PMA.

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