Tag Archives: photography tips

MorePhotos, Online Business, Sell Photos Online, Studio Enhancements

Full Merchant Account for Photographers & Artists

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Hi all, Kellie here with MorePhotos. Not only do I work for MorePhotos, but I am also a user. I first became a customer of MorePhotos almost 15 years ago when I had my wedding and portrait studio. A few years ago I made the decision to retire from photography and close my studio. To my dismay I found I missed the photography industry not very long after.  I loved the photography industry and knew that I loved MorePhotos as a vendor after being a customer of theirs for 10 years. I am so happy that 18 months ago I was lucky enough to go to work for MorePhotos. And today I have some exciting news to share with you.

When you hear the words “Merchant Account” most folks cringe. We have all had dreaded credit card fees, and especially the monthly fees associated with merchant accounts. MorePhotos wanted to do something about that so we went to PayPal to see if they would help our customers get a full merchant account without the monthly fee… And we did it! We are happy to announce that MorePhotos will waive the monthly fee for all of our customers who sign up to use PayPal Pro. For those of you that don’t know the PayPal Pro monthly fee is $30, in addition to the transaction fees. Now we are able to do away with the $30 monthly fee.

Up until now I had been paying $5.00 per month for my PayPal business account. As a MorePhotos user, the Mobile credit card reader, free full merchant accountprospect of having a full merchant account without paying any monthly service fees was very enticing. Last Friday I finally bit the bullet and signed up for my PayPal Pro full merchant account. Not sure why I hesitated so long, maybe it’s because none of us really like change. To my surprise the process was seamless, painless and quick!

And if that wasn’t sweet enough, once signed up and approved, you can download the “PayPal Here” app on your smart device. Once you get the app set up PayPal will send you a mobile card reader free of charge. Now you will be able to accept credit cards wherever you are.

The process was easy, I called the exclusive phone number designated to MorePhotos and spoke with a Merchant Account Specialist. I explained that I was a MorePhotos user, and that I have a current account. They were able to upgrade that account to the Pro account without having to change a thing. I did have to come up with a user name and password that will be used to tie the business account in to certain sites, but the email I was using stayed the same. He explained that with the pro account the client stays on my site now, which will give them a smoother checkout. And further explained if I was using my old account on any other sites that I had used a built in PayPal button, I would need to go in to check to see if I needed to re-input my information to make sure everything goes through seamlessly.

PayPal Pro Merchant accountLess than a week later, my mobile credit card reader arrived at my doorstep! And to sweeten the deal, I was able to easily set up my new PayPal Pro merchant account into the brand new MorePhotos shopping cart, enabling real time processing. Now you will be able to easily sell photos online and in person. If you are already a MorePhotos Customer, you can get more info on how to sign up on our Integrated Business Page here. And if you are a photographer, videographer or artist and would like to find out how you can become a MorePhotos customer, and get a beautiful new website and state of the art shopping cart, call 231-932-0855 ext.15. Whether you have a current PayPal account or not, there is no better time to join MorePhotos and PayPal Pro, it doesn’t get much better than this! And with the MorePhotos 60 money back guarantee, you have nothing to lose…

MorePhotos, Online Business, Sell Photos Online

Let’s Talk Photography Trade Shows

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Hello everyone, Michael Connors here, CEO of MorePhotos. It is time for Photography Trade Shows to kick off a new season and that means time to get together with your peers, learn new ideas/technology and meet new people! This is the time to get energized, so let’s talk about how all of this can help you in so many ways.

First, I am a big believer in joining state photography organizations; to me it is a must for so many reasons.

There is so much information and opportunity at national and local trade shows. Starting with technology, you read about it, you may think it is cool, and that is the end of that. Then you go to a photography trade show and a speaker or peer starts to talk about how they are using this technology and in your mind you think, I saw that but had no idea I could use it that way. You also get to talk face to face with the designer who created the technology and he suggests other ways to use it. This is what makes you better at what you do and is opening your mind to endless possibilities.

Connecting with your peers can open more doors to business ideas. For example, when you are dealing with hard customers and have a colleague to call that is in the same boat as you can work wonders. Hopefully, this support group of new peers across the country can keep you motivated by sharing thoughts, new ideas, and victories.  Bottom line – be open, start conversations, ask questions and be personable. These connections are priceless.

The speakers can open a lot of possibilities to new ideas and get you motivated. Pick wisely and try to go to a few marketing seminars. Remember this is your time to shine and soak it all in, so do not overlook the opportunity, and always take lots of notes.

As vendors we support the national and/or especially local trade shows. Vendors should be treated as a wealth of knowledge, giving future growth to your company.  Vendors invest a lot of time and money to attend a photography trade show; the average for big shows is around $15,000, for the smallest space. Vendors have so much to offer so keep your mind open, and more important, trust their knowledge of the industry. When I am at these shows I try to listen to everyone, even if the product they are selling is something I think I do not need or want. By opening my mind and listening to what they say, I always benefit, even if I do not buy their product.

One important piece of advice I always give is, never ask the cost of something until you find out how much it will earn for you. If you want to cut to the chase ask the vendor, “What is the profit margin?” Then and only then will you know if it will work for you. I have been working and attending trade shows for 30 years and if the first question you ask is, “How much does it cost?” the first thing that goes through my mind is, you will never be financially successful because you are looking at price instead of opportunity. If it costs $10,000 but it makes you $30,000 it might be worth figuring out how to come up with the $10,000.

So do not be shy. Remember the wealth of information that is on the trade show floor, and don’t pass it by. This coupled with the speakers; makes photography trade shows a win-win situation.

Happy New Trade Show Season!

 

MorePhotos photography trade shows websites e-commerce photo shopping cart
MorePhotos New Trade Show Display Wall

 

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Understanding Hyper-Focal Distance

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What is hyperfocal Distance? This is certainly NOT an easy concept to grab! It is the distance between camera lens and the closest subject that is in focus whilst focussed on infinity.

Hyper-Focal Distance
Hyper-Focal Distance

Should one decide to focus closer, you will experience an unexpected soft effect in the infinity area. Opposite also true, should you decide to focus further, the closer point will also be of no good.

The best option is to do this manually. Focus on the most distant object, then manually change focal distance to as close as possible while still keeping an acceptably sharp background.

Also try to set the focus to one-third distance into the scene at very small f-stop. However to obtain maximum depth of Field, hyperfocal distance should be calculated.
Normal to shorter lenses are great to use this technique such as 50mm or 35mm
With longer lenses, hyperfocal distances are not great (very distant) so these are normally not used for Landscape photography. In Landscape photography you require subjects close also to be sharp which cannot be achieved with longer lenses.

Please share your experience on this “not-talked-about-often”- subject