NEWSLETTERS, SEPTEMBER 2007

www.photomart.co.uk email newsletters from August, 2007:

• issue 51 - End of the Road for Event Tog!
• issue 50 - Togs Go South for the Winter!
• issue 49 - Back To School Photos!
• issue 48 - Photographer In Greek Fires!

Our previous month's email newsletters are available here.

Jessops Worth Just 3 Week's Turnover!

Accountancy Age has reported that troubled UK camera retailer Jessops is now valued at the equivalent of just three weeks turnover. Writing for Accountancy Age, Alan Hawkes points out that shares are down 92% this year, the company's new banking facility with HSBC is probably very expensive (given the risk), and any replacement for Jessops' departing Finance Director will have to take responsibility for turning the plummeting company around pretty sharpish.

Photographer's Van!

Travel and Event photographer Ian Brierley finally managed to give us a quick tour of his magnificent photo van, just before boarding the overnight ferry to the continent. It's a Vauxhall Movano 2.8L diesel, with long wheelbase and medium high roof. Ian has fitted it with an extra 24V 70Amp alternator. The second alternator feeds a pair of 12V truck batteries, connected in series to yield 24V. This is converted to mains rated power via a 24V inverter. Ian uses 24V because he found 12V couldn't run his eventing set up for more than two hours. With his 24V system, even when the batteries do eventually run down, he can quickly charge them up again from his mighty 70Amp alternator, just by running the engine. His kit consists of a SONY UP-DR150 fast event printer, a Kodak 1400 portrait printer, an Epson 2100 inkjet and a purpose built PC with 17" widescreen and Photoshop. This is all housed in fitted flight-cases bolted into his van to make a digital editing suite. The van has hot running water, calor gas, a shower, sleeping accomodation and chemical toilet. It qualifies as a motorhome for most purposes. When I saw it there was a Kawasaki XR750 sports bike in the back (Ian usually keeps a quad bike there!) and a bicycle stored in a rack on the back door. Ian will soon be adding a telescopic camera boom to the van for aerial shots. He'll be available to shoot events all winter round, anywhere in the world. Contact him via his website www.nowpix.co.uk (He'll be returning to give a seminar at www.photomart.co.uk in March 2008).

Photo-Me Breakup Foundering!

Photo booth company Photo-me is finding its planned breakup foundering on the rocks as it fails to find a buyer for its vending division. Shares in Photo-me are down 50% on twelve months ago, and may be over valued even at that.

Pros Earn 60% Of Photo Book Revenues!

60% of revenues from the booming photo book market are going to professional photographers, a report from analyst U&S says. Despite professionals only having 9% of the market by volume (the rest being consumer-designed photo books), they still earn most of the revenues, because of the higher value of their books. Wedding, portrait and corporate photo books make up the bulk of professional offerings. The photo book boom, impressive though it is, is still in its early days. The vast majority of consumers are still unaware of photo books, and 90% of orders are online. However, awareness is snowballing, and in-store ordering via kiosk will become a prominent feature of the market. www.photomart.co.uk offers a unique industrial-strength photo book binding solution for photo entrepreneurs aiming to serve the lucrative professional market. It's the Digitrans suite of photo book bindery equipment. It enables an enterprising provider to manufacture up to 180 premium hand bound photo books and digital albums a day, ideal for the wedding, portrait and corporate segment.

End Of The Road For Eventer!

Award winning photographer Keith Trainor ends his Autumn series of roadshows this month with a bumper Event Photography Training Day in London. The training day will be held in the London showrooms of www.photomart.co.uk on September 27, 2007. Tickets, priced at £50 + VAT, are available from the www.photomart.co.uk website. The ticket price will be donated to the St. John Eye Hospital. This Event Photography Training Day is sponsored by SONY and ExpressDigital. Keith will present his "Techniques for Profit" workshop. He'll demonstrate how to setup his trademark white background, how to light it and how to meter it. He'll also demonstrate shooting against a greenscreen background, and dropping the subjects immediately onto a fantasy digital backdrop. He'll talk about the importance of fast printers and fast workflow software. More details are available from the www.photomart.co.uk website.

Expressdigital A Fastest Growing U.S. Corporation!

ExpressDigital, the U.S. software house behind the DARKROOM workflow productivity software for photographers, has joined Inc. magazine's list of fastest growing U.S. corporations. Criteria for joining the list of fastest growing corporations include the need to show a ten-fold increase in revenues in just three years. Congratulations to the hard-working team at ExpressDigital!

Jessops Oust Finance Director!

Troubled UK camera retail chain, Jessops, says goodbye to Finance Director, Ian Harris, at the end of this month. Mr. Harris's departure agreement includes one year's salary (£180K). He had been in place only since last November. Mr. Harris's departure is generally accepted by analysts to be an ousting. Credit for the last-ditch refinancing that won Jessops a reprieve earlier this year is not attributed to him. Chief Executive, David Adams, said he thanked Mr. Harris for his efforts, and wished him well.

Vans Fitted For Power!

Some event photographers are buying ex-military vehicles with power fittings. These ex-MOD vehicles are sometimes described as FFR (Fitted For Radio). FFR can mean various different things, since the MOD has variously used 12v, 24v, and even combinations of both in the same vehicles. Replacement parts for the rarer 24v systems can be prohibitively expensive. The number of alternators fitted in these vehicles, their wattage and voltage, also varies. Some even have two very high watt alternators! Don't expect inverters as standard - FFR typically means fitted with sockets for equipment engineered to run directly on 12v or 24v DC! You won't be plugging your dye-sub straight into it. On the plus side, these vehicles can be bought from specialist dealers in good running order from as little as £3.5K.

Marine Batteries!

At least one event photographer has driven their Range Rover into our car park this year to open the boot and show us their new toy - a deep discharge marine battery with AC inverter. These things are huge and weigh a ton. They will power your kit for quite a while, but there are drawbacks and dangers. One danger is in the gasses that most of these batteries can vent during operation - they're poisonous, not ideal in the confines of a vehicle. And one photographer told us he planned to ditch his Range Rover's starter battery and just rely on the marine battery instead. This may not be a good idea. Deep discharge marine batteries are designed to supply steady continuous current over a long period of time. They're able to completely discharge and then recharge again over numerous cycles. Auto batteries, on the other hand, are primarily for starter motors. They're designed to deliver a lot of power for a short period of time, and recharge straight away afterwards. If you routinely start your vehicle from a deep-discharge marine battery, you'll find it becomes exhausted quite quickly. It's not designed for that task.

Bowens Goes To China!

BOWENS are making their first foray into China this month with a trade visit to attend the Imaging Expo in Shanghai from September 26-29, 2007. The UK based manufacturer of studio lighting equipment saw global sales boom last year, and looks set to repeat that performance this year. Imaging Expo China is the region's main imaging show, the equivalent of Europe's Photokina. Other major exhibitors include Doli, Noritsu and Fujifilm, as well as many of the best know high-end camera manufacturers.

MAX SPIELMANN MAN MOVES!

MAX SPIELMANN MAN MOVES! - David Edwards, former Managing Director of Max Spielman, has been appointed Chairman of In Time, the watch mending concession that operates in several UK retail chains.

VULTURES CIRCLING JESSOPS!

VULTURES CIRCLING JESSOPS! - Jessops have entered into consultation with retail restructuring firm Gordon Brothers. The US firm specializes in buying struggling retailers that can be rescued from impending insolvency by restructuring their debt. Gordon Brothers has made a number of acquisitions in Europe. However, in the current climate it could find the UK hard work. Financing a debt restructure of a retailer would be problematic here, as the markets for notes are currently averse to higher risk issuances, money is not cheap, and potential holders are put off retail by the expectation it will suffer from the increasing mortgage burdens on consumers.

PHOTOCHANNEL HAS GOOD Q3!

PHOTOCHANNEL HAS GOOD Q3! - PhotoChannel, the Canadian provider of online photo solutions for retailers, has announced positive Q3 results following it's acquisition of the UK's Pixology, a provider of online and kiosk photofinishing solutions. The acquisition has expanded the PhotoChannel client base to include Tesco (online and kiosk solutions), Jessops (kiosk), Asda (online solution), and Boots (online solution). The company says, "The majority of kiosks deployed in the world today are not connected - meaning they are standalone print only machines. Our company's plan is to sell a connected kiosk whereby the kiosk will still offer the full print functionality, but also offer the full online array of gifts for ordering." Pixology was primarily a software solutions and integration company, whereas PhotoChannel is primarily an online platform. The two appear to be a good fit for each other.

ELEVEN MILLION NEED ID PHOTOS!

ELEVEN MILLION NEED ID PHOTOS! - The Government's Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007 is causing ripples in ID-photo retailing already. People entitled to free off-peak bus travel in their local areas will have their entitlement extended nationwide from next spring. Eleven million over 60's and disabled people will benefit. There will be mass renewals of the current passes next spring. In the meantime, many Local Authorities are transferring responsibility for issuing the passes from their current authorized agents to the Post Offices. Most transfers occur at the end of this month. Photo ID will be needed for pass renewals and new applicants. Existing pass holders may be able to use their old ID photo, provided it is still a good likeness. However, most applicants will need new ID photos.

ESSEX WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY TALK!

ESSEX WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY TALK! - A new venue has had to be announced at short notice for the talk by Paul Cudmore, Wedding Photographer of the Year 2007, to the MPA London & Essex Region (and BIPP Brentwood) group. The talk will still take place on Wednesday, September 19, but the new venue will now be Maylands Golf & Country Club in Romford, Essex. More info from general@mpauk.com

UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIAL!

UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIAL! - Lewis Martindale, Managing Director of www.photomart.co.uk, was delighted to receive a letter from a long-term customer, photographer Kirk Verdi of Verdi Studios in Forest Gate, London. The letter came last week. It congratulated Lewis on the spectacular growth of www.photomart.co.uk, and for managing to maintain the same personal relationship with the company's customers now as when he started out. The letter read, "I have to congratulate you on the success of Photomart. Your hard work and dedication has made Photomart a huge success. Many times when a Company grows rapidly, it loses focus and sometimes loses 'Touch' with its smaller customers. I have to say that Photomart has never let me down. In fact a few times you have come to my rescue! Your Company just keeps getting better and better."

EVENT TOGS GO SOUTH FOR THE WINTER!

EVENT TOGS GO SOUTH FOR THE WINTER! - It's that time of year again, the time when some of the most individual event photographers (who do it as a lifestyle choice) migrate in their unique vans to warmer climes. PhotoWeek managed to catch Ian Brierley recently, just before he set off. "I'm about to make an escape to Europe in my van," Ian said, "hustling at the equestrian centres in Andalucia, plus photographing anything and everything on my way for submission to image libraries. I'll maybe do a few watercolours in photoshop on a speculative basis too, helps pay for the fuel!" We wish him a good winter, and hope to see him presenting workshops with us again soon.

Back To School Photos!

We all think school photography is strictly the province of schools photographers, but what about Back to School photography? Back to School photography is an innovative package that can be marketed by portrait studios. The concept you sell your client is of a creative family portrait, with the children in their new school uniforms. Get sample shots displayed in your window now! There's great scope for creativity in these shots. Take advantage of the different ages and sexes of the children, their different school uniforms, and any props and accessories you can work in, such as lacrosse sticks, rugby balls and school satchels. Don't forget to get the parents into the shots too! (In cap and gown if they like!) A happy customer will bring you repeat business year after year.

Cewe Color Goes Digital!

CeWe Color, one of Europe's largest photo processors, has been investing heavily in a shift to digital business this year. The company is migrating from a business model based on selling prints to one based on marketing a wide variety of digital services. CeWe's new digital services include the company's highly successful photo books. Digital business is growing fast enough to nearly keep pace with the decline in traditional orders. Many orders now come in via CeWe's Internet connected kiosks. The company's books show charges for very substantial restructuring costs so far this year. There has been cost cutting and some plant closures.

Colorama Finance Kiosk Pilot!

Colorama Pharmaceuticals, one of the UK's larger short-line pharmaceutical wholesalers, is part-financing a pilot kiosk scheme in remote areas of Northumberland and Co. Durham. Colorama kiosks are being installed in Post Offices, Village Shops, Pubs, Farm Shops and other outlets. They provide free Internet access to public services information, as well as goods and services. Customers can use the kiosks to order cosmetics, toiletries, health care products and consumer electronics from Colorama. The wholesaler delivers the orders to the kiosk outlet for collection in-store. The service is aimed at areas with a demographic of low Internet adoption, remote from shopping and services. A number of public agencies are co-funding the scheme. (Short-lining is the wholesaling of a small number of high-demand high-profit items, of which only a small stock is held.)

Fujifilm's Tot Tub!

If you go to the Boat Show in Southampton on September 19, you'll be able to see the "Fujifilm", a 40-foot yacht built in Totnes for Alex Bennett. The "Fujifilm" is one of the new Class 40 racing yachts and has had Fuji's corporate identity applied to it - in quite a striking way! Well worth seeing. The "Fujifilm" will be moored at berth 072 at the boat show in Mayflower Park, Southampton, on Wednesday, September 19, 2007. In November she sails in her first race, from Le Havre to Brazil

Photographers' Vans!

The latest photographer's van to catch our interest at PhotoWeek is the classic Land Rover 101 4x4 used by photo4x4 in Ross-Shire for guided photography tours in the Scottish Highlands. The ex-military truck is used to access some of the very off-road locations that tour guide Keith Hart takes his clients to. Keith, a former forensic photographer, has carefully restored the vehicle and made some well thought out adaptations to meet the needs of photographers and reduce environmental impact. The rear cabin of the former military ambulance now includes a display screen for reviewing shots on, and the windows have been enhanced to provide superior views over the original design. Converting the engine to run on LPG was the answer to the 101's unsustainable thirst for fossil fuels! Providing power for electronic equipment was not difficult either, as the vehicle was already wired for a 12v supply generated by a high-wattage alternator on the engine. Keith just had a few extra sockets added.

First Riga Biennale!

Elmira Watts, UK Photographer of the Year 2004, wonders if it might be worthwhile for PhotoWeek to mention the First Riga Biennale, an international exhibition of Graphic Arts (including photography) taking place in Riga, Latvia in 2008. There is a Russian Language website for the Biennale, and more information is available from info@rigabin.com. (www.photomart.co.uk hopes to put on a seminar with Elmira Watts this autumn.)

Sony Expands Alpha Range!

SONY have expanded their Alpha family of DSLRs with the introduction of the midrange Alpha A700, and announcements of even more new lenses. (To mark the announcement, www.photomart.co.uk is making a very limited number of the entry level Alpha A100 bodies available for sale at a very special price, or as bundles with Sigma or SONY lenses. Call us now to place an order.)

Fujifilm Confirms Uk Film Price Hike!

Fujifilm UK has confirmed the hike in UK prices for the corporation's colour negative films. From October 2007 expect price rises from 5% to 10%, depending on which Fujifilm stock you buy. The UK price rise is just a local manifestation of a global price rise ordered by Fujifilm Tokyo. The corporation line is that the price rise is necessary because volumes have declined, raw material and transportation costs have risen.