Mpix Blog

For some time we have been observing the talent of our friends on the Mpix forum.  Now, we are giving back.  Starting August 1st, 2008, all winners of the Mpix Forum Assignment contests will win a free print or gift from Mpix.com.

The prizes will begin with Assignment #357 Aerial, with the winners and their 1st place image getting face time on the Mpix Blog.

Grab your camera and be sure to check the rules. We cannot wait to see the great work of our friends!

The Mpix Guys

It is time to spruce up your marketing campaign with Postcards from Mpix.  Postcards are a simple, yet versatile, way to promote an event, your studio or organization, or your web site.  From July 23rd - 29th you can purchase your Postcards at 25% off list price.

 

Detailed steps to place your postcard order:

1. Go to http://www.mpix.com/MpixPress/

 2. Download the MpixPRESS software - if you have not already done so.

 

3. Once the software has been downloaded to your computer you are ready to begin.

4. Simply drag and drop the 4.25x5.75 image into the software layout. NOTICE: Please disregard the red line within the software

Original file created in Photoshop. NOTICE: Text must be a minimum of 1/4" from the edge of the image

5. The re-size to fill page button must be selected to correctly fill the entire template.

6. Click the Order with MpixPRESS button 

7. The image will upload and give you a proofing PDF file option. NOTICE: Please make sure to double check the proof. The black marks on each edge will indicate where the card is trimmed. Also, make sure the image fills the white bleed area.

 

Here is an example of a file that is incorrectly sized. This will happen when the re-size to fill page option is not used.

8. Once the FTP upload has completed you will be directed to an Mpix.com login page where your items will be placed in your Mpix Press shopping cart. Click the red 'checkout' button, enter your billing information and your order will be shipped shortly.

 

Summer is here and there is no better way to show off your shots than with Mpix’s proof portfolios. For the next week, until Tuesday July 22nd, you can order a proof portfolio for 25% off. Place your order now to experience the ease and comfort of showing your client their proofs in an organized proof book.



For more information about proof portfolios- http://www.mpix.com/productsinfo.aspx?prod=10

 

Helpful Hints:

1. Your images will print in the order they appear in your album.

2. The ENTIRE album will be printed.

3. Images are NOT cropped, but will be resized to fit the viewing space in your chosen template.

4. Make sure the images are correctly oriented heads-up

 

 

Ordering a proof portfolio is easy! See details steps below.

 

 

 

 

 

One of the best ways to proactively market your business, photography or favorite organization is the trustworthy Business Card.  From now until next Tuesday (July 15th), all Business Cards are 25% off.  Order now and experience the quality and precision you get with press-printed Business Cards from Mpix!  They are fun to design, easy to order, and we'll ship to you in 24 hours!

With this promotion you can order as few as 100 cards for $15. 

 Pricing:

 

 

For details about Business Cards - http://www.mpix.com/productsinfo.aspx?prod=14

 

Helpful Sizing Information:

 

Detailed steps to place your Business Card order:

1. Go to http://www.mpix.com/MpixPress/ 

 2. Download the MpixPRESS software - if you have not already done so.

 

 

3. Once the software has been downloaded to your computer you are ready to begin.

 

 4. Simply drag and drop the 2.25x3.75 image into the software layout. NOTICE: Please disregard the red line within the software

Original file created in Photoshop. NOTICE: Text must be a minimum of 1/4" from the edge of the image

 

 

5. The re-size to fill page button must be selected to correctly fill the entire template.

 

6. Click the Order with MpixPRESS button 

7. The image will upload and give you a proofing PDF file option. NOTICE: Please make sure to double check the proof. The black marks on each edge will indicate where the card is trimmed.

 

Here is an example of a file that is incorrectly sized. This will happen when the re-size to fill page option is not used.

 

8. Once the FTP upload has completed you will be directed to an Mpix.com login page where your items will be placed in your Mpix Press shopping cart. Click the red 'checkout' button, enter your billing information and your order will be shipped shortly.

 

 

Final result

For those of us who cannot quench our Mpix thirst, the talented people of the Mpix.com Forum Community have put together a book profiling the best photos from the year. 47 Mpix community members contributed to a total of 248 images, quite a load. These can all be found inside a beautiful custom cover book.

Inside you will find the best in black and white, landscape, nature, sport, portrait, wedding, macro and potpourri photography. The images are stunning, as is the design by Forum Mom PattyG. 

Don't wait too long to order, these will be available starting July 13th. For more information visit our partner company Zenfolio's product page.

Matt Miller

The Mpix team would like to wish you and your family a happy 4th of July. The members of the Mpix Forum are hosting a Fireworks Challenge, showing off the amazing skills of the Forum Community.

 

Image by ChefDave

Be sure to check out the forum challenge to post your favorites shots from this weekend. And again, have a safe and happy Independence Day!

 

Image by Karrie

Matt Miller

Face to Face - Rick Sammon's Complete Guide to Photographing People (list price $34.99), is now available directly from the publisher (O'Reilly) to Mpix customers at the discounted cost of $22.75. That's 35 percent off the list price!


Rick's new book, his 28th, covers photographing people from start to finish: indoors and outdoors, with a flash and without a flash, with affordable lighting kits, in bright and low lighting, with a reflector and with a diffuser - and more! Hundreds of Rick's photographs illustrate this crossover book which falls between a how-to book and a coffee-table book.

To order, simply go to the O'Reilly Web page for Rick's book - http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780596515744 - and type in this code upon checkout: F2F35.


Rick Sammon is a long-time Mpix user, host of five Kelby Training programs, host of 10 Canon Photo Safari programs, author of 27 other books, popular lecturer and dedicated photo workshop leader. Visit with Rick at www.ricksammon.com. You can also personally visit with Rick at the Mpix booth at Photo Plus Expo in New York City this fall.

For the second day in a row we're honored to have visitors to the lab. Today we were able to host two of our favorite forum members, Ed and Donna Gentry. 

 

Ed and Donna talk with Joe, John and Matt in front of the Mpix Press production area.

As Mpix continues to grow, the Pittsburg lab keeps expanding as well. We were able to show the Gentry's where their orders come in, are printed, packaged and finally shipped from. An advantage to visiting the lab is being able to see up close the many products we have to offer, such as puzzles and statuettes. We were also able to show off our improved Lustre Coating, a product we're very proud of and excited about. 

 

 Matt shows Donna and Ed how a puzzle is made during a tour of the Specialty Items area.

The best part of any tour though is talking about the forum, blog and the excitement surrounding the Mpix Meet-Ups. We were fortunate enough to have met the Gentry's at the Oklahoma Hill Shootout in March, which of course led to showing them first Meet-Up book to come off the Press. We couldn't talk about the forum without mentioning Sam though.

 

 John, Donna, Matt and Ed holding the now-famous Mpix statuette.

Matt Miller

It is always exciting to have guests in the lab, and today we were able to host John Owens, Editor in Chief of Popular Photography, and Sara Schiano, an account executive. John and Sara both live in New York, and got a taste of Pittsburg, Kansas hospitality.  They were able to see the lab in action this morning on a tour with David Doria.  David introduced John and Sara to many of the coordinators that make Mpix tick.  It was great to see their excitement about our people and our systems.   John and Sara were great tourists!

Marketing Director Joe Dellasega shows Popular Photography's Editor in Chief John Owens test prints from the improved lustre coating feature.

John and Sara were able to meet with Richard Miller, Joe Dellasega, and Dick and Todd Coleman to learn about the rich history of Miller’s Professional Imaging, the transition to a digital world and the culture surrounding the industry. We were also happy to show them the printing process for Mpix Press books and a behind-the-scenes look at our operations, including our new Lustre Coating and online hosting partnership with Zenfolio.com.  The group especially enjoyed seeing our "Sam" posts, and his distant cousin sitting on John's desk.

 

John and Sara look at a freshly packaged Mpix order in our shipping department with Joe Dellasega.

Look for an article soon in Popular Photography featuring Miller’s and Mpix. Thank you again to John and Sara for visiting us! It was a great experience for all of us to be able to share the systems, people and processes that make Mpix successful.

Matt Miller

Beginning Wednesday, June 25^th, we will be switching to a new and improved Lustre Coating formula.  Our new, eco-friendly formula provides a sheen that visibly enhances your prints and provides superior protection.

A few benefits of the new Lustre Coating are:

- Improved protection against fingerprints, UV rays, and typical over-spraying found in home/office environments.
- Provides for a richer, enhanced sheen on prints of every size.
- Provides a visible enhancement to your image over our current formula.

Some important questions you may have:

Q: What is the difference in the new Lustre Coating vs. the old Lustre Coating?
A: Our former Lustre Coating had very good protective features.  However, it did not add any visible enhancement to the image.  Our new Coating adds a rich, enhanced sheen to the image, and provides greater protective properties.

 

Q: Can I still get the old Lustre Coating?
A: No. Our new Lustre Coating formula will be used on all images printed on June 25th and after.

 

Q: Can I see a sample?
A: Currently we do not have a sample program for the new formula.  We do encourage all customers to try the new coating on a small print to see how great it is.  We have received tremendous feedback from many customers that love the look. 

 

Q: Is there a price increase for the new formula?
A: No. The new coating is available at current Lustre Coating prices as listed below. 

 

 

We aren't quite hitting the road for a tour this summer, but the Mpix.com logo is making it's way across the Nation! Thanks to the members of the Mpix.com forum, a 5x7 statuette nicknamed "Sam" is being shipped from user to user for fun pictures. 

Here is Sam hanging out in Destin, Florida with The Luna Vine. Yes, our staff in Kansas are quite jealous!

 

 

Sam was last seen in Georgia, but we hear he's on his way to Michigan! 

If you want to join in the fun, sign up here! 

Matt, Mpix.com 

 

Whether you are looking to sell your photography as your primary source of income, or to 'fund your passion', Zenfolio can help.  Recently Mpix has expanded our strategic partnership with Zenfolio in an effort to offer our photographers a venue to sell their images, and still have Mpix be the print provider.  We have worked with Alex Peyzner and the Zenfolio group for several years, and are very impressed with their business model.  It is simple to use, and provides a very professional user interface.  Check out Zenfolio at www.zenfolio.com.

Here is a screengrab from my Zenfolio Gallery:

A few of the features of Zenfolio:

• Upload images to galleries
• Easily share galleries
• Option to set your own price schedule
• Make galleries public or private
• Add a watermark to your preview
• Enhanced slide show
• Option to allow recipient of a shared gallery to download the original file
• Ability to customize your home page and have a unique URL
• All photographic printing done exclusively by Mpix
• ...and many more 

Click here for a full list of features and pricing.  Please note, the annual subscription for Zenfolio is only $25 to $100 per year. All prints are available at Mpix list prices.  When selling images for a profit, Zenfolio takes care of the e-commerce, and retains the cost of the print and 12% of the profit.  The balance of the selling price is then remitted back to you on a monthly basis.

So, if you are looking to sell your images on line, give Zenfolio a try.  You will love it! 

View the Mpix press release announcing the expanded partnership with Zenfolio.

 

We all know how important it is to prepare for the different amounts of light during a photo shoot. One aspect of this preparation is to understand the color composition of the light that is illuminating your subject. Our cameras have sensors that can sometimes detect this, but the result is not always perfect, as we know.

James Duncan Davidson, the official photographer for O'Reilly Media, has written an excellent article about measuring the color of light. It covers everything from the science behind the term "color temperature" to an understanding of the relative compositions of light from the most common light sources we use everyday. He is able to cover some of the nitty gritty science without losing you in equations and mundane details. And at then end I am left looking around thinking to myself, "It looks like it is about 5500K outside today."

Read the full article.

We are excited to be working with NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals) to bring you an opportunity to join their great organization. NAPP is an inspired community that is creative, talented, and a lot of fun. I was able to be with many of these great people at Photoshop World in Orlando this past April, and they are amazing!   

Here are some of the benefits of belonging:

 

-         Subscription to Photoshop User magazine (published 8 times a year) - This magazine features cover-to-cover tutorials, industry news, and product reviews you won’t find anywhere else.

-         Members-only Web Site Access - Members get exclusive web access to the latest video tutorials, product reviews and much more.

-         Exclusive Discounts – Save money on the latest hardware, software and accessories from Apple, B&H, onOne Software, Dell, Epson, Office Depot, iStockphoto and others.

 

Join before July 30^th and NAPP will reduce the annual membership from $99 to $89.  As an added gift, NAPP will send you The Adobe Photoshop CS3 for Beginners DVD featuring Dave Cross ($69.99 US value).  This best-selling DVD will walk you through a full range of Photoshop® functions, tools and techniques.

 

Here’s how you get started:

 

1. Join online at https://www.photoshopuser.com/join_form.html or call NAPP at 800.738.8513, Monday through Friday,  8:30 AM to 7:00 PM EST. 

 

2. Give the folks at NAPP your special Mpix Discount Code: NAPM-1UMPX by phone or online.

 

For more information on NAPP membership go to www.photoshopuser.com.  To learn more about Dave Cross’ DVD go to http://www.kelbytraining.com/?page=product&id=27.

 

If you are looking to hone your Photoshop skills, a NAPP membership is a great way to get started!

 

 

Photoshop is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

 

  

 

Helpful Sizing Information:

 

Detailed steps to place your Business Card order:

1. Go to http://www.mpix.com/MpixPress/ 

 2. Download the MpixPRESS software - if you have not already done so.

 

 

3. Once the software has been downloaded to your computer you are ready to begin.

 

 4. Simply drag and drop the 2.25x3.75 image into the software layout. NOTICE: Please disregard the red line within the software

Original file created in Photoshop. NOTICE: Text must be a minimum of 1/4" from the edge of the image

 

 

5. The re-size to fill page button must be selected to correctly fill the entire template.

 

6. Click the Order with MpixPRESS button 

7. The image will upload and give you a proofing PDF file option. NOTICE: Please make sure to double check the proof. The black marks on each edge will indicate where the card is trimmed.

 

Here is an example of a file that is incorrectly sized. This will happen when the re-size to fill page option is not used.

 

8. Once the FTP upload has completed you will be directed to an Mpix.com login page where your items will be placed in your Mpix Press shopping cart. Click the red 'checkout' button, enter your billing information and your order will be shipped shortly.

 

 

Final result