Online photo books

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Just a personal review of some photo books I made using Toronto-based Pikto. The two books which were used as Christmas gifts turned out quite well, I thought. The hardcover books were 8-1/2″ x 11″ format with leatherette covers, debossed text on the cover, 170-gsm glossy paper and no vellum leafs, (more on these options later).

Many years ago, I used Shutterfly and was happy with the results. Over the past several years, Shutterfly has greatly expanded its options but I have no experience with these newer offerings. Shutterfly, like the many other USA-based online book printers, often have sales and it might be worthwhile to wait for a discount.

Pikto seems to be about 15%-20% more expensive than other online book printers, although there are a few book printers that are even more expensive. The overall quality of my Pikto books is much better than my early Shutterfly books.
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What’s in your photo closet?

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The start of a new year is a good time for a company to re-evaluate its existing business photography and consider updating the pictures. Just as every school has a “picture day” at the beginning of each new school year, a business would be smart to do the same at the start of each new year.

Like a loaf of bread, business headshots go stale after their “best before” date. While we may like to use a 12-year-old portrait from when we had fewer wrinkles and less grey hairs, the shelf life of a business portrait is, perhaps, about two years. There’s a reason why most annual reports require new executive portraits each and every year. Maybe it’s time to show your customers that your president now has a tie made this century?
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Trust Insurance

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Today, I received an information package from an insurance company from which I might buy a policy. The opening page uses the phrase “trust us” three times, including in a headline. But why should I trust them?

• The information package uses only cheap stock pictures of anonymous, generic people including the cliché woman-wearing-telephone-headset.

• The generic message from the company president has no photo.

• The company’s address is a post office box. If it had a photo of their office, at least that would’ve added some credibility.

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Happiness is a warm camera

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A few random thoughts as we start a new year of photography:

Creating a good photograph is like a savings account. The more you put into it, the more interest you earn.

Behind every good photographer is a thousand bad pictures.

Bad pictures can often be caused by a loose screw behind the viewfinder.

It’s not a mistake unless someone notices.

Never judge a photographer by their pictures.

Sometimes the best photographs happen only after reading the camera manual.

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Work one day a year

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How would you like to work only one day a year? And, it wouldn’t even be a full day because you’d get to leave early at 2:30 pm.

It’s easy. First, get a job as one of Canada’s top CEOs.

From today’s press release by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA):

“At this rate of reward, this handful of elite CEOs pocket the equivalent of the average Canadian wage by 2:30 pm on January 3 – the first working day of the year,” says the study’s author and CCPA Research Associate Hugh Mackenzie.

The study, titled Recession-Proof and based on 2009 data, can be downloaded from the CCPA site. The year 2009 was the worst recession year for Canada, (at least, so far).

Photographers take note: an important point from this is that the average Canadian annual income is about $43,000 ($48,100 for men and $32,100 for women). According to Statistics Canada numbers, this average annual income hasn’t really changed much in several years.

The average “artist” earns about $23,500 per year. The average Canadian minimum wage is $19,877. And just to point out, actors and musicians can earn much less.

 

The message of the medium

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In a few days, this December 31st will mark the 30th anniversary of the death of Canadian university professor, philosopher and author Marshall McLuhan.

Over 40 years ago, McLuhan made many interesting observations about mass communications that still apply in today’s World Wide Web, which was launched almost exactly ten years after McLuhan’s death.

One of his most well-known sayings, “The medium is the message”,  from the 1960s, seems to describe the Web perfectly.

Some McLuhan quotes which apply to the World Wide Web:

“The new electronic interdependence recreates the world in the image of a global village.”

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Signs of a bad gift

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Here are some signs that you’ve probably received a bad Christmas gift:

The gift tag says: “To whom it may concern”.

The gift wrapping is mostly duct tape.

It comes with a warning from the Ministry of Health.

The gift requires scratching and sniffing.

Its Best Before Date was last Christmas.

It’s been banned in most other countries.

It’s made completely from toothpicks.

It comes in a six-pack.

It requires ammunition.

The description on the box includes the phrase “hair removal”.

It was purchased from an all-night taxidermist.

It comes with a no-return, no-exchange policy.

 

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