wrapper’s delight

First things first… We are ELEVEN comments away from our 1000th published comment! So to say thanks, the 1000th commenter will win the following prize – two 2¾ x 4″ wallet albums (one black, one pink) with peel-and-stick pages.

UPDATE: We have our 1000th comment by raphotographs – thanks so much!

Today’s big giveaway is an “Apples to Oranges Packaging Set” courtesy of Paperie Boutique & HB Photo Packaging. Read on to see what’s included and details how to win!

The “Apples to Oranges Packaging Set” includes:

• one 5×7 1/2″-deep Kraft photo box from HB Photo Packaging
• one 5×7 1/2″-deep Red Ribbed photo box from HB Photo Packaging
• one 5×7 1/2″-deep Copper/Paragon photo box from HB Photo Packaging
• one 5×7 stretch ribbon loop in gold from HB Photo Packaging
• one Event Proof Box in Vanilla Rosebud from HB Photo Packaging
• one medium Earth Friendly Eco-Tote in Kraft from HB Photo Packaging
• 1.5-yards of Martha Stewart Crafts decorative ribbon tape
• one 1-foot acid free ribbon roll in multi-dot
• one Paper Source letterpress orange and red “thank you” note with kraft envelope
• one “To / From” gift tag
• one sheet (six total) metal-ringed circle greeting-tags
• one HB Photo Packaging “Professional Photography Presentation Packaging” guide

To win, it’s simple! Go to your blog, Facebook account, Flickr account, or Twitter account and post the following:

Win an “Apples to Oranges Packaging Set” from Paperie Boutique & HB Photo Packaging / h-bphoto.com – visit paperieboutique.com for more!

Please note: The link you post must direct to a public account. I cannot verify links on private, friends & family only, or passworded accounts and they will not be eligible to win this promotion.

You can enter up to four times total – one entry each per public, non-private blog URL / Facebook / Flickr / Twitter account. Post the URL to your link(s) in the comments for THIS ENTRY. Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 a.m. EST on Wednesday, March 31st.

Comments on this entry will be numbered in order of posting. The winning number will be chosen by Random.org, and the winner will be contacted within 24 hours of contest’s end to claim their prize. Good luck!

UPDATE: The winner was announced on Thursday and it’s Marcia Todd / mtoddphoto! Congrats to Marcia, thanks to everyone who participated, and stay tuned – more goodies on the way!

Thank you for reading, and please make sure you check out our new sponsors in the sidebar!

If you’re interested in having your own business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment).

If you are interested in advertising with Paperie Boutique, please contact todd @ this domain.

flash of brilliance

One of the recent WPPI 2010 Las Vegas wrap-up reports featured incredible looking photo flash drives. As Lady Luck would have it, Photoflashdrive.com found out about that blog entry via Twitter, and instantly a promo was arranged. This year you don’t have to go to Vegas just to win big!

Photoflashdrive.com is an offshoot of Pexagon Technology that caters specifically to you: Photographers!

We offer flash drives, smartphone cases & more – personalized with your design or logo at no additional charge and never with a minimum order qty. As a courtesy to photographers we offer everyday savings of 30% off flash drives when you shop though photoflashdrive.com.

At WPPI 2010 in Las Vegas we had the opportunity to show off our newest wood flash drive line…

As thanks for our guest-blog spot, we will be offering a 2GB personalized wood flash drive to 3 lucky winners who enter the contest at Paperie Boutique!

So how do you win? It’s simple!

Go to your blog, Facebook account, Flickr account, or Twitter account and post the following:

I’m in it to win it with Photoflashdrive.com / @photoflashdrive – visit Paperie Boutique / paperieboutique.com to see how you can win, too!

Please note: The link you post must direct to a public account. We cannot verify links on private, friends & family only, or passworded accounts and they will not be eligible to win this item.

You can enter up to four times total – one entry each per public, non-private blog URL / Facebook / Flickr / Twitter account. Post the URL to your link(s) in the comments for THIS ENTRY. Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, March 28th.

The prize includes: a 2GB Personalized Wood flash drive (laser engraved with your logo!)

Comments on this entry will be numbered in order of posting. The winning number will be chosen by Random.org, and the winner will be contacted within 24 hours of contest’s end to claim their prize. Good luck everyone!

Thanks to everyone at Photoflashdrive.com for this amazing promo / giveaway! Their products add a brilliant, affordable twist to custom digital negative presentation.

UPDATE: In case you missed it, all three winners were announced in the comments – All That Glitters Photography, Renae Alane Photography, and Ooh La La Photography. Congrats to the winners and thanks so much to everyone who participated!

And don’t forget, the Design Aglow “Studio Look Book – Basic” contest is still running through 11:59 p.m. EDT tonight (Friday night)!

Have a great weekend –
Robyn

If you’re interested in having your own business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment).

Small wonders

Make sure you read ’til the end because there is another AMAZING (yes, AMAZING) give-away!

But since I’m a firm believer in “dessert first, main course later…” here’s another great packaging feature. Today’s guest post is by Carrie Small of Carrie Small Photography in Fayetteville, NC. You might remember that Carrie was featured here last August. She recently updated her packaging and it’s visual proof that lightning can strike the same place twice!

Appointment Reminder – sent out to clients after they send in their deposit to hold a session. The template came from Pink Ink Studios and is printed at my print shop as a folded bookmark.

Avery Notebook – holds my signed model releases, frames examples, and receipts. Purchased from avery.com [Note from Robyn: for more information about, and photos of, the Avery organizers see this previous Paperie entry]

“Flair for your Fridge” – used to seal the ribbons on my presentation boxes for my clients, I purchased them from somethingbluestudios.com. They are really magnets.

Copyright and Print Release – printed front and back press printed 5×7 card from my print shop. I add one to each presentation box. I purchased the template/wording from thepolishedphotographer.com.

High Resolution CD/Case – CDs are printed from CPQ, enclosed in a trifold 5×5 card from my print shop. The template/wording was purchased from thepolishedphotographer.com and includes copyright info, a signed print release, and printing recommendations. The CD hub was purchased at shop4tech.com.

Low Resolution CD/Case – I print the label for these CDs myself, and they are included free of purchased files. They are added to the presentation box with the clients images. Included is a the copyright information and terms of use for the photos. The CD hub was purchased at shop4tech.com.

Client Info Packet – includes a 5×5 Trifold Contract, Model Release and Price List (printed as a sell sheet from MpixPro) and 2 business cards, enclosed in a presentation envelope purchased from Paper Source.

Referral Packet – added to each client order. Includes a 5×5 flat press printed card containing my referral information. I print wallets of each order with my website information and referall information on the back of the wallets, and include them tied in a ribbon to the referral packet. They are then enclosed in a petal envelope from paper-source.com and sealed with custom stickers from Moo.com (not pictured).

Presentation Boxes – I purchase my boxes from Rice Studio Supply and enclose all prints in clear bags from clearbags.com. The box is then wrapped with a ribbon matching my branding and sealed with a flair for your fridge magnet from somethingbluestudios.com.

Calendar – printed from CPQ, I use this as my calendar for scheduling.

Thank You Card – this is a 5×5 print that I print after editing a favorite photo from the session – I try to do this the day after the session. It includes a thank you to the client as well as information on viewing the gallery when it is ready. I mail this in a 5×5 envelope from paper-source.com.

Thank you so much for coming back to share a follow-up, Carrie! Your work, and your packaging, are nothing short of perfection. You can catch Carrie to say thanks at her blog here.

Still with me? Good! Because here’s the amazing give-away coming up for one lucky reader!

Recently I was contacted by a regular reader, Tosha Francis, of The Captured Life Photography. This site has been a tremendous help to Tosha and her business and she wanted to “pay it forward”. So she is donating the “Studio Look Book – Basic” from Design Aglow ($175.00 value). I already have the download information. All you have to do is win it!

“Professionally written and graphically designed, our fully customizable template is divided into categories to help sell all your fabulous studio offerings, from everything from albums to wall galleries, specialty items, high resolution negatives and more. Our 30 page, 8×12 catalog template makes selling every single product your studio offers an easy and beautiful experience…simply insert your own product photo into our layouts.”

So exactly how do you win? That might be helpful information, no? Go to your blog, Facebook account, Flickr account, or Twitter account and post the following:

Win the @designaglow / designaglow.com Studio Look Book – visit Paperie Boutique / paperieboutique.com by @shutterblog to find out how!

Please note: The link you post must direct to a public account. I cannot verify links on private, friends & family only, or passworded accounts and they will not be eligible to win this item.

You can enter up to four times total – one entry each per public, non-private blog URL / Facebook / Flickr / Twitter account. Post the URL to your link(s) in the comments for THIS ENTRY. Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Friday, March 26th.

Comments on this entry will be numbered in order of posting. The winning number will be chosen by Random.org, and the winner will be contacted within 24 hours of contest’s end to claim their prize. Good luck everyone!

Don’t forget to tell Tosha “thank you” over at her blog, too! I ♥ my readers!

UPDATE: We have a winner! It’s Belinda Olsen Photography!

Congratulations Belinda and thanks to everyone who entered. More giveaways are in the works (including this current one by Photoflashdrive.com that runs through Sunday evening) – so check back!

And just a little FYI, you might want to make sure you check back in Friday. That’s all I’m sayin’ for now!

Last but not least… If you noticed things were a little wonky here earlier in the week, my amazing host (Hosting Matters) has been taking great care of us. They put Paperie over in its own space away from my other business and personal sites to make it even bigger / better / faster. I’ve been with Hosting Matters since 2001 and I can’t imagine being anywhere else. If you need a web host, check them out! You can get quite a deal if you say you’re from Paperie Boutique!

If you’re interested in having your own business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment).

I want candy

Did you happen to catch the Moo blog last Friday? If so, you might have spotted someone you recognize!

There are more details in the blog entry, but recently I was asked to contribute to two workshop “swag bags”. This past Friday our home was turned into a make-shift assembly line of spouse plus sorority girls making sure everything got assembled and mailed out in time!

For one workshop, I had Moo MiniCards printed to top little bags of candy buttons, and also included 4×6″ Paperie Boutique promo postcards from GotPrint.

I bought the candy buttons after seeing a blog entry at Bake it Pretty. (In addition to the idea of bagged candy, they also provide free download templates for print which I later modified for my own use.) Shortly after buying the candy buttons, I received a sample candy bag from “the designer concept” (recently featured here on Paperie) and instantly knew how I wanted to package my own.

I’m extremely happy with how they turned out, but I wouldn’t expect any less from Moo!

For the other workshop, I used ProDPI for the printing.

In included 4.5×5″ Paperie Boutique postcards using their “press promo packs“, heart-punched a hole in the top corner, and attached mini toy cameras (with working shutter button and viewfinder). I also used two separate designs / sets of their “press tent cards“. One was the button candy bag topper – with two surprise photography-related quotes inside. The other was a business / promo card with my photography business card on the outside, and a mini-promo for Paperie Boutique on the inside. Everything was printed on their incredible, thick smooth matte paper.

If you’re interested in making candy bags of your own (they would be perfect to tuck in client orders!) check out the “Confections of a Secret Admirer” sets over at theDesignerConcept.com.

Recently I was also asked to test out the new ProDPI accordion booklets. I modified a new 2010 Pinkle Toes 4 Photographers (recently featured here on Paperie) CD / photo box design into an accordion template.

I ordered the Silk Upgrade Sapphire and Sea Green covers, and the Chrome Upgrade Platinum cover. I think Sea Green is my favorite although I keep changing my mind. It’s definitely the closest to my business colors. (You can view the second accordion photo larger here.) My favorite part about these accordions? They offer something no one else does – ProDPI‘s smooth matte paper. In my opinion, it simply cannot be beat. These little books are going to make clients very happy!

Stay tuned this week…more great giveaways planned!

If you’re interested in having your own business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment).

Just another manic Monday

We have a winner in the Go{4}Pro contest from last Friday—Hanna Long Photography!

Congratulations Hanna, and another huge thanks to Go{4}Pro for such an incredible prize giveaway! If you didn’t win this time, never fear. More contests are on the way.

I’ll also be updating the blog later today or this evening so check back! I shot a few newborns last week and over the weekend so I’m up to my eyeballs in editing… Not enough hours in the day!

Have a great week everyone!

If you’re interested in having your own business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment).

go 4 it!

Paperie Boutique recently did a packaging feature by Julie Rollins Photography. It was so popular, I added a follow-up post to let readers know where Julie purchased her marketing materials. And this could be your lucky day because one of those vendors (Go{4}Pro) is giving away an “everything / ultimate marketing kit” to one Paperie fan! I’m going to introduce Leah Stimmel now for this guest post and let her say the rest!

I created Go{4}Pro as a way to document my journey as I made my effort to do just that, go for pro. I quite literally started from scratch! I had seen an image by Mark Lee and fell instantly head over heels in love with contemporary photography and thought “that’s what I want to do“. So I figured I should probably start with getting myself a camera. When you decide you’re going to be a photographer and you’ve never owned more then a point and shoot, you have a pretty steep learning curve. But I didn’t care—with every part of me I just had to do this. I was smitten with this idea of capturing the genuine.

But of course the journey can be lonely when you feel that you know nothing and no one who does. You can feel quite lost! After several less then enthusiastic responses from my husband when I’d wake him up at 2 a.m. because I’d just stumbled on something amazing I decided to start blogging about these amazing finds instead. And so Go{4}Pro was created. A very happy side effect of Go{4}Pro was realizing the effect I was having on others. And although technically I still may not be the sharpest lens in the bag, my business background has given me a fabulous opportunity to teach and inspire which have always been deep passions of mine. As I grew so did my vision for Go{4}Pro. It’s become a place to learn, grow, find inspiration and of course great freebies!

With a DSLR came the need for Photoshop. The more I learned Photoshop the more I started to realize the potential past just editing images and that I enjoyed creating and designing. Thanks to my business background I love me some branding and marketing. No seriously, my idea of a fun book is in the business section! So combine my love for the business side of things and a soft spot for design and I started realizing that I wanted to create the ultimate marketing kit. I originally only intended to make it for myself and started writing down every single thing I could think of that I might want. Well I quickly realized I wouldn’t be the only one wanting such a kit, so I designed it to be easily customizable so that it could be properly branded to any photographer’s style.

I have created two kits. Both include the same content but with a different style. I wanted any photographer to be able to look past color palette and be able to see a style that would match with their current one. The Paysen Kit is retro and modern at the same time. Julia Rollins was recently featured on PB and she did a fabulous job taking the Paysen Kit and tailoring it to be the perfect fit for her!

The Adi Kit was my second project and very fun as I designed what I might have wanted had I not gone the mustard yellow route. (Which I’m obsessed with, by the way!) I created The Adi Kit with the idea of a classic and/or contemporary feel.

Both kits are packed with fully layered, customizable .psd files that anyone can use to enhance their business. And now both kits have contract and model release wording as well! I’ve seen a lot of marketing kits out there now—and don’t get me wrong, while the designs are often gorgeous they’ve never had even close to all of what I wanted. Add to that wanting to fully brand to MY business, and I realized that I had to create something different… Something that had EVERYTHING that I actually needed, and a few things that I only wanted. *wink*

I would love to give one kit, winner’s choice, to a Paperie Boutique reader.

I’d also like to let everyone know that right now the kits are $149. But when this giveaway ends, so does the price. Next Monday the kits will be going up to $199. (If the winner has already purchased the kit, I will gladly refund them!)

So how do you win? It’s simple!

Go to your blog, Facebook account, Flickr account, or Twitter account and post the following:

I want to Go{4}Pro with @go4ProPhotos / go4prophotos.com – visit Paperie Boutique / paperieboutique.com to see how you can win, too!

Please note: The link you post must direct to a public account. I cannot verify links on private, friends & family only, or passworded accounts and they will not be eligible to win this item.

You can enter up to four times total – one entry each per public, non-private blog URL / Facebook / Flickr / Twitter account. Post the URL to your link(s) in the comments for THIS ENTRY. Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, March 21st.

Comments on this entry will be numbered in order of posting. The winning number will be chosen by Random.org, and the winner will be contacted within 24 hours of contest’s end to claim their prize. Good luck everyone!

What a great way to close the week – thank you so much Leah! Don’t forget to add Go{4}Pro to your daily reads!

If you’re interested in having your own business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment).

what happens in Vegas

Yet another guest post from WPPI in Las Vegas last week. I love getting all the different perspectives. So many neat things to look at, and it seems something different caught each attendee’s eye. This next amazing summary is provided by Lydia Shannon. I’ll let her take it from here…

(The photos submitted with this entry are so good, I didn’t want you to miss any detail. So each one can be clicked on for a larger pop-up!)

Wow! If you didn’t go to WPPI this year, you CANNOT miss out next year. Start saving up, it is so worth it. I’m going to give you a rundown of some of my favorite items at the tradeshow. Make sure you check my blog for some fun photos from WPPI.

In no particular order…

Planetjill Jewelry
What a great investment for your business. For only $20, you can be a wholesale retailer, and they give you a sample, brochures, and a jewelry holder. It is super chic that they use only B&W images! Love it. Also, I met Jill, the owner and designer, and she is wonderful too! Make sure you tell them Lydia Shannon sent you!

MPixPro
Of course, I had heard of them before, but after looking at their products I was much more impressed. I especially loved this larger accordion book.

Oh and I loved the fact that their new mini accordion albums have magnets to close them up tight and you can buy just one if you want!

WHCC
I’ve always been a big fan of White House. This year I was especially impressed with their new Stainless Steel Standouts. It gives their old standouts a super modern, high end feel. Love it!

ProPhotoBlogs
I don’t have a picture to go with it. But I have to tell you how much I LOVE mine. I bought it last year at WPPI and I couldn’t be happier. Best, easiest way to blog, EVER! You can use my promo code for $10 off, LYDSHA432. I think there was a WPPI code floating around, but I don’t know it.

Kelly Moore Bag
It is even more beautiful in person then it looks online!

Canvas on Demand Pro
This is just such a brilliant idea! What a modern twist on a traditional signature frame.

H-B Packaging
These custom boxes are prefect for branding. You can either get your logo put on them or you can create a huge statement by custom designing your entire box.

Michael Chinn
I was in love with these exquisite folios the second I saw them. They are so classy looking. Also, there albums and DVD folios are beautiful too.

Pixel2Canvas
I know they have been featured on here before, but I have to tell you, Roxanne {the owner and creative director} is absolutely one of the sweetest and most enthusiastic people you will meet! They just came out with the most beautiful new product, ChromaLuxe Storyboards. AMAZING. Not only are they fabulous, but the price cannot be beat. I will be ordering a bunch of these.

Snaptotes
When I was going in to a class, I saw the coolest purse ever, and it happened to be Roxanne’s from Pixel2Canvas. Roxanne is teaming up with Snaptotes and creating incredible designs to go on their purses. Here’s the one that caught my eye on my way into class.

This is her personal purse, with an adorable picture of her son. I can’t wait for my clients to be carrying around amazing purse with wonderful designs.

Well there you have it, my favorite items! WPPI was absolutely amazing and I encourage everyone to go next year! I will be speaking at a tradeshow booth, I’m just not sure which one yet! hehe

Thanks! Lydia

Thank you so much for the amazing recap, Lydia! For more on her trip to Vegas, go here.

All of the 2010 WPPI Vegas recaps on Paperie Boutique can be found here.

Contest winners in the Photographer Cafe promotion and Hello Kitty Photographer window decal will be announced shortly on Thursday morning so stay tuned! I’m about to fall face-first into my keyboard so I’ll be on it first-thing when we’re up and around in the AM – promise.

If you’re interested in sending reviews / photos of WPPI 2010, or in having your own business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment).

café de photographe

The Photographer Cafe was given props on one of the recent WPPI Vegas recap posts. Now not only have they joined the Paperie family, but they also come bearing gifts in a guest post! So who’s ready for another give-away? Thought so!

Photographer Cafe strives to provide clean, practical, gorgeous products that will save you time and help your business shine. From album and card templates to marketing materials to a fun and inspirational blog, Photographer Cafe is here for you!

We are designating March as Marketing Month. To help you launch your efforts we are giving away our exclusive marketing set to two lucky Paperie readers.

The set includes: 1) a general purpose notecard, perfect for thank yous and general customer correspondence, 2) a sweet and simple business card template, 3) a bookmark template, a wonderful marketing tool that steps it up a notch, 4) a gift card template, and 5) an appointment card template. Choose from our Dreamy, Paris, or Fresh designs or our Basics Curves, Retro, or Contemporary designs.

Each is very customizable so you can change colors and modify elements to suit your brand. Check at least five items off your “to do” list with ease utilizing these fabulous tools!!

   Contemporary Marketing Set:

   Dreamy Marketing Set:

   Fresh Marketing Set:

How to win?

Post:  March is Marketing Month at PhotographerCafe.com / @PhotogCafe. Visit paperieboutique.com to win!

Here:  Your Facebook or Twitter account.

Then:  Post that (ONE) URL to your link in the comments for this entry. Be sure to be a Facebook fan of Photographer Cafe or a Twitter follower of @PhotogCafe (if you aren’t already!). Comments on this entry will be numbered in order of posting. We will randomly choose the winners from the comments below using Random.org. You have 24 hours to complete your mission. (This contest will self-destruct at 9:30 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, March 17th.) Ready, set, go!!!

Please note:  The link you post must direct to a public account. We cannot verify links on private, friends & family only, or passworded accounts and they will not be eligible to win this contest.

Let’s give it up for Photographer Cafe and this amazing give-away. Thank you so much – there are going to be two very happy Paperie Readers tomorrow night!

UPDATE: Sorry this is a bit delayed! My maiden name was O’Something, so St. Paddy’s Day is very much a holiday around these parts. I’m very excited to announce we have our two winners – Jeanine Krupp and Selena Jetnarayan!

Congratulations to both Jeanine and Selena! And thanks again to Photographer Cafe, and to everyone who entered! If you didn’t win, don’t fret – there’s more amazing giveaways in the works so check back often!

Next time…it just might be you!

Pssst…don’t forget there’s still just over 24 hours to win the “Hello Kitty Photographer” window decal!

If you’re interested in having your own business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment).

viva Las Vegas

Today I thought I’d start off by getting right to the good stuff – the freebie! One of my most prized possessions is my Hello Kitty photographer sticker on my car.

I recently bought another one and it came in a set of two. Since I only need one, the second one (shown here) is up for grabs!

Here are the details about the sticker:

• Outlasts and outshines regular vinyl
• Water Resistant: Designed to withstand all types of indoor and outdoor weather conditions
• Clear transfer tape for easy peel-and-stick installation
• Clear tape allows you to easily see where you want to stick the decal
• Intense look at night and stands out
• Appears silver/metallic white in daylight, but glows brightly at night when light hits it
• Sticks to any smooth clean surface: Cars, Notebooks, Windows, Walls, Mirrors, Laptops…

To win, you know the drill! Go to your blog, Facebook account, Flickr account, or Twitter account and post the following:

I love photography and I’m not ashamed to admit I ♥ Hello Kitty, too – visit Paperie Boutique / paperieboutique.com to win both-in-one!

Please note: The link you post must direct to a public account. I cannot verify links on private, friends & family only, or passworded accounts and they will not be eligible to win this item.

You can enter up to four times total – one entry each per public, non-private blog URL / Facebook / Flickr / Twitter account. Post the URL to your link(s) in the comments for THIS ENTRY. Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, March 17th.

Comments on this entry will be numbered in order of posting. The winning number will be chosen by Random.org, and the winner will be contacted within 24 hours of contest’s end to claim their prize. Good luck!

And if you just can’t wait to win one, you can buy one on eBay!

UPDATE: The winner has been announced here! Thanks everyone!

Now on to the good stuff! We have another guest post / 2010 WPPI Las Vegas recap, this time provided by Ursula of Sweet Shots Photography.

The photos submitted with this entry are so good, I didn’t want you to miss any detail. So each one can be clicked on for a larger pop-up!

And away we go…

Being that I live in Las Vegas, there was no way I was going to miss attending WPPI. Sunday through Tuesday consisted of classes and more classes which left Wednesday to do nothing but stroll the Tradeshow and let me tell you, Wednesday could not come fast enough! Not because I didn’t enjoy the classes, but because I was so excited to see the Tradeshow.

There were hundreds of fantastic vendors and here are some of my favorites:

Photo Flash Drive
• Huge variety of USB flash drives with free logo engraving
• Coolest part? No minimum order!
• Get 50% off any custom iPod case, Lanyard, Pen or USB Flash Drive. Code: CSPPAS5

Planet Jill Photo Jewelry
• Nice selection of jewelry and a wide variety of photo key chains, charms, etc.

Metal Mural
• They specialize in printing metal murals that are assembled with 4”-12” sized metal tiles.
• What caught my eye? The Mini Metal Mural Stand. This would make a great display for your studio.

H & H Color Lab – Professional Photo Lab
• Hot item: the 2×2 Square Minis. Every card can have a different image on one side and the same text on the other. These would be awesome for marketing cards and even to give your business cards a new look.

The Boudoir Divas
• A workshop in Paris, France! What, what!! April 29-May 2, 2010 Full of shooting, sales and everything in between. Oh, how I would love to check this out!!

Bayphoto
• A full service printing company offering prints, albums press printed and more. One of my faves, metal prints in almost every size, from a 4×6 to 30×40.

StudioCloud
• Need business management software? Check out this company for FREE business software that will help with Client Management, Scheduling, Bookkeeping and more. This is a definite check out!

Triple Scoop Music
• Awesome place for royalty free music for your website. Want to save 10%? Discount code Awesome2010 within the next 30 days for 10% off.

Scenes from the MPix Pro booth…

One of Robyn’s (paperieboutique.com owner) promo pieces spotted at the ProDPI booth.

The Finao booth…

The Wild Sorbet Frame Company booth… (UPDATE: It has now been noted twice in the comments that the frames shown above are Whimsical Frames by CPQ, and not by Wild Sorbet.)

Here are some other miscellaneous Coupon Codes:

WHCC – Save 25% on focused templates (Code WPPI2010)

ACI American Color Imaging – Existing customer? Get a free 16×20 print (Code: W1620A)

ClearBags – 10% off (Code: WPPILV3)

All in all, WPPI was AWESOME! Next year if you have to choose between buying a lens and attending WPPI…..attend WPPI. The people you meet, the classes you can attend, and the experience you will have gained—priceless!

Ursula Valmore
Sweet Shots Photography

Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with everyone, Ursula! Please drop by her blog and tell her thanks, too! And don’t miss our other Vegas recap from last week with even more vendor codes!

And don’t forget to enter the contest up above. You have until 11:59 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, March 17th. Hope you’ll have some Luck o’ the Irish!

If you’re interested in sending reviews / photos of WPPI 2010, or in having your own business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment).

instant gratification

Last fall after purchasing the Bad-Ass Bowler Camera Bag from Photojojo’s Store, I reviewed it here on Paperie Boutique. That review was such a success, Photojojo recently contacted me to see if I’d be interested in reviewing the Fuji Instax Mini Instant Camera. (Don’t miss the coupon code later in the post!)

I believe it took me all of 0.02 seconds to say, “YES! Please!”

It arrived earlier this week and I’ve had an absolute blast playing with it!

Assembly was very easy. Basically you take it out of the box, pop the batteries in, pop the film in, and go. (The Photojojo site has a great animated image that shows you how to load the film into the camera, so don’t miss it!) Honestly the most confusing part was that in my excitement I failed to RTFM and couldn’t figure out where the “power button” was. Turns out, there is no power button. You pull the lens out, “voilà!”, and you’re good to go…

The first day I took a few shots inside and then headed out back. I was amazed you could even see detail in the blades of grass. For an instant camera, it had very good clarity.

My boys were impressed with the “now you don’t see it, now you do” aspect of the photos. It was like handing over a little slice of my childhood to them.

For those of you want all the fine details, I’m more than happy to oblige. The Instax has a wide-angle Fujinon Lens (f=60mm) with a 1/60 second electronic shutter. (Its old-skool Polaroid Spectra counterpart has a 100mm lens.) The focus range is 0.6m to ∞.

It has a built-in auto flash in low light with auto-adjust and manual exposure compensation. There are individual exposure settings for indoor/dark, cloudy/shady, fine, and clear. You can check the LED exposure indicator and press the shutter.

The INSTAX Mini Film comes in cartridges and develops instantly. Each cartridge contains 10 prints – 2 cartridges, 20 prints per box. The prints are about the size of a credit card (2.13″ x 3.4″), making them very easy to take-and-go on a night out since they’ll fit right in a wallet photo holder. The image color is very vivid and bold, as you would expect with Fuji film. You can see here in the comparison shots I took first with my Polaroid Spectra Blitz, then with the Instax, just how much of a difference a few decades of technology can make.

The Polaroid images look so yellow, dull, and and washed out by comparison. Whereas the Fuji Instax images are bright and clear.

Don’t get me wrong – the images are not all tack-sharp. But for an instant camera, they are the best I’ve ever seen and this camera allows you so much control over the settings unlike its predecessors. Yet even with the color-pop the Instax provides, it still retains its roots and the images look remarkably ‘retro’.

Pros:
• very fast point-and-shoot capability
• can be shared by family members
• the instant-film is still in production
• unlike my Polaroid, the batteries are separate from the Fujfiilm Instax film (so if the 4 AA batteries die on the Instax, you don’t lose an entire pack of film in the process like you do with the Polaroid Spectra)

Cons:
• the price of the film (but you can’t really put a price on instant gratification now can you?)
• lack of a macro lens (DSLR shooting has really spoiled me all these years – this camera does not do very well in extreme close-ups)
• getting used to the lens-finder being on the right and the shutter-button located on the front (I’m a natural blonde and I have issues)
• figuring out how to convince my boys that it’s MOMMY’s camera

Now if you’re sitting there thinking, “This is all well and good but the expense doesn’t apply to my business…” Well think again! The photo below is the original reason I bought my Polaroid. You can do a lot of fun, creative shots mixing instant and digital / film. My clients absolutely adored this photo and had it blown up large for their wedding guestbook table.

So what are you waiting for? Not only is there an amazingly fun camera out there to be had, but the fact Photojojo is providing Paperie Boutique readers with a discount is just icing! So enter the code PAPERJOJO at checkout for 10% off the Instax cam until the end of March. You can’t beat that!

And with the money you save, you might even be able to justify getting one of the Bad-Ass Bowler Camera Bags for yourself to carry it in!

Thank you so much Photojojo! It’s been a long time since I actually had an excuse to “play” with a camera! And I have a feeling I’ll be making a lot more excuses in the future.

The first WPPI 2010 Las Vegas recap went live late last night. So don’t miss it! The post includes links to several incredible vendor discounts, only available for a limited time!

Camera mini-strap on the Instax courtesy of My Funky Camera who was featured on Paperie earlier this month.

If you’re interested in having your own business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment).