 aileen cockburn |
portable printer for a laptop I am hopeing to set up a small business going to peoples houses taking photos of their kids, idealy I would like to show them the photos there and then and print them off and give them the pictures they want to buy straight away. first question is do you think this is a good idea or should I come home and look at the photos in peace at home maybe resize etc in photoshop and give them proofs to pick from. question 2 if you think this will work what is the best printer to use with a laptop.
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John G. Clifford Jr |
Do I think this is a good idea? The better question is, do I think you'll be able to make enough money to justify the effort? I think the answer is, "No." Why? Because people don't value products or services that seem easy, and having you print a photo right there in front of them seems easy. It also puts a lot of stress on you to post-process, edit, etc., in front of them, in their house, with their kids running around etc. I personally think you'll do a lot better to have a studio, even if it is your dining room with the furniture tucked away for the afternoon, and have people make appointments. That seems to work for many portrait photographers in smaller towns, and it lets you 'batch up' your customers by having them all make appointments on the same day. You spend a day shooting photos, then you can spend the next week post-processing and preparing prints (you choose the best ones, not them), and then you can send all of them the prints with one visit to the post office. A lot less hassle for you.
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John G. Clifford Jr |
Oh... and if you do decide to go portable, you'd want a printer that produces archival quality prints and prints up to 8" wide (for 8x10s). IMO, the Epson R800 is a great choice. I still think that lugging a printer and laptop along with your studio gear around, and post-processing at your customer's kitchen table is a disaster waiting to happen.
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aileen cockburn |
thanks john I know that really but just wanted someone to tell me. i have been to a couple of peoples houses with my equipment and set up for a couple or hours and then gave them a proof album to pick from. this works well but thought I could do it all in one day. I have been thinking about getting an epson r1800 printer so I could offer a3 photos. Thanks again Aileen
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