by Doug Peterson, Head of Technical Services
I take many calls each day from our customers. In fact it is my job! While most of the conversations center around Capture One, Leaf/Phase/Mamiya Digital backs, or other products we sell and support I’m often asked for my input on a wide array of technologies relevant to photographers. One question that has plagued me for several years is what “engine” or service a photographer should use for their website. While PhotoDeck will not be the answer for all of them it is a great option for many.
What is Photodeck.com?
PhotoDeck.com is a full e-commerce and proofing platform for independent stock, assignment and portrait/wedding photographers, featuring:
- Online Archives
- Proofing and Delivery
- Stock Photography
- E-Commerce
Examples
Advantages
- Direct communication with the end-buyer. Most stock agencies firewall the photographer and the end-buyer. This paves the way for relationship building, followups, and repeat business.
- No commission payments. The photographer keeps 100% of the proceeds (minus any minor transaction fee, e.g. for credit card processing).
- Low monthly cost. $30/month for the pro version
- Custom URL and look. With minimal effort a web-savvy user can integrate PhotoDeck into their existing website design and URL. In other words visitors to your photodeck page will not have any idea they are not visiting another page of your standard website.
- Branding. When viewing your images at a 3rd party stock site (e.g. Getty) your image is mixed in with thousands of other photographers. On your own site you have your own brand.
- Client Approval/Delivery. A client can log into a private gallery and edit a shoot using a standard 5-star rating system.
Disadvantages
- No direct fulfillment of prints. Client can select and pay for prints through PhotoDeck but the photographer must fulfill the prints manually. High volume print orders could become tedious.
Tutorial Video
Upload and Publish images from PhotoDeck on Vimeo.