Editor’s Note: We received inquiries about why we are only doing two ideas per newsletter…the answer is length … our goal (based on reader input) is the newsletter should be able to be read in 3 minutes or less …some issues could have one idea, others four – whatever we estimate will take you 3 minutes or less per week.  Is this still what you as a reader desire?

Idea #1 –

Greg Dyer, New Holland Camera, New Holland, PA - www.newhollandcamera.com

Here is something we have done that may be of interest to others, especially to those with a nearby military base.

A customer recently came to us looking for some type of photo greeting card. Her daughter had been deployed to Iraq, and she wanted a card with her daughter’s picture to send to family and friends. We designed a 4x6 photo card using a flag background, adding her daughter’s photo and some simple text. The customer loved it!

You can see a sample of the card (The card is in the third row) we designed at  http://www.newhollandcamera.com/examples.html

Idea #2 – Guest Editorial or Letter to the editor can bring rewards

Ben Deering – Training For Learning, Adelaide, Australia - trainingforlearn@ozemail.com.au

 Hi Bill, hope this email finds you well. We have been offering digital training to our clients every month as a one off session to help them understand their camera. If the mass merchants are selling the cameras with very little margin, why as a small operator would we bother to compete? Just gather all the camera buyers from the holiday season and help train them and introduce them to our digital lab, great repeat business. 

Following is a copy of the editorial we had included in the Saturday paper which is the best read newspaper in South Australia

DIGITAL --- NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR THE FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER

 The new wave of photographers in the family are using the new technology. All the special events and treasured memories from this Christmas and New Year celebrations have been captured on the new film, a memory card or memory stick and downloaded onto the computer. Wow! Relations and friends around the world can share the moments within a day of the event. 

For all those who are still struggling with their new digital camera from Christmas, a short 3 hour course in using your camera may be the answer. The Minilab Training Centre offers a short one off course to assist those new owners how best to use their equipment and gain those treasured moments to save for the family photo album.

“Many of our customers are women, mums, grandmothers, wives and daughters. It is a known statistic that 70% of the customers in our photo labs are women. They are generally the one person in the family who ensures the baby and children photos are captured and stored. ” says Catherine Logue, Principal of Minilab Training Centre. 

“The digital system makes the capturing and storage of family memories and family history a great easy to use process.”

“Many of our customers and other stores customers are a little anxious about the use of digital cameras, so we have put a course together for them in using their digital camera, to help them make the most of their investment and still enjoy the art of taking photos.”

The course looks at how to capture and edit the photos on the camera, how to take the best shot, what tips make a better photo and how look after the memory card, known as your digital film, and ideas about how to store the digital negatives after the event. We also take the course attendees through the digital minilab so they can see what happens at the other end of the process.

“Everyone enjoys experiencing what happens behind the scenes” says Catherine, “and when the attendees see their photos coming through the machinery it adds to the thrill of the photo and reinforces how simple the process can be.”

The opportunities to use the digital photographic skills are enormous.

• Many interested families who are currently working on their family histories can use the digital medium to restore and archive the photos on CD’s

• Families overseas can keep up with the growth in their family through the email of computer files or the receipt of CD’s with the latest family events

• Business operators can utilize the process to work with their products and services and keep up to date on the web

• Families and users with traditional cameras do not need to purchase expensive digital cameras, they can use the digital process through the school’s digital lab to transfer their standard photos onto CD and have the same benefits as the digital camera owner.

 For more information about the course in using your digital camera, please call Minilab Training Centre 08 82270310.

Things are shaping up for the Fall PMA – Chicago –

• Friday, October 22, 2004 from 1:00 to 3:00pm – As part of the Professional Picture Framer’s meeting concurrently with the PMA Fall Conference,  Bill McCurry will share insights and discoveries in low cost marketing. . . including the three greatest pitfalls in direct mail marketing. 

• Saturday, October 23, 2004 from 10:00 to 11:50am – Rumor has it this could be “The Mother Of All Roundtables” - - - an in depth round table to explore new avenues of revenue from the digital technologies that are currently available. . . in other words “I’ve got the machine, now how can I pay for it?” – Stay tuned as this rumor is investigated.

• The Marketing Idea Exchange will be Sunday morning (breakfast included!) October 24 – Be sure you plan to stay for this session to get the real scoop on what’s actually working in the real world . . . Bring an open mind and an idea to share.

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