Suppliers

[Dagna]

Mods - if we aren't alowed this thread, please delete it! (If we are, could it be a sticky?)

If we are, it is a place to post details of where to get things to put photographs on, and so on.

[lightphase]

While this thread is a good idea i dont think there will be many responses. I have sepnt years building up a network of suppliers and finding new products by travelling all over the world. And while i would happily share a couple that should be well known i dont like giving away my leads.

My reason being im sick of photographers coming upto me at shows saying they are my competition and asking where they can get stock like mine from. It just annoys me thinking that people expect me to tell them how they can make money.

Not a rant just my perspective on why it may be quiet here. But saying that, if you get stuck finding anything, give me a pm and i will privately try and help you with some links to people who could tell you ;-)

[soap queen]

you are right on that. Suppliers, prices etc may be well guarded.. BUT I think it would be useful to have an area where we could alert others to dubious suppliers - slow delivery, short measures, poor quality etc. In soapland I think we all had an inkling on 1 company going out of business and a word of warning could have saved some people from ordering and losing their money. On the other hand that might be leading us all into trouble - there might be laws against such a thing. How about the other way around - an area for excellent service, beyond the call of duty, surprisingly helpful suppliers etc etc.
all just thoughts - may be not well thought out!!

[lightphase]

all i will say on suppliers, check your high street some big shops have photo bargains

[dolts007]

Having read the above posts i find it hard to comprehend why people always have to regard themselves as competition. Ok, as photographers there is a limited amount we can show to any potential clients and therefore we will always duplicate with some products.

But as far as I'm concerned if your photos are good enough then they will sell.

However, like most things, what one person likes someone else wont so for me, as long as you have confidence in your abilities and imagery, its just nice to discuss photography with other like minded people.

The sticking point as the above poster has pointed out is that not everyone is the same and will ask what camera you have, are you sure you took that photo, especially to my wife which is an insult and then want to know where we have got our items. And then walk off !

I have PMd a few people with a few details of where i get my items but whether I'll hear from them again I have no idea. A couple have which is nice but we'll wait and see.

[Sarahleigh]

I don't think I'm a competitor to any of you to be honest. I'm a portrait photographer & would have found this sort of information really useful (thanks for the pm Dolts007). When you're just starting out it's really difficult to know where to source new suppliers as there are some really rubbish ones out there (ie wedding albums is something I've really struggled to confidently source recently). It's a shame some of you feel so protective. I sort of understand, particularly when you are approached by competitors at a trade show, although I would have thought a forum might have been different. A slightly different market I suppose.

Anyway, I would recommend the keyring blanks you can get through ebay and find they're really popular give aways/ad-ons. I won't worry about mentioning any individual seller as there are a few on there with identical ones.

For print I like the quality provided by Peak Imaging. I've found their skin tones, particularly, very good.

[dolts007]

Hi Sarah

A pleasure, hope you found the PM useful ;)

By the way, I have used an album by Hahnemuhle for showing clients our portfolio of wildlife shots etc. It has photo rag duo paper and brings out the most beautiful colours.

Costs around £30 I think but I can vouch that Hahnemuhle is one of the best papers around.

[Sarahleigh]

Thank you [again] :)

[kreed]

It's neither here nor there to me, as I believe your work will sell if it's good enough. £10 for a 10x8 print is what sells, spending a lot of money on high quality paper isn't justified. However, if someone is picky I have professional print companies to do the job. I also support local wherever possible, as it can be a reciprocal arrangement.
As far as my other wares, it doesn't take much to find competitive companies.

I think a 'thank you' is sufficient if I pass on onfo, but I do think that a little effort is required by someone, so in that respect I need to be asked rather than lay bare all the hard work I've put in up front.

Going back to my original point, I spent 3 years generating a portfolio with virtually no income & an outlay of £32 grand. Someone taking a shot of a lion in a zoo with a point & shoot on Auto & then expecting to earn from it will get short thrift from me!

[lightphase]

Photo gifts are the main seller up here, as i say i wont give away my suppliers, as i know alot of the crafters round me up here watch this forum and have already asked me where to buy things,

I even get some people asking to come and buy the frames off my pictures at some shows so have had to put a sign up saying im a photographer, and ive spent 10 years building my portfolio and im not here to supply cheap frames.

1 gift i dont mind sharing. Faux leather desk boxes, they are half price in staples at 4.40 i sell these at 7.99 and they are flying out.

On blank plastics watch who you buy off on ebay, there is one on there who takes weeks for delivery and is very rude if you question the time he takes to send you stuff.

Canvas printing - everyones pictures are dif i use a company off ebay called k d prints and buy a2 for 16.99 delviered very high quality. we have a few of these up in the studio for when visitors come

[Dagna]

Since I started this, I will share... :)

I get my postcards printed by Vistaprint. Also fridge magnets (of the magnetic flexible rubbery type), and notecards. I find the quality of those is fine, but I have just seen a couple of their mousemats, and the colour quality was very disappointing.

I tend to wait for them to be doing a 'cheap or free calendar upload' offer and then upload 13 photos all at once. Most of my startup stock of notecards, fridge magnets and postcards was bought via their free offers (where they just charge procesing and postage).

[lightphase]

try fileprint.org for your printing, if you design your own calendars / business cards

[Dagna]

I am looking for mouse mats, key rings and fridge magnets, so had a go at Google today. Has anyone tried either My-Accessories.co.uk or plastics-direct.co.uk?

[Sarahleigh]

Can anyone recommend an affordable printer for greetings cards? A photographer friend of mine is trying to raise some money for a charity and would like to print & sell some cards/notelets with her photographs on them (they're very good - she should sell them without any problems).

But she's struggling to find a printer who can print at a reasonable cost for a relatively short run (say under 50). She says she's going to have to give up on the idea as the unit price will be too high.

Any suggestions? Feel free to pm if you'd like to keep them 'under your hat'.

Thanks

[lightphase]

fileprint.org card heavy gloss cost 32p

[dolts007]

Just want to give the thumbs up to the photo wall calendars offered by Vistaprint.

Once you uploaded your photos and placed your first order (make sure its when they are half price) the cost is around £5 per calendar.

I opted for the glossy card finish which I personally feel added a better finish to the product.

I have only just started selling them at craft fairs at £10 each (see my website for an idea of how the design looks, although you have a number of designs you can play with) and by the end of the day we had sold them all.

Just another idea which originally was put to me by kreed (thankyou!) but it just adds another string to the craft photographers bow so to speak.

The other thing is that you can order as much or as little as you like and not be left with 100 calendars you cant shift !

[lightphase]

have you tried cd case calendars for desk tops

ive got details on the suppliers when i get home

[dolts007]

i had seen them on vistaprint but cant recollect the prices. Be interesting as im always open to new ideas

[Sarahleigh]

I just wanted to say thanks for this thread. Thanks to one of the recommendations pm'd to me I now have a supplier for photo gifts.
Here's some I mocked up as samples.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2652/3962257642_d55684bf8f_m.jpg

I have a nursery to photograph in a couple of weeks (76 children :o) & think this sort of thing would be great to offer the parents as extras.
Any thought on what I could charge for this sort of set (1 plastic mousemat, 2 plastic coasters, 2 fridgemagnets, 2 keyrings) - I'd want to keep it good value for the parents. I need to assess whether it's likely to be viable before forking out on big orders of blanks.

I'll also be offering a canvas, a 10x8 mounted print and a standard sort of nursery pack.

What do you think?

S

[Sarahleigh]

Does anyone know were I can get plastic bags for displaying prints (polybags?). These are for my nursery packs & would need to accommodate a fewprints with the largest being 10x8". All I could find on ebay were ones that looked like sandwich bags (resealable bit at the top). If I was going to use those, I may as well buy sandwich bags as it would be cheaper.

S

[HappySheep]

cello bags - I've got from several sources but I do buy a lot from liz-craft dot co dot uk - they are decently priced and arrive quickly. Hope this helps!
Judith

[Sarahleigh]

Me again!

I just wanted to say I've found a VERY good & very affordable ebay supplier for mounts/backs/bags. I already had some bags, but these bundles actually worked out cheaper than buying just the mounts from anywhere else. Anyway, this is him: http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/Music-and-Movie-Icons__W0QQ_armrsZ1

I wanted to ask about diaries/notebooks. I've been asked by a portrait client if I can get some notebooks with their childs portrait printed on the cover (ideally one child at the front and one at the back). I've found an ebayer who supplies blank notebooks, but they're pretty small & only allow one photograph on one cover. Does anyone know of anyone else who sells blanks or printers who produce this sort of thing?
Or, I was wondering about getting some basic notebooks/diaries & mounting a photograph covered with clear sticky film. Would that look amateurish?

Anyway, as you can see, I don't have a clue (again!) and would like to be pointed in the right direction if anyone has any ideas.

Thanks

[dolts007]

Hi Sarah

I too have only found a supplier that sells notebooks with the front cover option for a photograph. But, that said, we do sell heck of a lot which is encouraging.

Again, its something that people can use and that seems to be the trend at the fairs of late.

Rob

[Sarahleigh]

Hi Sarah

I too have only found a supplier that sells notebooks with the front cover option for a photograph. But, that said, we do sell heck of a lot which is encouraging.

Are they really small ones? Blanks that you put your own photo in. The ones I found were pretty tiny. Saying that, though, I guess she could have a few smaller ones.

I've also found that Vista Print will do a notebook with pics back & front & a calender panel inside front. Seems a good option for this particular client.

[dolts007]

Hi Sarah

The ones I have are 10cm x 7cm so a photo of 9cm x 6cm fits in nicely.

The people that have bought them like them as they can slip into a handbag or pocket. needless to say it is the ladies that have been buying these. I did try some of transport for the men but didnt shift them.

Rob

[lightphase]

if anyone needs any photo globs i have them as domes, snowmen and christmas trees, due to my wifes illness im selling them off at below cost at £2.00 each plus postage.

Same ones sell in click / tesco at £3.99 + i sell them at 4.99 with pic in