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Posts Tagged ‘Photojunction Remix’

FTP: surprisingly simple

July 11th, 2009 in News by Nigel Hicks


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You know something’s been done right when its simplicity takes you by surprise … either that or something’s wrong!

If I told you something that previously needed its own piece of software can now be done with the click of a button, would you believe me?

It’s true.

Over the past couple of months the guys at Photojunction have been developing a feature especially for Queensberry clients. They’ve integrated the FTP process into Photojunction and released it in the latest release of Photojunction, beta 1.26b. Ordering and sending your album is now one smooth, easy process. You won’t need LabFTP any longer to upload your orders, and it’s all pretty much automated.

Click here to watch a short movie Danny, Ian and I recorded to tell you all about it.

Enjoy!

Cheers, Nigel

Download Photojunction 1.26b beta free here.

 

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    • Leading the horse

    July 1st, 2009 in Photography & Design by Johannes van Kan


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    I don’t read the instructions unless I need to.

    Needing to is defined by ‘it won’t work unless you read the instructions.’

    One of the weaknesses in Photojunction is its simplicity and a sense that you can work it out just by using it. Some of us would have it no other way.

    But that means there is a tendency to apply the status quo approach to it. It is too easy to write off something because you had a bad experience with previous versions. Ultimately we can become neglectful of progress through our established habits.

    I had a conversation over dinner with another photographer last night.

    They said that they exported their albums to another program to get better clarity in their slideshows … They had no idea that PJ was able to export slideshows in HD.

    There are several problems in play here. Firstly there is a modesty in the creators of Photojunction that means that they seldom stand on a rooftop and announce to the world what they have really achieved (not in an in-your-face way).  Secondly there are PJ users who have developed bad habits that are difficult to change. And thirdly there are people who do not pay attention when upgrades are announced and certainly don’t make the effort to watch the accompanying movies.

    So here is the water … imagine you are the horse … You know what to do next.

    Cheers, Johannes

     

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    • Photojunction Remix 1.26b beta

    June 21st, 2009 in Photography & Design by Ian Baugh


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    The latest PJ Remix beta was released last week. Here are links to three great new features: the ability to add text to layouts, the ability to import PSDs as images (instead of JPEGs) and templates, and a function to create proof sheets. Plus all the usual tweaks and fixes!

    Here’s another one Queensberry users will like – you no longer need LabFTP to upload your orders. It all happens within Photojunction itself. The software even talks to our server and assigns a Queensberry reference to your order.

    If you’d like to try the new version but aren’t set up to get beta updates, here’s what to do.

    Assuming you’ve already downloaded and installed PJ Remix 1.25, go to the Photojunction menu (on Mac) or the Help menu (on Windows) and choosing Check For Updates. If necessary you also need to turn on “Notify me of Beta Updates” in the Photojunction Preferences.

    Cheers, Ian

     

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    • Protective coating on Duo prints

    May 21st, 2009 in Photography & Design by Nigel Hicks


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    You probably know we offer free protective coating on all Queensberry prints bound in Queensberry albums. It’s a fine, almost unnoticeable coating, that helps protect the images.

    Prints in Duo albums are a bit more exposed than in matted books, so we’ve decided to coat all prints bound into Duo albums from now on. Free of charge, obviously.

    As most of our clients already ask for their prints to be coated, this change will affect only a few clients.

    The change will be reflected automatically in Photojunction’s smart filtering system in the next release, due out soon.

    If you’d like more information or have any questions about our protective print coating, see our website or contact your Queensberry Account Manager.

    Cheers, Nigel

     

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    • Extra eyes and ‘the fear’

    April 17th, 2009 in Photography & Design by Johannes van Kan


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    I remember ordering my first album. I also remember the fear that maybe I had made a mistake somewhere.

    I remember ordering my second. I remember that the fear didn’t change.

    A couple of times over the years I’ve made significant spelling errors. That didn’t help with ‘the fear’! The albums had to be repaired or replaced … and I ended up with a wonderful studio sample. Not the end of the world.

    The truth is that there are quite a few checkpoints in the making of an album using PJ Remix, as well as during production, so the chances of making mistakes are significantly reduced from what they used to be. I appreciate the extra eyes at Queensberry looking at what we do.

    Last week we had an album in production. In one image there was a problem with banding that we hadn’t noticed. The lab, however, did notice and contacted us about correcting it.

    The album arrived today. It was fantastic.

    In the end it is all about ‘trust’.

    Cheers, Johannes

     

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    • I don’t have time

    March 25th, 2009 in Marketing by Ian Baugh


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    Darlene raised another good point about my album-marketing posts. (I’d suggested that you split the wedding sales process into two stages, the process of booking the wedding and the process of selling the photographs. Stage 2 comes after the wedding, and often involves showing your clients an album you’ve pre-designed, or even designing the album with them then and there.)

    Darlene’s point was that I was promoting pre-design, but my advice was no help to photographers who have “no time to do that”.

    She’s right, but I can’t see what can be done about it. Pre-design requires the ability to edit the design, and for that you need the designer in the room!

    In a nutshell, that’s why we sometimes describe PJ Remix as a sales tool, not a design tool.

    On the face of it people who “don’t have time” to design their own albums run the risk of leaving money on the table. It’s worth thinking about this:

    • If you’re contracting out your album design, do it so you can get back to “shooting pictures and selling them”, where the profit is.
    • If you’re designing your own albums, treat it as design job and a sales job.

    Of course Stage 2 (selling the photographs) could be just that, a sales session to encourage your clients to buy more images for their album, but I wouldn’t assume it will save you much time. And you won’t have the ability to show them what their album could look like.

    Cheers, Ian

     

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    • Pimp my album!

    March 17th, 2009 in Photography & Design by Johannes van Kan


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    I was working with a client last evening sorting out their album design, and yet again marveling at PJ Remix. We were looking at what we might do with their design to take it away from the ordinary. The expression Pimp My Album came to mind … and things went crazy!

    There were tassels, dice, bling, and all sorts of flame shaped graphics … quickly recognised as possibly on the absurd side of album creativity.

    It did get me thinking how I might accessorise my beautiful classic album. I thought I would start a list!

    The obvious beginning is a case … there are two available (three if you include the original box).  Or maybe a bag … If you wanted you could make your own from all sorts of fancy fabrics …

    Then there is wrapping  … Inside the case there might be personalised tissue … mmmmmm.

    They open the book and there’s a personal thank you card … thanking them (the B and G) for their trust and money … actually better to work on the trust side  … maybe replace ‘money’ with ‘investment’.

    Then you might have a voucher for the pictures of their first-born!

    And of course operating instructions, which include care instructions and storage advice.

    And any self respecting album would not be complete without a miniature replica of itself.

    In the design you could add elements of the wedding .. menus, invitations etc.

    Gloves for handling with care!!!!

    Some technology … maybe a copy of the slideshow of the album on a disc or on a storage device.

    And a description of why this Queensberry album is unique and made of the finest materials, and why that makes the difference.

    Happy blinging

    Johannes

    PS if anybody is willing to share ideas please add them by leaving a comment.

     

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    March 9th, 2009 in Products & Services by Ian Baugh


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    This post has been superseded by new Photojunction functionality.

    PJ Remix’s Order Wizard saves “Bundles” (folders) of files to your hard disk ready for you to upload them to your album supplier and/or lab. But Remix itself doesn’t do the upload. Queensberry does that with LabFTP. Somethimes confusion arises around two points:

    1. Occasionally users think they’re done once they’ve run through the Order Wizard. Not so. All you’ve done is email us to expect an order. You still need to upload the files.

    2. Occasionally a photographer will open the bundle, take out what (s)he thinks we need and uploaded those.  The thing is we need everything! PJ Remix determines the contents of the bundle depending on the services you want. Just drag the ENTIRE BUNDLE to LabFTP for uploading.

    Click here for more about our workflow.

    HTH, Ian

     

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    • Like them, only better

    February 20th, 2009 in Products & Services by Ian Baugh


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    Alan (not his real name) and his wife were long-standing clients of one of our competitors. They came to us because they didn’t like the way they’d been treated.

    Unlike Katherine, who likes us (even if she’s frustrated), we haven’t earned anything from Alan and his wife except a chance to win their business.

    Alan’s customers really like our Duos, which of course they couldn’t get before, but he finds designing and ordering them difficult. Alan designs them on paper and his wife recreates them in Remix. Alan’s designs are reasonably complex, his wife is a fan of her old software (which can’t handle Duos) and she’s very reluctant to make the switch to PJ, which is “over-complicated”. They also have issues with some of our more “ponderous procedures” (my words, because I agree – more on that later).

    In a nutshell, if our competitor had Duos, and had treated Alan better, chances are we’d never have seen him.

    Put differently, my feeling is Alan would like us to be like his previous supplier, only better.

    Even if I’m wrong, that’s a very common reason for changing suppliers. “I want you to do what Brand X does but better, or cheaper, or faster.”

    My opinion is less important than our clients’, but for what it’s worth, I don’t see how switching suppliers can ever be all pros and no cons. There’s too much to learn and re-learn for there to be no difficulty.

    The up-side is always on the far side of a learning curve, and your comfort zone.

    Where Alan and his wife see complexity in Photojunction, for example, I see opportunities, and our team’s challenge is to help them take advantage of them.

    Duos, for example
    A more efficient work flow
    A sales tool
    Differentiation in the market.

      And not least, an end to those “ponderous procedures” when finally PJ delivers “a clear, complete and unambiguous order direct into production”.

      That’s our end game, and we’re closer with every release. We can’t expect everyone to come along for the ride, but we hope Alan will.

      Cheers, Ian

       

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      February 19th, 2009 in Products & Services by Ian Baugh


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      A couple of weeks ago I posted about aggravating business policies and touch points, and asked readers to tell us about the things we do that’s frustrating! We received three comments. One I’ve mentioned already, and the other two also raise important issues.

      Katherine (not her real name) emailed her account manager to say she doesn’t like Photojunction. More important, she doesn’t like feeling pressured by Queensberry into using it.

      She feels that if QBY were truly customer focused she wouldn’t feel this pressure and could continue in the way that’s suited her perfectly for the last seven years. She thanks Jo for her “never ending patience with me and PJ, but I do feel it is an overly complicated, non-user friendly piece of software.”

      We really appreciate Katherine for sharing this. It’s hard to exaggerate the value to any business of someone who’s been with you for seven years. We all want things to work for her, and certainly understand why she might not want to change. How can we respond?

      FWIW here’s my take on it. 

      Seven years ago our industry was very different.

      • Most of our clients still used film.
      • Album companies didn’t print and bind.
      • Digital albums were as scarce as hen’s teeth.
      • Our clients printed locally and assembled their albums themselves.

      Our product was unique back then. Even well before 2000 you could design the pages as you wanted – but you did so with pen and paper, and we “digitised” the design in-house. And we wrote earnest articles about how to design and sell from stacks of prints!

      In the last seven years there’s been a revolution. Everything I’ve just described has been turned on its head.

      It started with the very first US studio we visited. I remember Cara in Sacramento asking Heather and me, “Don’t you have album planning software for these?”

      It seems to me that some of the people who did business with us before the “revolution” – and liked us as we were – wish we wouldn’t change.

      But we can’t be the way we were because it was a different world then, and what we do now would have been impossible.

      Photojunction and the systems we’ve built around it are how we make your stuff. Other suppliers have (and need) their equivalents.

      Interestingly, we can still receive faxed orders etc, but we have to recreate them in PJ before we make them! What we can’t do in these tough times is ask other clients to pay that cost. PJ users already get their albums cheaper, faster and more hassle-free, and that can only become more marked.

      So realistically, all we can do is ask for Katherine’s goodwill and forbearance as we help her through the transition. But…

      I had the privilege of sitting in on a PJRemix album review session with Johannes recently and I was blown away by what I saw. Photographer and client riffling through the files… changing layouts… swapping images and opinions… adding pages… An intense, creative collaboration. Profitable too.

      Cheers, Ian

      PS  So having watched me sweat, have you thought about how your own customers feel? Another story tomorrow.

       

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