We didn’t take any break, though, and many development tasks take place outside of major projects. Among the small and not-so-glamorous improvements deployed within the past few weeks:

• Possibility to auto-play videos (via gallery styles) + video embeds can now have custom size
• Members can require clients to input full address upon checkout (via checkout options)
• Members can now view 500 images at once in the My Images & Videos panel
• Misc performance improvements
• PDF invoices for members’ subscription purchases (via the Me / My orders panel)
• New tutorials
• Full-screen option in rich text editor
• And… a few minor bug fixes

UPDATE: Oh, forgot that one: we’ve also made it much easier (1 click) to share private galleries with clients when you give then access via login…

We’re now planning a new major project and the actual work will start very soon…
but more on that later ;)

Dan Treadway skiing at Snowbird, Utah

By Scott Markewitz.

Every week, we feature an image that grabbed our attention, by a PhotoDeck member.

Today, we interview Jackie Shumaker about her business.

Jackie is a very successful industrial photographer.

She uses PhotoDeck to proof and deliver commissioned images to her clients – and even to host their private library.

Sunny Denver, Colorado, USA

Clean bold graphic.

We were early adapters of Seth Resnick’s D65 “workflow not slow movement” (D-65.com). Working in hazardous situations much of the time require fast responsive shooting. We paint with light in the field and create the magic in post. Many of our images are made up of 10-20 frames. Not to be confused with HDR.
We implement a level three backup system. Before work on the live files start, we backup three sets: Live, online backup and off line backup.

Well yes, but let me explain our approach. Each image is broken down into scenes. The individual scenes are styled and light to perfection. In post we assemble the scenes to create the final image. The approach is methodical and designed to allow us to move quickly in controlled environments where the time to craft a perfect image in one frame would not be possible. To reiterate each frame is perfect at capture and assemble in post.

We use mixed lighting. Mostly strobes with a touch of ambient. My lighting style is something you see more in movies. We use color correction gels and creative gels to craft the style of a given scene.

We specialize in images of the industrial world. Google “industrial photographer” and jackieshumaker.com comes up in the top ten, worldwide. Our clients are mostly general contractors and industrial companies who understand the value of clean bold graphic visual communications in their branding.

First camera at three. Announced photography to be my life’s work at thirteen. First paying gig, US Senate campaign, at fifteen. High school newspaper photographer. Won awards. BFA Photojournalism UNC. Won awards. Daily Newspaper staff Photographer. Won awards. Founded commercial studio. Clients win awards. Shift focus to construction market. Clients win more awards. Published world wide. Expand focus to industrial markets. Winning awards is fun seeking clients who want to win awards.

Being at the top of the SEO results is number one, followed by word of mouth and strategically placed ads in trade publications.

Focus on limited returns. Every key word you add dilutes your results. Everything you put out on the web must come back to the results you are seeking. Hitting that perfect combination more often than any other site makes you rise to the top.

Focus on one market – Becoming a specialist.

Hire support vendors too fast. Slow down, research, interview, get referrals and do more research. The correct vendor is an extension of your business and creative vision. Make sure they are the right fit before you commit.

Filled with opportunity. Chaos for one is opportunity for another. The fact that the path is not an easy one appeals to me most.

Master the art of business. Register your copyright from day one.

I embrace the change. We have been shooting Time-Lapse stills for well over 10 years to create the feel of motion. The next line of pro still cameras will have HD video capabilities. We are visual content creators, the evolution will come naturally as our tools evolve.

Moving at the speed of change in the visual creative industries. We work on what I like to call “the bleeding edge of technology”. Our customers want cutting edge visual content that requires the latest and greatest tech equipment and know-how. This comes at a higher than average price. Educating our clients is a big part of the job. They are willing to pay higher fees once they understand the added value we bring to the table.

PhotoDeck is our back-of-the-house client proofing and delivery system. Many of our clients have proprietary image libraries that require password-protected entry along with the ability to log each entry. PhotoDeck allows us to track every person who logs in and when. We have future plans to build out a stock site from the home page in the coming year.

Built into the production cost of every assignment is a charge for 30 days of web hosting. We have always offered long term hosting options, but found the UI of our past service providers killed the opportunity for success. Past services were to difficult for most customers to navigate. Now that we are with PhotoDeck I am hoping to see this change. The whole experience is user friendly, fast, efficient and has an excellent user interface. Thanks PhotoDeck.

Yes. The number one comment we hear is how easy it is to use. They also love that we can comment directly on the images and have a communication trail in the Lightbox.

Simple clean interface with user friendly features.

The ability to upload DNG files.

Cuban band, by Jeremy Woodhouse.

Every week, we feature an image that grabbed our attention, by a PhotoDeck member.

Big day for us today – we’ve launched PhotoDeck in France!

All parts of the service are now available in French (via e.g. www.photodeck.fr), including the tutorial videos, which undoubtedly will make it easier for Frenchmen to benefit from the great solution PhotoDeck has to offer — and will help establish PhotoDeck in France too.

The press release (in French) is here.

Not interested in French? Fear not – we have great innovations coming up over the next few months, that will rejoice all our members ;)

By Dennis Boyer.

Every week, we feature an image that grabbed our attention, by a PhotoDeck member.

Instead of re-inventing the wheel, PhotoDeck makes use of the service provided by AddThis.com to easily add buttons.

Step 1: make sure that the AddThis.com component is present in your design

If it is not, you can easily add it, just like any other component. Check out our tutorials if you’re not sure how this is done.

Step 2: configure your social buttons on AddThis.com

Go to AddThis.com, and use their tools to pick the buttons you want, in the style you want. (You don’t need to register). At the end of the process, you get something like this:

Copy that piece of code.

Step 3: copy the AddThis.com code into your design

On the Style and Layout editor in your PhotoDeck admin space, select the AddThis.com component in your design, and simply paste the code:

Remember to hit Apply, then Preview or Save & Apply.

Done!

I now have the buttons I want on my website:

To refine further, you can also add/remove lines in the AddThis.com, as detailed on their website.

By Bryan Peterson / Evolve Images. Evolve Images is a new stock agency that features exceptional work, just launched on PhotoDeck!

Every week, we feature an image that grabbed our attention, by a PhotoDeck member.

Hiker on frozen swamp, Finland

By Markus Sirkka.

Every week, we feature an image that grabbed our attention, by a PhotoDeck member.

Merry Christmas!

By Alex Maxim.

Every week, we feature an image that grabbed our attention, by a PhotoDeck member.