Portrait Proofing???

[CypressPhotog]

Okay, I am going through some serious growing pains. I need a solution fast!
I can't find a good way for my clients to proof. For my latest client, I have 149 photos for her to proof. I kinda tried Collages.net but the image is SO tiny. I don't think it's very easy to make a decision based on that.
How do all of you proof for portrait work?

[coreymcl]

You might look at Aperture if you have a MAC. But I'm sure there are less expensive ways to go I just don't know about them.

[PictureCow]

photoreflect is free... not great sized but free is nice!

[adam7731]

my own site. now 100 plus images for a portrait is a little much for me. Normally i dont have more than 10 if that. I wont let a client look at every single frame i shot. I go in and edit my raw images then go and renumber theam so the client see 1,2,3 and i dont get that question where are the number frames between.

[CypressPhotog]

Originally Posted by adam7731

my own site. now 100 plus images for a portrait is a little much for me. Normally i dont have more than 10 if that. I wont let a client look at every single frame i shot. I go in and edit my raw images then go and renumber theam so the client see 1,2,3 and i dont get that question where are the number frames between.

How long are your shoots? This particular one was with a family of four and a dog. Got pics of all individual and every mix in between. Shot for 1.5 hours. Are you just choosing your MOST fantastic 10? Maybe I should whittle down a bit.

[David Price]

$150 a year ain't too bad, is it? Their Pro account has several options that may be what you're looking for. Check it out, might work for you too.

http://www.davidprice.smugmug.com/

Regards,
~dp

[petert]

Originally Posted by CypressPhotog

Okay, I am going through some serious growing pains. I need a solution fast!... How do all of you proof for portrait work?

Well, for me, I've created a private (locked with a password) area on my site, then give the client a password. If your site is being run from an Apache server, this is very easy to do (I can give details if you want). Anyway, I use JAlbum to generate an online album and let the client cruise the images there and select the ones of interest. Any real prints, I order then pass along the cost + handling to the client.

For me, it's been "So far, so good". And it's a fast solution to your problem and you're maintaining complete control over the images... unless you're trying to avoid being the middleman in the deal (because of having to send for pro prints, then repackaging and shipping again...

I hope that was of some help...

[CypressPhotog]

Originally Posted by David Price

$150 a year ain't too bad, is it? Their Pro account has several options that may be what you're looking for. Check it out, might work for you too.

http://www.davidprice.smugmug.com/

Regards,
~dp

Alright, I'm liking SmugMug as long as I can customize it to look very professional. I like that the images are large, the site doesn't force my clients to order through them (I just want this for proofing, not ordering), that I can password protect galleries and they don't charge me $70/mo.
How many of you use Smugmug for proofing?
Would anyone let me act like a client and view a proofing gallery...log in and all?

[ndsimm]

try this one on my site:

http://photographics.smugmug.com/gallery/1250016

password is erin

BTW if you choose smugmug, use my email address and get a discount.....nathan@photosforu.com

[scotthelsel]

I like Imagequix. Resonable rates, you pay as you go only for what you need, one time fee no additional "percentage of the purchase charge", and the proofs are large and easy to see.

They have a couple of nice proof protection schemes as well.

They will take you clients order but you can print them yourself. They will also connect your credit cards purchses to your PayPal account if you use that.

http://imagequix.com/

[brad]

I use smugmug to host the photos, but I link them from my own site. I have a database that links the image number and the smugmug number.. then links them over from smugmug via a script.

http://www.b2pix.com/gallery.asp?galleryid=100 for a sample.

[Erin Kathleen]

I've had great luck with smugmug too.
www.1000wordsdfw.smugmug.com

I use them for all my weddings, portraits, etc. For weddings, I do give them a proof book since there are usually a lot of images, but for bridals and engagements, clients just use that to tell me which images they like. Usually, I'll go back and crop the images they like and are going to order and touch them up a bit and show them a few different options - sepia tones, color, etc. so then they can just order through me using the file number. I didn't love the prints (they use EZ Prints Lab), but they're ok. I recommend that my brides order through me for themselves and parents and let their friends and extended family order through the smugmug site directly.

Here's some bridals, I did recently. Her "order" is the first page or so with the options I was talking about and then the rest are the pages after that. Password is "whorten"
http://1000wordsdfw.smugmug.com/gallery/1272736

[David Price]

Originally Posted by Ciarrai

I've had great luck with smugmug too.
www.1000wordsdfw.smugmug.com

I didn't love the prints (they use EZ Prints Lab), but they're ok. I recommend that my brides order through me for themselves and parents and let their friends and extended family order through the smugmug site directly.

I don't care for EZ-Prints either altho I do like the Fuji Lsutre paper. EZ-Prints comes out with a green cast for me. So, I use WHCC and they did (past tense) a great job....then went to Kodak paper. Oh well, still good prints.

For my part, I just wish Smugmug wasn't associated with a lab.......but they make a good chunk of money with that service. I've had a couple of clients go there to look at the proofs and come back and tell me they get get their prints from Smugmug cheaper than from me . Duh.

ndsimm........I was kinda hopin' that if she choose Smugmug, she'd use my coupon number (which is listed on my Smugmug home page) since I was the first to pimp for them in this thread.

[Erin Kathleen]

You can set it up so that clients can't order prints through smugmug at all if you have the pro account. You can also set your prices if you want to let them order through there.

I prefer Millers to EZ Prints, but for a big wedding when you have friends and random family members ordering prints, it's a lot easier on the bride/groom and on me if they just order through smugmug rather than them (and me) trying to juggle all those orders...and it keeps my brides happy b/c it's one less thing for them to worry about.

[CypressPhotog]

Thanks so much guys. I did set up a smugmug account and I really like the look of it. I don't want the client ordering straight from there since I want to make sure the photo is processed 100% before I send it off to the lab. Like in a current shoot, the sky was flat gray. I am going to SLIGHTLY color the sky but I didn't want to do it for all the proofs I put up. David, I signed up for a trial but before I go full time I am going to see if I can use your coupon code.