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Yvette Roman, Wedding & Portrait Photographer joins host Scott Sheppard for some insight and perspective on the impact of VPS LLC’s recent patent suit against Pictage on her photography business and what this action means to professional photographers selling their work online. Yvette, a longtime Pictage client, received a notice from Pictage raising their fees effectively immediately. Yvette uses Pictage’s services for online proofing and remote print sales and fulfillment. Yvette explains the benefits of working with Pictage, including the ability to store and access her archives off-site providing her instant access to her high-resolution images.

VPS LLC., in their suit, also went after some individual photography studios. Rather than panic, Yvette did extensive research to find out the details of the patent and shares her findings. She explains that Pictage’s services involve an online conversion and replacement of high-resolution and low-resolution images handled on their server which was the root of VPS’s patent and their suit costing Pictage millions in unpaid royalty fees which they passed onto their clients. The suit has since settled and Pictage’s new fee structure is in place.

Yvette also researched some other lab options including services offered by DigiLabs and RedCart which are not effected by VPS’ patented technologies. She advises other photographers to look into these services carefully, and encourages them to ask whether their business model is affected by VPS royalties or patents.

Yvette also explains some details about her work. She primarily shoots on film and then scans her original work for digital finishing, in a hybrid workflow. She feels her traditional approach has helped her carve out a niche in her local wedding market and shares some anecdotes to consider.

Find out more about Yvette’s work at: http://www.yrphoto.com

The McNamara Report on Inside Digital Photo with Michael J. McNamara
This week’s topic: Sony’s latest HD Mega-Camcorder: Is it a DSLR replacement?

At CES 2009 Sony introduced a new HD camcorder that’s bound to catch the attention of still photographers. On the one hand, the HandyCam HDR-XR520V (@1500 street) does all the things you’d expect from a decent Sony HD camcorder, like capture hours and hours of high quality 1080i HD video to its 240GB hard drive, plus reveal detail in low light with the help of its new sensor and bright 15X optical-stabilized lens. On the other hand, it crosses the line into high res still photography by capturing 6MP still photos (Sony claims 12MP still capture, but that’s after interpolation) to a Memory Stick Pro DUO. Plus, it has a built-in GPS receiver for geotagging location information to both still photos and movies. Learn more about this camcorder and why it might bring more than a smile to serious photographers in this segment of the McNamara Report.

Listen in on the McNamara Report segment or get more photo insights and analysis on a variety of topics from Mike McNamara at: http://www.mcnamarareport.com.

Listen NOW…

Option-Click or Right-Click HERE to download this radio program (mp3)

Sean Arbabi, Commercial Photographer joins host Scott Sheppard to share his background in commercial/editorial work and experiences in developing a successful stock photography business. He is also an author and instructor who hosts both online classes and workshops. Sean explains that although he specializes in adventure, lifestyle, nature, and travel photography his assignments have also expanded his portfolio to include over 350,000 stock images. Sean feels that although the stock industry has changed over the past few years but is still a viable outlet, albeit more diluted, to generate revenue. Sean reminds us that in the end it’s not always about being the best photographer but rather about being the smartest business person behind your work.

Sean recently completed his first book published by AmPhoto, "The BetterPhoto Guide to Exposure" which he wrote based on his popular courses available at http://www.betterphoto.com and helps you master the art of proper exposure. Sean is as passionate about teaching others as he is about being a successful photographer and shares some tips on metering light. In addition to being a great photographer and instructor, Sean’s passion for teaching has also led him to create a concept and pilot for an informative TV/Video series "The PhotoGuru with Sean Arbabi", which is also available on YouTube.

Find information about his work, books, workshops, videos, and more at: http://www.seanarbabi.com.

The McNamara Report on Inside Digital Photo with Michael J. McNamara
This week’s topic: McNamara on Memory Cards

This week, Mike debunks some common myths about today’s latest and greatest and largest memory cards. Find out what to look for, the capabilities, and what to expect when shooting digital using various configurations. Are there limitations? absolutely. Understand the truth behind the marketing hype surrounding the latest format speed and sizes.

Listen in on the McNamara Report segment or get more photo insights and analysis on a variety of topics from Mike McNamara at: http://www.mcnamarareport.com.