iPad.
Up till very recently that simple word shuddered inside me. I’d seen these things, read all about them, skipped the hype and pretty much dismissed them as expensive executive toys rather than something of value in the work place.
I changed tune when I needed to prepare a client presentation and realised that I would need to get some prints made and bound up into some sort of decent portfolio. Time was against me so I looked at my netbook as an alternative. It worked, I used it for the presentation but it just felt a bit clunky, the screen on there is less than ideal for displaying photos and most disturbing for me, fan noise..
After some online searching I soon realised that not only was the iPad a viable tool, but there were a few applications that were designed specifically for photographers to present their work. From the selection available there was one that appealed to me, It’s called Foliobook Very quick to set up, intuitive and a very enthusiastic developer who is keen to hear user input and wishes. Armed with the knowledge that this wasn’t just a gadget and… there was good software out there, I bought myself an iPad and installed Foliobook.
In the time that I’ve been armed with these tools, I’ve won 3 nice contracts, sold 2 weddings and even sold an iPad to a wedding couple. Now, I’m not saying that I couldn’t do that with a traditional portfolio, but I’ve gone in armed with just a digital portfolio and it’s not scared people off. Weddings are a different matter, people still want a hard copy of their album, but when the couple buy a printed album and an iPad, it does say something about how people’s attitudes are changing.
Anyway, the iPad itself is a nice thing to hold and see, easy on the eyes, smooth to hold. me being me though, I wanted to make it something slightly different, something that would compliment my wedding albums but also something strong in it’s own right. Walk into any corporate presentation with an iPad in your hand and people will know what’s coming. Walk in with a high quality hard-bound book in your hand and they won’t know what hit them when you open it. So this is my solution. I made it myself as a prototype, using exactly the same materials that my wedding albums are made from.
As for production and sales? let me know if you’re an iPad user who wants it iPadded.
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