Storing Photos Online? How the Subscription Model Makes It Easier

Joe Andrews Hi-Res Head Shot 0156

Joe Andrews

Sr. Director, Marketing

 

The Subscription Economy is driving a shift in almost every industry, including creative services. Just last year, Adobe, the global leader in digital media and marketing solutions, announced that they are moving to a subscription-only, Creative Cloud program.

 

Within creative services, perhaps no medium has evolved as much in recent decades as photography. What used to be a time-consuming process in a dark room with film is now almost completely digital. It is easier than ever for a photographer to point, shoot, edit, and share their work.

 

But what about image storage? Quality, highly pixelated images take up a lot of room on a computer. Many photographers spend a large part of their income purchasing external hard drives to store their digital files.

 

Now, there is a better, cheaper way! The subscription business model allows companies to easily and efficiently offer digital storage space subscriptions.

 

Shutterfly is a prime example of this new model. A free subscription allows users to upload and store an unlimited number of photos that will never be deleted. Consumers can use their free photo libraries to create a variety of custom products, and professionals can use a range of free to paid cloud storage services, and a simple, beautiful face for sharing work with clients.

 

We spoke with some experts in the photography and digital storage fields to bring you some valuable information on how subscription services have changed the photography industry for the better.

 

Save Money

It takes a lot to own a photography business, and everyone wants to save money without giving up time and quality of work. Sherwood Yao, CEO and co-founder of tapsBook tells us how.

 

Subscription based models are typically a lower fixed amount month over month, and this model usually results in a lower fixed monthly payment so that business can better predict their profit without the variability of the cost.

 

Better business predictability means less of a risk and potential for increases in profit.

 

Fast Turnover

When someone has a life-changing event like a wedding, photographs are the most important aspect for recording and preserving the moments. While the memories of the day will fade over the years, photos remain. One thing brides don’t want is to have to wait for months to see their photos. Professional photographer Lisa Noble explains how customers are able to get quality photos faster.

 

I use online photo storage services to provide proof galleries to my clients, to backup my client files, and to create zip files for image delivery. The growth of, and improvement in, the available digital services has made it easier for me to quickly and easily deliver high quality images to my clients. 

 

Quicker turnover means happier clients and happy clients mean they will give photographers the best kind of free marketing by recommending them to their friends!

 

Easy Delivery

Using subscription based storage for photos will allow the clients of photographers easy access to their photos, with the convenience of a quick download. Stephen Knuth, social media marketing expert, photographer and owner of Remix.us, explains.

 

There are many file sharing options, and there are pros and cons to each, some allow you to design the website layout to feel like a website experience while easily getting the files. Clients want it to be easy. They can easily download images from Facebook, and downloading a photographer’s images should be just as easy. Download experience is key in today’s world for this industry.

 

Clients want to be able to download and share their photos efficiently with their loved ones.

 

Safe Storage

Working as a photographer means handling someone’s priceless memories. The worst thing that can happen is to lose those memories because of a computer glitch. Marie Stones, founder of FreeDigitalScrapbook, shares the best way to keep your photos safe.

 

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard stories of people losing all off their precious memories when a hard drive crashes or memory card is lost. To insure your photos are safe I always recommend having them backed up in at least two different places. I have mine stored on my computer, online and on an external hard drive that I keep at my parents’.

 

Subscription storage offers an easy way to make sure photos are backed up online. Only having them on a hard drive is simply not worth the risk.

 

Show Off Talent

Before they think about hiring a photographer, the first thing clients want to do is check out examples of the photographer’s work. A concise online portfolio is crucial. Janina Rad, an employee of SnackTools, further explains.

 

Photography is the fastest changing art and probably the most popular as well. Nowadays, photographers need to showcase their photos online, on websites and social media to get some visibility. So they are interested in finding digital solutions that focus on them and their photography.

 

A simple and well laid out portfolio that is stored online gives photographers a way to show off their work to future clients.

 

A Better Way

When doing any job, it’s pivotal to have the right tools. In our digital world with all its intangibles, the right tools for your job might not just be a hammer and nails anymore. The subscription based storage model gives photographers a better way to safely and efficiently store and share their work, creating easier access for clients, and making a better business all around.

 

Learn More

To learn more about how Adobe and other companies are making the shift to recurring revenue models and what it means for your business, register for this 30-minute webinar.

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