The shortfalls of digital media as a product:::

[farmer_rob]

You've shared some great insights, there. Thanks. I'm going to chew on them for a bit and get back with something a little more coherent when I've had a chance to mull it over.

One bit that did jump out to me immediately was the following:

I don't think it is up to you to limit your customer.

That's a baffling comment and I strongly disagree. If I run a business, it is absolutely my prerogative what I offer my clients. Do you think it's reasonable for customers to demand KFC sell them Big Macs or pizza and expect their request to be taken seriously?

You took me out of context Zeke - the full sentence was:

Given the flexibility we now have, I don't think it is up to you to limit your customer.

Perhaps I should have clarified it with - " in the form with which a delivery of a photographic image can take."

If you have a customer approach you and asks "I want 20 glossy prints at 20x30cm", it would be stupid of you to say "sorry, I can give you a digital file - go down the road and print it yourself". It seems to me that there is the flexibility to offer alternative deliveries with limited cost to yourself. What are you selling? digital images? prints? or is it "photographs" that are delivered in a variety of formats.

BTW, If I was running a KFC and continually had customers coming in and asking for Big Macs, the sensible business approach is to try to meet this unmet demand for food (or gap in my product lineup.) (I know that given the brand image and lack of flexibility of the franchise arrangements, this is not going to happen.)

However refusing to meet the requests of customers just wandering in and asking for something that you can supply but don't want to . Customers and clients cost more time and money to find than to keep. Think very carefully before giving them a reason to go to a competitor.

I sell beef cattle. The market asks for cattle that are 9-12 mo and 300kg. I am not going make my money selling 600kg 2yo into that market, even if that is all I want to do.

Obviously it's prudent to test the market and try to gain an understanding of A. what the market wants, and B. what price the market will bear. We have found that there is a massive market for discerning clients who are happy to purchase prints, despite the incessant chorus of photographers (amateur and professional alike) screaming 'PEOPLE JUST WANT FILES'!

I think you have just proved my point - you are selling what your customer (and market) want, and you disagree with photographers "screaming 'PEOPLE JUST WANT FILES'!" - who are not reading the market.

(Although I bet if one of your customers wanted a file to go with his print, you'd sell it to him for a price.)

In any case, I think that most photographers who preach the sale of files do so primarily for reasons other than any sense of sensitivity to what they believe clients want. I think it's just easier.

Agree completely - too many business owners sell what is easy for them: not necessarily what the market wants.

[rwg717]

I've been wondering about this concept myself for years, about 12 months ago I noticed Kodak selling "gold"? discs (DVD) guaranteed safe for 100 years, hmmmmmm, I did buy a couple to sell to clients, fortunately none of us will be around by the expiry date to see if this was a worthwhile purchase or not
Richard

[arthurking83]

Actually! Richard thanks for the reminder.

I have a few of these old Gold CD disks from many years ago, when I first got a CD burner(1995!)

made a few disks of various stuff. backups of data(on old Excel, etc, etc).
I'm sure all the files(types) are still viewable/readable.

As for interfaces. For sure the really now really old types have faded into total obscurity, but the more popular types such as the old legacy mouses you can still get adapters for. Serial ports are now basically a thing of the past. If the motherboard has a serial port.. it's an old motherboard!.. USB to serial adpaters have been and will be around for a long time.
As Scott said tho, the (hardware)intefaces will change over time. That's a foregone conclusion, just as media cards interfaces will change in the future. CF will eventually dissapear, to be replaced by Super CF(or whatever it'll be called).. but there'll be a gradual change.
It happens over a many years. You've seen it all before. the new 32Gig Super CF cards first get introduced at $1000, then the next gen 128Gig cards come in at $1100, and the old hat 32Gig cards no longer have the same lustre, and now sell for only $500(only a month or two after they came to market!). CF cards are still available tho.. they haven't all suddenly dissapeared off the face of the planet.. there's many more years oflife stil left in them, and no doubt by the time those 32 Tb Super CF cards are not selling at JB-HiFi for $29 .... (and the early adpopters get all misty eyed and dreamily remember the good old days.. a year ago when they paid $1000 for that first 32Gig SCF card!).. anyhow.. by the time that average Joe Punter can actually afford their first SCF card, there'll be an adapter made so that you can still use your CF card with your SCF card and vise versa.

It's one thing to accede to customer requirements in business, and in many cases you'd be daft not to do so if it's such an easy request like "Ï want prints too".. but to close yourself up to the future of digital storage/transmission/display/etc... /capture? ... it's just silly, especially when it's based on the wrong types of fears of the format.

[antongorlin]

I totally agree with you, Zeke. I'm not a pro yet, but I've found out, people devalue electronic files greatly. If I give a gift to someone in the form of print, they are "thrilled" as you say, if I give a print it's like "thanks" and they will never print it...

[farmer_rob]

I totally agree with you, Zeke. I'm not a pro yet, but I've found out, people devalue electronic files greatly. If I give a gift to someone in the form of print, they are "thrilled" as you say, if I give a print it's like "thanks" and they will never print it...

But although you have given them something as a digital print, it has not cost you anything to do it. To produce a print takes some time and effort, and people will appreciate it more because of the effort.

However, I do agree with the general thrust, the "image" is worth more to the end recipient if it has some physical form.

[arthurking83]

.....

However, I do agree with the general thrust, the "image" is worth more to the end recipient if it has some physical form.

Can't you just send it wirelessly to their iPhone!



ps. And for what it's worth. I sent my sister a bunch of images(family type images) prior to last Christmas, all digitally, and via email.

She appreciated it so much, that she went out and made a clandar of them all... and not only one, but she also made another for my mum!

I remember when digital photo frames were of the most dreadful quality, and they cost an arm and a leg.. even on fleabay! But now you can get HD versions and bigger screens and they're basically the cost of a decently large print of significant quality.
And with the advent of iPhones and iPods and iPads and Nintendo DSi's... etc, etc... I think the future of image presentation is definitely about to change, and more quickly than ever before.
Whether that's for better or worse, is up to the individual.