As I’ve looked around the web at studio offerings and worked up my own photo package price lists, I keep coming across something that really nags at me. The wallet sized print.
Yes, back in the day wallet sized images were the rage, right? The latest portrait of your kids or grandkids landed in your wallet. And you were always at the ready to assault any passer by with your images, whipping your wallet open on any random street corner. Me personally, I’m not opening my wallet on a street corner, but that’s just a personal preference.
But let me ask you. Is the “wallet sized” print what it used to be. I mean, are wallet sized prints really a necessary part of a portrait studio’s lineup today? I’m just not so sure, and I’ll tell you why.
My IPhone has an incredible screen. I can store images on it. I can take pictures with it too. And so can anyone else. So, would you rather a wallet sized image from your portrait session, or would you rather an image you can put onto your smart phone, tablet, or computer?
For me the answer is simple. I’d rather have something on my IPhone. The wallet sized print is a fossil. The IPhone screen is a much better display for images than a little print ever will be. And the image won’t get bent, wrinkled, or faded from living in my wallet. My phone seems pretty resistant to that stuff.
So I wonder, how many consumers out there really buy wallet sized images today? Do you still whip out your wallet to show your latest image of Bobby or Suzie, or do you pull out your smart phone to show folks how quickly they’re growing up?
After thinking about my own price lists over the past few weeks I decided to add one more product to my lineup of offerings. Digital downloads of images for individual use on their smart phones, tablets, and computers.
The next time you visit my Zenfolio site and click on an image, look to the right side of the screen and you’ll see my featured products list. The first item, IPhone / Screen backgrounds is the latest offering. So for folks who like my images, or clients who want a digital version of an image from their session, we now have a product. And it won’t get bent or wrinkled traveling around in your wallet!
On this one I’d love to hear back from readers. What do you think? Is it an interesting idea? Is the wallet sized print dead or am I just a really odd guy who thinks too much about obscure stuff? Seriously, I’d love to hear your take on this.
Oh, and by the way. If you’re a fan of my images but don’t want to buy a print you can now purchase a digital download of any of my images on the Zenfolio site. Want a nice screen background on your work computer so you can day dream about not being in the office? Well, they’re now available! And they’re actually $2.50 each, not $3.00. The screen shot was my experimentation with the product.