Davethehiker Loc: South West Pennsylvania

I opened a premium level account with Zenfolio several weeks ago with the hope of selling a few of my Hummingbird photos on-line through them. First their base prices are way too high!
You can add on any profit you want but they charge so much for prints and Tee Shirts, etc that if you add on a profit for yourself, you end up gouging the client! Costco sells much better Tee Shirts and large prints for almost half the price.

The only way I can see room to make a profit is with the Digital Download" option they offer. They say they only take 8% of the price you charge for digital downloads. That's reasonable. The problem is I have yet been able to get that feature to work! I have sold several digital copies of my works for $50 each by simply attaching them to e-mails. That way my clients can have them printed wherever they care to and as many times. I only ask that they do not sell the digital images I provide or sell my works for profit.

I attached a small version of the images I have been selling. The real image is huge, and can be enlarged to cover a wall, where you then see the structure of the feathers. See the second attachment to pixel peek.

I'm I the only one? Has anyone been able to provide digital downloads with Zenfolio?

I have asked Zenfolio for support on this issue. So far they just send references to the help section, not real help.

I'm thinking of telling people to check out my stuff on Zenfolio. If they see something they like, contact me and I'll email it to them full sized for $50. I would save 8% that way. :-P I wonder if that's legal :?: :twisted:

(First visit the blue hypertext at the bottom of this page. PM me if you see something you like. :idea: )

Davethehiker Loc: South West Pennsylvania

I'm now gaining control of my Zenfolio website and if you go there now you can download two of my best digital files. I found Zenfolio very confusing to set up but it's very flexible. I still think they charge too much for for their prints. I ordered the same bird printed on a Tee Shirt from both them and Costco. Costco's was clearly better and almost half the price.

TimS Loc: GA

All you do is set up a price list and include the products you want to sell on that list. If you want to include downloads then add digital downloads to the price list. Choices are medium, large, and original.

Works fine for me!

LWH Loc: Nebraska

I've had a Zenfolio premium account for 2-3 years and like them very much, but I don't bother with their digital download. If you can get $50 for a digital download by e-mail, why bother with Zenfolio?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Beautiful pictures. :thumbup:

Davethehiker Loc: South West Pennsylvania

Because it does not happen all that frequently. I have had just a few people from UHH PM me and ask to buy my hummingbird images. I sent them e-mails with the images attached. I think they printed them on their own printers. This was before I had the Zenfolio account.

Next month well known photographer Gary Friedman is going to include a detailed description of how I take my hummingbird photos on his Internet blog. With such world wide exposure I fear I will not be able to handle the volume. (I can dream, can't I?) Zenfolio automates the process.

If you look at Zenfolio's prices for large, mounted or framed, prints i.e. 20 by 30 inch, you will see that it is economical for a client to buy the digital image and print them themselves or have them printed elsewhere. Remember, once they have the digital image they are free to use it as they care to as much as they want. They can have a big wall print for themselves, then have custom greeting cards printed for their own use. The only restriction ask is that they do not sell my work for profit. The fast majority of people are honest.

Currently my Zenfolio webpage does not even offer all those other options for Tee Shirts, Cups, prints, etc. I plan to add those options latter, for those who want that stuff.

I guess most people just want a simple way to place an order and are willing to pay for that convenience. Zenfolio does provide that.

Thanks Jerry. Happy you like my stuff. You can see more at my website. I'm still working on it. Please be patient with me.

Davethehiker Loc: South West Pennsylvania

It took me a while, but I now have my Zenfolio page set up so it offers Vendor products from soup to nuts, and a bare bones download of the images of few of my best works. I'm happy with it now. It will be fun to see what happens in September when I get all that publicity. It will also be nice to have this Fall when I have my table at the Annual Charity Craft Show. People will be able to order whatever they want and pay by credit card.