Peter's Blog

ALBUMS INC. WILL SOON BE IN THE PHOTOBOOK BUSINESS!

2008-05-17T15:46:00.000-07:00

In response to popular demand at recent national trade shows, Albums Inc. is introducing a new line of press printed, professional quality photo books, calendars and cards so our customers can generate additional sales.

At PPA and WPPI our sales and marketing team had several requests from customers for high quality press printed albums. Consequently, we are now ready to introduce the ProCraft Photobook line! With it, you’ll enjoy free downloadable album design software that is a snap to use. It has many features that professional photographers will find both useful and convenient. Our developers have done an incredible job of making the software user-friendly.

Our new ProCraft Photobooks are printed on the highest quality paper, offer an extremely durable binding, and come in both traditional and lay-flat styles. Working with them is as simple as going to our web site, downloading the software, creating your unique design, and sending the files off to us. Within seven to 10 business days you should have your order back!

We are always open to your suggestions and hope to expand this new Photobook line based on your preferences and customer needs. Of course our pricing is very competitive, and the line, as always, is backed up by excellent customer service.

Remember, our books are created with the professional photographer in mind and should not be confused or compared to consumer grade product. There is a big difference between the two, especially when it comes to our level of customer service, tech support and satisfaction guarantee.

Keep a lookout for our official announcement in the very near future!

Peter Cardello

YOUR BEST IDEA GETS A PRIZE!

2007-12-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

It’s really not a contest (well, okay, maybe it is) … but what I’m actually hoping to do is open communications between me and you – all of you!

As a photographer-turned-businessman, I remember what a difference a new product or service can make to the way you do business. How it can adda spark – and a sale—to your day. Certainly at Albums Inc., we’re always on the lookout for the new and different. However, with all the changes that have occurred in the professional photography market, we could use a little help.

Which brings me back to you.

I would love to hear from you about the new products or services you’d like us to offer. I’m happy to look at any idea that addresses the changes we’re all experiencing in the marketplace. The best idea I hear will receive a $100 gift certificate. Plus I’ll share it, and any other noteworthy ideas, in my next blog.

Since the holidays are upon us, soon to be followed by the trade shows, I’ll be all ears through February 15th. Then I’ll make my decision and announce a winner.

I’m really looking forward to the chance to talk to you. You can call me directly at 1-800-662-1000, ext. 514, or e-mail me your thoughts at Peter.Cardello@gmail.com.

Meanwhile, happy holidays! May the new year find you blessed with inner peace and
outer prosperity!

A Warm Welcome to Wn Albums & Frames

2007-08-27T06:48:00.000-07:00

I’m excited to announce the union of the two largest distribution companies in our industry: Wn Albums and Frames and Albums Inc. are now one and the same. Wn Albums joins the Albums Inc. family as of August 27th, and we couldn’t be more delighted! Purchased from the Chilcote Company on August 27th, Wn actually adds new life to both companies. Giving us the chance to be bigger and better album distributors. And allowing Chilcote to grow even stronger as a leading photo packaging manufacturer. Together, Wn Albums and Albums Inc. will offer more products and services than any other competitors in photographic packaging.

Naturally, it is with great pleasure that I welcome Wn customers to the Albums Inc. family. We look forward to providing you with the best in quality, friendly and reliable service, and the widest selection of products, including the latest in digital custom albums from Album-X, Kambara USA, Jorgensen Albums Australia, Leather Album Design, and ProCraft. To better serve you, we have expanded our frame line to include custom framing and matting, with literally hundreds of ways to please your most demanding clients. And be sure to look for our new product catalog in January of 2008. It will combine the best of both companies.

Albums Inc. is entering its 32nd year as the nation’s top distributor. With our new acquisition, we are bigger, better, and stronger than we have ever been! Our goal is to build profitable relationships with all our customers across the nation, and we are hard at work doing just that. As an employee owned company, we have a vested interest in our future, as well as yours. That means we’ll work harder, smarter, and faster for you because our success depends on your satisfaction.

We’re especially proud to say that more than 60 percent of our employees have been with the company for 10 years or more. That makes us one big, happy family. So, Wn customers, welcome to the family!

Peter J. Cardello
President/CEO

Quality Still Counts!

2007-07-06T11:06:00.000-07:00

Last week I went to Port Chester, New York, to visit one of our key album manufacturers, Album-X. Album X produces the Renaissance, Soho, and Renaissance The Book album lines. From time to time it’s important in a business relationship to meet face to face. It gives us a chance to talk in person about a variety of topics geared to helping both companies move in a mutually beneficial direction.

After a few hours of meetings and strategic planning, I was offered a tour of their remodeled facility that included the custom and stock product areas. I was very impressed to see first hand the amount of skill that goes into creating a quality product. It became obvious why their albums carry a warranty against defects in workmanship. First and most important, most of the craftsmen have been with Album-X for many years and they are highly skilled. All albums are hand made using only the finest materials available, and they are tested over and again to insure that when the finished product leaves the factory it will satisfy even the most demanding clients. No shortcuts taken here! Throughout every step of the process, the albums are meticulously inspected by hand to insure perfection.

Renaissance is just one of the quality product lines we offer that is manufactured to last. Whether it’s Kambara, Tap, Leather Album Design, Jorgensen, Topflight, or ProCraft Custom, we carry only the best and back all our products with a satisfaction guarantee.

While relatively inexpensive, much of the new album market is certainly not built to last or backed by a lifetime satisfaction guarantee against defects or flaws in workmanship. Quality still counts!

I happen to like fountain pens and I prefer the Cross brand because if I ever have a problem I know I can return it for repair or replacement without any hassle or question. I feel that people still crave good quality, service, and a reasonable price. What’s more, I believe they will pay for it.

Peter Cardello

How can we serve YOU better?

2007-06-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

We are coming up on our 32nd anniversary of distributing what we hope is the best selection of photo packaging products in the industry, with over 10,000 products offered to our customers. I am not concerned with the fact that we offer more products than any of our competitors; however, I am concerned that we have the right products to meet the changing needs of our market. Equally important to me is service. Products alone are not enough if you cannot provide world class service – service that includes quick delivery, dependability, expert advice, friendly and accommodating sales people, great fulfillment support, and to top it off, 32 years of experience. As an employee-owned company, it is imperative that we stand out among the competition because our future and livelihood depend on it. We have "skin in the game" to put it mildly. At Albums Inc., we work as a team to serve your photographic needs to the very best of our ability because we care about our customers. Without you we are nothing!

The point of this blog is to hear back from you about what might be missing from our product and/or our service offerings. I am always surprised when I talk to our sales folks to hear that some of our customers are not aware of all the products in our catalog. For example, photographers I have talked to at trade shows are not aware we offer custom framing and matting, or that we have software solutions for our custom albums. I understand that the catalog can be overwhelming, but we do try to highlight key products from time to time.

So, I would love to hear your comments and suggestions regarding products we do not offer, or services you would like to see added. To contact me, simply send me an e-mail at: pcardello@albumsinc.com or simply leave me a comment below. And thanks in advance for your input!

All the best,
Pete

What is it with this “it’s good enough” attitude?

2007-05-31T12:56:00.000-07:00

More and more, I'm hearing from customers that brides are settling for low-end product because it's "good enough." No matter whether it's their final album, or just a CD and nothing else, the attitude seems to be that quality isn't worth the money. Well, ouch!

I wonder if brides feel the same way about the catering, dresses, tuxedos, flowers, beverages, music and all the other accoutrements that go into making the wedding day a "memorable" occasion? I think not! So why is it that they settle for "good enough" when it comes to the one and only keepsake they"ll have to re-live and remember their wedding? Why don't they treasure the precious images, insist that they be printed on quality photographic paper, and demand that they be presented in an album that enhances the artistry of the photographer they chose? I just don't get it!! I can't imagine settling for what amounts to a low-end press printed photo book for a wedding. (I even have my doubts about it as a wrap-up for a vacation or a birthday party!)

Recently, I volunteered a week of my time to help with clean up in New Orleans. I worked in abandoned homes and senior apartment complexes clearing out the debris left behind by Katrina. One of the items I found was a photo album that had to date back to the 50’s. Every image in it was in perfect condition because the album had fortunately escaped water damage. My guess is the black and white prints would still be fine, even if they had gotten wet!!! Can we say the same about ink jet, press print images, hmmm?

How long do we want the images we produce, sell, and sign our name to, to last? What about the album? Is it really "good enough" if what we sell falls apart in a few years? Who'll get the blame for that – the album company, or the photographer? Wouldn't we be doing everybody a favor if we only offered albums backed by a guarantee and built with quality materials?

I may be old-fashioned, but for things intended to last a lifetime, "good enough" just isn't good enough. Not for me, and I hope, not for you or your reputation.

Peter Cardello

To Photoshop or not to Photoshop, that is the question.

2007-04-27T07:14:00.000-07:00

Digital photography is certainly the method of choice. (There’s no argument there -- hands down, it’s better.) Film, on the other hand, is no longer the medium of choice - at least in most still imaging applications. Digital offers automation, and the freedom from having to reload in the middle of a sequence. We can record hundreds, if not thousands of images on a single memory card. Fantastic! So far we haven’t spent a dime.

Next we upload all the images from an event onto our computer to be viewed, edited, and possibly enhanced using software. I have heard that the editing and enhancing part of the workflow process can take hours of work at the computer. (I recently went to a commercial shoot and watched the digital process at work. It did, indeed, take several exposures and hours to “get it right.”)

Far be it from me to be critical, but whatever happened to the old adage, “get it on the negative?” Why so many exposures to get a single image of quality? I have heard photographers say they expose as many as 3000 shots at a wedding. Help! Time is real money, especially for a photographer. I can’t imagine spending all that time in front of a computer managing that many images. Oy! Having managed a wedding studio for seven years, I remember when the essence of an event, wedding, or Bar Mitzvah could be captured with maybe 200 to 300 exposures. And we still had some we either could not or did not sell.

I am not boo-hooing image manipulation or enhancement, but isn’t it more practical to pre-visualize the image in our mind first, as Ansel Adams did? By applying our technical knowledge before we press the shutter release, we can minimize, or better yet, eliminate the need to spend countless hours fixing things later. I shoot digital, and I don’t know how to use any of the image management software out there, yet I still manage some eye-popper images. (At least, that’s what people tell me!) I still remember the fundamentals I learned from folks like Frank Cricchio, Monte Zucker, Lean Kennemer and Big Daddy. Proper exposure, lighting technique and ratio, modeling, and capturing the spontaneity of action and expression were central to their teaching. O.K., so I’m and “old timer”. The point is, we had no way to fix an image, so we had no choice but to get it right and not waste precious film or time.

It might be worth a try.

I think the photojournalistic approach is awesome and less intrusive at an event. So go ahead -- stalk and shoot, capture the unexpected! I have seen incredible images that were not posed or controlled. I do think some spontaneity is necessary … but why can’t it coexist with controlled posing and lighting? After all, our knowledge of lighting and posing is what separates us from the amateur.

Peter Cardello

Change and more change!

2007-04-17T10:52:00.000-07:00

I have recently returned from the PMA Show and WPPI convention in Las Vegas, and let me tell you I feel like I have spent a week in a centrifuge and been suddenly dumped out! There were so many choices from so many companies. Talk about overload! From year to year trade shows seem to go through a complete change with tons of new products and services being offered. This clearly was one of those years.

Change seems to be the entire buzz these days. Whoever said, “nothing lasts forever” had no idea that in our time, nothing seems to last more than a few months. Obsolescence does not take long, especially with technology driven products and services.

In our world, we are always faced with new, faster, better, and less expensive ways to do things. Cameras are constantly being introduced that have higher resolution, faster processing capability and less cost. The same is true with computers, ink jet printers, and software.

Of course, some things must never change. The one constant at Albums Inc. is superior customer service. In the midst of all the change that is taking place in the photographic industry, we remain steadfast to our commitment to maintain the highest level of world class service and support to our customers. This will never change! We are here not only to provide you with the products you need to make a professional presentation of your images, but equally important, we are here to offer advice on products and help you choose what works best for you. Our sales representatives have years of experience working with professional photographers all over the country and have acquired a vast pool of knowledge about photo packaging. They truly are experts.

If you have a problem with something you received from Albums Inc. we are here to make it right quickly. Our support team operates consistently at 98.4% efficiency; tops in our industry!

Quality is another trademark at Albums Inc. We only represent the best brands in the industry. There are companies that offer less expensive products, but our products come with a lifetime guarantee and are backed by fast, friendly, no hassle service. As a businessperson, you can’t afford not to have that kind of back up support from a supplier.

Want to keep your clients happy and loyal? Work with us at Albums Inc. We’ll do everything we can to make sure your client base doesn’t change along the way -- except maybe to grow bigger!

ttyl,
Peter Cardello