Landscape, Nature And Travel Photography

I’m excited to announce the release of my first iPad app, ePhotobook White Sands HD, a collection of fine art photographs taken earlier this year in White Sands National Monument, New Mexico.

Features of Note:

• High resolution images, sans watermark, that can be explored in detail above and beyond the resolution of the iPad
• Previously unpublished photographs
• Exclusive essays
• Twitter & Facebook integration to share with friends
• Web based content via RSS to keep you informed of new workshops, app & ebook releases, photographs and more

Inspiration and beauty for only $4.99 USD

Note: ePhotobook development services tailored to professional photographers are now available. Inquiries for ePhotobook authoring services are now being accepted.

Technorati Tags: photography, mobile, app, Apple, iPad, White Sands National Monument, fine art

To conclude my monthly series “Thoughts on the iPad” where I previously discussed future audience trends in Where Will Your Audience Be Next Year? and developing eCommerce trends with mobile apps in Cracking the Code to Web Revenue? I wanted to discuss the web marketing potential of mobile apps. With all signs pointing toward a shift in user adoption with mobile devices and eCommerce trends highlighting an increase in mobile app consumption, the natural questions are “How is this relevant to me? ” and “How can the potential of mobile apps be realized?”  The answer to these questions are most certainly subjective, but here is my take.

How are mobile apps relevant to me?
The earliest adopters of mobile applications (service & content publishers) have by and large been larger brands with deeper pockets or small tech companies looking to capture the attention of early adopters with novel products & services. For some mobile apps have been a way to establish an image of hip or cool, a means to create PR buzz or to push the envelope establishing a new business model. As it relates to small business owners, such as photographers, the question inevitably arises how is this new platform relevant to me?

Mobile apps provide a very interesting solution to a challenge faced by all businesses regardless of size, namely generating revenue online. Don’t get me wrong there are multiple approaches to generating revenue online including straight sales (ex. books, prints, ebooks, etc), freemium (ex. MailChimp, my email marketing service of choice, offers limited free service with expanded services costing money), advertising, subscription, etc. Each of these business models can be accomplished outside of the realm of mobile applications through a standard website. Unlike the standard website mobile applications excel in revenue generation because:

1. There is an understood expectation that apps at some point cost money
2. They’re mobile and your audience can make a purchase virtually anywhere
3. They facilitate instant sharing of online testimonials between customers and prospective customers via social media & email
4. Transaction conversion rates by app customers are trending higher than standard web customers
5. They can unify existing web properties (marketing and commerce) into a powerful sales tool

Realizing the Potential of Mobile Apps
Depending on your business model there are numerous ways to realize the potential of mobile applications. I can’t claim to know the exact answer for everyone, but the clues to finding the right answer for you are in the list above. Personally I feel the most novel aspect of mobile apps is the ability to hone marketing and sales efforts into a razor sharp tool. Utilizing a mobile app to act as a lens that focuses ones online presence is an incredible opportunity. Such an approach not only pulls together disparate online efforts it reinforces brand, messaging and product/service offerings.

On that note, look out for my next post later today for an exciting announcement that will show how I’m applying such theory to my business online.

Technorati Tags: technology, mobile, app, application, photography, iPad

I’ve finally compiled a list of iPhone and iPad apps that I’ve found of use on my mobile devices. I’ve received numerous inquiries in the past as to what apps I recommend and to make things simple for everyone I’ve made this one master list. Included in the list are Social Media, Photography Research / Reference Tools, Photography Editing Tools, iPhone Camera Enhancement, Weather, Utlity, Business, Navigation, Entertainment & News, Art and Game app categories.

Take note in the right hand side of my blog I’ve added a section titled “Recommended”. In the near future I’ll be adding more lists here so stay tuned for more. In the meantime enjoy…

100+ Recommended Mobile Apps (iPhone & iPad)

Technorati Tags: photography, mobile, app, iphone, ipad, apple, list

In my previous post Thoughts on the iPad: Where Will Your Audience Be Next Year? I noted that current tablet computer trends are painting a picture of a transformed landscape where one’s audience might be interacting with online content in a radically different manner and frequency. Not only does mobile access through a device like the iPad impact navigation & content structure, it has the ability to shift expectation in how web viewers pay for content. There are some very clear signs pointing to this shifting trend and it begs the question, “Has the code to web revenue been cracked?”

Advent of the App Store
One thing is certain Apple’s iTunes App store has changed the landscape before us since its release in mid-2008. With the release of the iPhone 2.0 OS software came the App Store, supplementing the iTunes music store, and soon others were quickly trying to duplicate the wild success of this newly created platform.  Now Apps downloads are on course to  surpass music downloads from the Apple iTunes store by the end of 2010. In roughly 2 years time that is an amazing accomplishment considering the current rate of music sales on iTunes has taken 7 years to reach its current level.  The larger phenomenon of the app craze has even spawned an App convention that is taking place here in San Francisco this week.

While Apple wasn’t the first to create an App platform (Facebooks App platform was released in 2007), they’re the first to tie it to a wildly popular consumer device, the iPad. As previously noted in my first post to this series All Eyes Are On The iPad. Are Yours?, it has been predicted that Apple will ship 12.9 million units this year, with shipments rising to 36.5 million next year and 50.4 million in 2012 and by any means that should be an eye opener. An eye opener because the combination of device sales and App download forecasts might just be indicators of a perfect storm on the horizon that shifts how many people interact with content on the web.

Revenue: Has the Web Found It?
Will the web as we know it be replaced by Apps? I doubt it, but where the web failed to convert user activity into revenue Apps just might be the long sought after holy grail many web entrepreneurs have been waiting for. While Apps have proven to be a potentially lucrative revenue creator not all App stores are created equally. In February 2010 Distimo reported that 75% of Apple Apps and 43% of Android Apps were paid apps and later in August 2010 Pingdom reported similar findings that 70% of Apple Apps and 36% of Android Apps were paid apps.

Interesting findings from the May 2010 AdMob Mobile Metrics report is that on average users of the iOS (Apple) and Android platforms spend at least 79 minutes a day using apps (note: Apple iOS users spend 89 minutes a day) and download 9 apps per month. The user activity is definitely a positive as most web sites are lucky to break the double digits in user activity sessions. The phenomenon of app dowloading has spawned an interesting trend as well… a mild addiction to downloading apps. In passing I’ve talked to several iPad/iPhone users that enjoy downloading apps almost as much as using the apps themselves. Nielsen reports that iPhone users for example download on average 40 apps versus Android users at 25 apps, both of which are an increase over 2009 findings.

Pricing
App pricing best practices seems to be the big mystery at the moment and is something I’m still researching. One interesting piece of data I surfaced concludes that downloads are not linked to price. This was in relation to game apps which might very well carry a different customer expectation to the photography market. While I can’t say much in definitive terms about app pricing I can say that higher prices will only be supported by app content/services that are of high value to users. There have been no shortage of apps commanding upward of $89.99 or more that have found themselves in the iTunes top-revenue/grossing list. Ultimately pricing will have to be tailored to the nature of the app. A photographer may very well want to release a free portfolio app in an effort to draw as many eyes as possible to their work versus charging for an eBook.

Looking into the Crystal Ball?
The web certainly will not be shrinking into oblivion, but content or services being produced to generate revenue may very well be predisposed to the app world.  What apps have going for them, unlike standard web content, is that they come bundled with the expectation they cost money to acquire and use. For the truly creative who frame content of value in an app there is certainly money to be made. On the flip-side of that sentiment with hundreds of thousands of apps in the current marketplace not all apps cost money. Free is not just an attempt to standout, for the savvy developer, it’s part of a calculated strategy. It’s important to note that vast majority of apps are not likely to be profitable, falling into the category of loss-leaders (see my series starting with Assumptions of Free and Taylor Davidson’s great article Free isn’t a problem, it’s an opportunity), but they do offer a unique opportunity to engage & introduce your work and services to others.

In my eye the iPad holds great promise for photographers with the right application. As to how photographers can get the most out of the iPad and take advantage of these trends you’ll want to read my next post on the subject. Stay tuned…

Related Article:
Only 13% of Aduls Pay for Apps - Fast Company (published hours after this post)
Additional thought…

If the app market is such a huge success with so few users, and already generating billions of dollars in revenue, how big will it become when it apps are as ubiquitous among adults as texting and taking pictures?

Technorati Tags: photography, photo, Apple, iPad, app

Easy Release

A month ago quite a bit of buzz started to circulate with in the Twitter photography community about Easy Release (iTunes Link), a program that enables you to create model and property releases on your iPhone incorporating a digital signature of subjects and/or property owners. The potential immediately grabbed my attention and I approached the application publisher for a review copy. The review of the application was the easy part, but my background research on the acceptability of “digital signatures” in the form of an electronic touchscreen signature took much longer. Now that my research is complete here is the review…

Easy Release is just that… easy to configure, easy to use and easy to see its value. I give the team behind Easy Release a lot of credit as creating an application that is simple to use is quite a difficult task. The added perk to Easy Release is that it makes obtaining, logging and sending releases a very cool process. The out of the box thinking to obtain releases digitally is exactly the type of application I’ve been waiting for to maximize the business potential of my iPhone.

The Process (Ex. For a Model):

1. Click the “Plus” sign to create a new model or property release
2. Enter the “Shoot Name” and “Shoot Reference ID”
3. Enter Shoot location information “Shoot Country” and “Shoot Region/State”
4. Enter the Shoot Date
5. Enter the Model’s Name
6. Take a photo with your iPhone of your model
7. Enter the Model’s date of birth, gender and ethnicity.
8. Enter the Model’s address
9. Enter the Model’s Parent’s name if a minor
10. Enter the Model’s Email address and phone number
11. Enter the name of a Witness
12. Review the Release summary
13. Sign your signature (the photographer) with your finger on the screen
14. Let your Model review the agreement. They tap to agree.
15. Model signs the release using their finger on the screen.
16. Click to create a PDF of the signature and send it to your model & yourself via email

Fully written out the process seems long, but it takes only a few short minutes to complete.

Easy Release

Additional Features & Real-World Experience
The application allows you to customize your releases with a logo, specify a default language from 12 translations or add your own custom release text.

Of course it would be easy for me to just idly claim Easy Release is easy to use, but having tested this in the field I can attest that not one subject I asked to use the application had a problem or showed any confusion when reviewing the release or signing it. Logistically using Easy Release was much simpler than dealing with a paper release and fumbling for a pen. The convenience to email the release in PDF form to both the model and the photographer is also a huge time saver. Lastly and most importantly the biggest benefit was speeding up the process to obtain a signature.

Easy Release

What to Be Aware of…
The one weakness of Easy Release is that some stock agencies might not yet accept “digital signatures”. At the time I received my review copy of the application it was unclear to me if Getty accepted “digital signatures” in the form of an electronic touchscreen signature. Right off the bat I was able to confirm with Rasmus Rasmussen (@theprint) that iStock does not yet accept these type of “digital signatures” and prefers pen on paper signatures. I had to wait a few weeks to hear back officially from Getty as to whether “digital signatures” in this form were currently accepted. The response: “…the Getty legal team is reviewing this, but at this time digital signatures are not allowed on releases.” That being said the people behind the application are former Getty employees and are aware of this. If you’re outside of the Getty sphere and/or work independently then this is a non-issue.

Rating:

Easy Release is a solid application that is ultra intuitive to use. Not only did it live up to my expectations, it surpassed them. Whether you’re a semi-professional or full-time working pro photographer this is a must have application to have at your fingertips. For those that have been holding off on upgrading to an iPhone, this app alone might be reason enough to do so.

Technorati Tags: photography, release, iPhone, app, Easy Release, model release, property release

My photography has transformed over the past couple of  years thanks in part to the advent of photography apps on the iPhone.  Reference information, in particular, now available on iPhone apps has made a special impact. My iPhone now is a critical photography tool when I’m in the field. Always on the look out for great apps I thought I’d share a review of an  app series iFotoGuide (iTunes link) put together by fellow nature and landscape photographers Dan Baumbach and Bret Edge.

The iFotoGuide to date is comprised of location guides for Yosemite National Park and Arches National Park. Each offer information resources covering:

• Area Information
• Park Information
• Interactive Map
• Photo Locations
• Photo Gallery
• Sunrise/Sunset Times
• Additional Resources

$4.99 Yosemite National Park iFotoGuide	$2.99 Arches National Park iFotoGuide

Things I Liked and Didn’t Like

These apps have you covered when it comes to making plans to photograph these national parks. With in the “Area Information” section for example you have airport, transportation, lodging, campground, shopping, restaurants weather and important phone numbers at your finger tips. One noted absence that surprised me under “important phone numbers” was the lack of inclusion of regional resources to get road conditions. For example in the Yosemite app the CalTrans Highway Information number was missing to track when mountain pass roads are open/closed through Yosemite.

Weather information for each park is included in their respective app. Note that the “Weather” section will jump you to monthly averages. To get current conditions the app with an additional link will load Yahoo weather. Perhaps a personal preference I think I’d rather get the current weather first and click through to the monthly averages.

The Yosemite app includes a link to the Yosemite Cam page that loads with in the application. It’s just not possible to get enough of the Yosemite cams (unless you’re checking at night).

The Park information section covers the basics with wildlife, wildflowers, backpacking info and safety info. While the wildlife and wildflower sections are more than adequate it would be great to see in future versions more detail to fauna and plants species in each area.

The Interactive Map is a great feature allowing you to see example photos taken from various park locations. Small camera icons have been transposed to National Park maps so with a touch of your finger you can load photos to get an idea of what is possible. Each image on the Interactive Map loads with additional links to more detailed information and maps.  The downside to the Interactive Map is  that it’s impossible to do each park justice with the number of locations to photograph, but it does cover the major locations.

The Photo Gallery section also allows you to easily navigate additional information and maps. One thing that was mildly disorienting is that this section is a mixture of photos referencing subject and location. For example in the Yosemite app you might click a photo of Half Dome to read about a particular meadow and another photo of the same subject might tell you about Half Dome itself. Perhaps in future versions they’ll tighten this up to easily search of a quick means of seeing one or the other with in the gallery section.

The Photo Locations section does a great job of identifying photo subjects that are ideal to photograph  at sunrise, sunset or all day.  If you don’t have time to adequately scout these parks in advance this feature will prove to be a huge time saver.

The Sunrise/Sunset section of each app will give you a quick look at approximate times for sunrise and sunset for the 1st and 15th of each month. Helpful for general information it would be nice if the apps provided links that took you to a site that relayed specific information for a particular day. To be fair though this chart is more than enough if you lack connectivity in the field.

Rating:

iFotoGuide is well worthy of picking up for the price. For a version 1.0.x app it’s very well done. Easy to navigate, intuitive and full of great information. Some portions of the app aren’t as strong as others, but that’s normal. One app can’t do it all. On that note I’ll likely continue to use other applications that specialize in sunrise, sunset, moonrise and moonset calculations. I’m hopeful that in future releases more detailed information is added about wildlife and plant species. I’m eagerly awaiting to see what National Parks they add to the series next. For updates and additional information visit the iFotoGuide blog.