Event photography Preview systems

fredjclaus

I know this has been discussed in many posts, but lets try and put it all in one place. if you offer viewing stations at events for customers to view the pictures you have taken, please describe your systems here so we all can learn.

1. Did you buy a system already made, or did you build your own viewing system.

2. What software do you use for viewing system?

3. What does your system consist of?

4. If you built your own, how did you connect them all together? If you purcahsed a system, who did you buy from?

ColoradoSkier

Glort wrote:

Built my own system from scratch.
Planned on taking a month to get it up and running, had it done in 3 days thanks to a friend putting me in for a job before I even had all the machines.

Computers are used Compaq small form factor P4 1.7's 256, 20 g machines that run XP pro only. Images are viewed through IE running in Kiosk Mode.
I run anything from 5-12 stations. Currently setting up to run 12 as standard by building them into their own rolling cases with 4 stations to a box.

Software is Jalbum.
I don't use a shopping cart, my customers ( adults) had difficulty with it. The Kids were fine with it though. Now I use printed order forms and pens on strings so they don't disappear and people get their orders done much quicker.
We run jalbum on the downloaded image folders on the workstation and point IE at the index file Jalbum generates. It has worked fast and flawlessly for us. We can add in additional folders as we go and create as many indexes as we like.

Tried Breeze browser initially with the EOS template and had it go haywire on a big job. I stayed up all night downloaded the Jalbum, learned how to use it and we were up and running the next day and haven't had a single software problem since.

The system is 2 used Dell P4 3.4 2-3G ram, 500-750g hdd desktops that are used to download the cards, run jalbum, serve the vstations and run PS and the printing software and drive the 2 pooled inkjet printers.
Can't remember how we divide the work up, but most times 1 machine does the majority of work and we don't have a problem.


System is hooked together with a couple of routers for the 2 workstations and the 5 main Vstations. Additional Vstations are networked with small 5 or 8 port switches. Networking is done through XP networking wizard.

Simple, cheap, reliable, effective.
The only problems we have now is with networking cables that seem to vibrate loose in the router contacts as the trailer travels. SOP now is pull all the leads out of the routers and plug them back in again before we boot up. This seems to have eliminated our only problem.

Do you happen to have a photo of your setup? Would also like to see what the 4 station cases look like.

fredjclaus

I'd like to see pictures too. I was talking with a company that could set me up with a 5 VS system for a low rate of just $4,000.00 I was wondering if I could build it cheaper myself.

The only possible event I have that I could use that around here right now is little league baseball so I'd only need 2 or 3 stations at the most. Not sure if I'd even need a printer on-site.

fredjclaus

That's an awesome system. I just signed up for a Jalbum account and playing around with it right now. Let's say I do shoot some Little League games this season. Would it hurt my sales to only have 1 laptop viewing station? Should I just pass around flyers saying that the pictures can be seen on my site?

What types of events do you photograph?

ColoradoSkier

With kids sports, its an impulse buy. You have to be able to print on the spot I think, at least for tournaments and such. I have a cousin who has a daughter in competitive softball. They have photographers at a lot of tournaments in Texas. If they can't get the prints on the spot, they don't buy because they know the next tournament they likely can.

My advice - don't just do a random game here and there. Get in to a tournament, and shoot the younger age brackets. Should be good $$ there.

Rocketman766

sounds like a nice find Glort, once you are done.. how about posting a pic? The only thing keeping me from building the "housing system" for my viewing stations is... my wife. I will have to purchase a small trailer to transport the system and she keeps holding back on funding for a trailer. My season is almost over and I am looking to revamp a few items before the next season starts. Ideas have been put to paper, now just need to purchase and build/finish it.

Lance

wadesworld

I suspect an iPad will be an excellent tool for this purpose.

ColoradoSkier

wadesworld wrote:

I suspect an iPad will be an excellent tool for this purpose.

Too portable, would disappear VERY easily.