Event Software and set-ups

5Dme

I see there is a thread already talking about some of my questions but I was hoping some one could provide some more up to date info regarding event computer set-ups and software. I have worked as a second shooter at a few events with a local photography but he is now focusing on weddings and I have been asked to take over several of his events. I have purchase his Sub Dye printer but what I need is some help selecting software and viewing station set-up to increase volume and streamline work flow. I was hoping the software would allow me to do some editing if require along with green screen and the addition of boarders etc. along with allowing the client to select the products from the viewing station without having to write their orders out I'm thinking of starting with 3-4 viewing station and expand from there. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Glort

What sort of events exactly?

Are there going to be more than about 25 people at them? If so, you are going to want a lot more than 3-4 Vstations otherwise you are just wasting your time and potential earnings.

5Dme

Glort wrote: »

What sort of events exactly?

Are there going to be more than about 25 people at them? If so, you are going to want a lot more than 3-4 Vstations otherwise you are just wasting your time and potential earnings.

The first event is a dressage event with 75 rider, this will more than likely be the smallest event. I have a jumping event book with roughly twice the riders and I'm going to be pursuing youth sports as well. I was hoping to start with the 4 stations and expand as the income comes in but by what you are saying I'm going to be missing sales and income if I don't provide more viewing stations. This is what I need to know, so what are your thoughts?

5Dme

Glort wrote: »

After doing this for a few years, every Equine event I did was EXACTLY the same and so was pretty much everything else.

You will be there all day and even though around half the competitors will have done their 2 rides in the Dressage and have nothing else on for the rest of the day, you will be VERY lucky to have anyone bar a few 5 Yo's come near you till the very last ride is done. Then, 50 of those 75 riders, a parent and a sibling or friend of each will all want to see the pics at once, probably AFTER the presentations.

I ran a min of 12 Vstations and finished with closer to 20 on average by the time I gave it away and used to run 30 on the bigger events and if I had gone on with it, I would have done more. When I started out the guy that mentored me took a shovel and pounded it into my head that there is NEVER too many stations and it is the fundamental thing you need to know in this game.

If you turn up with 4 stations, it will be a s hitfight and there is no other way to put it. People will really get ticked off if they can't see the pics and you will cause a lot of resentment. At the end of any equine event there is the truck and float Drag race out of the place. They have been there largely sitting on their arses all day long and now, when it's all over, the only thing on their minds is getting home and washing the horse, cleaning out the float, doing the stables and whatever else before dark, feed time or just getting everything they need to do for the day over with.

If they cannot pretty much walk up to a vstation or have to wait more than about 2 min literally, they will walk off very unhappy campers.

I tried every incentive I could think of to get them in the tent and have a look at and order the pics before 2Pm and I never succeeded once. They are finished, there will not ride again and no more pics will be taken but they will not come to see the pics till the last possible minute.

Showjumping, equitation, hacking, dressage.... you name it, always the same story. EQ is a little better because you have at least an hour after the last ride while the judges do the scoring so if you are on top of where the people congregate and wait ( IE, the canteen) SOME will come in and look earlier but the majority will still not come until after the presentations and people are running to the state line for the truck and Float Grand Prix out of the joint.

You DO NOT need an exy machine for a Vstation. Like I said in the other thread you obviously saw, If it ran XP, it was a perfectly capeable machine for me. These things are cheap as chips but I'd go for laptops these days. SOOOOO much easier and better doing it that way.

You asked about up to date software, can't help you. I haven't done this for years now so haven't bothered looking at what's available now. I tend to think I wouldn't bother anyway. Every special program I tried cost a fortune and had it's problems in being over complex, not intuitive for the clients, too hard or slow on our end and so it went.
The free programs I used, Jalbum, the bundled printer software and IE in kiosk mode NEVER gave me any grief. They were fast, rock solid and did everything I needed. From the customer end, Jalbum was the easiest for them to walk up and learn on the spot.

If I was doing this again, It would take one hell of a free program to get me to do anything different than what we did.

Go out, be a professional and source yourself some Cheap but useable machines. START with a dozen on top of what you had and build from there. If there is no way you can afford or procure any more machines, then my strongest advise is forget this idea now. At least till you can save up and go into doing it properly and proper.y is a Dozen machines MINIMUM.

This is a VERY tough game which is why I got out to find something easier and less over saturated but the thing is, you cannot afford to cut into what ever potential profits are there by having people walk off because they cant get in front of a machine to see their pics.

Thanks for taking the time to reply to my questions, it is greatly appreciated. By the way, what did you end up pursuing that was easier and less Saturated?