PhotoShelter Launches Jumpstart Contest for Photographers

Winner receives $15,000 in prizes including one-on-one consulting with Dream Team Advisory Board of respected photographers including Brian Smith, Zack Arias, David Hobby, and Lindsay Adler 

New York (PRWEB) January 10, 2013 - PhotoShelter (http://www.photoshelter.com), the worldwide leader in photography portfolio websites, sales and marketing tools for photographers, launched the “Jumpstart Your Photography Business” contest. 

The contest aims to inspire photographers to take their business to the next level to attract more clients, improve existing relationships, and fine-tune photography skills. The contest is open until February 28, 2013 to PhotoShelter members who answer a short questionnaire about plans to grow their photo business in 2013. Interested applicants can enter directly here: photoshelter.com/jumpstart.
 
The lucky Grand Prize winner will receive over $15,000 in prizes, including exclusive one-on-one time with each member of PhotoShelter’s Dream Team Advisory Board:

• Lindsay Adler - Social media guru, author, and New York-based fashion and portrait photographer who teaches seminars worldwide.
• Zack Arias - Editorial and commercial photographer and experienced speaker and educator.
• Ilise Benun - Marketing consultant, author, and Co-Founder of Marketing Mentor.
• David Brabyn - Website consultant, photojournalist and Founder of digitaltechparis.
• Bill Cramer - Commercial photographer and Founder and CEO of Wonderful Machine.
• Jasmine DeFoore - Photo editor and consultant, and Founder of Texas Photo Roundup.
• Brian Smith - Award-winning celebrity portrait photographer.
• David Hobby - Editorial and commercial photographer and Founder of Strobist.com.

The grand prize winner will also receive a Canon 6D + EF 24-105mm F/4L USM and a $2,000 gift card from Calumet Photographic’s exclusive line of products plus a year-long membership to the American Photographic Artists, American Society of Media Photographers, American Society of Picture Professionals or the National Press Photographers Association, and a free year-long PhotoShelter Pro account.
PhotoShelter will award three Gold Winners with a year-long association membership, a free year of a PhotoShelter Pro account, and a $100 Calumet gift card. 10 Silver Winners will also receive a year-long PhotoShelter Pro account, valued at $600.
 
PhotoShelter’s 2013 Jumpstart Contest is open only to eligible PhotoShelter members. Other photographers who wish to enter can become a member by signing up for a free PhotoShelter 30-day trial before February 28, 2013 with the coupon code JUMPSTART. All entries must be submitted by 12:01 AM EST March 1, 2013. For additional information on PhotoShelter's Jumpstart Contest, including prizes and entry rules, visit photoshelter.com/jumpstart.
 
About PhotoShelter
PhotoShelter offers the most professional, reliable and innovative online tools to build and grow a successful photography business. Over 74,000 photographers use PhotoShelter’s websites, social and SEO tools to show their work and attract new clients; online image archives to stay organized and access images on the fly; and image delivery and e-commerce tools to sell their work easily and securely. To start building your business, managing it more efficiently, or finding new ways to market yourself and delight your clients, try PhotoShelter free for 30 days with the coupon code JUMPSTART. Visit us at http://www.photoshelter.com.
 
About Calumet Photographic 
Calumet Photographic has been serving photographers since 1939. Only Calumet serves the needs of photographers with an interactive website, professional call center, worldwide retail and rental centers. There are 32 retail centers in the Calumet group serving the United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. http://www.calumetphoto.com/.

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PhotoShelter Launches Free Photo Business Bootcamp

5-Week email series shares business and marketing best practices for serious photographers; 40+ curated interviews with respected photographers and industry experts  

New York, NY (PRWEB) October, 2011 - PhotoShelter (http://www.photoshelter.com), the worldwide leader in photography portfolio websites, sales and marketing tools for photographers, launches the Photo Business Bootcamp, a powerful compilation of free photography business advice packed into a five-week email series for photographers seeking guidance to grow their businesses and drive more revenue. The Photo Business Bootcamp features blog interviews, tutorials, webinars, and videos with contributed insights from some of the most respected photographers, business consultants and marketing professionals in the industry. Registration is free and photographers can sign up directly here: http://bit.ly/PSbootcamp

The Photo Business Bootcamp features a curated presentation of PhotoShelter’s “greatest hits” content designed to help photographers attract more clients, generate more work, and focus on the key elements to effectively manage their businesses. The five-week curriculum includes:

        WEEK 1: Inspiration: The Secrets to Success
        WEEK 2: Growing Your Photography Business
        WEEK 3: Your Website: Your Most Important Business Tool
        WEEK 4: Mastering Online Marketing
        WEEK 5: Selling Your Services & Your Photos  

“We’ve compiled sound business advice from successful photographers and marketing pros who know what works,” says Allen Murabayashi, CEO of PhotoShelter. “Our goal is to help guide photographers who want to launch their careers, as well as those already in the game, on how to achieve greater success in the photography business. These courses offer strategies, tactics, and inspiration to make that happen.”

Photo Business Bootcamp participants will receive a weekly email over the course of five weeks following their registration date. PhotoShelter’s Photo Business Bootcamp will run indefinitely.

About PhotoShelter
PhotoShelter is the leader in portfolio websites, photo sales, marketing and archiving tools for photographers. Over 70,000 photographers worldwide use PhotoShelter to power their success online, with customizable website templates, searchable photo galleries, e-commerce capabilities, and bulletproof image storage. Photographers can create a professional PhotoShelter website in under five minutes, or customize the design of PhotoShelter to power their existing photography website. A complete solution designed to make the business of photography easier to manage - PhotoShelter offers image security, online image delivery, and advanced marketing tools like SEO and social media sharing capabilities so photographers can make their images work harder for them. To join our community or try PhotoShelter for $1, visit http://www.photoshelter.com.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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Photography Blog Handbook: PhotoShelter Releases Free Blog Guide for Photographers

A Comprehensive E-Book to Help Photographers Use Their Blogs to Promote Their Work, Increase Website Traffic, and Generate More Business

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE) -- PhotoShelter, the leader in photography websites, photo sales and archiving tools for photographers, today released The Photography Blog Handbook, the latest in their popular series of free research reports for photographers. The Photography Blog Handbook provides essential internet marketing guidance for pro photographers and aspiring hobbyists looking to grow their photography business online. Available at http://www.photoshelter.com/mkt/research/photography-blog-handbook, the guide is designed to share insights with photographers launching new blogs as well as those looking to optimize their blog performance as part of their overall marketing strategy.

This downloadable e-book tackles some of photographers’ most commonly asked questions about managing a photography blog: Why should I blog? How can blogging really help me get more business? How do I make the time I spend blogging worthwhile? And, who’s reading this thing anyway?

Providing 35 pages of direct, actionable suggestions to help photographers get the most from their blogs, this e-book demonstrates how to use a blog to both attract new website visitors and connect with existing clients. PhotoShelter deconstructs the anatomy of a successful photography blog to make photographers aware of must-have elements that influence a blog’s success. The e-book is filled with case studies and examples of smart blogging tactics used by photographers from a diversity of specialties. PhotoShelter provides readers with help solving one of the biggest challenges – what to write – by sharing content ideas that will help attract more visitors, influence social sharing, and boost search engine optimization. In addition, the e-book includes guidance for beginners on choosing the best blogging platform, blog design best practices, and how to outfit a blog with features that will make photos look outstanding.

“Many people conceive of blogs as online journals, but a blog can be a powerful tool for serious photographers to connect with clients, potential clients, and fans online,” says PhotoShelter CEO Allen Murabayashi. “This free e-book is required reading for any photographer interested in using their blog as a platform to attract more website traffic, get more business, and sell more photography.”

Sponsored by PhotoShelter’s partners, including Adorama Camera, Graph Paper Press, and Agency Access, The Photography Blog Handbook marks the 5th installment in PhotoShelter’s series of free e-books on online marketing for photography businesses. PhotoShelter is committed to helping photographers use technology to compete in a quickly changing marketplace. Comprehensive free learning resources – combined with websites and tools for serious photographers – make PhotoShelter the go-to source for marketing a photography business online.

In addition to the free guide, photographers can join PhotoShelter for free webinars on a variety of topics, including: Blogging, Social Media, Search Engine Optimization, Google Analytics, and Website Optimization – all tailored to the specific needs of photographers. In addition, regular follow-up commentary can be found on the PhotoShelter blog, A Picture’s Worth.

This e-book complements the suite of tools that accompany every PhotoShelter photography website, including embeddable slideshows for posting images on blogs, seamless design integration with WordPress blogs by Graph Paper Press, plus e-commerce, advanced SEO, and a variety of social sharing capabilities. Photographers can register for a PhotoShelter account at: http://www.photoshelter.com/ref/HOMEPAGE. PhotoShelter can be found on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/photoshelter) and Facebook (http://bit.ly/PSfacebook).

No technical experience is required to implement the strategies discussed in The Photography Blog Handbook, and PhotoShelter membership is not necessary.

About PhotoShelter
PhotoShelter is the leader in portfolio websites, photo sales and archiving tools for photographers.

Over 50,000 photographers worldwide use PhotoShelter to power their success online, with customizable website templates, searchable photo galleries, e-commerce capabilities, and bulletproof image storage. Photographers can create a professional PhotoShelter website in under five minutes, or customize PhotoShelter to power their existing photography website. A true solution designed to make the business of photography easier to manage - PhotoShelter offers image security, global accessibility, and advanced marketing tools so photographers can make their images work harder for them. To join our community, visit http://www.photoshelter.com/. To read our free reports with online marketing insights for photographers, visit http://www.photoshelter.com/ref/FREEREPORTS.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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Social Media For Photographers: Photoshelter Releases Free Social Media Guide

A comprehensive guide to help photographers effectively use social media to promote their work, build a following, increase website traffic, and sell more images

New York, NY, January 22, 2010 - PhotoShelter, the leader in photography websites, photo sales and archiving tools for photographers, today released the latest in their series of free downloadable research reports for photographers. PhotoShelter's Social Media for Photographers, a free 55-page e-book, provides essential internet marketing guidance for serious professionals and aspiring hobbyists looking to grow their photography business online. Available at http://www.photoshelter.com/mkt/research/social-media-for-photographers the guide is designed to share insights with photographers who want to get started or optimize their productive use of social media platforms like blogging, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as part of their overall marketing strategy.

PhotoShelter's Social Media for Photographers includes tips on: the ground rules for social media, choosing where to participate, smart strategies to stand out, generating social sharing and quality links, suggestions for measuring progress, and a listing of tools to save time and make participation more effective. The guide is designed to benefit photographers new to social media as well as those who wish to generate more results from their current efforts. Photographers can immediately start using the guide's actionable strategies and benefit from a healthy dose of real life examples from photographers implementing successful social media strategies across the web. Social Media for Photographers is sponsored by Adorama Camera.

"Many photographers already have a website, photo blog, a Twitter account and a Facebook page, but we don't see many using these tools to effectively market and grow their photography business. By giving photographers the information they need to grow their social media presence, set goals, and measure their efforts, we are providing them with new strategies to promote their work and ultimately generate more revenue from their photography." said PhotoShelter CEO Allen Murabayashi. "When done right, social media enables photographers to build a following, engage in dialogue, and find new opportunities to showcase and share their work."

Beyond offering websites and tools to help photographers succeed online, PhotoShelter consistently delivers photography business insights that help photographers use technology to compete in a quickly changing marketplace. PhotoShelter started releasing free research reports in 2009, and has developed a series of comprehensive resources that make PhotoShelter the go-to source for marketing a photography business online. To date, thousands of photographers have downloaded and benefited from PhotoShelter's previous free reports: Photography Websites: Photo Buyer Survey, the SEO Cookbook for Photographers, and Google Analytics for Photographers. All of PhotoShelter's free reports are available here: http://www.photoshelter.com/mkt/research/.

"With social media, photographers can increase their online presence and multiply the ways their work gets found online. There are instant benefits, as well as ancillary benefits like better SEO," said Murabayashi. "To create this guide, we gathered insights and guidance from some of the world's leading authorities on social media for business marketing and branding. We interviewed successful photographers worldwide to understand who's getting it right and how we can share the secrets of their success with the greater community of photographers."

This guide complements the suite of social media sharing tools that PhotoShelter has developed for photographers who use PhotoShelter websites to display and sell their photography online. Embeddable slideshows for posting images on blogs, seamless sharing on Twitter and Facebook (and hundreds of other social networks) and RSS feeds are all available with all levels of PhotoShelter membership. Photographers can register for a PhotoShelter account at: http://www.photoshelter.com/ PhotoShelter can be found on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/photoshelter) and Facebook (http://bit.ly/PSfacebook).

No technical experience is required to implement the strategies discussed in Social Media for Photographers, and PhotoShelter membership is not necessary.
About PhotoShelter

PhotoShelter is the leader in portfolio websites, photo sales and archiving tools for photographers.

Over 50,000 photographers worldwide use PhotoShelter to power their success online, with customizable website templates, searchable photo galleries, e-commerce capabilities, and bulletproof image storage. Photographers can create a professional PhotoShelter website in under five minutes, or customize PhotoShelter to power their existing photography website. A true solution designed to make the business of photography easier to manage - PhotoShelter offers image security, global accessibility, and advanced marketing tools so photographers can make their images work harder for them. To join our community, visit www.PhotoShelter.com.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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Google Analytics for Photographers: PhotoShelter Releases New Free Toolkit

Free e-book Helps Photographers Understand Their Website Traffic with Google’s Tools, Make Better Business Decisions

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PhotoShelter, the leader in websites and online tools for serious photographers, today released Google Analytics for Photographers, a free, downloadable kit designed to help photographers succeed online. This kit contains comprehensive guidance - specifically for photographers - on how to implement and make sense of Google's powerful tool for monitoring website traffic. The kit can be downloaded at: http://pa.photoshelter.com/ref/ANALYTICS

With the insights from Google Analytics, photographers can easily determine the best sources of website traffic, top performing marketing investments, search keywords used by visitors, most engaging content, why visitors are leaving, and more. Used properly, Google Analytics data can help photographers dramatically improve their website performance and make critical decisions that grow their businesses.

"Smart photographers are realizing that a website is much more than just a digital portfolio where you show pretty pictures, but rather a powerful marketing tool that requires constant optimization,” said PhotoShelter CEO Allen Murabayashi. “When a photographer adds Google Analytics, they gain the same type of data that the world’s greatest marketing organizations are using to make their websites more effective. This free kit provides serious photographers with a simple guide to using Google Analytics for their websites.”

Sponsored by Adorama Camera, http://www.adorama.com, Google Analytics for Photographers includes several components. The primary content is PhotoShelter’s a 43-page, comprehensive e-book that explains how to install Google Analytics, how to read and interpret the data, key metrics to follow, and how to set benchmarks and goals for evaluating website performance. PhotoShelter also includes a quickstart guide, and a chart that demonstrates how to use Google Analytics to address five key marketing questions. In addition, PhotoShelter CEO Allen Murabayashi will deliver an ongoing series of Google Analytics for Photographers webinars – register here: http://pa.photoshelter.com/ref/WEBINARS

This free kit follows PhotoShelter's earlier 2009 releases - The SEO Cookbook for Photography Websites, and the What Buyers Want Website Survey. All of PhotoShelter's 2009 free reports can be downloaded here: http://pa.photoshelter.com/ref/REPORTS

PhotoShelter’s easily customizable portfolio websites help photographers display and sell their work online, and adding Google Analytics can be done in less than one minute. In addition to advanced search engine optimization (SEO) tools, PhotoShelter websites feature e-commerce for selling stock photos, prints, and personal use downloads, unlimited galleries with flash slideshows, keyword search, advanced security, and many more rich features – all tied to a bulletproof archive and pro-strength back-end that supports workflow for serious photographers.

About PhotoShelter

PhotoShelter is the leader in portfolio websites, photo sales and archiving tools for photographers.

Over 48,000 photographers worldwide use PhotoShelter to power their success online, with customizable website templates, searchable galleries, e-commerce capabilities, and bulletproof image storage. Photographers can create a professional PhotoShelter website in under five minutes, or customize PhotoShelter to power their existing website. A true solution designed to make the business of photography easier to manage - PhotoShelter offers security, global accessibility, and advanced marketing tools so photographers can make their images work harder for them. To join our community, visit www.photoshelter.com.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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PHOTOSHELTER LAUNCHES PERSONAL ARCHIVE 2.0, INCLUDING "30 SECOND WEBSITE" TEMPLATES

New features enable instant website creation, more self marketing tools, streamlined user interface and community forums

New York, NY, October 20, 2008 - PhotoShelter, an online community where thousands of independent photographers find success through image sales and archiving technologies, today unveiled Version 2.0 for its flagship product, the PhotoShelter Personal Archive. Today's release establishes PhotoShelter as the industry's most affordable solution to easily create and publish robust e-commerce photo-friendly websites, by providing a menu of pre-set templates designed to instantly "skin" a public Personal Archive account. The result is a standalone website with a unique, professional and clean aesthetic, powered by PhotoShelter, complete with galleries, search, and shopping carts, plus lightboxes, slideshows, and client login/password protection.

The new website templates complement PhotoShelter's existing Seamless Customization feature, which puts all of the powerful PhotoShelter features into photographers' own websites, while maintaining their unique look and feel. These new templates allow users to leapfrog any complex design or integration activity by instantly laying themes and styles atop the user's existing Personal Archive. PhotoShelter users can create a new website in no more than six clicks.

"Every serious photographer's website should serve as their digital storefront, yet too many photographers have avoided adding e-commerce, search, and security features because integration has been both complex and expensive," said Allen Murabayashi, CEO of PhotoShelter. "PhotoShelter now makes it simple and affordable to instantly convert a photographer's archive into a comprehensive, robust website for offering stock photography, prints, and other photo products. And, the templates can be applied in literally 30 seconds. We're constantly looking for new ways to create success for our community and this is a huge step forward."

"There are many web template companies, but none offer the same features as PhotoShelter," said wedding photographer Eric Hegwer (www.erichegwer.com). "PhotoShelter lets me to make sales to clients, including prints and direct digital downloads of images, and provides a rock solid archiving system for all my weddings. Now, with their easy-to-configure websites, I simply choose the photos I want to be on my website, and a few clicks later they are there.

PhotoShelter also today unveiled new features that enable photographers to market their images beyond their personal websites. New Flash-based widgets enable users to embed slideshows and individual images into any website or blog - with functionality that helps every image retain critical metadata and direct links back to the photographer's Personal Archive account, where images can be sold as prints or stock photography.

"Photographers must take advantage of all possible opportunities to expose potential clients to their work," said Allen Murabayashi, CEO of PhotoShelter. "These new features enhance a photographer's self marketing toolkit, enabling their images to spread virally across the web all while maintaining control of the image. At the same time, Orphan Works legislation makes it critical for content owners to track and establish ownership of imagery via metadata. We're taking the lead by helping photographers ensure images disseminated across the web can always link back to their Personal Archive account."

Also announced was an upgrade to PhotoShelter's innovative "Virtual Agency," which allows independent photographers to join together in groups with similar interests to market their work collectively as a niche stock agency. Monthly fees for use of the Virtual Agency have been removed, so users can group together without hesitation.

PhotoShelter also enhanced its community features available to Personal Archive subscribers. Starting today, a user forum is available to help subscribers interact for networking, technical discussion, and friendly banter. Included is an Image Critique Forum where subscribers can share images and obtain feedback from their peers.

The feature updates were also accompanied by a complete overhaul to the Personal Archive site navigation, including homepage and tour. While no functionality was removed, the design changes provide a streamlined, more logical user interface in response to customer feedback.

PhotoShelter will be demonstrating the new Personal Archive features at the PhotoPlus Expo in New York, October 23 through 25, in booth #1808.

Source: Photoshelter

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The end for Photoshelter Collection

Not even one year after the start of Photoshelter Collection comes the announcement that they will close October 10, 2008. Here is the email that I receive today:

Dear Friends, We're contacting you today with some unfortunate news - we will be closing The PhotoShelter Collection, effective October 10, 2008. Going forward, our team will refocus heavily on enhancing our original product, The PhotoShelter Personal Archive, which several thousand photographers use for bulletproof storage and online image sales directly to their own clients. Our financial position remains solid and we look forward to working with the photography community for years to come.

More details about timing and the implications for contributors can be found in a personal statement on our corporate blog, and this FAQ document.
Just one year ago, we started the Collection with a mission to "change the image marketplace for good." Since then, we've amassed a remarkable global community. We've built a unique position in the industry fueled by integrity and a true passion for photography. We've held our commitment to fair treatment of photographers with a 70/30 split of every transaction, opened up your access to information through our School of Stock and symposium events, and gave every photographer - regardless of one's network, location, or level of expertise - a fair shot at selling your work to the industry's top buyers.
However, our approach was insufficient to change buyer behavior on a grand scale and generate revenues quickly enough to satisfy our goals for this product line. While image buyers worldwide appreciated our new approach, the size of our image selection and the incumbent player's entrenched subscription relationships were a persistent challenge. As a result, we saw few strategic options for the Collection that would allow us to stay true to our commitment to a better deal for photographers and our desire to change the industry.
Despite today's decision, we remain committed to using technology to advance both the art and business of photography. Our team's energy and innovative resources will ensure that the Personal Archive remains the best online solution to help independent photographers write their own success stories. If you are not yet a Personal Archive subscriber, we hope you will continue your relationship with the PhotoShelter community through that product.
We want to express our deepest gratitude to our global community of contributors. We've enjoyed a full year of seeing your exceptional images cross our desks, developed warm relationships with many of you through PhotoShelter events, and shared in your excitement when you've achieved sales through our marketplace.
We're looking forward to chatting more with you in person and demonstrating some new Personal Archive enhancements at October's PhotoPlus International Conference.
With gratitude,
Allen Murabayashi
CEO

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PHOTOSHELTER LAUNCHES PHOTOSHELTER PRINTS

Limited Time Opportunity to Own Prints from Independent Photographers Who Contribute to The PhotoShelter Collection

New York, NY, August 21, 2008 - PhotoShelter Inc., where an online community of 42,000 independent photographers find success through image sales and archiving technologies, today announced a limited-time opportunity to purchase a selection of prints from The PhotoShelter Collection. Handpicked by PhotoShelter's team of editors, the prints reflect the wide aesthetic range of images contributed by PhotoShelter's global photographer community, from exquisite floral still life to Las Vegas Elvis impersonators. Available now through October 1, 2008, images can be viewed and purchased at www.photoshelterprints.com.

Since the September 2007 launch of The PhotoShelter Collection, the company's stock photography marketplace, visitors have frequently requested the ability to purchase prints - recognizing the contemporary art quality of images contributed by PhotoShelter photographers who range from renowned Pulitzer Prize winners to undiscovered, or emerging young talent from around the world. PhotoShelter Prints is a direct response to these requests, and part of the company's ongoing exploration of new sales opportunities for independent photographers.

"With thousands of contributors from more than 160 countries around the world, we're in a unique position to make independent photography accessible, at reasonable prices, too," said Allen Murabayashi, PhotoShelter's CEO. "We're excited about the potential of PhotoShelter Prints to continue to help members of our community be successful, and we're looking forward to introducing these exceptional images to homes and collections everywhere. Some of the work has never before been offered publicly."

Two galleries of images are available; one offering photos with a contemporary aesthetic and the other a classic. The selection of images and contributing photographers is a broad sample of the diverse work and specialties available as stock photography through The PhotoShelter Collection. In addition to dozens of emerging talented photographers, notable contributors with prints available through this offering include Radar Magazine Photo Editor Stacey Pittmann, award-winning editorial photographers Ami Vitale and Landon Nordeman whose images regularly appear in the world's most widely read newspapers and magazines, and Andy Biggs whose African wildlife images are currently featured in Banana Republic retail stores across the United States. Print prices vary by size, ranging from $100 to $450. All images are printed on archival quality Kodak Pro Endura Supra paper, which offers print stability and longevity of up to 200 years.

PhotoShelter Prints are available today through until October 1, 2008. Pending the success of PhotoShelter Prints, the company may formally launch a PhotoShelter Prints line which would then be open to participation from the full PhotoShelter community of photographers.

Source: Photoshelter

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