CEBU, Philippines - Amid the advent of technology and the trend of owning digital cameras or the high-class single-lens reflex cameras, digital photo studios still thrive in the local market for the benefit of those who own one or those who don’t.
Konica Photo Express Speed Foto employee Erwin Inting admitted that although the accessibility of digital cameras nowadays has become so common, it was their initiative to take advantage of the technology by offering printing services and selling hi-tech merchandises such as battery charger, memory card, memory card reader, flash drive (USB’s and micro SD’s) and camera accessories.
He added that their printing services cover 60% of their sales in which prices depends on various sizes and then followed by their merchandises and studio photography.
In his three years in photography studio, Inting noted that even if a lot of people have their own cameras, there are still a number of walk-in customers who still patronize studio photography because of its editing and lighting features.
Their studio service includes barkada package, family package and solo package which could take 30 minutes to one hour for standard printing and 10 minutes for rush printing and ranges to P100-P200.
On the other hand, Felix Garciano, photographer and photo editor of Digital All Kind Studio, said that their sales have increased even though digital cameras and SLR have become a hit to the public.
He added that even if people own digital cameras, they still visit photo studios since not all of the owners have printers at their homes.
“Ang printing services ang nakapakusog sa among sales ngari. And besides, dili tanan kahibawo sa editing process mao moduol sila sa amo,” Garciano said. (Our sales have increased because of the printing services. Besides, not all of the camera owners know the editing process that’s why they approach us.)
He noted that occasions like graduations and weddings help boost their sales as well as ID pictures and other promotions like discounted rates.
Aside from studio photography and printing services, their photo studio also offers production of invitation cards and calling cards and video conversions. —Grace Melanie I. Lacamiento
Meanwhile, Cristina Verano, a 10-year regular customer of photo studios, said that such business is helpful to her and to her children since they have been consistent beauty pageant participants.
She added that pageant organizers require photos from them taken in studios because of its editing and lighting features.
Even though she doesn’t have a digital camera, according to Verano, photo studios are affordable and timely when it comes to its printing process.
Digital photography uses an array of light sensitive sensors to capture the image focused by the lens, as opposed to an exposure on light sensitive film. The captured image is then stored as a digital file ready for digital processing such as color correction, sizing, cropping, viewing or printing.
From the older type of photography which is negative processing, photographs were made by exposing light sensitive photographic film, and used chemical photographic processing to develop and stabilize the image. On the other hand, digital photographs can be displayed, printed, stored, manipulated, transmitted, and archived using digital and computer techniques, without chemical processing. (FREEMAN)