The Nulab Group consists of NuLab Professional Imaging lab, servicing professional photographers, and more recently two other businesses, NuShots and PicPress, with more of a consumer focus.

The following is a slightly edited and abridged transcript of his talk:

The typical professional studio has been declining at about 20 percent for the last 3 years – there are no exceptions. That’s the trend, and these are your super photographers (who have more awards than I have!)

Photography has got nothing to do with what’s going on. The new generation of photographers don’t want to make money out of photography – they just like taking pictures. They actually have a full-time job somewhere else, and if they make some money, they are pretty happy.

People of my vintage, who have been around for some time, know that in the old days it was easy to do a little work and make a shedload of money from photography. Now, it doesn’t happen like that for us. As photographers – we are too old. We don’t look the same. Yet young people whose photography is average can generate unbelievable sales.

The industry will continue to shrink, and I think that silver halide has only got a little time left. We (Nulab) will be putting in a roll-to-roll Indigo pretty soon, probably, and that machine prints 5000 8x10s an hour, which is the equivalent of running 10 Noritsus or Frontiers. There’s a major fundamental shift.

In America (portrait studio operator) CPI just shut down 2700 studios right across the States. That’s what used to record the history of American families for the last 60 to 70 years. What happens now?

The same is happening in Australia – all the Pixies (PixieFoto) and the rest are in deep trouble. They are declining. They haven’t changed. They want to sell the same stuff they sold 10 years ago, even 2 years ago – and that doesn’t cut it.

We have some customers – predominantly women – who have set up new shopping centre operations. Some have put in front-projection units where they can change the backgrounds. Their work is very different, and they are raking it in. Because they are different. Their products are different. They don’t sell the same as everyone else sells.

There will be a small number of business opportunities for those who will rise to the top, because the cake is much smaller. But there are more photographers, and they all want a piece of the cake, so most of them will be getting crumbs.

So as a lab owner, we moved into signage, where I get one job that’s equivalent to what a photographer spends in a year. That’s where my growth comes from, and the second area of growth is our NuShots division, which is consumer-based; it’s all online.

In a few weeks we will start a national TV campaign because that’s where the growth is. Everyone is a photographer…We are getting three-, four-hundred-dollar orders from consumers. Photo books and acrylics and stuff they can’t get anywhere else. But it’s all online – we don’t see them, we don’t touch them, and it’s all pre-paid.

So from the printing side, all labs are in trouble, all printers are in trouble. You’ve got to be in the digital world and it’s all about customers. It doesn’t matter if you are a retailer – if you are dealing with photographers you’ve go to change, and you’ve got to market.

One of the things I’ve learned from my American friends whose businesses are growing it that it’s all about product development – new stuff all the time. You have to listen to the client and you have to give them what they want – not what you make.

That’s the problem with a lot of manufacturers – they make stuff they have machines for, even if that’s not what people want any more.

Peter Rose asked about the high non -completion rate for photo books:

It’s to do with the software, Michael Warshall responded – it’s too complicated. We’ve just invested around $100,000 in new software because what we had was too clunky and too complicated. They don’t want to download, so now all our software is cloud-based. It has to be.

The pro photographers are OK, but grandma doesn’t want to download 80 or 100 megabytes. They don’t want it like that.

We are launching all new software for our PicPress products in the next month: At our place you find out when the work is in when the printer starts printing because it’s fully automated. The margins are fairly low, which means you can’t afford to have staff to do manual work.

A photo book takes a long time and my (PicPress) customers, who are mainly mothers, they do it in bed at night. They need software which they can pick up and do 10 minutes today and go back tomorrow and put in an hour. Photo book orders come in 24 hours a day. In the middle of the night someone will have just finished a photo book. Or an acrylic. Or greeting cards. Or even prints.

One of the most popular and highest-margin products now is metallic prints. Normal prints you are back to 9 nine cents for 9 days. You can’t do that – it’s just not sustainable. And there are other products people want: removable wallpaper; cut-out statuettes of your dog – it’s easier and its constant.

You have to find out what is it you have to make so your customer will buy more. The professionals don’t understand that. They want to sell pretty pictures. To them that’s important. I’m also a photographer, and I learned that a long time ago.

People don’t care about pretty pictures. They would rather have someone they can relate to and have ordinary pictures, and they will pay for that. It’s probably the same everywhere. The whole digital photographic industry is challenged. Some people are going to do really well. If you’re on the manufacturing side the only way you are going to make a lot of money is to be fully automated and minimise your staffing levels, because Australia is one of the most expensive countries for staff.

Ten years ago we had 157 staff. Now we have 35. But the things we have eliminated is all the manual type work. Ten years ago we we had 10 girls doing data entry and now we have none. An order comes in. Money comes into the account. The order goes into the printer. The machine starts turning and it’s ‘hullo – there’s work here!’

Retail is a bit more challenging because you can’t automate it. It’s all about people.

Camera Electronics Saul Frank at the launch of the Leica M in Perth last Friday.

General manager of new company Leica Australia, Ryan Williams, and Leica technical specialist Daniel Kennedy were over from Melbourne for the event.

Demonstration units of the Leica M (typ 240) and the 50mm APO Summicron lens, along with other Leica cameras and lenses were on hand for hands-on demonstration.

Images from Leica photographers Mathias Heng (Leica Akademie instructor from Singapore), Thorsten Overgaard (renowned Leica blogger and photographer), and Australian Leica Ambassador Kristian Dowling were a feature of the event.

As well as being a social and PR success, Camera Electronic took deposits and orders for Leica M gear during the evening.

The German flavour was underscored not only by attendance of the German Consul, Torsten Ketelsen, but by the catering:

‘We catered in the German style with a beer garden offering Bratwurst rolls prepared by a German chef right in front of you,’ said Saul Frank, director, Camera Electronic. There was also a selection of German cider, beer, wine and champagne.

Saul Frank noted that due to its iconic status, Leica was beginning to have appeal beyond the traditional market of discerning photographers, to those well-heeled consumers interested in high-end fashion brands.

Camera Electronic has been associated with Leica for over 40 years. Founder Ron Frank was the first West Australian to be invited to the Leica factory in 1995 and his two sons Ron and Saul, as well as other Camera Electronic staff have been over for training and briefings.

Ron Frank’s father originally came over from Germany, escaping the holocaust, and the German heritage lingers.

After some renovation work, Camera Electronic is set to be the second Leica Boutique in Perth, following PRA Imaging, according to Saul Frank.

In addition to serving pro photographers and top-end enthusiasts in Perth, Camera Electronic is also distributor for Hoodman accessories and Cullmann tripods.

See collage below. More images at Camera Electronc’s facebook page. 

The Samsung NX300

The NX300 and NX2000 cameras feature the updated version of Smart Camera 2.0 –  ’a hub of innovative connectivity features.’

Wi-Fi connectivity in the NX300 and NX2000 is designed to allow users to share their photographs between compatible devices and desktop computers. The Direct Link hot key feature is designed to enable images to be shared securely at the touch of a button between compatible camera, smartphone and tablet technology. The Smart Camera App, available on Android and iOS, connects the user’s compatible smartphone to the camera via a Wi-Fi connection to easily edit, share and back-up images.

The NX300 includes a Hybrid Auto Focus system that is designed to enable fast, accurate phase and contrast detection, and is complemented by a 1/6000 sec shutter speed, and up to 8.6fps in continuous shooting mode.

Both the NX300 and NX2000 cameras use a new 20.3-megapixel APS-CMOS sensor and DRIMe IV engine which works to reduces noise, improves speed and enables superior colour reproduction.

Additionally the integrated Near Field Communication (NFC) technology in the NX2000 links to many NFC-enabled compatible Android smartphones and tablets. Simply tap the camera with the compatible smart device and NFC immediately launches the Samsung Smart Camera App and automatically pairs the device via a direct Wi-Fi connection.

The NX300 features a bright 3.31-inch AMOLED tilting screen, while the hybrid touch screen and 5-way manual key interface is simple and intuitive to use. The NX2000 has a 3.7-inch WVGA Full Touch Screen.

The Samsung NX2000

The Samsung NX300 will be available in-store from mid-May at a RRP of $899 (US price US$699). It will include the 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 OIS III lens and a copy of Adobe Lightroom 4 editing software for photographers. The NX300 will be available in brown or white with a contrasting silver band.

The Samsung NX2000 will be available in-store from late June. It will also include a copy of Adobe Lightroom 4 editing software and will be available in white or black. (No local price supplied – US price US$649)

The Samsung NX 45mm F1.8 2D/3D interchangeable lens will be in-store from mid-May  at a RRP of $499 (US$499).

The Inca universal charger for lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries is compatible with most 3.6-3.7V, 7.2-7.4V digital camera, camcorder and mobile phone Li-ion batteries. The charger will automatically detect the correct voltage and polarity for the battery. This eliminates the hassle of figuring out  the battery’s positive and negative contact points. It is compact and lightweight, and so ideal for travellers.

The LED display shows when the battery is charging (red) or fully charged (green). When the battery is finished charging, the charger will automatically switch off. The new charger has a recommended retail price of $34.95 and is available in specialist camera stores.

Pixel’s Vertaxe13 is a replacement battery grip for the Canon BG-E13 for the Canon 6D.

It’s designed to take one or two LP-E6 rechargeable batteries or six AA/LR 6 Alkaline batteries. It measures 145.7  x 113  x 85 mm and weighs approximately 293.35gms (without batteries and battery magazine). Horizontal shooting is made easy with the vertical-grip shutter button, multifunction control and custom buttons. The grip is also weatherproof and dustproof.

The NSW version of the Canon retailer print ad.

The campaign will run for seven weeks in the major News Limited papers in NSW, QLD, VIC, SA and WA. Canon characterised the ad spend on the campaign as ‘significant’.

Peter Michael, managing director of leading Melbourne photo specialist Michaels CVD, is a strong supporter of Canon’s recent initiatives, including the new campaign:

‘I have not seen Canon’s full campaign but believe that I have the gist of it,’ he stated. ‘In our view, Canon’s recent initiatives to assist us to provide globally competitive pricing to our customers (price harmonisation) is brilliant. We’ve already seen a sharp increase in Canon sales after their price re-positioning several weeks ago.

‘We are confident that Canon’s significant investment in these marketing initiatives will translate directly to a marked increase in sales for Canon Australia and all its dealers.

This is true win-win: Canon Australia wins – increased Australian sales; dealers win – increased Canon sales; our customers win – global pricing, local service, local advice and local support,’ he concluded.

‘We’re making every effort to grow the local market and are investing heavily in retail partnerships to drive growth by offering consumers a great imaging experience and fantastic value,’ said Jason McLean, director, Canon Consumer Imaging, Canon Australia.

‘This year alone we’ve invested millions to help authorised retailers offer very competitive pricing and we’re actively making consumers aware that the value locally has never been so good.’

The campaign follows the launch in April of the company’s largest-ever marketing campaign ‘No One Sees It Like You’, aimed at engaging consumers in the complete imaging experience and drawing attention to Canon locally.

Also, ‘noting that Recommended Retail Pricing was being used to make unfair price comparisons with overseas selling prices online, Canon Australia took the step of not publishing RRPs and instead encouraging consumers and media alike to compare local value based on actual transacted store pricing,’ stated the Canon press release.

‘At a time of significant market change we’re making bold moves to achieve market growth in Australia from which we all benefit,’ said Mr McLean. ‘With the best range, the unique ability to offer consumers the complete imaging experience from capture to output, and very competitive local pricing, Canon and our partners are well positioned to grow in 2013.’

The new 32mm lens, with a maximum aperture of f1.2, is fastest in the Nikkor lineup.

Other features:
- Offers superior resolution and large, smooth blur characteristics;
- The first 1 Nikkor to utilise Nano Crystal Coat to effectively reduce flare and ghosting;
- The first 1 NIKKOR lens to be equipped with a Silent Wave Motor (SWM) utilising the close-range correction system for focus drive and superior rendering with high-resolution, realistic textures, and very little aberration, even with close-up shooting;
- The first 1 Nikkor lens equipped with M/A (autofocus with manual override) mode, which enables manual focusing by rotating the focus ring;
- Quieter shooting with reduction of AF drive sound;
- Superior design with fine metal finish;
- Available in black or silver.

Nikon refers journalists ‘to local authorised resellers for local pricing.’ Anyone out there  know the local price? US price on Adorama is US$896.95.

The E-P5 takes the mantle of flagship in the PEN mirrorless interchangeable range. It has, according to Olympus, the ‘world’s fastest shutter speed in its class’ (1/8000 sec) and sophisticated wireless connectivity capabilities. The premium PEN E-P5 compact system camera follows the stylishly classic PEN design

It also has WiFi built in, providing wireless LiveView to a remote device and super-quick touch-shooting capability with iOS and Android devices.

It features the world’s fastest autofocus speed and the world’s most advanced 5-axis image stabiliser built into the camera.

Other features include:
- The same 16-megapixel image sensor and processor chips as the OM-D E-M5;
- Solid metal body;
- 3-inch tilting LCD with 1 million pixel resolution;
- 9 frames per second shooting speed.

When the E-P5 becomes available in Australia in July, it will be offered as a body-only option (unlike its predecessor, the E-P3) as well as several kits with bundled lenses and the new VF-4 electronic viewfinder. The detachable EVF is available as an optional accessory. It features 2.36-megapixel resolution and 1.48x magnification.

Other accessories include a selection of upmarket hand-stitched leather items – a neck strap, camera case and shoulder bag.

Olympus has also announced availability of black versions of three of the most popular Olympus prime lenses: the 17mm f1.8, 45mm f1.8 and 75mm f1.8 for matching with black bodied E-P5 and OM-D E-M5 cameras.

Though local pricing hasn’t been supplied, US websites already have the PEN E-P5 listed for pre-ordering for US$999.99 (body only) or US$1449.99 for the body plus 17mm f1.8 lens and VF-4 viewfinder. The VF-4 is listed at US$279.

Travellers can now claim on purchases made up to 60 days before leaving Australia, rather than 30 days.

In addition, they can claim on several tax invoices from the same store, rather than one as was the previous rule.

The refund only applies to goods carried as hand luggage or worn when the traveller leaves the country. The revised scheme is already in effect (from April 14) and is open to all overseas visitors and Australian residents, except operating air and sea crew.

There are a range of rules and regulations which can be found by clicking here.

This makes Creative Suite 6 the last boxed software suite. It will be replaced by the subscription model that Adobe has been peddling since last year, which is based on monthly payments. Following a Government enquiry earlier in the year, Adobe has brought its prices in Australia closer to those charged to its North American customers. Accordingly, local buyers can expect the charges shown in the table below. Existing Creative Suite users will qualify for a discount in the first two years if they upgrade before the end of July, 2013.

The coming Creative Cloud suite, which will begin to be released next month, will see each application tagged with the ‘CC’ suffix (for ‘Creative Cloud’). It will offer some interesting new features. For example, Photoshop CC will include a new Camera Shake Reduction function, revamped Smart Sharpen adjustment and ‘intelligent’ upsampling for retaining details in images when they are enlarged substantially. The new Camera Raw 8 allows users to apply image edits as a filter to any layer or file in Photoshop, including video files, and adds several new editing tools. Improvements have also been made to Photoshop’s 3D painting tools and Smart Object support has been expanded.

Users of the Creative Suite applications should (in theory) have access to the software they have paid for via a temporary registration which activates the software via the internet. However, if you can’t access the internet but still want to use the software, your access will be blocked, even if you’ve paid the monthly subscription.

Photo Review staff have been unable to access Photoshop (even in the desktop version) when the software tried to access Adobe’s server to see whether it was validated. Having to be in constant internet contact also raises serious questions for photographers who want to convert Raw files when they are on location away from internet access. The move also makes subscribers vulnerable if Adobe faces denial-of-service hacking.

Adobe has published an open letter explaining its decision to move to the subscription model. It can be accessed at http://www.adobe.com/cc/letter.html.

Readers who wish to protest against this development can sign a petition by clicking here.
- courtesy Margaret Brown, Photo Review

The following products have been nominated as ‘best products’ for the past year by technical editors from 27 member magazines covering nine European countries plus Australia, Canada, China, South Africa and the USA plus the Camera Journal Press Club (CJPC) of Japan:

Best Digital SLR Expert: Canon EOS 6D
Best Digital SLR Advanced: Nikon D7100
Best Digital SLR Entry Level: Canon EOS 100D
Best Video Digital SLR: Canon EOS-1D C
Best Professional Camera: Leica M (Typ 240)
Best Premium Camera: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1
Best CSC Professional: Panasonic Lumix GH3
Best CSC Expert: Fujifilm X-E1
Best CSC Advanced: Samsung NX300
Best CSC Entry Level: Olympus PEN E-PL5
Best Expert Compact Camera: Fujifilm X20
Best Superzoom Camera: Nikon Coolpix P520
Best Easy Compact Camera: Nikon Coolpix S01
Best Rugged Compact Camera: Panasonic Lumix FT5
Best Professional DSLR Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
Best Expert DSLR Lens: Sigma APO 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM
Best Entry Level DSLR Lens: Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC MACRO OS HSM
Best CSC Expert Lens: Sony E-mount 10-18mm f/4 OSS
Best CSC Prime Lens: Fujinon XF 14mm f/2.8 R
Best CSC Entry-Level Lens: Nikon 1 Nikkor 11-27.5mm f/3.5-5.6
Best Pro Camcorder: Sony NEX-VG900
Best ActionCam: GoPro Hero 3
Best Imaging Storage Media: Panasonic SDHC Gold, Silver, Blue series
Best Professional Lighting System: Profoto Pro-B4 1000 Air
Best Portable Lighting System: Nissin MG8000 Extreme
Best Tripod: Vanguard ABEO PRO Kit 283 CGH and GH300T
Best Photo Accessory: Metabones Speed Booster
Best Digital Accessory: Camranger
Best Photo Software: DxO Optics Pro 8
Best Expert Photo Printer: Canon PIXMA Pro-10
Best Multifunction Photo Printer: Epson Expression Photo XP series
Best Fine Art Inkjet Paper: ILFORD GALERIE Prestige Mono Silk
Best Photo Service: White Wall
Best Mobile Photo App: Tiffen Photo fx Ultra
Best Design: Giottos Silk Road YTL series
Best Photo Monitor: LG IPS ColorPrime 27EA83
Best Photo Bag: Vanguard Quovio 41
Best Photo TV Display: Samsung F8000 Smart LED 2D/3DTV
Best Mobile Imaging Device: Samsung GALAXY Camera
Best Imaging Innovation: Samsung 45mm f/1.8 2D/3D lens

For more details, click here.