Re: Photographers

Aaron--

I think your idea of actually showing the residents and the 
facilities is the way to go. In addition to what is posted initially, 
you can add photos over times, such as: holidays and special 
occasions; new facilities; staff members; etc..

It may help to think of the process of getting the photos in two 
steps: (1) getting the images (2) processing the images for the Web 
site.

To get the image, you have several options:
	a) Digital camera
	b) Scan photos
	c) Scan film, either negatives or transparencies

Probably the best images can be obtained by using a good camera with 
transparency (slide) film, and then scanning the transparencies. Film 
has relatively high resolution, and going to the source is better 
than scanning a photograpgh, especially if the photograph was not 
processed by a custom lab. If the facility has people who can take 
the pictures, then you can find a lab that will do the scanning for 
you (if you'd prefer not to invest in the equipment and do the 
scanning yourself).

However, for the Web, you don't need high resolution; and in fact 
can't use high resolution, since monitors generally show images at 72 
pixels per inch. A digital camera is adequate for this purpose. If 
you want advice on the various models and features, let me know. By 
capturing the images in a digital format, you bypass the scanning.

The second aspect is processing the photos. You could have an 
excellent image, but if it's not processed properly, it could be a 
disaster on line. Most likely the images would be processed in 
Photoshop. The latest version, v5.5, even has several built-in tools 
for processing images for the Web. If you're not currently using 
Photoshop, note that it has a significant learning curve, and you 
probably want to have someone process the images for you at this time.

If you'd like to see some digital snapshots taken with a modest 
digital camera and then processed in Photoshop, take a look at my web 
page,

	http://www.oceansong.com

in the sections New England Travels and also Hither and Yon.

In L.A., you should be able to find lots of people who can take 
photos, or process the images, or do the whole thing.

Contact me if you have any more specific questions.

--Jeff


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>I am the webmaster for a retirement and assisted living
>residence in Los Angeles.  The existing photographs on
>the website (taken by a friend of the owner) are, at best,
>suitable for selling the property for real estate purposes
>but poorly market the business well for getting additional
>residents.
>
>We are looking for a photographer who would be able to
>take a few attractive outside shots of the facilities
>and some photographs of the residents (perhaps with their
>families) that would help to make the website more "warm
>and fuzzy" to attract clients.
>
>I have no idea how much such a project usually would
>cost to do or how to find the right photographer.
>
>I like some of the stock photo sets available in the $250
>range on CD-ROM, but I'd prefer getting something that
>actually shows the facility and its residents.

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