[edleg]

I use instaproofs for weddings & special events... and some portrait sessions. Instaproofs does NOT do printing fullfillment... you must take care of your own printing (lab or inhouse) and shipping. There is no cost to signup, no monthly fees, no maximum number of images uploaded. Galleries automatically get up to 9 months free hosting; after that a particular gallery must be renewed for a small fee.

Their fee is 15% of the sales price. This sounds expensive, but it includes the credit card fee and they have a really great customer management system consisting of automatic e-mail reminders. You can post different prices for different kinds of events and have discounted sales for different events or all events.

I am getting ready to do a Holiday sale to get one last shot at the old events posted from this year... it costs me nothing for the system to e-mail everyone who has ever looked at any of the galleries and about 5 minutes of my time to set it up (the hardest part is figuring how much of a discount to give...and the dates to include to guarantee shipment before Christmas).

BTW, even for the weddings where I include a hi-rez disk of images to the B&G and/or a package with included proofs and prints, I still get around $350-$500 dollars of sales to relatives, friends of the B&G, wedding party, etc. Not a lot, but easy money.

I sell a lot of 4x6 "proofs" (uncropped) and quite a few 5x7s. With enough 8x10 and 11x14 prints to make it worth while.

I either send my images out for printing (4x6 & 5x7 prints mostly go to local Costco) or do in inhouse printing up to 11x14 (Epson 1800).

Whatever hosting system you do... use it and include it in your advertising, brochures, business cards, etc.