It would be very helpful to have an html export template designed for photo proofing. The template would include the following data fields (along with all the other standard gallery fields):
Customer name & contact info
Number of allowed favorites (max value for favorite selections)
Email address where form data is to be emailed
Email address where form is being mailed from
Option to disable right-click on images (display image copyright info on right mouse click)
Thumbnail size
Image size
Watermark
..etc.
The web page generated would be a basic gallery style with a "favorite selection" button or checkbox under each photo. After selecting favorites, the client would click a submission button which would take them to a final review screen that thumbnail versions of the photos they selected. Then they would click an "approve" button to have the form data emailed back to the photographer (or page creator). The form could use php sendmail, which is supported by many hosting companies. Possibly make it part of the template for the user to select PHP sendmail or local email client.. depending on their web server capabilities.
I am currently using a piece of custom-written software to accomplish this task, but it would save several steps and a lot of time if PhotoMechanic could handle this with a built-in web template feature like this.
Many proofing software packages and web sites are too complicated. Many times I just need to know what photos a client wants retouched, and I need the ability for the page to limit the number of photos they are able to select. Background: besides myself, I know other photographers who use the all-digital model - charge one price for photos on CD with the option to select a pre-determined number of photos for retouching. The final product is delivered to the client on CD. End of transaction. In this sales model, all the photographer needs to know is what photos the client wants to have retouched, and the method of image selection must be extremely easy and convenient.
To illustrate the type of functionality I'm looking for, here is a sample proof page that I created using my own custom-written software:
http://www.digital-savant.net/proofs/582841DC2D1F46A9B6B61E96D7C78381/index.htmHere are the steps I currently have to perform:
Extract jpeg thumbnails from RAW photos
Down-size extracted jpegs to keep from crashing proofing software
Generate proof pages with custom software
FTP proof page to web server
What I want to be able to do:
Generate proof page directly from RAW photos with PhotoMechanic
FTP exported proof pages to web server
Hopefully that all makes sense!
