![\"theknack.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/Ramblindan.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/theknack.jpg\" "\\"theknack.jpg\\"")
<\/p>\nAt my age (60) I have been thinking about “sidelines” or retirement occupations. Here is another one.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I spend a lot more time at the keyboard than I probably should. I am either here or in the workshop. I have even tied the computer to my workshop activities with the CNC work. I am getting a lot of inquiries and phone calls about my CNC activities. Interest is picking up.<\/p>\n
Oops, off track! Here is my newest thought. I have become darn good at digital photo editing. I have a lot of great tools, but it still takes “the knack” to get things right. A lot of it is a sense art and not definable in engineering terms. The tools are necessary but it is how they are used that gets the job done. It is not just “push a button”.<\/p>\n
I have digitally restored damaged photos and 35mm slides, created photo books, slide shows and produced some great video. I shoot a lot of stuff myself but the ol’ legs (PN) keep me from fully enjoying the shoots. I’ll do it for as long as I am able, hopefully for at least another decade.<\/p>\n
But a lot of the finish work in photography and video is now done at the computer rather than the black, dank darkrooms. I can do that! I also did that! So can any other less mobile person who has the computer equipment and “the knack”.<\/p>\n
Many folks have old family photography in boxes and albums. Not great art but still prized and usually non replaceable. I think it is an untapped market to scan, publish, restore, archive and in every digital way, preserve and present this old material.<\/p>\n
Yes, front line photo shops offer this sort of thing, but so can an individual. Or you can use the local photo shop for your front end. I think many people today use fast print and don’t associate with full service shops, but they do exist. My daughter started her professional career at one.<\/p>\n
There will be a sizable investment from the customer to have this work done. I don’t vision this as a low budget operation. It depends on the detail required. Restoring 50 photos for a high quality book publication is not beer money. I say there are folks who will want and can pay for this sort of service.<\/p>\n
An investment in all new first class digital hardware and software will run between five to ten thousand dollars. However, a start up should be done with what you have. Like me, I already have what I need to start. That’s how I know I can do it. I have invested lots of practice at my own pace.<\/p>\n
When you are selling your time for real, you need the fastest and smoothest working system you can assemble. However, don’t invest until you have a start. Don’t be a collector. Purchase only what you need when you need it. That is a good business strategy and sense.<\/p>\n
First class high speed computer, lots of available RAM, large amount of disk storage, first class slide and flat scanners, photo printer, professional software all hit me as the hard and software requirements after this service becomes a business. I am reminded; lots of small businesses start in the corner of the bedroom.<\/p>\n
Every business needs marketing, so it would be sensible to do a few projects on your existing system, no matter how long it takes and use those projects as a portfolio of what you can do. Show them off. Be fearless and aggressive in promoting.<\/p>\n
I won’t go into how to market, but maybe this blog will light a spark for someone. I have at least one friend who is already interested. I am not worried about competition (yet). \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At my age (60) I have been thinking about “sidelines” or retirement occupations. Here is another one. I spend a lot more time at the keyboard than I probably should. I am either here or in the workshop. I have even tied the computer to my workshop activities with the CNC work. I am getting a lot of inquiries and phone calls about my CNC activities. Interest is picking up. Oops, off track! Here is...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-90","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-musing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ramblindan.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ramblindan.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ramblindan.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ramblindan.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ramblindan.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=90"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ramblindan.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ramblindan.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=90"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ramblindan.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=90"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ramblindan.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=90"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}