The Dead Pixels Society podcast

Gary Pageau
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  • UPDATED WEEKLY

News, information and interviews about the photo/imaging business. This is a weekly audio podcast hosted by Gary Pageau, editor of the Dead Pixels Society news site and community. This podcast is for a business-to-business audience of entrepreneurs and companies in the photo/imaging retail, online, wholesale, mobile, and camera hardware/accessory industries.If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, email host Gary Pageau at gary@thedeadpixelssociety.com. For more information and to sign up for the free weekly newsletter, visit www.thedeadpixelssociety.com.

  1. Candid Copyright Conversation with Sheryl Bashore and Bob Kenward

    2D AGO

    Candid Copyright Conversation with Sheryl Bashore and Bob Kenward

    Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! Parents can erase a watermark for five bucks, AI keeps getting better, and “just screenshot it” has become a reflex. So what do you do if you make your living in volume sports photography? Gary Pageau of The Dead Pixels Society sits down with Bob Kenward of Fluvanna Photography and Sheryl Bashore of Sheryl Z Photography, two of the most respected voices in youth sports and cheer, dance, and gymnastics photography, to get honest about what’s happening right now and what actually moves the needle. Kenward shares what he learned after turning on SnapShield style screenshot deterrence and activity tracking inside his GotPhoto workflow, including the surprising volume of mobile screenshot attempts and why friction can push some families to finally place an order. Kenward brings the counterpoint from the premium side of the market: when the imagery is truly stunning and the commitment level is high, the buy rate and average order value can stay strong without obsessing over every stolen proof. Together we unpack the real issue behind the copyright anxiety: customer psychology, perceived value, and how much parents have already invested in the sport. We also get practical on pricing strategy, prepay versus post-proofing, handling sibling gallery requests without blowing up your margins, and why volume is “systems first” work. If you’re trying to scale with better workflow, faster turnaround, and smarter account selection using revenue per athlete, this conversation is p The Climb with Cherie Clonan The Climb is a podcast for people building something meaningful and finding their..Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify MediaclipMediaclip strives to continuously enhance the user experience while dramatically increasing revenue.Independent Photo ImagersIPI is a member + trade association and a cooperative buying group in the photo + print industry.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEPhoto Imaging CONNECTThe Photo Imaging CONNECT conference, March 2027, at the RIO Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas, NDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Sign up for the Dead Pixels Society newsletter at http://bit.ly/DeadPixelsSignUp. Contact us at gary@thedeadpixelssociety.com Visit our LinkedIn group, Photo/Digital Imaging Network, and Facebook group,  The Dead Pixels Society. Leave a review on Apple and Podchaser. Are you interested in being a guest? Click here for details. Hosted and produced by Gary Pageau Announcer: Erin Manning

    59 min
  2. How To Exit A Small Business With A Real Plan, with David Hori

    MAR 27

    How To Exit A Small Business With A Real Plan, with David Hori

    Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! If your business disappeared for two weeks, would it keep running, or would everything grind to a halt because the “manual” is in your head? The Dead Pixels Society sits down with David Hori, principal at Topline Operators, to get practical about small business acquisition and what actually makes a company transferable, financeable, and worth buying. Hori brings a rare mix of experience: scaling VC-backed teams through acquisition exits, then shifting into buying and advising local businesses where succession planning is often missing.  He unpacks the starting point for any exit plan: Understanding the owner’s role and spotting where the owner has become the bottleneck. From there, we talk process documentation that works in the real world, including the camcorder method for recording repeatable workflows and capturing not just what you do, but why you do it. For listeners in the photo imaging industry, camera stores, photo labs, and studios, the message is especially relevant: systems and trained people protect your customer experience and your valuation when equipment, seasonality, and production complexity are in play.  Hori also breaks down deal dynamics buyers and sellers wrestle with, including earnouts, seller financing, and why many sellers want cash at closing even when it keeps deals from happening. We get into valuation and the numbers behind it, from EBITDA and seller discretionary earnings to how buyer types change price, whether it’s a cash flow buyer, a strategic trade buyer, or pri The Climb with Cherie Clonan The Climb is a podcast for people building something meaningful and finding their..Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify MediaclipMediaclip strives to continuously enhance the user experience while dramatically increasing revenue.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEIndependent Photo ImagersIPI is a member + trade association and a cooperative buying group in the photo + print industry.Photo Imaging CONNECTThe Photo Imaging CONNECT conference, March 2027, at the RIO Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas, NDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Sign up for the Dead Pixels Society newsletter at http://bit.ly/DeadPixelsSignUp. Contact us at gary@thedeadpixelssociety.com Visit our LinkedIn group, Photo/Digital Imaging Network, and Facebook group,  The Dead Pixels Society. Leave a review on Apple and Podchaser. Are you interested in being a guest? Click here for details. Hosted and produced by Gary Pageau Announcer: Erin Manning

    33 min
  3. How Dale Farkas Built a Photo Lab that Endured for 50 Years

    MAR 14

    How Dale Farkas Built a Photo Lab that Endured for 50 Years

    Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! A photo lab is a lot more than chemistry, scanners, and printers. It’s a discipline. In this episode of the Dead Pixels Society podcast, we are joined by Dale Farkas of Dale Laboratories in Hollywood, Florida. He lays out the principle that quietly separates labs that last from labs that fade: the difference between quality and quality control. Great prints are not an accident, and consistency is not a “nice to have” when your customers are trusting you with once-in-a-lifetime images. Farkas traces his path from RIT and motion-picture lab work to a true garage-style start, then into rapid growth when he spots a market vacuum and commits to serving it. Along the way, he explains how labs shifted from optical printing to digital printing, why technician judgment still matters for color correction, and what it takes to run a modern workflow that stays predictable under load. If you care about film processing, mail-in film developing, professional photo prints, and the real-world mechanics behind lab reliability, this conversation is packed with practical insight. The discussion also addresses industry pressure points: silver halide photo paper supply, Fuji paper choices, inkjet durability, and why customers respond to a print’s “wow factor” even when they can’t name the technical reason. Farkas closes with an open invitation to buyers interested in a turnkey photo lab operation and what the next chapter looks like for him. The Climb with Cherie Clonan The Climb is a podcast for people building something meaningful and finding their..Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify MediaclipMediaclip strives to continuously enhance the user experience while dramatically increasing revenue.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEIndependent Photo ImagersIPI is a member + trade association and a cooperative buying group in the photo + print industry.Photo Imaging CONNECTThe Photo Imaging CONNECT conference, March 2027, at the RIO Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas, NDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Sign up for the Dead Pixels Society newsletter at http://bit.ly/DeadPixelsSignUp. Contact us at gary@thedeadpixelssociety.com Visit our LinkedIn group, Photo/Digital Imaging Network, and Facebook group,  The Dead Pixels Society. Leave a review on Apple and Podchaser. Are you interested in being a guest? Click here for details. Hosted and produced by Gary Pageau Announcer: Erin Manning

    38 min
  4. Inside Evoto: Speed, Trust, And Authenticity In Photo Editing

    FEB 27

    Inside Evoto: Speed, Trust, And Authenticity In Photo Editing

    Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! Ever wish your edits moved fast? We sat down with Jay Peterson of Evoto to unpack how AI can make portrait workflows radically quicker without removing the realism that clients recognize and trust. Peterson explains Evoto’s slider-first, standalone desktop editor and how its proprietary algorithms target the work that slows pros down—frequency separation, dodging and burning, glasses glare, and flyaway hair—while keeping processing local for privacy and consistency. We also discuss Evoto’s short-lived AI headshot generator function. Peterson shares what happened, why the positioning landed poorly with working photographers, and the decision to kill it. The takeaway is bigger than one feature—if you serve pros, you build for pros, and your messaging must respect the craft. Authenticity isn’t a buzzword here; it’s the backbone of trust, referrals, and long-term client relationships. That means edits that look like people, not plastic, and tools that make deadlines easier without erasing intent. From there, we dive into the issues everyone’s arguing about: training data, school photo privacy, and the anxiety that “AI will replace me.” Peterson details Evoto’s no-touch stance—local processing, no cloud file access, and opt-in, paid datasets—plus why plain-English communication beats policy-speak when parents and clients ask tough questions. Energize your sales with Shareme.chat, the proven texting platform.  ShareMe.Chat  ShareMe.Chat platform uses chat-to-text on your website to keep your customers connected and buying! MediaclipMediaclip strives to continuously enhance the user experience while dramatically increasing revenue.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEIndependent Photo ImagersIPI is a member + trade association and a cooperative buying group in the photo + print industry.Photo Imaging CONNECTThe Photo Imaging CONNECT conference, March 2027, at the RIO Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas, NDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Sign up for the Dead Pixels Society newsletter at http://bit.ly/DeadPixelsSignUp. Contact us at gary@thedeadpixelssociety.com Visit our LinkedIn group, Photo/Digital Imaging Network, and Facebook group,  The Dead Pixels Society. Leave a review on Apple and Podchaser. Are you interested in being a guest? Click here for details. Hosted and produced by Gary Pageau Announcer: Erin Manning

    33 min
  5. PIC Preview: LEAN Principles Turn A Magic Act Into A Global Breakthrough

    FEB 14

    PIC Preview: LEAN Principles Turn A Magic Act Into A Global Breakthrough

    Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! In the preview of his Photo Imaging CONNECT keynote, Stuart MacDonald — magician, filmmaker, entrepreneur — explores how LEAN principles, continuous improvement, and ruthless clarity transformed a faceplant into standing ovations, a win on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, and a top-10 finish at the world championships. MacDonald takes us through the nerve-wracking world of competitive magic, where originality is mandatory, time limits are tight, and the smallest defect can collapse the illusion. He breaks down how continuous feedback revealed hidden waste on stage, why a candelabra beat a single candle for instant story logic, and how standardized, travel-ready props removed friction from his global tour. We dig into 5S for creatives—everything in its place, every time—and the unglamorous decisions that protect attention when the lights hit. MacDonald’s 100-runs-in-30-days practice loop shows how tiny upgrades compound into confidence and clean execution, even when things go sideways. If you’ve ever felt torn between art and process, this conversation proves structure is rocket fuel for creativity. Register today for the Photo Imaging CONNECT conference at www.photoimagingconnect.com Energize your sales with Shareme.chat, the proven texting platform.  ShareMe.Chat  ShareMe.Chat platform uses chat-to-text on your website to keep your customers connected and buying! MediaclipMediaclip strives to continuously enhance the user experience while dramatically increasing revenue.Independent Photo ImagersIPI is a member + trade association and a cooperative buying group in the photo + print industry.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEPhoto Imaging CONNECTThe Photo Imaging CONNECT conference, March 2027, at the RIO Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas, NDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Sign up for the Dead Pixels Society newsletter at http://bit.ly/DeadPixelsSignUp. Contact us at gary@thedeadpixelssociety.com Visit our LinkedIn group, Photo/Digital Imaging Network, and Facebook group,  The Dead Pixels Society. Leave a review on Apple and Podchaser. Are you interested in being a guest? Click here for details. Hosted and produced by Gary Pageau Announcer: Erin Manning

    37 min
  6. Inside Dscoop: Trust, Growth, And Smart Print, with Peter Van Teeseling and Chris Hyde

    FEB 6

    Inside Dscoop: Trust, Growth, And Smart Print, with Peter Van Teeseling and Chris Hyde

    Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! If you think great industry breakthroughs happen on a show floor, think again. We sat down with Dscoop’s Peter Van Teeseling and Chris Hyde to unpack how a trust-first, member-led community is helping HP print businesses grow faster through intentional connections, candid playbook sharing, and events designed for action, not spectacle. We trace Dscoop’s 20-year arc from a “crazy idea” to a global network of 23,000+ users across 100+ countries, then dive into what makes Dscoop Edge Rockies different from a typical trade show. Instead of hard sales, the Solution Showcase pairs running presses and software with consultative partners who focus on solving real production and marketing problems. The education slate is driven by member demand and what’s coming next: AI-driven workflows, automation, data-powered personalization, smarter pricing, and team culture. You’ll hear why hallways matter—and how DScoop now engineers that serendipity with the Explorer Circle, small-group “fire starter” sessions led by seasoned operators who guide first-timers and veterans toward the right people, faster. We also look ahead to Edge Rockies and the return to Europe with Edge Slovenia in Ljubljana. Expect the same high-density networking, equipment on the floor, and region-aware sessions—plus a compact, walkable city that keeps the community in constant conversation. Along the way, we take on the tired “print is dead” narrative and explain why dumb print is fading while smart print surges. Think variable data with premium finishing, on-demand manufacturing, e-commerce integration, and sustainability as strategy. New owners without legacy constraints ar Energize your sales with Shareme.chat, the proven texting platform.  ShareMe.Chat  ShareMe.Chat platform uses chat-to-text on your website to keep your customers connected and buying! MediaclipMediaclip strives to continuously enhance the user experience while dramatically increasing revenue.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEIndependent Photo ImagersIPI is a member + trade association and a cooperative buying group in the photo + print industry.Photo Imaging CONNECTThe Photo Imaging CONNECT conference, March 2027, at the RIO Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas, NDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Sign up for the Dead Pixels Society newsletter at http://bit.ly/DeadPixelsSignUp. Contact us at gary@thedeadpixelssociety.com Visit our LinkedIn group, Photo/Digital Imaging Network, and Facebook group,  The Dead Pixels Society. Leave a review on Apple and Podchaser. Are you interested in being a guest? Click here for details. Hosted and produced by Gary Pageau Announcer: Erin Manning

    28 min
  7. When Nostalgia Meets AI: The Future Of Photo Commerce with Mediaclip

    JAN 28

    When Nostalgia Meets AI: The Future Of Photo Commerce with Mediaclip

    Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! What if the best product designer is the one you barely notice? We sit down with Mediaclip CEO Marion Duchesne to explore how photo and product personalization is moving from heavy, time-consuming builders to fast, elegant flows that deliver a finished result in a single action. From early DVD slideshows to Flash and now a cloud-native, API-first platform, her team’s throughline is simple: clean UX, strong templates, and conversion-first design that helps people actually buy what they create. Duchesne explains why Mediaclip refused to build a shopping cart and instead integrated deeply with Shopify and WooCommerce. That focus unlocked speed for retailers and micro-merchants as social and email now drop shoppers straight into the builder. We dig into AI without the hype: Connectors that let brands choose where intelligence adds real value—autofill that reduces friction, layout suggestions that feel human, and cross-sell that shows your design on apparel, wall art, or gifts without extra effort. The conversation also tackles a surprising growth driver: insecurity fueling nostalgia. When life gets uncertain, people reach for physical keepsakes, and that emotional pull is driving double-digit growth across long-tail catalogs. Duchesne discusses generative AI’s place in print. Younger buyers may embrace stylized or aspirational images, while keepsake buyers still value authenticity. Home decor emerges as a clear use case—custom art tuned to your space and palette. Under the hood, compliance and trust are nonnegotiable, with GDPR, WCAG, the European Accessibility Act, and ISO 27001 shaping global readiness Energize your sales with Shareme.chat, the proven texting platform.  ShareMe.Chat  ShareMe.Chat platform uses chat-to-text on your website to keep your customers connected and buying! MediaclipMediaclip strives to continuously enhance the user experience while dramatically increasing revenue.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEPhoto Imaging CONNECTThe Photo Imaging CONNECT conference, March 2027, at the RIO Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas, NIndependent Photo ImagersIPI is a member + trade association and a cooperative buying group in the photo + print industry.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Sign up for the Dead Pixels Society newsletter at http://bit.ly/DeadPixelsSignUp. Contact us at gary@thedeadpixelssociety.com Visit our LinkedIn group, Photo/Digital Imaging Network, and Facebook group,  The Dead Pixels Society. Leave a review on Apple and Podchaser. Are you interested in being a guest? Click here for details. Hosted and produced by Gary Pageau Announcer: Erin Manning

    33 min
  8. From Film To Volume: How Alkit Lab Reinvented Itself

    JAN 21

    From Film To Volume: How Alkit Lab Reinvented Itself

    Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! What does it take for a family photo lab to thrive across three generations and multiple technology upheavals? We sit down with David Buchbinder of Alkit to trace an unvarnished journey from New York City retail counters to a lean, volume-first lab that ships in three days. Buchbinder walks us through the hard calls: expanding into Kodak-branded stores, then cutting overhead and rebuilding around photo printing workflow Prints are steady, but specialty items—buttons, magnets, acrylic blocks, framed and mounted prints, canvas wraps—drive bigger carts when studios use modern platforms to reach parents by text and email. Buchbinder explains why Alkit refused to build proprietary software and instead partnered with GotPhoto, PhotoDay, and Captura, keeping focus on color, quality, and fulfillment while ensuring one-stop support. That choice unlocked direct-to-home ordering, faster cycles, and less friction for photographers juggling schools, sports, dance, cheer, and preschool. Buchbinder also shares a pragmatic take on technology. The lab remains a silver-halide shop on Noritsu lines for quality and throughput, yet stands ready to pivot when the time is right. Meanwhile, the promise stays the same: everything produced in-house in Long Island and shipped within three days, even in peak season. Energize your sales with Shareme.chat, the proven texting platform.  ShareMe.Chat  ShareMe.Chat platform uses chat-to-text on your website to keep your customers connected and buying! MediaclipMediaclip strives to continuously enhance the user experience while dramatically increasing revenue.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEIndependent Photo ImagersIPI is a member + trade association and a cooperative buying group in the photo + print industry.Photo Imaging CONNECTThe Photo Imaging CONNECT conference, March 2027, at the RIO Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas, NDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Sign up for the Dead Pixels Society newsletter at http://bit.ly/DeadPixelsSignUp. Contact us at gary@thedeadpixelssociety.com Visit our LinkedIn group, Photo/Digital Imaging Network, and Facebook group,  The Dead Pixels Society. Leave a review on Apple and Podchaser. Are you interested in being a guest? Click here for details. Hosted and produced by Gary Pageau Announcer: Erin Manning

    29 min
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About

News, information and interviews about the photo/imaging business. This is a weekly audio podcast hosted by Gary Pageau, editor of the Dead Pixels Society news site and community. This podcast is for a business-to-business audience of entrepreneurs and companies in the photo/imaging retail, online, wholesale, mobile, and camera hardware/accessory industries.If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, email host Gary Pageau at gary@thedeadpixelssociety.com. For more information and to sign up for the free weekly newsletter, visit www.thedeadpixelssociety.com.

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