You know I have always heard how life can imitate art.  Never meant much too me since in my mind as an average photographer, any art I created through my favorite hobby of photography was created from real life events or things that I had captured with my camera.  Well my opinion changed this week.  As I was hustling around trying to prepare our August 1st online news letter (sign up for it on the front page of our site), trying to pay all bills that will become due next week, trying to end and reward the winners of our “Sunset” photo contest all my mind could think of was vacation!  Yep, I am outta here for 5 days to visit my aunt & uncle and their generous offer to share the old family house at on of the most beautiful places on this earth, MARTHA’S VINEYARD!  The place where I captured my favorite image of my children to date, where I proposed to my wife at Gay Head , the place where I learned to fear the water like no other, the place where I saw them film JAWS.

Yes life is imitating art.  Shortly after telling a friend of mine that I was headed to the Vineyard, he said with a sly grin, “You have heard about the shark warnings in the area, haven’t you?”  I realized (with that  sudden rush over my body like the one Chief Brody felt when relaxing on State Beach and the first cries of a shark attack whizzed through the air) that yes I was taking my family to the same spot where I watched the movie JAWS being filmed. In 1974 I was pulled around by my grandmother to watch as many scenes being filmed as possible, including “the boy on the raft”.  We are going to the same island I saw the world premier of one of the most famous horror films of all time. Yes, I was going to the Vineyard as shark bait, and did I mention that it just happens to be “Shark Week” on the Discovery Channel?  So do I take Mayor Vaughn’s approach and act like nothing is wrong? or do I take the Chief Brody approach and stay out of the water and avoid my family spilling out all over the town dock like the little Kitner boy?  I guess the heat will be the deciding factor, because after record temperatures in both June and July in the Carolinas, I am looking forward to a little Vineyard chill.

If I listen to Chief Brody, one thing is certain, I will have my camera in tow and capture as many images of this beautiful spot as I can.  I will eat Ice Cream, skip stones on light house beach, and think about the 5 generations of my family that have done the same activities before me.  I can not wait for this vacation!  So when life throws you to the sharks, do what I do… take lots of pictures, and have them developed at Mastercolor using our ROES software.

At Mastercolor Labs we see thousands of different Christmas Cards each year, and every year we are asked “which picture should I use for my card.”  My answer is always, use the photos that show what your family is like in their every day life.  Sure everyone wants to look like a Norman Rockwell Painting, but the cards I remember the most are the funny cards with kids laughing, dogs facing the other way, babies crying, and parents looking frustrated.  Remember you are sending these to friends, and they already know AND like you (hopefully), so be yourself. Put you favorite files on your desktop in a folder and download our ROES Software, and start preparing your own greeting card.  Our ROES software allows you to order straight 4×6 or 4×5 prints, slimline cards (4×6 with a 2″ Greeting on the end), 5×8 deluxe custom cards or 5×7 folded cards.  The ROES software is easy to use, but feel free to call us for step by step instructions.  While you are on the ROES program, why not order a couple Giclee Gallery Wrapped prints?  The perfect photographic gift for the loved ones in your life.

Click here for an instructional video:   http://bit.ly/2Aj3At

Happy Holidays from everyone at Mastercolor Labs!

C.Wright

Mastercolor Labs is lucky to have established a nice market share on the internet, and usually the first question we are asked about becoming a customer is how is the best way to send orders to our lab, and the answer is simple: Remote Order Entry Service.  You will not find a faster uploading software on the internet.  It does not matter if you are ordering a 30 x40 digital photograph, or 1,000 8×10 units for school photography, the compression method the software uses is amazing.  After using the easy cropping tool in the ROES software it crops the image as you have selected and sends it to Mastercolor Labs at 300dpi at the size you requested.  No information is lost and the quality is the same as if Mastercolor was printing straight from your disk.

The ROES software also is perfect for creating Digital Wedding Albums, Canvas Gallery Wraps, Greeting Cards, Digital Proofing, or ordering a few simple standard prints.  All of our services are offered within the ROES Software, and since it is quick and easy, we normally are shipping your order within 1-2 business days.

In the near future  we are opening a new site: Mastercolorcanvas.com, while it is still part of the Mastercolor company, it is a website for the sole purpose of uploading just  Gallery Wrapped images.  We currently allow people to send their digital images via email, or upload them using our Professional or Advanced service but this site will have a quick Browse section.  If you are wanting to upload any images, either Digital Photographs or Giclee Gallery Wrapped Prints I suggest using the ROES software available on the front page of this site.    The ROES Software allows for better cropping options, and a much faster upload.

At Mastercolor Labs we see thousands of different Christmas Cards each year, and every year we are asked “which picture should I use for my card.”  My answer is always, use the photos that show what your family is like in their every day life.  Sure everyone wants to look like a Norman Rockwell Painting, but the cards I remember the most are the funny cards with kids laughing, dogs facing the other way, babies crying, and parents looking frustrated.  Remember you are sending these to friends, and they already know AND like you (hopefully), so be yourself. Put you favorite files on your desktop in a folder and download our ROES Software, and start preparing your own greeting card.  Our ROES software allows you to order straight 4×6 or 4×5 prints, slimline cards (4×6 with a 2″ Greeting on the end), 5×8 deluxe custom cards or 5×7 folded cards.  The ROES software is easy to use, but feel free to call us for step by step instructions.  While you are on the ROES program, why not order a couple Giclee Gallery Wrapped prints?  The perfect photographic gift for the loved ones in your life.

Happy Holidays from everyone at Mastercolor Labs!

C.Wright