Kingston’s Icons of Photography site features Questions with Harry Benson

On July 19, 20 questions and answers with legendary photojournalist Harry Benson were posted on Kingston Technology Company’s ‘Icons of Photography’ microsite.

I found the questions to be very interesting, and Benson’s answers to be frank and quite humorous at times. There is no question that Harry Benson has witnessed some incredible moments in history. There are a number of photos (primarily of political figures) that can be seen nearly full page by selecting any of the thumbnails at the bottom of the page. The Archive section on the right will take you to many more images, tips and advice from other Kingston Icons.

To read some of the previous articles that I’ve written about the Kingston Icons of Photography site, do a search in the top right section of this site for “Kingston Icons” (just check the button next to The Imaging Buffet first).

And here’s a great link to an excellent audio interview with Harry Benson by Scott Sheppard from Inside Digital Photo.Sponsored Links

Visit Our T-shirt (and more) store:

High Quality Expandable Portfolio Cases for Artwork up to 40×60 inches, plus many Pina Zangaro portfolio products. Use coupon code AD550 for 5% off any order of $50 or more, or use code ADFS99 for Free Ground Shipping for orders over $99 (Continental USA only). Portfolios-and-art-cases.com

Would you like to keep your laptop cooler and be more comfortable when you’re on the road? Or would you like to raise your laptop screen up easily on your desk? Save up to 15% off of laptop desks and accessories at Laptopdesk.net/tech.

Our Harry Potter Year 7 book has been delivered! A look at the marketing side of the saga.

Please note: No plot line or other story-related info regarding Book 7 is  revealed in this article:
My wife is a Harry Potter fan(atic). I personally haven’t read any of the books, but I’ve enjoyed the movies (I’ve seen the first four thus far).

This morning at about 11am, the final book in the series arrived: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. A warning notice in red on both sides of the box clearly stated: “ATTENTION MUGGLES – DO NOT DELIVER OR OPEN BEFORE JULY 21!”

I think that the Harry Potter books are a great example of the power of the written word. It’s fantastic to see so many children being energized by the story, and I would expect that the popularity of the books will help kids to discover other written works. Many movies, like the Potter series, are adapted from books, and according to my wife, the most recent movie (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) was a near perfect match to what she was “seeing” in her mind as she was reading the book.

I also see the Harry Potter series as a great marketing case study. From the initial licensing for the book’s rights by Random House, to the movie adaptation, video games, character ice cream cakes, merchandise, unofficial podcasts (just do a search for “harry potter podcasts” on your favorite search engine) and many other related items, it is a story similar to Star Wars. And let’s not underestimate the power of the launch date. I flipped on my TV set this morning to see a feature on CNN with a group of 7 to 70 year old kids at a Barnes and Noble book store as the clock struck 12:01 AM (well past most kids’ (and adults’) bedtime). I give them credit for being able to get so much PR, and I think that other publishers can learn from the Harry Potter franchise.

In the package that we received, a few pieces of advertising were included. There were two cards: one for Seagate (a 10% discount code was included for any of their FreeAgent products) as well as a promo for two movies: Stardust and The Spiderwick Chronicles (coming to theatres in 2008). On the back of the order receipt was an ad for Windows Vista, Windows Live OneCare and Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium. Advertising inserts are common with virtually all book deliveries I’ve received from Amazon.com, and I think it is smart marketing, especially if they offer coupon codes, and as long as there are not more than a few advertising pieces in the package.

Maybe, when my forthcoming book on inkjet printing is printed and delivered, I’ll have time to relax and read the whole Harry Potter series (if so, probably from Year 7 to Year 1–that could just make it the ultimate prequel adventure).

Related Link:
Harry Potter 110 Question Trivia Quiz
Sponsored Links

The main Harry Potter page on Amazon.com

Current price for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) on Amazon.com ($17.99) as of 7/12/2007.

Visit Our T-shirt (and more) store:

Would you like to keep your laptop cooler and be more comfortable when you’re on the road? Or would you like to raise your laptop screen up easily on your desk? Save up to 15% off of laptop desks and accessories at Laptopdesk.net/tech.

Mac OSX 11 application bundle available for $49. Expires Friday 7/19.

A few days ago I received an e-mail from Scott Sheppard at Inside Mac Media, notifying me about a bundle of Mac OSX software from MacUpdate.com for $49. I checked it out and decided to make the purchase because I can see how I could use at least half of the programs. I already own Cocktail, which I highly recommend. The retail value of the 11 application bundle is $441.82, and the cost is $49.

Here is a list of the applications: TechTool Pro, Intaglio, Little Snitch, GraphicConverter, Fetch, iWOW, GarageSale, Cocktail, ProfCast, Amadeus Pro and PhotoPresenter.

According to the website, the offer expires Noon Friday Eastern Standard Time, 7/19/2007.

I have no affiliation with MacUpdate and I receive no commission for this referral.

You can find a direct link to the bundle here.

Sponsored Links

Visit Our T-shirt (and more) store:

High Quality Expandable Portfolio Cases for Artwork up to 40×60 inches, plus many Pina Zangaro portfolio products. Use coupon code AD550 for 5% off any order of $50 or more, or use code ADFS99 for Free Ground Shipping for orders over $99 (Continental USA only). Portfolios-and-art-cases.com

Would you like to keep your laptop cooler and be more comfortable when you’re on the road? Or would you like to raise your laptop screen up easily on your desk? Save up to 15% off of laptop desks and accessories at Laptopdesk.net/tech.