Pixieset
Type of site
Image hosting and photography studio management
Founded2013; 11 years ago (2013)
Headquarters1085 Homer St, ,
Canada
URLpixieset.com
CommercialYes
RegistrationRequired for photographers

Pixieset is a Canadian software provider developing a range of products for photographers. Established in 2013, they are headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, and offer tools for image gallery creation, photo printing, studio schedule management, and website creation.

Software tools

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Pixieset's primary offering is client-facing image-hosting galleries. These galleries can be password-protected and accept comments and likes from viewers.[1] Photographers can also watermark photos in their galleries.[2] Photographers and clients can each mark photos as client-exclusive, hiding them from anyone else viewing the gallery. Pixieset also offers an integration with Adobe Lightroom to export photos directly to a Pixieset gallery.[3]

Integrated with its photo galleries, Pixieset also offers a print store feature, where photographers can set pricing for various printed products and Pixieset manages billing and fulfillment. For photographers who elect to use the automatic fulfillment service, Pixieset partners with a network of external providers to print photos on demand.[4] It is estimated that print sales are one of the company's main revenue streams,[5] as Pixieset collects a 15% commission on print sales from photographers using their free plan.[6]

Pixieset also runs a WYSIWYG website creator for photographers, with drag-and-drop design, blogging capabilities, and search engine optimization tools. They fully manage hosting with unlimited bandwidth.[7] This service launched in 2019.[8]

For photographers, Pixieset's Studio Manager product facilitates scheduling, reminder messaging, invoicing, contracts, questionnaires, and quotes.[9][10] Studio Manager connects with Stripe and PayPal for online payments.[11] This tool also places some focus on "mini sessions," including features for organizing and hosting shorter photoshoots in quick succession.[12]

History

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Pixieset was founded in 2013[13] by husband and wife duo Simon Wong and Phoebe Jiang.[14] They are headquartered in Yaletown, Vancouver, British Columbia, with an office in Chișinău, Moldova.[15]

On August 30, 2021, Pixieset acquired Flothemes, a WordPress website builder for photographers, with Flothemes founder Ross Tanner becoming Pixieset's director of design and business development.[16] The website templates offered by Flothemes were integrated into Pixieset Website.[8] Flothemes has since stopped accepting new customers, continuing to host the websites of existing clients with no renewal fees.[17]

On September 13, 2021, Pixieset announced an investment from Susquehanna Growth Equity (SGE). As part of this move, SGE managing director Martin Angert joined Wong and Jiang on Pixieset's board of directors.[13][18]

Criticism

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Pixieset's pricing model has been criticized as "not very conducive to a small business" because its free and lower-priced subscription plans are very limited.[19] The company also does not offer a mobile app for gallery and client management, in contrast to some of its competitors, like SmugMug.[6] Additionally, some photographers have questioned the professionalism of the name "Pixieset" and have been hesitant to use the brand's products for their business.[20]

References

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  1. ^ Fenech, Peter, ed. (March 21, 2023). "Share Photos with Clients". Digital Photographer. No. 264. Bath, United Kingdom: Future plc. pp. 64–65. ISSN 1477-6650 – via OverDrive.
  2. ^ C, Polina (October 8, 2024). "How to sell photos with Pixieset". Pixieset Blog. Pixieset. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  3. ^ Scoblete, Greg (May 2018). "A Wiser Workflow". Rangefinder. Vol. 67, no. 5. Emerald Expositions. p. 61 – via ProQuest.
  4. ^ "Easy Online Stores for Photographers". Pixieset. 2024. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  5. ^ Kahyaoglu, Eralp (May 20, 2021). City Tourism Mobile Application Prototype for Local Online Experiences & Social Meetings (PDF) (Bachelor's thesis). Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences. p. 21. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Roa, Holly (February 19, 2024). "Pixieset Review | 10 Reasons It Could Be The Right Choice For Many". SLR Lounge. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  7. ^ "Beautiful Websites for Photographers". Pixieset. 2024. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Flothemes joins the Pixieset Family". Pixieset Blog. Pixieset. July 7, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  9. ^ Lewis, Sean (February 8, 2023). "5 Things You Need to Know About Using Pixieset's New Booking & Scheduling Features". SLR Lounge. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  10. ^ B, Nata (October 18, 2022). "New! Online Booking & Scheduling with Studio Manager". Pixieset Blog. Pixieset. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  11. ^ "Setting up Payment Methods in Studio Manager". Pixieset Help Center. Pixieset. 2024. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  12. ^ Houstons, Alice (September 25, 2024). "Mini Session Photography Booking and Scheduling with Pixieset". SLR Lounge. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  13. ^ a b "Pixieset Announces Growth Investment From Susquehanna Growth Equity" (Press release). Vancouver, British Columbia: Susquehanna Growth Equity. September 13, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2024 – via Business Wire.
  14. ^ Lin, Christopher (September 16, 2021). "Why did Pixieset Acquire Flothemes? Interview with the Founders". SLR Lounge. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  15. ^ "About Us". Pixieset. 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  16. ^ "Pixieset Acquires Flothemes, Leading Provider of WordPress Website Designs for Photographers and Creatives" (Press release). Vancouver, British Columbia: Pixieset Media. August 30, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2024 – via Business Wire.
  17. ^ Leto, Nata (September 23, 2024). "What's next for Flothemes". Flothemes. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  18. ^ "Companies Backed by Susquehanna Growth Equity". The Philadelphia Inquirer. August 25, 2024. p. F10. ISSN 0885-6613. Retrieved October 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ Durr, Tyler (December 2020). Online Photo Gallery with E-Commerce Support (PDF) (Master's thesis). University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. pp. 1–2. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  20. ^ May, Julia (September 7, 2014). "Battle of the Client Galleries: Comparing 11 of The Best Tools for Proofing and Presentation". PetaPixel. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
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