touring where my prints begin {mpix.com}

This is not a paid post, sponsored post, review post…it is just me writing.

Chris and I took a road trip yesterday. We headed north and stopped here.

Also known as Mpix!

For long time readers, you know I’ve been an Mpix fan.  If you get their emails, every now and then you might see one of my kid’s in a product shot.  We’ve been trying to work out a time for me to tour the facility for a while. Eventually we got a date on the calendar and it happened yesterday. I’m a detail girl, so getting to see the ‘behind the scenes’ of Mpix was so fun and interesting. I’ve always wondered what exactly happened to my photos from the time they were uploaded from my computer to when they landed on my doorstep.

I took my camera along so I could you give you guys a peek too.

Our tour began here. The print on the wall is for Miller’s lab (for professional photographers only)…a blue dot for customer locations. Mpix customers are not on this map – that would make it mainly blue.

This is the first room we visited. I will point out I tried to avoid getting employees in my photos. I wasn’t too sure how they’d feel about their photos online. So anyway, this room is where things like gallery wraps, press printed products, cards, metal prints, etc. are created. It was so interesting to see all the products coming out. I will note that the same machines are used for Miller’s and Mpix. So the quality that professional photographers receive is the exact same quality that consumers (Mpix) receive – news I was happy to hear and see confirmed.

Work tables in that same area. The whole facility is under remodeling and expansion right now, so departments are still finding their homes.

If you’ve ever ordered an accordion mini album…this is where those start.

Colored pencils, screwdriver, ruler, coffee mug, BIG glue gun – I could totally work at this station.

Okay, so next is the Mpix area. When you place and order online, it goes to this lit area first. From here the orders are divided up and distributed. Each photo in every order is examined online before being sent to be printed. This area was dim (it looks darker in this pic). The dim lighting helps with viewing the images on computer screens. The individual attention each photo gets with human eyes is why I began recommending Mpix four years ago. There are tons of consumer print labs available online, but the quality that comes from people examining the photos verses computers just doesn’t compare.

After the orders are looked over, they are sent to these machines to be printed. This was a really cool part to see.

Then the orders are taken for the final inspection. When you get an order from Mpix is always has a little sticker that says something like “inspected by Ashley”…this is where that happens. Well, this room. The desks are on the other side of the racks.

And the final room we visited was where film is processed. This department has dropped dramatically in size over the last several years. Digital photography is changing the industry.

After the tour, I got to brainstorm and share ideas related to where Mpix.com is headed and how the consumer side of photography is changing. I had a great time sharing my views of social media, blogging, online photography courses and a whole gamut of other things. I also got some sneak peeks at coming products…and shared my opinion on those. I always have an opinion and I was honored that they would want to hear it. There are a lot of great products in the works.

Leaving the plant one of the things that stood out to me the most was the pride that the employees took in the company and in their work. It was mentioned several times in different ways that they are preserving people’s memories, it is so much more than simply printing. Like any company there are times mistake are made, but Mpix does a great job fixing any mistakes and taking care of their customers. If anything, seeing behind the scenes and talking with employees, makes me more excited to point others to Mpix when they ask who I recommend for prints and photo related products.

We are still working out details, but you’ll be seeing some more Mpix related things here from time to time. I’m excited about working with them more and honored by the opportunity. It was really a great trip – and I got a whole day with Chris…pretty great day.

After we left Mpix, we headed north a little more to pick up something I purchased on Craigslist…for a project inspired by my friend Kara Paslay.

Handsome guy. The Home Depot. Trailer full of salvaged bowling lanes. I was a happy girl.

Oh, and our official LOA arrived on our doorstep while we were gone. Thanks dad for picking that up. Not sure what I would have done if it had blown away.