That recent New York Times article caused a kerfuffle by highlighting the impact of digital imaging, photo sharing, stock photography etc. In a nutshell, how does a professional photographer survive and thrive when imagery is everywhere, and generally free or nearly so? Or as Seth Godin put it, how are "average photographers" going to make a living shooting weddings "when the guests can do almost as well and all the photos are going on flickr anyway"? Case in point... Our own Danny married Natalie recently. Needless to say they hired a photographer ... but if they hadn't? They have heaps of photos To View More >>

What could a shoe shine guy teach a wedding photographer about their business? I just came across the ratty old Youtube video below, which features one of the best salesmen ever. It's short, very funny (I think) and full of insight. RIP Zig Ziglar, who died recently aged 86. We all need to be salespeople if we want to get the prices we deserve Read Secrets of Closing the Sale. Cheers, Ian To View More >>

We use a lot of the playground figures of speech to describe what goes on in life and business. Swings and roundabouts. Climbing the corporate ladder. On a slide. On a roller coaster! I see them in action when I go to the playground with my kids. The little ones push the boundaries, not afraid to try new things. I freak at some of the stuff my kids do. You try telling a two year old that she can't go down that 20 foot high slide at the beach. Should I stop her? Maybe not – kids need to spread their wings, and go splat occasionally. Sometimes Mum and Dad's job is to pick up the pieces. However To View More >>

From our little corner of the world we want to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving! Although our small country doesn't celebrate this holiday, we still want to take a moment to express our gratitude. Thank you to all our clients, suppliers and partners for your friendship and support over the years. We are truly grateful that we can do business with you! So from all of us here at Queensberry, we wish you a happy Thanksgiving! Cheers, Amanda To View More >>

Jennifer from Nova Photography recently changed over to a Workspace hosted site. We had a quick chat with her about the process and why she made the switch.  Tell us about yourself and what you do! I'm a Scot/Kiwi, having lived equally on both sides of the globe, I'm a wife and a mother as well as custom portrait photographer! I love to work with families and especially love pregnancy and newborn shoots. Nothing is more amazing to me than creating everlasting memories for my clients and providing them with timeless portraits to look back on and treasure forever! I am also moving in to birth photography To View More >>

Supported by Canon, GM Photographics are bringing their successful wedding and portrait business seminar tour to New Zealand. Graham Munro and Lauren Bootland have already enjoyed a sell out tour across Australia and are now bringing their wisdom and experience to the land of the long white cloud. There are two different types of seminar available in each city: THE MASTERCLASS: Together, Graham and Lauren will host a full day seminar full of the fundamentals of what makes a business successful in these current economic times. Tips and motivation that are actually working in many businesses right To View More >>

In business there's one thing we need to focus on constantly – our customers and their experience. It's not what I think (the business owner) but what you think (the customer). At the cafe where I got this cup of tea, the marshmallow on the saucer suggests that somebody was trying to give me a little something extra, and a good experience. But my primary desire is to have a great cup of tea. Glance around your average cafe and there's a very expensive machine to make awesome coffee. Organic, fair trade, freshly roasted beans. A barrista who's been taught how to add delight to the coffee experience. To View More >>

The Archive of Accidents that once was photography. Les Walkling describes a truth that is often forgotten in our pursuit of perfection. Editing our images to only show our best is destroying a potential archive of wedding (and family) culture. Not only do we forget but we actively discard 'the accidental archive'. In making albums we look for the best-ofs, often overlooking the incidental truths. When we are editing we discard photographs that are imperfect or that don't suit our story (this is the inevitable outcome of editing). It's a fact that vanity rules over truth, but there is something To View More >>

Are you showing people what you want them to buy? I'll bet you're not. This is important, and so simple... Why does the "business you" want to sell albums? Because they're a surefire way to create extra income from two scarce resources - your time and your wedding bookings. I just got off skype from a photographer complaining because she can't sell albums. Wants to … but can't. But look at her website, or almost any photographers' website, and how many albums do you see? Almost none. How many photographers are showing what they (want to) sell? Almost none. So what's the difference between them To View More >>

Since our re-branding last year the front flyleaf of every Queensberry album has been embossed with the new Q-mark. Why's it there? It’s simple really: to sign our work with pride and to acknowledge the craftsmanship and detailing that goes into every album we build. We're doing the same thing that you do as a photographer when you sign your work. We're branding it. Let me explain in detail what we're doing and why, because our goal is to build a brand that will support you as our clients. § Branding is primarily about getting recognised - not a "camera" but a Leica, not a "wedding album" but To View More >>