It’s been a while since I last wrote for the blog, but a few discussions I came across on Reddit recently got me thinking. They started as general discussions about photographers’ pricing, with some of the conversation turning to albums. I didn’t know the full details of what was being offered, so I couldn’t comment on the individual situations. Some of the comments were hard to read, knowing how much time, thought and care can go into creating an album. But they sparked my thinking about how photographers help their clients understand that — and see the value in what they’re being To View More >>

Whether it’s their first enquiry, the day of the shoot or the day they receive their beautiful prints, every interaction with your client shapes their impression of you and your brand.  Here’s a straightforward process to analyse and improve your client experience, step by step. 1. Understand the customer journey Start by listing all the steps your clients take when working with you — their initial enquiry, the booking, your pre-shoot communications, the shoot itself, and product selection and delivery. Any others? Identify the key moments and To View More >>

When we think about "client experience" we can concentrate too much on logistics — timely communication, smooth booking, on-time delivery. Those things matter — a lot — but the real magic happens when we focus on how our clients feel at every stage of the journey. Because at the heart of photography is emotion. People book us to capture something meaningful: a moment, a milestone, a memory. And long after they’ve forgotten what they paid or how many images they received, they’ll remember what it was like working with us. So, what do you To View More >>

As a photographer, your creativity is your super-power. It’s what sets you apart, what draws clients to you, and what fills your work with meaning. But when your days are spent juggling inboxes, invoices, timelines, edits, orders, banking, and endless other to-dos, it’s easy for that creative spark to fizzle out. Here’s the truth: you don’t need less structure to be more creative — you need better systems. Think of systems as the scaffolding that holds your business up — so your creativity can roam freely within it. Strong systems take care of the repetitive To View More >>

Pinterest isn’t just a place for recipes or DIY crafts—it’s a powerful search engine and marketing tool for photographers. Pinterest offers a visual-first platform that’s tailor-made for showcasing your photography, attracting dream clients, and driving traffic back to your website. Think of Pinterest as a visual search engine Pinterest works more like Google than Instagram. When people search for ideas like “outdoor engagement shoot” or “newborn photo ideas,” Pinterest shows them curated results based on keywords and visuals. If your content is optimised, To View More >>

Hello to our USA friends! A quick update to confirm that we intend to absorb the additional cost of the tariffs, to support our valued clients. We’re grateful for your business, and we want the relationship to continue long into the future!  I hesitated to provide an update earlier because the situation is still changing. In fact a 90-day pause on “reciprocal” tariffs has just been announced on all countries except China. However the situation as it affects us has not changed since the original announcement. We have never taken sides in political matters. As small business To View More >>

Previous |  Contents | Next Download the eBook There are so many reasons why the printed image matters, but long term accessibility to your most treasured photos is surely a deal breaker. Why printed images matter Back in the ’90s I remember walking back to our trade show booth behind two people from a neighbouring stand. They were into IT. As they approached our booth I heard one say to the other, “I feel sorry for these guys. How long can they last in the modern world?” It’s so long ago I feel like they must have been visionaries — how did they know To View More >>

Previous |  Contents | Next Download the eBook Bad taste takes a while to show up, but as soon as it does it’s embarrassing. How to avoid it? Start by keeping it simple. If in doubt, leave it out. The half life of crap In her book The Mesh, Lisa Gansky talks about “the half life of crap” – about cheap manufactured products and how long they last. Or rather don’t last. Her point is that the half life of crap products is way too short. They get boring or they break. They end up at the back of your garage or as land fill. Our poor planet can’t afford To View More >>

Previous |  Contents | Next Download the eBook If the first time you think about me is when you realise I’m blocking the sale, too late! Some years back there was a young man called Nigel working at Queensberry. He was about to get married, and that's how the following exchange got started. It prompted me to write a post in which I said that, to hear people talk, you’d think that only two people are involved in buying a wedding album – the bride and her mother. Same with portrait shoots, I was sure. I couldn't imagine To View More >>

Previous |  Contents | Next Download the eBook Our brand isn’t a look but a promise kept — not what we say but what we do. Value Imagine if you said, “I want you to pay me what you think I’m worth.” Most people would imagine themselves out of business. We need to tell our clients what we’re worth, and live up to our rhetoric. What is the value of your work to people who don’t know you, or how much they should be paying? The value of a compelling and authentic brand is that it tells people the price of entry and helps them see it’s worth To View More >>