Yesterday we hosted our second intro to Queensberry's plug-in for Aperture 3 webinar. Danny and Stephen explained the history behind the project and demonstrated the plug-in, covering everything from downloading and installing the plug-in to ordering an album. If you missed the live presentation not to worry, we've just uploaded a recording to our Vimeo Channel. Or you can stick around and watch it right here. (To watch it in full screen and high definition click here.) Cheers, Nigel PS. Haven't heard about Queensberry's new plug-in for Aperture 3? It allows professional photographers To View More >>

Seen this? It's called an iPad ;) From my geeky point-of-view (with a Photojunction bias of course) I'm gutted it doesn't run OS X, and therefore OS X apps.... What a shame. Would've been cool to see Photojunction run on the tablet. Here's hoping they open it up a little in future. Anyway, back to work to focus on 'low lying fruit' (a favourite saying of mine). Cheers, Danny To View More >>

I just got back from a seminar by one of Australia's best seminar presenters. For all his professionalism and preparedness, his Dell laptop wouldn't recognise the USB microphone he was recommending. A simple problem, but he couldn't fix it and neither could the audio tech who was recording the presentation. And before you Apple fan boys start chortling, the audio geek was recording the event on a Mac using the latest version of Logic Pro, and he told me he was having problems with that too. What happened? The presenter demonstrated with $25 Logitech headset instead, and we moved on. I flew home To View More >>

"Previously we were offering albums we knew our competitors were also offering, but we’ve realised we can use the album to separate us from our competitors." That quote from Nigel's interview with the Youngrens reflects Queensberry's key message to photographers and it got me thinking... A while ago I posted about album companies in trouble – and not hitching your own wagon to dying stars. Today I'm suggesting you be wary of the latest and greatest too ;) In the US and UK markets of 2000, Queensberry albums were revolutionary because we hand-made every album to order. That meant photographers, To View More >>

Forget about boxing, here are the Queensberry Rules for photographers! 1. Outstanding presentation adds enormous value to your photography. 2. Using the same albums as everyone else reduces the value of your photography. Ask anyone in the street how much a stack of prints is worth, or a disc of images, or a slideshow. Everyone's been to the mini lab, or burnt a disk, so the answer is, "Not much". What you're paying for when you hire a professional, of course, is their time, skill and artistry. Focusing on the presentation takes nothing away from that. It simply places the photography in a new To View More >>

Somebody asked me for a way to create a better, more consistent look for their imagery. It was a trick question really. They were asking me how they might better use software to get consistency and classic styling. I thought about it and the answer was what we might call pre-emptive image manipulation. When I go to a flash restaurant that knows their stuff I am always amazed by what a great chef can do with the simplest ingredients. They start with fresh produce ... the fresher the better (usually - cheeses are a different story). They don't beat the living daylights out of it or season it beyond To View More >>

On my trip to the UK I had the opportunity to visit the studio of Alan and Jackie Rankine. Their work is aimed at a high end market. Their sales are substantial. They don't aim to be the latest newest thing. They do work to stay current but they have cleverly understood the needs of their clients. Their formula is simple and effective. Know your clients, produce consistently good work, back up your promise to perform with the quality of your presentation (including coffee and cake), always have something bigger and better for the client to buy, and have your studio in a castle. They don't chase To View More >>

Heather, Stephen and Danny met international wedding and lifestyle photographers Jeff and Erin Youngren at WPPI this year... We spotted their website and blog recently, and what stood out, and delighted those of us who'd met them, was how the sites reflect Jeff and Erin. A really accurate, personal presentation of the couple. Great marketing, great presentation and great images. Well worth checking out... Click here for The Youngrens website and blog Cheers, Nigel To View More >>

Manpreet Sokhi’s album of Dilip and Anchel’s South Indian Hindu wedding made waves through Queensberry. Talia Neal of our design team worked on the striking photofront cover and it triggered a flood of memories in her. The cover symbol is a representation of Ganesha, the Hindu elephant deity whose influence extends even beyond Hinduism and India. The memories evoked were of Talia's time in Nepal as a teenager working for Sir Edmund Hillary's Himalayan Trust – memories rubbed raw by the recent passing of Sir Ed, who with Sherpa Tensing Norgay first climbed Mount Everest in 1953. In March To View More >>

More feedback on my email, Your next album company It's hard to compete ... We've seen a massive influx of photographers from Eastern Europe charging very low prices and supplying reasonable products.I understood the impact of this EU "migration" in British hotels and restaurants, but I honestly hadn't thought about the impact on photographers (Jo and Kirsten will be shaking their heads!). Even so I feel that this kind of competition is always with us ... in one form or other. The purpose of outstanding presentation is to add value to your photography. That's why,whoever you use, your albums must To View More >>