This post on Cam Grove’s Instagram made our day, and we so agree that first impressions are lasting impressions. I once read an article in PDN about photographer's studios, and this one photographer was explaining how he had dropped thousands of dollars on buying this particular handle for his front door. He reasoned that the first physical contact that prospective clients had with him and his business was when they opened the door to his studio. He wanted that initial touch to immediately convey all the things intrinsic to his business; strength, substance, craftsmanship... It's a story To View More >>

Your blog is a tool for drawing people in from Facebook and other social media sites, for keeping your site fresh, interesting and ever-changing, and for keeping your image galleries and work in front of people. Your ideas and interests too! The must-have for every blog is SIMPLICITY, so that nothing comes between you and getting your posts out. But one size does not fit all, which is why we now offer three simple blogging templates: Basic, View More and Thumbnail. You can also customise your blog's side panel, by adding a profile image and intro text: click here for an example. (The To View More >>

The strap-line on Lancashire (UK) photographer Ian MacMichael’s website is “Stories Without Words”, which says it all. He can’t imagine his life without photography, although it wasn't until 2007 that he “finally had the confidence” to turn professional. But after nine years he’s clear about what he wants to capture in his photography, and his advice to newcomers. His advice to the 16-18 year-old photography students he teaches for a few hours a week is simple. Be yourself and don’t copy. Shoot what you want in a way that excites and inspires To View More >>

A few weeks ago Luke, who works at Queensberry, told us his grandparents were away overseas. After selling their movie theatre they’d decided to take a trip to Italy. They kept in touch, as he asked them, but little did they know he was collecting their photos to make an album of their adventures and special time together.  It was a fun project to work on. He kept feeding the images to Steph as they came in, and in some ways, we almost felt like we were travelling with them… We loved seeing their smiling faces, and loved even more the stories that Luke would tell us as he dropped To View More >>

“Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second.”  ―  Marc Riboud To celebrate a social media milestone Kelly Wolfe held a competition. She asked her followers to send in their stories, with one of them winning an afternoon photo shoot. You can see why Kelly decided to use the photographs, of Chase, Deo and Brody, the perfect three, for her Queensberry sample album. The dogs' owner (also called Kelly!) says her first and oldest fur baby was Brody, a "Sibord" — half Siberian Husky, half Border Collie. "He was To View More >>

THE DOLPHIN, THE GAZELLE, THE CHEETAH AND THE LION Originally published on The Candid Eye, what makes this post by James Yeats-Brown so compelling is that its passion comes from James' clients as much as from him. A lovely and revealing insight into the motivation behind family photography. - Ian When I arrived at Mike and Clare’s house, Mike was wielding a pen-knife in boy scout fashion and excitedly removing an old sepia photograph from a crumbling frame. The image depicted a formal group at a wedding, a family gathering posed in a static arrangement to allow To View More >>

Any serious professional will tell you that photography isn’t an easy way to make a living, and it probably won't make you rich. Even Annie Leibovitz filed for bankruptcy. Here is a piece of our story on the journey to where we are today. By Koby & Terilyn Brown. Early in 2010 Koby and I had a serious talk about the direction of Archetype Studio. Key to that discussion was figuring out what lifestyle we wanted to live. For us, photography is about passion. The need to craft memories into something emotionally tangible. It’s about freedom to go where the wind blows, and live To View More >>

As told to Cate Scaglione In the photography world they’re sometimes referred to as the Texas Royalty for their dramatic aesthetic, their long-term success and their A List clientele … but spend five minutes with David and Luke Edmonson and you’ll discover they are anything but elitist. I was fortunate enough to spend time with Luke, who generously revealed the Edmonson sales ethos. With over $100k in album sales alone, their rather emotionally charged sales approach might come as a surprise, often counterintuitive to our industry’s professed sales strategies. To View More >>

As told to Cate Scaglione - Life As Fine Art “There is a space between imagination… and attainment…that may only be traversed by… longing.” ― Khalil Gibran, Sand and Foam The story of Cindy Harter Sims is about more than going from part-time hobbyist to full time award-winning photographer. Cindy’s is a tale about longing for all that life has to offer. Photography just happened to be her way of finding it. There is something about an image by Cindy Harter Sims. It’s an inexplicable surge of emotions that make you feel as if you’re To View More >>

As told to Cate Scaglione - Life As Fine Art Thanks to the digital revolution our culture is by far the most photographed generation in history. Without planning or purpose, people now take pictures simply to share them on a global scale. Sociologists are enjoying a field day over the reasons why, but certainly with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr we have so many ways to broadcast intimate moments with family, friends, pets and our last meal. Which means professional photography is becoming less relevant and less profitable, right? Or is it? The anti-selfie When a client hires a highly To View More >>