DHL recently announced that they are discontinuing their US domestic service (U.S Express) to focus on their more profitable international services. However this change won’t affect our service to you. That’s because the only services affected are DHL shipments being sent from one US location to another. We ship all our international orders direct from our bindery in New Zealand and DHL have assured us that this change won’t affect you or us in any way. We’re working hard to get as many orders as we can dispatched before our December close-down. Rest assured that our expected delivery times To View More >>

Our clients featured strongly again this year among the winners of the 2009 Annabel Williams Contemporary Photographic Training (CPT) Awards. Sarah Wright took out the Queensberry-sponsored Portrait Album category (we featured the wedding album category winner a few days ago). Ex-CPT student Sarah submitted this design of a portrait shoot of a teenager shot in the Borde Hill Gardens - a country estate in the South of England. “The subject really wanted a rural shoot as he loved the country side and country clothing – so I utilised the Estate’s striking features like the wrought iron gates, To View More >>

Anthony and Maureen's album is a great reminder that no two albums are alike. 'Unique' is a word we use a lot around here because every Queensberry album is custom made by hand, especially for you, to reflect your personality and taste... This big album shot and designed by Terry of Blue Rose Studios stood out as it progressed through the bindery, with its white leather cover and ivory pages, and its flip and wing pages. Anthony and Maureen married at the foot of the Sandia Mountains in Albuquerque, in a small Italian styled wedding at Anthony's parents home. Terry spent time with the couple after To View More >>

New York Times technology writer David Pogue proposed to his partner last night - with the help of a fake movie trailer, a hidden camera and some incredibly well-timed editing. It's definitely worth the watch: Pogue's Proposal from david pogue on Vimeo. To View More >>

Many photographers are lone wolves. Not in the hunter gatherer kind of way but in the sense that they work alone and contact with the outside "photographic" world can be limited. However we are in a creative industry and so to keep the creative juices flowing you need to go beyond your doorstep to appreciate and develop as an Artist/Photographer. The great thing about the internet is you can share information, ideas and opinions with fellow photographers easily. Joining the DWF gives you a forum where fellow professionals can be open and frank about the issues that they have been having. Sometimes To View More >>

Hello all, I'm just dropping in to give you a heads up to mark this date down in your diary: Wednesday 15 August. If you're living in Auckland, New Zealand (or can make it to Auckland) you won't want to miss out on our event: a free Workspace seminar and workshop. Workspace is our cloud application which you can use for designing albums, proofing, website building and more. This seminar is your chance to learn the ins and outs of the software, how you can make the most of it and how it can benefit your business. We'll also have plenty of time for questions and if there's anything specific you'd To View More >>

There was quite a reaction to my post about shooting less photos, which obviously resonated with people. Check it out - there are some interesting comments from people, including from those who say they shoot a lot. I know there are some amazing photographers out there who shoot big numbers, so quantity is not necessarily at the expense of quality. However I still think it comes at a price, for both the studio and the client. I've never forgotten the first time a client asked me to design a sample album online. I was given passwords to three large online galleries and asked to choose 100 images. After To View More >>

We've had a lot of enquiries asking about the deadline for our half-price special. Thanks for making it a great success. So we're giving you a bit of leeway. The deadline falls over this weekend, so as long as we have your order by the START OF BUSINESS ON MONDAY New Zealand time we'll allow the discount. But you will need to confirm the album order and pay within two days of us getting back to you. We have been absolutely swamped with DESIGN ORDERS. These are no charge as part of the promotion if ordered through Workspace (thanks for trying the feature, people really like it!). It may take a To View More >>

In the context of professional people photography here are a few things that surprise and puzzle us. How often the images are released from the studio before the sale is finalised. How the album planning/sales process can take months, sometimes years. How there's often no attempt to up-sell after the event. How the album is treated as a cost, not a marketing tool. How album planning is treated as an obligation not an opportunity. How studios go with the crowd, instead of standing out from it. None of those maximise your opportunities, and there are probably less of those to go round right now. To View More >>

I was reading that professional women sometimes find it difficult to get in touch with their feminine side. I concur. I know I might get lynched by some of my feminist friends but I like nothing better than getting in the kitchen. I find it relaxing and a total break from work. Try making this “Pink Lady Cake” and sharing it with family and friends. Serve with a slice of love and a glass of bubbles. It’s pink, it's pretty and it’s really delicious. I made it for morning tea on Anna Matsuoka's last day (sadly for us, she's heading back to Japan). The recipe is from our good friends and To View More >>