Are you about to be married, or just married? Congratulations! My own wedding day went by so fast, it was only when I saw the photos that I realised how much I'd missed. For some of us I think photography seems like just another item to check off our planning list, but what a difference a day makes! I was so glad I had a good photographer, and beautiful images I could be proud of. Queensberry Bride is dedicated to you, your wedding and especially your wedding photography. We have great advice about choosing a photographer, and links to our photographer directory if you're still undecided. We want To View More >>

A series about storytelling in album design. Every great story has a beginning, a middle and an end Part of what makes a story interesting is the way it's told. It pulls you in, leads you along a path of discovery and ends with a satisfying finale. I've already mentioned the importance of chronology, and I'll have more about the middle later, but what's the secret to a strong beginning and a satisfying ending? The beginning Writers spend a lot of time on their first paragraphs. They know if they don't kindle your interest they leave you cold. If you're not sure what should go on your first page To View More >>

I'm often told that brides do all their research online and communicate with photographers only by email. And that it's normal to book a photographer based on such minimal interaction: "Stephen it's no use. They just want a price. It's all about the deal, so I just give them one and hope." I don't believe it. Or at least, I don't believe it's the only possibility. I wasn't going to start these posts this way, but maybe a simple response to this challenge is useful, something you can use immediately. Anyway, here's how I would reply. Rewrite it in your own words of course, but I hope it helps engage To View More >>

As I have just recently gotten married - yay! - I thought I’d write a bit about planning a wedding - a nice, decent, enjoyable wedding - on a budget. Photograph by Alexander Wallace For a little background, my husband Kurt is Dutch. Now the Dutch are said to be like the Scots - just with all the generosity squeezed out of them. And I myself am very cautious when it comes to money - but at the same time I’m a designer and I love beautiful things. I came across this fantastic blog The Broke-Ass Bride which is full of great ideas on how to save money without compromising too much on the overall To View More >>

THANKS FOR THE AMAZING RESPONSE AND KIND COMMENTS, EVERYONE. THIS PROMOTION IS NOW CLOSED. The festive season is fast approaching and we're in the mood to spread a little cheer. So we're opening up our santa sack to give one of our beautiful Press Books to a lucky photographer this Christmas. Up to US$400 value, which will get you a beautiful book! How to enter: 1. It's as simple as leaving a comment on this post! 2. For a second entry, share a link to this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter. Leave a second comment with a link to your shout out. Maximum two entries per person. So what are you waiting To View More >>

If you were reading our blog last month you might have heard I didn't make the best decision when it came to picking my wedding photographer, and I have less than wonderful wedding pictures to show for it. If you missed the posts they were Lessons I learnt from planning my wedding and Why I cut my photography budget. As I mentioned previously however, my husband and I were fortunate to take part in a photo shoot with kiwi photographers A Couple of Night Owls. Though these pictures can never quite replace the missed moments on our wedding day, it is amazing to have such beautiful pictures of us To View More >>

That picture is one of a small handful of photos from my wedding day that I actually like- and sadly it doesn't even feature my husband or me. Planning a wedding can be hard, and sticking to the budget even harder, but one of the most important lessons I learnt was: the cheap option isn't always the best option. My husband and I got married when we were very young and were given a budget from our parents that we had to work within. Sadly we made the decision to let the photography be one of the areas we skimped on and the results were devastating. All in all our photographer was a nice guy and 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 >>

For Jo and Simon of Shoot Lifestyle Photography, several Annabel Williams' photographic training books provided the eye opener they needed to see the wedding industry wasn't quite as 'naff' as they thought... Seven years on, they've just been awarded the Annabel Williams CPT Award, for the Queensberry sponsored Wedding Album Category. Jo says, "This was a real life wedding album we'd designed for clients Andy and Lisa." Their wedding took place in a quirky little tavern which Jo says exposed some beautiful natural light. The light doesn't last long on a UK winters day though, so they had to To View More >>

Four years in, and Suzanne Black could teach a lot of people a lot of things…especially about marketing and surviving when times get tough. I had a chat with her about what she thinks are the keys to success, how she turns 90% of her enquiries into bookings and why albums are so important to her business. Positivity is contagious. Suzanne is feeling positive right now. I haven't heard that response to a question about the state of the economy in a long time, but after chatting I've decided describing her as "positive" is an understatement... She says, “In the current climate I think it's more To View More >>