Why are some photographers more successful than others? In part it's their level of confidence. Or anxiety. Picture the anxious photographer preparing for a pre-wedding consult. Setting out coffee and cakes in the studio. Grateful someone got past the email stage. Anxious to finalise the booking … And not wanting to push their luck! They know the bride's looking for a cheap photographer and a cheap album … or a good photographer and a DVD! The most important thing to her is her BUDGET. The confident photographer starts by assuming the most important thing to the bride is her WEDDING. She sets To View More >>

Many photographers include albums in their wedding packages but you'd never know it! On their websites they'll say they sell them - they may even say how much they cost - but they won't actually show what they look like. We strongly believe that to be successful you need to show people what you want them to buy. Sarah Vivienne from the UK is someone who does a great job of it. These photos are from her blog: On her blog Sarah photographs and discusses her albums with detailed product shots and insight into the design process. I recently spoke with her and this is what she had to say: "I find To View More >>

In business there's one thing we need to focus on constantly – our customers and their experience. It's not what I think (the business owner) but what you think (the customer). At the cafe where I got this cup of tea, the marshmallow on the saucer suggests that somebody was trying to give me a little something extra, and a good experience. But my primary desire is to have a great cup of tea. Glance around your average cafe and there's a very expensive machine to make awesome coffee. Organic, fair trade, freshly roasted beans. A barrista who's been taught how to add delight to the coffee experience. To View More >>

Tweet tweet... Queensberry and Photojunction are officially on Twitter. Queensberry: @queensberrynz Photojunction: @photojunction If you're a social media maven we're there to learn, join the conversation and connect with you. We'll be tweeting and re-tweeting all sorts of things – not just our own posts and observations but anything we come across you could be interested in - like this re-tweet from a few days ago: @queensberrynz Hard-hitting article from Gary Fong - what's wrong with wedding photography today - Ian. http://ow.ly/1Hyue Plus, if you're looking for a few more (interesting) people To View More >>

Forums are about community... Sharing ideas, asking questions, providing feedback. We've just integrated our forums with our Queensberry and Photojunction Facebook pages to harness the power of one of the largest online communities in the world. On both pages, if you want to ask a question go to the 'Discussions' tab (highlighted in the graphic). If you want to offer feedback (or give someone else's idea a boost) go to the 'Feedback' tab. As well as these we're starting work on building a more user-friendly knowledge base. Look forward to hanging out with you more on Facebook :) Cheers, Nigel To View More >>

No, that's not what it means. WTF stands for… Website (yours): It's hard to get people to visit, but you're in charge, it looks like you – you shape it, you own it. Twitter: Millions hang out there, there are ways to get their attention – but it belongs to someone else. Facebook: Same thing with bells on. Millions and millions of people. Awesome networking and sharing tools. But you're not in charge, it doesn't look like you're in charge, and Mr Zuckerburg gets the Google Juice not you. It's essential to hang out with people in these public places, but invite them back to your place as well. To View More >>

Are you showing people what you want them to buy? I'll bet you're not. This is important, and so simple... Why does the "business you" want to sell albums? Because they're a surefire way to create extra income from two scarce resources - your time and your wedding bookings. I just got off skype from a photographer complaining because she can't sell albums. Wants to … but can't. But look at her website, or almost any photographers' website, and how many albums do you see? Almost none. How many photographers are showing what they (want to) sell? Almost none. So what's the difference between them To View More >>

Doing their Chicken Little impression, the media say the sky is falling. Some of our clients are worried, but personally I wonder. Here's why. First, Heather and I have been through it before (no, not the great depression! that was our parents and grandparents)... 1. The 1984 New Zealand currency crisis (that might mean nothing to you, but our country almost went broke). 2. The 1987 share market crash. 3. The 1997 Asian financial crisis. 4. The 2001 Tech meltdown. Sure, they probably weren't as bad, but we survived them all. In fact in each of those years except 1984 our sales increased. And we To View More >>

Apparently it takes 3.5 seconds for a person to to assess another person when they first meet face to face. We've all done it and in some cases I still remember those 3.5 seconds. The love at first sight affect. :) But what if those first few seconds aren't face to face, but face to website? Couples (ie Brides) can be ruthlessly efficient when it comes to their wedding plans, which is why we all need a love-at-first-sight site that's up to handling a bride in full hunting mode. I've watched my wife in action. She will allow a site 3.5 seconds to grab her attention before she moves on. And I am To View More >>

A thoughtful approach to designing and selling albums from Pennsylvania-based Angelique, of our support team. - Ed. There seem to be two primary approaches to album sales, three if you include not bothering (let's not go there). The first approach, popular recently, is Pre-Design. Design the be-all, end-all of albums before your clients even see their images and you'll make a fortune! How could they possibly say no to a 60 side gorgeous 10x18 Duo masterpiece once they see it? Well…because what you included in their contact was a 10x10 flush mount album with 20 sides. That hardly seems fair. It To View More >>