Previous |  Contents | Download the eBook Oh, you wanted answers?! If you came here looking for answers I’m sorry. But I don’t feel too bad about it! You could sign up to Tony Robbins, for example — spend thousands on him — and he wouldn’t give you answers either. What he would do is entertain you, energise you, inspire you, drop a lot of insights on you — then get you to work out your own answers and write them down in a book! So, yeah — I’m sorry if I haven’t given you answers. What I do hope I’ve done is suggest where you To View More >>

Previous |  Contents | Next Download the eBook "Me me me! My favourite word." — Seth Godin The people paying Here’s the key thing about social photography. Those people in your viewfinder are paying your bills. All of your bills. And the images you take are more or less worthless to anyone else. What are your customers after? Why do they want their photographs taken? Actually, do they want their photographs taken? In social photography the trick is to understand that it’s not about the print, or the album, or the photography, or Photoshop, or what your peers think To View More >>

Previous |  Contents | Next Download the eBook These are conversation starters, not a test. There’s more than one “right answer”. 1. Are there too many photographers? Do you think it’s different now to 10-20 years ago? If so, why? How does it impact your business, and can you do anything about it? 2. What is it that enables people to earn a living cooking, writing or taking pictures when almost everyone can do those things? What’s special about them? 3. How many commissions — weddings, portrait sittings etc — do you need, and how much does To View More >>

"Micro-Weddings/Elopements/Minimony(s)." Whatever you like to call them, it appears smaller weddings are here to stay — at least for the foreseeable future.  How things used to be Many wedding photography businesses have been built on the premise that a wedding shoot lasts all day, that there will be "getting-ready" shots needed of at least one half of the couple, that after the ceremony there'll be family photos and a celebration to cover, and that in many cases a second photographer will be needed to fully capture the day’s events. Many photographers have built a career based To View More >>

What is "aspect ratio", and why can it be a problem? The aspect ratio of an image is the ratio of its width to its height. Unless the aspect ratio of a print or frame matches that of the camera image from which it is made, the original image will need to be cropped. What to do When shooting, bear in mind the finished print that you want to sell. If you frame the subject tightly (with important content out to the edges of the image) you won't be able to crop — you'll need to order prints with the same aspect ratio as the camera. Since most digital camerals have an To View More >>

Time is a valuable resource in any business, but especially photography. With that in mind, it makes sense to make the most of it, and to ask yourself, can I do things more efficiently? If I could outsource something, should I? Is what I'm doing even necessary? Here are four ways to optimise your time and make the most of every shoot. 1. Outsource Ask photographers why they got into portrait and wedding photography and they'll say how they love photography … or telling love stories … or connecting with clients on their special days. Not many say To View More >>

Sonja Gardien's Studio 541 has taken on the Auckland art scene, showcasing both emerging and established photographers. We took some time out to chat about what it takes to run a gallery space, and what photographers need to know before they submit their work. Sonja wanted to create a space for photographers to exhibit, learn, meet and be inspired. “It’s important to identify a niche," she says. "There are a lot of galleries around. You need to be different. It seemed logical to utilise Studio 541, not only for a gallery, but also as a space to attend workshops and To View More >>

“Every two minutes people take as many photos as were taken throughout the whole 19th century.” Rachel is one of the Queensberry album design team, and she’s been collecting old photographs since she was at university. "My interest was sparked by reading Roland Barthes’ Camera Lucida (1980)”, she says. “The book was written after his mother’s death, and is as much about death as it is about photography. It was the idea that photographers are “agents of death” that really struck me.” “Any photo, no matter how recent, depicts To View More >>

It’s so refreshing to meet people who act as if the only thing coming between them and their dreams is a plan. Dmitry and Victoria Fedotov built a photography business serving some of the world’s wealthiest people by being clear about their goals and plans, by going the extra mile for their clients … and by shutting out the voices inside that say it can’t be done. Read on for the short story, or click here to listen to my conversation with Dimitry. Download Dmitry’s free Wedding Photography Guide. Dmitry and Vika met while they were studying power 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 >>