Here are three photos that won’t mean much to you but mean everything to me. They explain why I love wedding albums. The first is from my parents’ wedding in 1945, a beautiful sepia print in a classic folder. Young as he looks, Dad had just returned from five years at war. The girl on the left is his younger sister. Seven years later she married the young man on the right. Like my parents they were together for 55 years. The other woman is my mother’s best friend. I remember her, but she died quite young. The other uniformed man is my father’s best friend. I’m writing To View More >>

Digital galleries are a great way to share your photography, there’s no denying that. But after the party they’re out of sight, out of mind. That’s why offering printed products isn’t just a nice extra — it’s a powerful way to stay present in your clients’ lives. Framed prints, canvases, albums and keepsake boxes turn fleeting memories into something tangible, emotional, and enduring — and keep your brand front and centre. Scroll down for our special offer! Need more convincing? Here’s a few reasons why you should be selling products: ✔ They To View More >>

Previous |  Contents | Next Download the eBook Bad taste takes a while to show up, but as soon as it does it’s embarrassing. How to avoid it? Start by keeping it simple. If in doubt, leave it out. The half life of crap In her book The Mesh, Lisa Gansky talks about “the half life of crap” – about cheap manufactured products and how long they last. Or rather don’t last. Her point is that the half life of crap products is way too short. They get boring or they break. They end up at the back of your garage or as land fill. Our poor planet can’t afford 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 "...There are those who serve the high end and those who serve the budget end of the market. And like most industries, if you don’t choose the high end, the low end will probably choose you." What I mean by " professional" When I talk about professional photographers I mean people who aim to make a living from their photography — pay the bills, buy a home, raise kids, enjoy a good life and save for retirement. We all do it differently, but you get the picture. I think people for whom it’s a side hustle — To View More >>

“Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known.” –  Oscar Wilde   In this series we shine a light on artists expressing their individuality, documenting what they love, working hard on their craft, and sharing it with the world.   Jay French is a Christchurch-based adventure photographer who specialises in mountainsides, gnarly bike trails and "before dawn to after sunset".  He believes he's always been into photography, one way or another, but  in the beginning  didn't think of it as anything more than an appreciation for To View More >>

“Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known.” –  Oscar Wilde     In this series we shine a light on artists expressing their individuality, documenting what they love, working hard on their craft, and sharing it with the world.    Jay French is a Christchurch-based adventure photographer who specialises in mountainsides, gnarly bike trails and "before dawn to after sunset".  He believes he's always been into photography, one way or another, but  in the beginning  didn't think of it as anything more than an appreciation To View More >>

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and who’s to argue … but if so what are a hundred photographs worth? With a hundred photos you can really tell a story — but there’s only one way to do it. Not in an online gallery — that’s a data dump, not a story. Not on a thumb drive — a data dump in a drawer! Not in a stack of prints — out of order, lost, given away or damaged. Not even in a box of matted prints. Beautiful images, beautiful presented — but still not a story. Only in an album can you transform a set of images into a narrative. To View More >>

Should you focus all your marketing energy on finding new customers? Maybe not! Generating extra revenue from the clients you already have can be simple, effective and very satisfying. This excellent article by Ago Cluytens explains a few ways to go about it, and in this post we're going to look at how to apply his ideas to your photography business.  As you're reading, ask yourself, "How can I add value for my clients using these strategies?" It's not about taking, it's about giving more than people expect. 1. Cross-selling "...the ability To View More >>

At-home portrait shoots are an ever-growing trend, and we're completely on board with that. Catherine Cattanach was asked by Gale and her partner Aurelian  to photograph their family as they welcomed little Gala into their lives. Catherine photographed Gala's older sister Aurelia as a newborn, so she was thrilled when Gale and Aurelian asked her back. She spent the morning at their home in Paekakariki, documenting some quality time together. Gala is such a chilled-out little soul, says Catherine, while wee Aurelia was full of beans.  Although Catherine loves her studio To View More >>