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 “Measure results, change activities.” — Keith Cunningham Focused I’ve never met a photographer with a more analytical approach to his business than Craig. He was a wedding photographer whose goal was to clear “100k in 100 Days” from 30 weddings. (The actual figures don’t matter — they just sound snappy — so I’m not going to tell you when, where or in what currency.) Many a photographer has built a profitable business out of shooting 30 or 40 weddings a year, bur Craig’s To View More >>

Previous |  Contents | Next Download the eBook There’s no room in this business for cynics. Ambassadors of Love Sure you love photography … but then this whole business is about love. Love and other emotional drivers — like the desire for connection, significance, family pride, and the human need to remember and be remembered. My Dad wanted a photo of my mother to fit in the breast pocket of his battle tunic in North Africa. Eighty years later I still have it. They married after the war. We have a few formal group photos. All us kids can do is try and judge what To View More >>

I'm going to be a bit pushy here. Our series on selling albums talks about:  — setting expectations — making it clear you sell them, and why! — making it easy for your clients to buy — not coming across as "pushy or sales-y" etc. I think that's good, sensible stuff — I helped write them, so there's that! — but let's face it, they lack something: ambition. Sales-ambitious or sales-shy? Portrait and wedding photographers come in all shapes and sizes, attitudes and ambitions, but one of the most important things that define them is surely their attitude to 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 >>

A printed portfolio of your work is a great way to attract new clients, land jobs and leave a lasting impression. And you can take it with you — never show up to a meeting empty-handed again! A high-quality, well-edited portfolio signifies the value of your work and helps you stand out from the crowd. These examples illustrate the variety of photographers we create these for, and the different types of books we make for them. Click the '+' buttons for lip-smacking close-ups. Lola Photography's Exhibition 10x10 Q Book Medium with offset Tintoretto printing. To View More >>

A small village right at the edge of the forest, with backyard doors almost always opened straight into the woods. It was there that Petr from NZICESCAPES IMAGES spent his childhood. It was an everyday playground that would have been a childhood dream. Being out there all the time seeded Petr's love for the outdoors. When he turned 18 he was gifted a camera from his parents – a Russian Zenith with black and white film in it. From then on Petr spent his days taking pictures of anything around him. It was those influences, combined with his urge to show To View More >>

Any serious professional will tell you that photography isn’t an easy way to make a living, and it probably won't make you rich. Even Annie Leibovitz filed for bankruptcy. Here is a piece of our story on the journey to where we are today. By Koby & Terilyn Brown. Early in 2010 Koby and I had a serious talk about the direction of Archetype Studio. Key to that discussion was figuring out what lifestyle we wanted to live. For us, photography is about passion. The need to craft memories into something emotionally tangible. It’s about freedom to go where the wind blows, and live To View More >>

For those of you who don't live in Godzone (New Zealand, OK?) Vaughan Smith does the drive time show on New Zealand's top music station, The Edge. He and Fletch have arguably the funniest radio show in the country and I listen to them every day. So when I saw his album working its way through production I thought I'd grab the opportunity to ask him a few girly questions. Read on, ladies, he's not just funny, he's got a soft centre. • Tell us about how it all began - where did you and Sharde meet, and how did you make her fall for you? Like any good modern day romance, it was in the workplace To View More >>