As a photographer, your creativity is your super-power. It’s what sets you apart, what draws clients to you, and what fills your work with meaning. But when your days are spent juggling inboxes, invoices, timelines, edits, orders, banking, and endless other to-dos, it’s easy for that creative spark to fizzle out. Here’s the truth: you don’t need less structure to be more creative — you need better systems. Think of systems as the scaffolding that holds your business up — so your creativity can roam freely within it. Strong systems take care of the repetitive To View More >>

Gary Vaynerchuk said something about the worst thing you can do in business is to be romantic about how you make your money. But show me a photographer who doesn't love taking pictures.  In fact I just wrote two rather emotional posts myself about professional photography. So I thought I'd set out the unromantic business reasons to sell products. Not how to sell or what to sell, but why.  And yes, we make the products, so of course we’d love you to sell them, but this is what's in it for you. We call them the three Ps. 1. You benefit from the sale of the To View More >>

Hello to our USA friends! A quick update to confirm that we intend to absorb the additional cost of the tariffs, to support our valued clients. We’re grateful for your business, and we want the relationship to continue long into the future!  I hesitated to provide an update earlier because the situation is still changing. In fact a 90-day pause on “reciprocal” tariffs has just been announced on all countries except China. However the situation as it affects us has not changed since the original announcement. We have never taken sides in political matters. As small business 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 >>

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 >>

|  Contents | Next Download the eBook A guide to building a profitable photography business Is this for you?  These pages are for professional photographers, primarily social photographers, by which I mean those who’re paid entirely by the people in their viewfinders. Think family portraits, weddings, babies, kids, pets, events, glamour, boudoir, schools, graduations and so on. This is not the official Queensberry view of the world, just my own. But it lays out the lessons I believe we’ve learned from 50 years listening to successful photographers. ~ Ian To View More >>

Hi, it's Stephen here. For a few weeks now we’ve been in deep discussions about how to navigate the current COVID crisis and, more importantly, support the industry we love so much. So it seems a little ironic that, as part of those discussions, today we’re releasing a book called “Love’s Not Enough”. Ironic because we do  love  our industry, we believe love  drives  our industry, and yet … love's not enough. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD Anyone who’s got close to Queensberry and our family knows that, while we love what we do as craftspeople, To View More >>

Queensberry and COVID-19 Update: Wednesday March 25th 2020 Hello everyone, In response to the COVID-19 pandemic the New Zealand Government has put the country on an “Alert Level 4” lockdown for at least four weeks effective tonight (details below). As a result we can now confirm that as of this afternoon the Queensberry Print Lab and Bindery will be on hold for that time. Many of our staff are already working from home, and today the rest of the team are busy sending out as much work as possible before they too self-isolate at home. Please continue to send in your orders, which we will To View More >>

Here are twenty questions to think about, to help make your business better. It's thought-provoking and worth reviewing regularly, so get a pen and a piece of paper! 1. Are there too many photographers? Do you think it’s different now to 10-20 years ago? If so, why? 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 jobs do you need, and how much does each one need to pay you? (ie to cover you, your equipment, To View More >>

The festive season is a great time to promote yourself and let your clients know how much you appreciate them. There's no doubt that photographs make fabulous personal gifts, especially in a nice mat, frame or canvas.  Personal touches, and adding value to packages, are good ways to have an impact without breaking the bank. 1. Give something away! Everyone loves a freebie. This could be a loose or matted print, or even a Canvas. These items have relatively short turn-around times, so as long as you hold the giveaway far enough in advance, they will have them by Christmas To View More >>