We love beautiful things, and we absolutely admire the people who make them, so here are two links for you. The first shows the making of a limited edition Leica M9-P, made in collaboration with Hermès. As the video says, no wonder it's so damned expensive. That's OK. As one of the commenters says, we'll just stand quietly behind the velvet rope and watch. The second is Signé Chanel, Loïc Prigent's seven year-old TV series about the creation of Chanel's Fall/Winter 2004-2005 collection. I wish I could show you some video, but I can't. Which is a pity, because if you value craftsmanship, it's To View More >>

I know how to type, have a good grasp of English, know how to spell – but that doesn’t mean I could or would or should try to write the next John Grisham. Having a pen doesn’t make me a writer. Having a camera doesn’t make me a photographer. Having a computer doesn’t make me a designer… To be a designer takes talent, knowledge and practice. You need to understand balance, beauty, symmetry, asymmetry, flow, pace, shape, unity and contrast. Being a great visual story teller requires all those qualities. It also requires the understanding that that’s what you’re doing - telling a To View More >>

And no, this is not a scam. For those not in the know, I'm based at the Queenberry lab. They put up with me here as long as I sit quietly in the corner. It's a bit crowded as Philip Laing is sitting in the same corner. Anyway, I'm not allowed to speak so I get to listen to what's going on regarding some of the issues that our printers face. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but the terms and conditions of most album companies are a bit like the signs you used to see in china shops around New Zealand – "if you break it, you buy it". In other words, if you send us a crappy file, don't blame us if we To View More >>

OK we're celeb junkies here, just like the rest of the world. We love it when we see famous people in our albums as they're being made, especially when they're Kiwis. Today we had a double treat as we despatched two beautiful sets of albums to Auckland photographer and Queensberry client, Emma Bass. I wanted to tell you all about them, but Ian won't let me. He reckons what's sauce for the gander is sauce for the goose, too, and it's true that, because we have a confidentiality policy, he's missed seeing some very exciting albums. So all I can say is that both weddings were absolutely stunning, To View More >>

This is the most fun first dance I have seen in a while! It'll make you want to listen to Big Band swing for the rest of the afternoon:) If only I could convince my husband to try dance lessons... I can dream! Enjoy, Anna 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 >>

Our IT support team are moving our phone server this Thursday the 10th of May New Zealand Time, so all Queensberry phone lines will be offline between 2pm and 6pm NZST. If you do have an emergency during that time, we will have extra support on email for those few hours so you won't be left in the lurch. All the best from everyone at Queensberry To View More >>

Since you're reading The Junction, you're probably pretty much up with the play on Photojunction, and this post won't apply to you. Here goes anyway. Maybe you can pass it on to a friend who needs it! Believe it or not there are still people out there using Photojunction Retro. If you don't know what Retro is, it's a very cool program that was state of the art five years ago, when it was replaced by Remix. All I can say is let it go. Just like Don Johnson's stubble and no socks policy in Miami Vice, it's had its day. The kindest thing you can do is put it down. Seriously, if you want up to date 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 >>

You’ve heard the saying about fitting square pegs in round holes? It can be very apt when it comes to choosing images for our Photo Front covers, especially the 1/4 Photo Front, as this screen shot from PJ Remix indicates – only a slice from the image will fit on the cover. Although I’ve used Photojunction to illustrate the problem, it solves the problem as well. In Photojunction simply drag the image you want to use on to the cover layout, as in the screen shot. If it won’t fit the space you’ll soon know: you'll need to choose a different cover style or find an image with a suitable To View More >>