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 If the first time you think about me is when you realise I’m blocking the sale, too late! Some years back there was a young man called Nigel working at Queensberry. He was about to get married, and that's how the following exchange got started. It prompted me to write a post in which I said that, to hear people talk, you’d think that only two people are involved in buying a wedding album – the bride and her mother. Same with portrait shoots, I was sure. I couldn't imagine To View More >>

Previous |  Contents | Next Download the eBook Our brand isn’t a look but a promise kept — not what we say but what we do. Value Imagine if you said, “I want you to pay me what you think I’m worth.” Most people would imagine themselves out of business. We need to tell our clients what we’re worth, and live up to our rhetoric. What is the value of your work to people who don’t know you, or how much they should be paying? The value of a compelling and authentic brand is that it tells people the price of entry and helps them see it’s worth 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 >>

“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. Gemma is an adventure and travel photographer currently based in the South Island. Born and raised in Nelson, she's grown up exploring the three national parks that border her home city.? "My style has been largely influenced by my upbringing in Nelson. Surrounded by beautiful beaches, lakes, mountains, and sheltered seas, I was exposed 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 >>

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 >>

Still working on getting albums approved six, nine, twelve months down the line? This will be eating into your time and your profit. Here are some simple ways to get albums approved quickly, while adding value for your client and offering them a great experience. 1. Get in quick! There's before the shoot and there's after the shoot. Before, they're looking at your products (yeah, nice!) and photos of … other people. Afterwards they have your photos of them to fall in love with — and they will. But get in quick! — before the emotion of the To View More >>

This is the last in a series from Megan DiPiero with advice about how to build a stronger brand and brand message — to add purpose to your marketing, draw attention to your service, and ultimately increase sales. Click here for Parts 1, 2 and 3. Today Megan shares her opinions on marketing. I’m betting that many of you clicked this mentor post because you thought your question would finally be answered: “How do I get more people in?” In the past 6 years, I’ve created a six figure profitable business that provides the sole To View More >>

Justine Ungaro is conducting a Master Class at WPPI about the challenges of setting up business in a new market. We're proud to be sponsoring her. We all know that selling albums can make you more $$, but did you know that selling albums will also make you a better photographer? It’s a hard-learned lesson that took me years to figure out, so I will try to save you time by giving it to you straight! When I started out as a wedding photographer, I didn’t sell a whole lot of albums. I was intensely focused on improving my photography skill and developing my creativity. But as the To View More >>