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 >>

Workspace is already nine weeks old. We've been running since February and already we have tonnes of websites, albums and events uploaded by our fellow "spacers" out there. I just made that name up, so let me know if you like it or not! Anyway, if you're not there yet you've got to join in the fun. There are photographers taking advantage of this new product and keeping their doors open 24/7 to clients past and future, and their friends, all over the world. That's the great thing about the Inter-web. It never closes (just goes offline occasionally). In fact, thanks to Wordpress, chances are To View More >>

Johannes has been posting on Queensberry Connects for several months now. It's been great to have a regular photographer perspective, and personally we've found his insights and opinions inspiring. We asked him to contribute to our interview series by sharing his thoughts on album design. In the conversation, Ian asks him to expand on several posts he's written about the benefits of getting to know your clients before the wedding, and his "six secrets" to designing a great album... He also questions Johannes about how he interacts with his clients, his workflow and the part Photoshop plays. To View More >>

Late last year Ian and I caught up with award winning photographer Bruce Gabites at his new Auckland studio. He'd just won his eighth straight Kodak Gold award  in the Wedding Album category, and we wanted to find out his secret... We spent a morning talking with him about why he enters photography competitions and what makes him so successful, the affect winning awards has on his business, and albums – the part they  play in his packages, and how he goes about selling them. To listen to our interview with Bruce Gabites click here (22 mins). Cheers, Nigel PS Bruce recently shared some To View More >>

For Jo and Simon of Shoot Lifestyle Photography, several Annabel Williams' photographic training books provided the eye opener they needed to see the wedding industry wasn't quite as 'naff' as they thought... Seven years on, they've just been awarded the Annabel Williams CPT Award, for the Queensberry sponsored Wedding Album Category. Jo says, "This was a real life wedding album we'd designed for clients Andy and Lisa." Their wedding took place in a quirky little tavern which Jo says exposed some beautiful natural light. The light doesn't last long on a UK winters day though, so they had to To View More >>

New Zealand photographer Sharisse Eberlein shot Jessica and Tavita's Martinborough wedding in the spring of 2009. The ceremony was held at the Riesling Retreat vineyards and followed by a reception at the local Martinborough Town Hall. Here's a snippet of their Ivory leather Duo album we spotted on Sharisse's blog... To view a slideshow of Jessica and Tavita's album click here. Cheers, Nigel To View More >>