Offering products in your photography business doesn’t mean turning into a pushy salesperson. (Oh, I've said that before!) Done well, selling is just another form of great service. Here’s how to make it feel effortless and truly valuable — for both you and your clients :) 1. Start with the why Don’t jump straight into product talk. In your interactions with clients, help them understand why printing matters. Share stories, examples, and your own philosophy. Be the person who loves their products! Explain how an album becomes a family heirloom. How a framed 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. We spoke to Joel McDowell, a Taupo based photographer who aims to evoke emotion in people through his work, and capture the hidden gems our beautiful country has to offer. How do you stay inspired?  That is a good question. Surrounding myself with other creatives, in all mediums and experience levels, is a good way to bounce To View More >>

Well, another year is over — our 50th! — and it’s time to express our gratitude, as always, to the people who make it happen. Thank you first to our clients. Your support, friendship and sometimes patience are very much appreciated. We're honoured that you choose to make us part of your own and your clients' stories. Thank you to our regulars, and to the people who joined us for the first time this year. Thank you also if you’ve just rejoined us. It’s great to have you back. And thank you to our amazing staff! Everything we produce is handmade. Work doubles, trebles To View More >>

You've seen Amanda King's By the Horns photographs in large format prints, but they look so dramatic in albums too! This is a 15x12 vertical Q-Book Medium with offset printing on Tintoretto to give that textured, watercolour look.  The creamy, 'Eggshell' cover is a vegan-friendly micro leather, appropriate considering the subject matter. ( Amanda, who's based in Canterbury, New Zealand, says anybody who knows her will tell you of her love for animals. "If only I could keep them all as pets.") A full bleed image in this 15x12 vertical album creates To View More >>

Pagemount vs Overlay We offer a few types of matted album — Overlay Matted, Duo and Musée —and one of the important differences between them is whether the prints are mounted Overlay or Pagemount style. So what's the difference? Overlay: Industry-wide, almost all matted albums are overlay mounted, so overlays may not be new to you. Details may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but the photographs are attached behind the mat, which covers and conceals the edge of the prints. You can see this clearly in the first photograph. To View More >>

Jocelen Janon photographs people. " People moving, running, arguing, dancing, jumping, protesting, agreeing, swimming, smoking, flying, crying, working. Doing nothing.  People living."  His 'Rear Window' series, framed through car windows, is a genuine, regular pleasure. Jocelen finds cars a fascinating way to observe people's behaviour, a reflection of their social status, life challenges, and priorities. And he loves the way a car can become a tool for him. "Something to shoot through voyeuristically, to add depth and also tell a story, or hint at something deeper." Rear Window To View More >>

Have you thought about running your own workshop? So many photographers do. It’s a great way to pass on your knowledge, build your reputation, and make a bit of money while you’re at it! But where to start? Julz Glover’s “The Workshop” is about the use of online imagery to get clients’ attention and turn them into paying customers. She focuses on food photography in particular, and on Instagram as a promotional tool. She offers both one-on-one and group coaching, but her latest course is online, and accessible to people across the globe. We spoke to To View More >>

At-home portrait shoots are an ever-growing trend, and we're completely on board with that. Catherine Cattanach was asked by Gale and her partner Aurelian  to photograph their family as they welcomed little Gala into their lives. Catherine photographed Gala's older sister Aurelia as a newborn, so she was thrilled when Gale and Aurelian asked her back. She spent the morning at their home in Paekakariki, documenting some quality time together. Gala is such a chilled-out little soul, says Catherine, while wee Aurelia was full of beans.  Although Catherine loves her studio To View More >>

If you want people to come looking for what’s desirable, not what’s cheapest, build your studio on high-end values. I recently visited an Audi dealership, not to buy a new car, but to learn how Audi sell their beautiful vehicles. Predictably I left desiring something I'd never considered before, and sold on Audi. My intention was to test drive the Audi Q5, but the salesperson suggested that the Q7 might be more comfortable for my height, so out in a Q7 we went. But not just any Q7, a Q7 Premium Plus with sport options! It was more amazing than I can describe … To View More >>

As a social photographer, it's so easy to get caught up working for clients and watching our bottom line that creative inspiration can become just another item on our To Do list. So how can we stay inspired, and so do our best work for clients, without getting burned out? How can we fill our 'creative well' regularly?' as Julia Cameron from The Artist's Way would ask. There is a way and it's called Instagram. As long as you can get online, inspiration can be yours in a non-stop stream of talent and buzzing creativity. When Instagram first arrived, it was known for its over-processed To View More >>