Previous |  Contents | Next Download the eBook "That process has two distinct stages—before and after the shoot. The first sells the booking, the second is the up-sell…" High-end photographers have been selling albums profitably for as long as we’ve been in business, but for many today it seems a lost art. Why? Obviously the world has changed — "shoot-and-share" and "just the files" are seductive ideas, and so is selling online. And who needs the hassle of getting people into the studio, playing nice, offering them bubbles and selling To View More >>

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 “Measure results, change activities.” — Keith Cunningham Focused I’ve never met a photographer with a more analytical approach to his business than Craig. He was a wedding photographer whose goal was to clear “100k in 100 Days” from 30 weddings. (The actual figures don’t matter — they just sound snappy — so I’m not going to tell you when, where or in what currency.) Many a photographer has built a profitable business out of shooting 30 or 40 weddings a year, bur Craig’s 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 >>

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 >>

Someone suggested the other day that Queensberry’s “look” is “classic”, and if you want “hip” albums you’ll need to look elsewhere. So … how do we plead? Well yer Honour, on the one hand, it’s true … and on the other, it isn’t! Why isn’t it true? It’s your art, we just provide the frame. It’s your album, so if you want hip, make it so. We see plenty of up-to-the-minute designs going through the Bindery, and lots of classic work too. What we suggest is, pick from our paintbox whatever supports your To View More >>

Even with digital images and online galleries everywhere, the most impressive way to show off your work is with a printed portfolio. A printed book shows more than your photography skills. It expresses your design abilities, your taste in materials and your high standards as an artist. If you're thinking about creating your own portfolio, here are some ideas to get you started. They're not like wedding and portrait albums Sample albums normally mimic what you want to sell. They show prospective clients what to expect, and help them visualise their To View More >>

Albums are a blank canvas on which to express your personal style and taste, and we love seeing the variety that comes through the Bindery. This week's album caught our attention with its brightly coloured graffiti backgrounds and interesting design. When we asked Daniel if we could feature it, he shared with us the humorous, heartwarming story of how the couple first met – as told by them, from both sides. Talk about a meet-cute! It reminded us of something important — "It's not about the album, it's about the photography." … But dig deeper and it's To View More >>

Our friends in the northern hemisphere may find it hard to imagine the festive season without snow, hot cocoa, and a warm fireplace, but in Auckland, New Zealand, where we're based, Christmas day is more likely to be beach adventures and a barbeque. We spoke to Rakesh Kesha about what makes a New Zealand summer, and our unique festive season, so special. Do you have a favourite or secret go-to spot in NZ? "My favourite weekend spot would be Karekare, on Auckland’s west coast. Geographically it's pretty isolated, so unlike its neighbouring beaches. With limited vehicle To View More >>

As told to Cate Scaglione In the photography world they’re sometimes referred to as the Texas Royalty for their dramatic aesthetic, their long-term success and their A List clientele … but spend five minutes with David and Luke Edmonson and you’ll discover they are anything but elitist. I was fortunate enough to spend time with Luke, who generously revealed the Edmonson sales ethos. With over $100k in album sales alone, their rather emotionally charged sales approach might come as a surprise, often counterintuitive to our industry’s professed sales strategies. To View More >>