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 >>

“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 Jinal Govind, a landscape and wedding photographer who grew up in windy Wellington, and still calls the city his home – all about pursuing a career as a photographer and staying inspired.    Photography is something Jinal has had a passion for, ever since he was a young boy who picked 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 Jinal Govind, a landscape and wedding photographer who grew up in windy Wellington, and still calls the city his home – all about pursuing a career as a photographer and staying inspired.    Photography is something Jinal has had a passion for since he was a young boy - who picked up a Kodak To View More >>

How to talk about products? In a nutshell, in your own voice, with conviction! Let's start by saying there are three aspects to this: Talking about products. Sharing about products. Believing in products. Talking  about products We'll be brief because we've covered this in a separate article, about how to sell more without being  "pushy" or "sales-y". Photographers who  love  selling probably don't need our help, so it's addressed mainly to those who're shy about it — which is possibly most of us. In that article we discuss how to build "talking about products" into To View More >>

Time is a valuable resource in any business, but especially photography. With that in mind, it makes sense to make the most of it, and to ask yourself, can I do things more efficiently? If I could outsource something, should I? Is what I'm doing even necessary? Here are four ways to optimise your time and make the most of every shoot. 1. Outsource Ask photographers why they got into portrait and wedding photography and they'll say how they love photography … or telling love stories … or connecting with clients on their special days. Not many say To View More >>

We came across this lovely Portrait Album with Photography by John Shetron (US) as it went through the bindery. It's a 12x8 Panorama Flushmount Portrait Album with offset-printed Tintoretto pages and a Carbon Buckram cover. Portrait Albums are great for family photography and to commemorate special days – especially a 90th birthday! Panorama Flushmount pages, with no split at the spine, invite big, bold imagery. This 12x8 album allows for a 12x16 full bleed image. John also sent through a great portrait, "The 90-year-old birthday "boy" on the day of his celebration. Although To View More >>

We spoke with Californian photographer and mentor, Glenn Lee Robinson, about what makes a good mentor, how mentors have helped him, and what advice he’d give to those seeking one. Glenn began taking photographs in 2010, when his friend gave him a canon DSLR. He quickly fell in love with the hobby and soon turned professional, photographing graduations, portraits and weddings. In 2015, he discovered the exhilaration and satisfaction of capturing outdoor landscapes. Now, his Hike & Shoot initiative focuses all his energy. Glenn puts his success down to being interested and resourceful, 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 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 >>

Kate Hopewell-Smith believes that the more confident you are, the better photographer you'll become. But she worries about the lack of confidence in our industry, and wonders how many photographers are considering whether to carry on or not… From my experience meeting and communicating with lots of photographers there is a serious problem out there with lack of confidence, which for some can become quite debilitating. In fact I describe it as an “epidemic” –extremely prevalent, widespread. I read a lot of photography magazines but I can’t recall ever To View More >>