I was working with a client last evening sorting out their album design, and yet again marveling at PJ Remix. We were looking at what we might do with their design to take it away from the ordinary. The expression Pimp My Album came to mind ... and things went crazy! There were tassels, dice, bling, and all sorts of flame shaped graphics ... quickly recognised as possibly on the absurd side of album creativity. It did get me thinking how I might accessorise my beautiful classic album. I thought I would start a list! The obvious beginning is a case ... there are two available (three if you include To View More >>

For a country with the population of the San Francisco Bay Area, New Zealand has a lot of great photographers, and we're proud that many of them are Queensberry clients. We're delighted to say that one of the best has agreed to write for us. Johannes van Kan of Moda Fotografica has been a friend since 1993, when Heather and I first met him at NZIPP's annual conference and awards judging. Since then Johannes has qualified as a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photographers and was New Zealand Wedding Photographer of the Year in 2004 and 2005, and winner of the New Zealand Wedding To View More >>

"I'm going to interview Simon Whitten while I'm in the UK," I said to Heather, "Short story - what springs to mind?" "Stately homes ... panoramic images ... simple, classic album designs," she said. Simon has established a solid business at the very top of the UK wedding market, and what struck me about our conversation was his confidence and clarity in talking about it. To succeed in this business requires a lot more than photographic passion and skills. You need a clear understanding of your market position, your clientele and where they come from, your brand and how you project it. The low end To View More >>

Simon Whitten of SMW Photography has an interesting perspective on timelessness. He says the albums he's designing today should have looked current ten or twenty years ago, not just years into the future. That's the real test of timelessness, he says. That philosophy underlies his approach to album design - simple and uncluttered. We've featured Simon's work on Queensberry Connects before, but we grabbed this album for the beautifully simple design and the thought behind it ... He created a 14x10 Duo album for clients Charlotte and James and also made a stunning 18x10 Silk display sample for the To View More >>

Today we're announcing free album design and free standard colour correction on all our professional albums - Flushmount, Overlay Matted, Classic Matted and Duo. Here's why... When we're discussing how we can improve our products and services, we ask ourselves three questions: Can we make it fun? Will it save you time? Will it make you money? This time we're aiming for all three :) Many of our customers pay us to colour correct their images. Many pay us to design their albums as well. Many more wish they could afford to do the same. ALL OF YOU are going to enjoy one of two things. A fresh chance To View More >>

"How much for that album?"If you ask us that, and you have an approved account, we're happy to tell you.But in 40+ years, while we’ve often offered guidance, we’ve never ever told customers how much they should charge.Well I'm going to be brave and make a suggestion. Then I'm going to ask youwhat you think. But first, some background... For decades many photographers charged really high prices for their products (albums, prints, framing etc). They did this to avoid asking a reasonable fee for theirservices. You can see why. Even our wealthiest acquaintances think photographers charge To View More >>

A series about storytelling in album design. Highlight the Heroes Every story needs a hero, and so does your album design - probably one on most layouts! The hero image is the focal point, the main attraction, the place you want the viewer's eye drawn to. In graphic design speak it’s called creating visual hierarchy. The supporting characters help the story along and keep things interesting, but it's the heroes you want to shine. I talked about ways to begin and wrap up a story previously, but the middle of the story is where the action is. People dress up and assemble together, the guy finally To View More >>

A series about storytelling in album design. Every great story has a beginning, a middle and an end Part of what makes a story interesting is the way it's told. It pulls you in, leads you along a path of discovery and ends with a satisfying finale. I've already mentioned the importance of chronology, and I'll have more about the middle later, but what's the secret to a strong beginning and a satisfying ending? The beginning Writers spend a lot of time on their first paragraphs. They know if they don't kindle your interest they leave you cold. If you're not sure what should go on your first page To View More >>

A series about storytelling in album design. We turn the page in a wedding album… It's night time and we're at the reception. We turn another page… We're back outside the church in bright daylight! How confusing is that? Not only is the mood of the imagery completely different, the natural flow of the story is disrupted and any feeling of the 'journey' is lost. Chronology creates flow It may sound too basic to mention, but sticking to the order of the day helps make your images into a story. It also speeds up album design by predetermining the order you lay them out on the pages. Here's something To View More >>

To help promote our professional clients we've just updated the Queensberry photographer directory. You can now include up to four images to show off your work. Listings are absolutely free - so if you haven't already, now's the time to add some images and get the Queensberry website working for you. The directory link is right on our home page (Where To Buy) and gets a lot of traffic. When visitors open the directory it automatically searches for photographers closest to them, but they can also enter another location. Listings with images rank first - but distance from the search location and To View More >>