Sonja Gardien's Studio 541 has taken on the Auckland art scene, showcasing both emerging and established photographers. We took some time out to chat about what it takes to run a gallery space, and what photographers need to know before they submit their work. Sonja wanted to create a space for photographers to exhibit, learn, meet and be inspired. “It’s important to identify a niche," she says. "There are a lot of galleries around. You need to be different. It seemed logical to utilise Studio 541, not only for a gallery, but also as a space to attend To View More >>

Following on from last week's post, here are a few more album design tips. For all you photographers designing your own.  Let them breathe… We touched on cropping last time, but it's worth repeating! Sure photo-bombing is fun, but generally we like the core elements of an image to have a nice amount of breathing space to the edge of the page, or image "frame". In fact think of it exactly like framing a picture: it gives the subject a sense of intent and importance. Jamming things up against the image edge often looks awkward. To View More >>

A small village right at the edge of the forest, with backyard doors almost always opened straight into the woods. It was there that Petr from NZICESCAPES IMAGES spent his childhood. It was an everyday playground that would have been a childhood dream. Being out there all the time seeded Petr's love for the outdoors. When he turned 18 he was gifted a camera from his parents – a Russian Zenith with black and white film in it. From then on Petr spent his days taking pictures of anything around him. It was those influences, combined with his urge to show To View More >>

The strap-line on Lancashire (UK) photographer Ian MacMichael’s website is “Stories Without Words”, which says it all. He can’t imagine his life without photography, although it wasn't until 2007 that he “finally had the confidence” to turn professional. But after nine years he’s clear about what he wants to capture in his photography, and his advice to newcomers. His advice to the 16-18 year-old photography students he teaches for a few hours a week is simple. Be yourself and don’t copy. Shoot what you want in a way that excites and inspires To View More >>

After more than fifteen years in the business, UK photographer Simon Whitten of Firehorse Photography & Filming has covered more than 600 weddings on four continents. He's has been a friend of Queensberry for much of his career. Simon is strong-minded character who believes that the key to success is to find your own way and stand out from the crowd. "Don't follow the latest fads or fashions," he says, "or you will only ever be a follower, and always late to the party." We asked him a few questions about how that's reflected in his life and work… Simon's first To View More >>