Ian spotted a post by New Zealand photographer Isaac de Reus of Perspectives Photography on DWF recently. It was in reply to a thread discussing whether giving your work away free for referrals was good business practice. Isaac shared this great example of how he's leveraged something he can do in return for good quality referrals. The type everyone wants. High-end. It also shows the value of keeping your finger on the wider wedding market's pulse. Thanks for sharing, Isaac - Nigel A month or so ago we approached a very high-end, exclusive venue that only recently started booking and advertising To View More >>

Prompted by constant requests for advice by new and aspiring photographers,US portrait photographer Cheryl Jacobs Nicolai wrote an article called, "What every aspiring photographer should know". I liked: Style is a voice, not a prop or an action. If you can buy it, borrow it, download it, or steal it, it is not a style. Don't look outward for your style; look inward. Learn that people photography is about people, not about photography. Great portraits are a side effect of a strong human connection. Read the full article here - noticed in GRINZ. Cheers, Nigel PS Be sure to check out Cheryl's portrait To View More >>

I have two daughters at school. The youngest did well at the end of year prize giving and the older one threw a wobbly over it. She got nothing. I told her she couldn't blame anyone but herself as she is happy with just getting by. I suggested this to her: You have ten girls lined up in a row, nine are wearing black dresses and one is wearing red. Which one will be noticed? The girl in red, she says. Why? Because she's wearing a different coloured dress. Yes, she stands out from the crowd. She's made a conscious effort to do this (or her black dress is in the wash!) Anyway my point is, if you To View More >>

Jasmine Star had some advice for newbie photographers a few days ago. It was a good reality check, but it left an important question unasked. Basically she says: • It doesn't matter how good you think your photography is (or the guy's down the road), it's what the customer thinks. • It doesn't matter whether you think you're "worth" what you want to charge, it's what the customer thinks. • It doesn't matter whether you're entitled to charge what you're "worth", it's what the customer thinks. The takeaway? You're better off taking what you can, and getting some runs on the board. (Jasmine To View More >>

Thank you to everyone who took part in our Workspace survey and provided insightful comments - some of you went to a lot of trouble over your answers. The development team are only human, so they especially liked your answers to this question: What does Workspace do best? The answer: album proofing, integration with Photojunction, and the sheer number of services it provides in one location. People also liked the "look" of the site and our customer service. It's clear that many people tend to use just one or two of the features (eg album ordering or the shopping cart). If that sounds like you, To View More >>