Winter Winner

July 3, 2009 in Albums by Nigel | Comments

Queensberry Connects is about the photography, technology, business and relationship skills you need to run a successful wedding and portrait studio. Album marketing and album design are our primary focus but we'll cover anything it takes to succeed in this business. We hope our posts will sometimes amuse you, sometimes inspire you, but always offer something to think about. And we're all busy, so we try to keep it brief. Click here for some suggestions to get you started.

6-web-size

For Jo and Simon of Shoot Lifestyle Photography, several Annabel Williams’ photographic training books provided the eye opener they needed to see the wedding industry wasn’t quite as ‘naff’ as they thought…

Seven years on, they’ve just been awarded the Annabel Williams CPT Award, for the Queensberry sponsored Wedding Album Category.

Jo says, “This was a real life wedding album we’d designed for clients Andy and Lisa.”

1-web-size

Their wedding took place in a quirky little tavern which Jo says exposed some beautiful natural light. The light doesn’t last long on a UK winters day though, so they had to work quickly.

“The lighting issues made this a technically challenging wedding to shoot. We always want the ambience of the venue to show through, so our number one rule is never to use direct flash. Having the two of us shooting really adds to the dynamics of the shots though.”

4-web-size

Jo designed Andy and Lisa a 15×12 Duo album with a classic black leather cover and says the images really lent themselves to the diversity that Duos offer.

“In our experience most clients want a classic ‘heirloom’ abum but love the power that full bleed pages bring. With the Duo they get both - perfect!”

She’s used Photojunction for the past four years and reckons it’s the best software on the market for the job.

“Because every album I design is totally different, Photojunction gives me free reign to design bespoke albums which always reflect the personalities of the couple.”

2-web-size

Annabel Williams said about Shoot Lifestyle’s album, “This winning album is absolutely beautifully executed. No special effects, just blindingly good photography. The photographer has a fantastic eye for a moment. The whole album is done with confidence, empathy and great design, and you really feel like you are there.”

As part of their prize, Shoot Lifestyle Photography received a £500 Queensberry voucher which they’re planning to spend on a sample album of their winning design.

5-web-size

Click here to view a slideshow of Shoot Lifestyle’s winning wedding album.

Cheers, Nigel

 

People who like this post would also like:

  • Getzcreative after-wedding shoot
  • First time for everything
  • Starting out

    • Does beauty exist if no-one notices?

    July 2, 2009 in Noticed by Nigel | Comments

    1.4 million people have seen this movie already, but don’t let that stop you. A few days after selling out Boston’s Symphony Hall, one of the world’s best violinists went busking with his Stradivarius for 43 minutes in a DC metro station. A thousand people streamed past. A handful stopped, nobody clapped … and he made $32.

    Grab a coffee and read Gene Weingarten’s story in The Washington Post. He arranged the performance as “as an experiment in context, perception and priorities”.

    Do I want to make a cheap marketing point out of this? Not really, but it makes you think.

    Cheers, Ian

    PS Sal Criscillo told Marg Straw who told Johannes van Kan who told me. We’d love you to tell us what you notice.

     

    People who like this post would also like:

  • What’s “real”?
  • A moment of your time

    • Is Jo getting grumpy?

    July 2, 2009 in Marketing by Ian | Comments

    Our UK Account Rep, Jo Newman, emailed me today:

    I thought you might use Mark’s comments as an opportunity to talk more about our plans to XXXXXX XX XXX XXXXXXXX. [Sorry - Ed]  I was a bit disappointed when I saw your second post about Mark’s comments.  It didn’t mention marketing at all :)

    In fact I’ve had a few comments and quite a few emails talking about our brand strategy over the last few days. And Robert emailed me weeks ago saying I should be stressing branding more and pricing less: if photographers don’t “foster an expectation consistent with their pricing level” they’re fighting a lost cause.

    Apropos the busker with the Stradivarius (Joshua Bell BTW), Johannes had two questions: When people don’t know who you are, who are you? And what is the value of your performance (as a photographer) to people who don’t know how much they should be paying?

    The value of a compelling and authentic brand is that it tells people the price of entry and helps them see it’s worth it. Same for Queensberry of course.

    I can’t disagree with Mark’s comments about promoting the brand, or the feedback since, but we can’t say any more right now. Just that our 40th anniversary is coming up, and we’re all beavering away madly.

    Cheers, Ian

    Sorry Jo ;)

     

    People who like this post would also like:

  • Brand recognition
  • He learnt something
  • I love a good story

    • Leading the horse

    July 1, 2009 in Workflow by Johannes | Comments

    I don’t read the instructions unless I need to.

    Needing to is defined by ‘it won’t work unless you read the instructions.’

    One of the weaknesses in Photojunction is its simplicity and a sense that you can work it out just by using it. Some of us would have it no other way.

    But that means there is a tendency to apply the status quo approach to it. It is too easy to write off something because you had a bad experience with previous versions. Ultimately we can become neglectful of progress through our established habits.

    I had a conversation over dinner with another photographer last night.

    They said that they exported their albums to another program to get better clarity in their slideshows … They had no idea that PJ was able to export slideshows in HD.

    There are several problems in play here. Firstly there is a modesty in the creators of Photojunction that means that they seldom stand on a rooftop and announce to the world what they have really achieved (not in an in-your-face way).  Secondly there are PJ users who have developed bad habits that are difficult to change. And thirdly there are people who do not pay attention when upgrades are announced and certainly don’t make the effort to watch the accompanying movies.

    So here is the water … imagine you are the horse … You know what to do next.

    Cheers, Johannes

     

    People who like this post would also like:

  • Printing and assembling Duos
  • Before they invented pixels …

    • Albums to differentiate

    June 30, 2009 in Marketing by Ian | Comments

    More from Mark Miller:

    Press books - I agree with everything you say. At Focus I had a great conversation with Danny who suggested that ‘everyone’ did digital, ie it was commonplace with suppliers but that Duos were the really unique albums. I agree. Aren’t QBY digital albums really just a fancier, more expensive press-book? Again, that’s not meant to be insulting, I’m just trying to add to the conversation. FWIW, I’ve stopped offering digital albums (other than mini copies) and will move to a Duo only offering for next season.

    No offence taken. I love our digital albums, and so do many of our clients. I believe ours are as good as they get and I don’t think either of us intends to belittle them. But as one of my favourite marketing books, Differentiate or Die, says, you can’t win on “quality”. On that basis Hyundai probably beats Alfa Romeo, but we all know it’s not that simple. Quality doesn’t differentiate. It’s necessary but not sufficient.

    I’m not trying to talk you out of your decision but if I ran a studio I would probably include a digital album (flushmount for the visitors) and I would think seriously about press-books too. But I would not want them to define me.

    I used to say in seminars, “If you can’t think of five things that differentiate you there is probably only one – price.”

    Cheers, Ian

     

    People who like this post would also like:

  • Brand recognition
  • Adding value … or reducing it
  • How to discount

    • Brand recognition

    June 29, 2009 in Marketing by Ian | Comments

    I got an email from Mark Miller today, and he’s happy for me to share it and comment.

    I wanted to let you know how much I’ve been enjoying Queensberry Connects lately, specifically the posts about how QBY albums differentiate us as photographers from our competition and the idea that press-books are everywhere. I have a couple of comments/questions that I hope might add to the conversation:

    1. QBY albums differentiate us as photographers - my clients love my (your) albums but they don’t know who Queensberry are (I tell them all about you ‘You’re the best in the World’ etc), but I don’t think they really care too much about the album brand. In the last 3 or 4 years I’ve only ever been asked once by a prospect if I use Queensberry albums. So my question is, “Should Queensberry be doing more to promote the brand with Brides?” Please understand, I’m not saying you should, I just wondered how that idea fitted into the ‘differentiation’ concept.

    That’s a great thought and I’m glad you raised it, but I think I’ll pass…

    OK, three comments ;)

      1. Name recognition isn’t vital, I guess. The key moment is when the prospect walks in, sees something awesome they’ve never seen before, and thinks, “Wow”.
      2. Laphroaig, Hermes, Moleskine, Prada, Lexus, Apple, Mac (make-up) - I’m picking some of the brands Heather and I like - don’t just advertise to retailers, they advertise to us. To drive business to the retailers.
      3. But the thought of an album company promoting to “the brides” makes a lot of photographers nervous. I guess it’s a (lack of) trust thing.

      More from Mark tomorrow

      Cheers, Ian

       

      People who like this post would also like:

    1. Is Jo getting grumpy?
    2. Albums to differentiate
    3. In your customers’ shoes #2

      4. What are we actually selling?

      June 26, 2009 in Marketing by Johannes | Comments

      When people contact us about their wedding, if they are doing a general search, they most often ask, ‘How much to shoot our wedding?’

      Eventually they get around to ‘What do I get?’ and finally ‘Are you available?’

      This email just came in. It says it all really.

      To whom it may concern,

      Would it be possible to be sent a full price list of your wedding packages?

      Thanks,
      Justin
      We all want our clients to care, because it is the caring that makes them better clients.

      So what are we selling?

      Are we selling a product at a price?

      Are we selling our ability to make great photographs?

      Are we selling our ability as a digital artist?

      Are we selling our ability to tell a good story  (the one where the Princess wore white and the Prince was dashing – off to a wedding) and somewhere there is a happy ever after?

      Here at Moda we are selling something for them to care about.

      We are selling them more than just photography.

      We have photographs that show our skills.

      We have stories that talk about our experiences.

      We have albums that show our ability to put together a good fairy tale.

      We have a studio that reflects our attention to our clients’ needs and our drive to be our best.

      We are not selling 400 images in a box, two enlargements and an album with 20 sides.

      We are selling them an experience.

      How much should that cost?

      The next question is how do we get our clients to recognise that?

      Cheers, Johannes

       

      People who like this post would also like:

    4. I don’t have time
    5. The strangers in the viewfinder: part 2
    6. Sometimes discounting isn’t the answer!

      7. The shortest day

      June 25, 2009 in Opinion by Ian | Comments

      I see the Druids are celebrating the sun at Stonehenge, but Down South 21 June is the shortest day.

      Not that we have much to complain about. We don’t even get frosts in Titirangi (loosely “fringe of heaven” in Maori) but it’s sure cold in the wind and shade. Early morning I rugged up and took the dogs down to the beach and thought that, even when the tide’s out on an overcast day in Winter, life’s not too bad.

      Hopefully it’s the shortest day for the economy too.

      The worst of Winter may still be ahead – the moneymen (and some of us) screwed up, and the consequences are still playing out … but Summer will come.

      I hope not too many of us panicked, that we’re prioritising to save the farm.

      And I hope as the weather improves we don’t forget Grandma’s advice. Wrap up warm in case the weather changes again … We didn’t need credit cards in our day! Just because some smart alec invents a new debt instrument doesn’t mean we need to use it. A bit like Photoshop effects really.

      Cheers, Ian

       

      People who like this post would also like:

    7. Do you get it?
    8. They said it, not me

      9. What are we selling?

      June 24, 2009 in Marketing by Johannes | Comments

      What is it that our clients are paying for?

      Photography? (But what does that mean)

      Entertainment? (Couldn’t afford the clown for the party)

      Documentation? (Recording content for a historical document)

      Memories? (Least we forget)

      Glamorisation? (See, the bride can look glam with the right dress, makeup, hairdo, and some photoshop!)

      Impressionism? (To impress the neighbours)

      Fairytaleism? (Living the dream)

      Then you might ask, what are each of these worth in the final package?

      It would be an interesting exercise to give each a percentage value. And then think about those percentages, and ask yourself – not what are you selling, but what is your client buying?

      Nigel had a great post on The Junction about a washing machine that sold on New Zealand auction site TradeMe. … If you read the listing (and comments - well worth it if you feel like a break) you’ll see it wasn’t a washing machine but in fact a “time portal” … obviously worth much more than a cranky old machine … So it sold for over five grand after 806,219 page views.

      Are your clients buying what you think they are? Could you change that?

      Hugs

      Johannes

       

      People who like this post would also like:

    9. Do your stories match?
    10. What are we actually selling?
    11. He learnt something

      12. Time travel

      June 23, 2009 in Album Planning by Johannes | Comments

      My friends, Keith and Maria, live in the future. Its a fact!

      When my clock says 7pm theirs says 7:15pm. By living 15 minutes in the future they will always be early in our world. That’s the plan.

      When we design albums we design them for the future.

      We want the albums to be timeless. We keep our albums simple and try to keep away from the latest tricks.

      We want our albums to keep their dignity – we call it future-proofing.

      This is not to protect them from the people that do, or will, live in the future, but to protect them (in the future) from poor judgement in their past.

      Hugs

      Johannes

       

      People who like this post would also like:

    12. Pre-design: the power of suggestion
    13. Protective coating on Duo prints
    14. How to win an album award

      15. « Older entries