“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 Auckland-based Marie Valencia about what makes her art, self described as dreamy and curated, special to her. So, How did you get started in photography? It sort of naturally progressed — I studied and did all kinds of art when I was younger, eventually ending up as a photographer and graphic designer. My travels To View More >>

Congratulations to the winners of the 2018 International Wedding Photographer of the Year awards. The competition was a great success with more than double the entries of 2017, and over sixty countries represented. The overall winner was Australian Dan O’Day, but of course closest to our hearts was the album category, sponsored by Queensberry, which was taken out by a beautiful entry from Latvian photographer Linda Lauva. It tells the story of a small and very charming DIY wedding on the bride and groom's land, by the river, deep in the Latvian countryside. You can see To View More >>

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and who’s to argue … but if so what are a hundred photographs worth? With a hundred photos you can really tell a story — but there’s only one way to do it. Not in an online gallery — that’s a data dump, not a story. Not on a thumb drive — a data dump in a drawer! Not in a stack of prints — out of order, lost, given away or damaged. Not even in a box of matted prints. Beautiful images, beautiful presented — but still not a story. Only in an album can you transform a set of images into a narrative. To View More >>

The beautiful imagery in our album of the week caught our attention as it went through the bindery — we love how the natural elements and earthy tones work perfectly with the Tan Faux Leather. Photographer Jon Gazzignato of Tasmania, Australia, shared some of the stand-out moments from the day. "The wedding was held at Riversdale Estate in Tasmania during Summer. The ceremony was supposed to be out on the courtyard overlooking the vineyard and Coal River Valley." "Just as the bride was about to walk out, a storm struck and the 80+ guests had to run for cover. Luckily To View More >>

Our friends in the northern hemisphere may find it hard to imagine the festive season without snow, hot cocoa, and a warm fireplace, but in Auckland, New Zealand, where we're based, Christmas day is more likely to be beach adventures and a barbeque. We spoke to Rakesh Kesha about what makes a New Zealand summer, and our unique festive season, so special. Do you have a favourite or secret go-to spot in NZ? "My favourite weekend spot would be Karekare, on Auckland’s west coast. Geographically it's pretty isolated, so unlike its neighbouring beaches. With limited vehicle To View More >>

We caught up with two of the design team,  Simon and Rachel, to talk all things album design. Here are their top four tips for creating beautiful, clean layouts. Less is more Rachel: Unclutter your design. It’s simple. Let the key images and high quality materials of an album speak for themselves. If you notice the design, it’s taking precedence over the images – good design is effortless. Simon: If the design is loaded with images the hero shots can be lost among a forest of images. By keeping the image selection minimal, you’ll free up space and make the rest 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 >>

Our UK friends have lots of exciting learning events coming up. We wish we could be there - check 'em out! This summer Aspire Photography have a variety of different courses to suit all abilities, from Lighroom Essentials to polish those post-production and workflow skills, Inspire My Weddings for advanced wedding photographers, and Becoming a Lifestyle Commercial Photographer for those wanting to step into the world of commercial photography. Brett Harkness also has a bunch of exciting events coming up. On his two day Prague Documentary To View More >>

Written by: Koby & Terilyn Brown – Archetype Studio Romantic. Ethereal. Timeless. These are the words we want brides to think of when they look through our boudoir portfolio. As artists, we are always striving to define our style and break away from the pack. After a little more than a year of research and development focused on launching our boudoir line, a clear direction began to emerge and we have been refining it ever since. Walk with me and I’ll take you down our little path along the process. Koby and I had photographed a few boudoir sessions by request over the years, but To View More >>

A beautiful memento of four very loved huskies! Laurel and Kevin from Brisbane, Australia are totally devoted to their dogs and regularly participate in sledding. Just a couple of weeks after this photo session in the Glass House Mountains, their beloved brown eyed girl Kiah passed away. Charlotte, from Charlotte Reeves Photography, specialises in pet photography. She says, "I am so glad they have this beautiful album of their special girl and the bond she had with her doggy brother and sisters.” A lovely translucent page at the beginning of their 12x12 Flushmount album. To View More >>