#smugmugpro

When you are a photographer you rely on certain tools; your cameras, lenses, tripods, flashes, batteries, memory cards, models, locations, even the weather to help you get the shot. But really you're only half way there. Printing is a huge part of the business. You have to give your clients the very best product or you're selling yourself short.

What good is taking a great photo only to have the beauty compressed out of it printing in one of those supermarket machines or high street stores? To get the icing on the cake you need a printers who check over your images, lavish time on hand finishing your albums, use onsite craftsmen to build beautiful frames... even make their own bespoke cardboard boxes to reduce waste... This is why I use Loxley Colour.

A couple of weeks ago I called in to see first hand how my images images are turned into the products I give to my clients. The Loxley Colour Lab in Glasgow is enormous. Stepping into the glass atrium you are first greeted with the Loxley sign, shining proud over the entrance to a reception where all of the products are on show for you to see and try out. My friend from Smugmug, Alastair Jolly and Callum from Loxley took me to see where the magic happens.

I was particularly interested to see the Alumni products as these work awesome with my action sports images. I met the staff who make the wedding albums I use and saw how much care and attention they put into their work to ensure we, the photographers, get the products that make our images pop and our clients come back for more.

Think seriously about where you get your images printed and make sure you can develop a great relationship with them.

I'm really pleased to announce that soon you'll be able to see some of my skiing and biking images hanging on the walls at Loxley and on their roadshows. Go along and check them out and see why I speak so highly of this awesome outfit.