You know how words feel more real when you write them down? A photo album does the same for a wedding. As in . . . It happened. Finished. Done. We got married and here is something TANGIBLE!
That is why I offer handmade Leather Craftsmen albums for my clients.
Below are tips when putting a photo book together. This is mostly for photographers but could be helpful for brides & grooms too!
In my experience, a good album usually has no more than 40 photos. Your goal is to tell a strong story of the wedding day. Which photo best sums up the bride getting ready? Which photo tells you everything about what the ceremony was like? Quality over quantity.
If you have too many photos on one page, it looks cluttered. Less photos per spread will provide higher impact. When photos are printed and enlarged, they look A LOT better compared to on a computer. I aim to showcase the photos BIG, like W Magazine. It is after all, art.
The differences are subtle but HUGE when you design from scratch, and that is why I choose to work with my graphic designer to create custom spreads for each wedding. I’ve tried using online templates and it doesn’t look the same. Instead of finding photos to fit into generic spreads, have a graphic designer design the layouts based on the photos you give them so that it is custom and bespoke.
A wedding album should be timeless. How are you going to feel looking at it in 10, 20, 30 years? I prefer to keep designs clean and simple, and offer clients 2 colors for the album cover – Black or White.
For cover embossing, clients have 2 option – silver or gold.
When I tell my friends how much the books cost they usually say something like, “Geez, why don’t you look for a company that makes them for cheaper?.”
That’s the thing – you get what you pay for. There are many album/book companies but I have seen few that have the same quality as Leather Craftsmen. They are hand-made in NYC, have thick pages that won’t warp, and the craftsmanship is top notch.
In summary, I strive to provide the best. As a photographer, you are part of the wedding day. Part of you is in the pictures, in the editing, in the story, in the album. Don’t skimp on that.
Nice mani….aaaand great post :).
Your wedding album design tips are right on. Do not skimp on quality is something I hope becomes important again as the economy improves and the consumers value the expertise, skill, and talent of professional photographers as well as value the ability of us who spend our passion designing the albums as a separate service because that too is an art and talent and needed.
I need to add posts like this to my own blog.
I’m following your tip and cut my album from almost 100 down to 50 for a sampler: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.457475630963653.112328.457468774297672&type=1
Thanks, Christine. You are so kind to share your wisdom.
Very good post. I’m going through some of these issues as well..
I could not refrain from commenting. Well written!
I agree – it’s not just a book .. . it’s a memory! A wedding album should not look like a photo album – it should tell the story of their day. If you ever need the help of someone to design your albums, I LOVE doing designing them! I have a gift for telling the story through their pictures, and knowing which are the ones that do. Check me out http://www.idoalbums.info