The initial design time can take anywhere from 4-7 hours. Sometimes, I have a vision for how I think this layout, styles, colors, fonts, and themes will all come together right away and sometimes it take me a while to discover and develop this. I draw from their invites, wedding day details and overall style to create something custom. I also never use templates. Almost all photographers do use templates- although they rarely share this. It is much quicker on our end but I believe it is not personalized, and doesn't help the flow and feel of an album at all- in fact, it hinders it! So while this takes dedicated time and focus, I LOVE it.
I love the quotes, verses and song lyrics that couples include- it brings out more about their unique love story.
Next, I put the design online for the couple to review and make changes. About half the time, I get an e-mail back saying something along the lines of, "We love it. Don't change a thing!" and then sometimes I am asked to make a few minor changes. I am happy to do because I want them to love every single detail for a lifetime.
After they approve the final design, I set to work with my lab to get it printed. I work closely with them to ensure the quality is perfect. I love how the pages are thick (1/5"!), durable, hard and the designs are flush mounted to these pages- it creates such a modern, fresh, clean and luxurious look! There is almost no seam in the design, as you can see below.
The cover is genuine leather, and the box it comes in is incredible- all of this showcases the quality. You want the best for the most significant day of your life and I have researched for years to find the best company that works only with professional photographers. My cost to print is high- but it is worth it for this finished product!
The process of creating a custom designed and luxuriously-printed fine art album for my clients is a long- and joyful- one. Once I finish selecting, retouching and editing their wedding day images, I send a link for them to view, access, share, and download their high res images. I also include the Album Design Form. As I mentioned in the beginning of this series, this form asks them as a couple to select their images for their album, let me know which are their favorites and what verses or quotes they would like highlighted within the album. Then, I sit down to work.
One of my favorite aspects about my job is handing off the album personally to my couples. The looks on their faces are amazing- and I feel like it is the perfect finale to the long and wonderful process.
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