Digital wedding photo albums: please tell me more!

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

08/01/2005 12:16:15 PM · #1

Hi Folks

I've agreed to shoot a friend's wedding in late September.

Before you chime in to tell me what a mistake I'm making please note that a) she's one of my oldest and "bestest" friends, I've known her since I was 5 and this is not something I have agreed to do lightly. She has repeatedly confirmed that she doesn't actually want a proper photographer, just casual candids that record the day. She also understands that there are no guarantees that I'll get good images of all parts of the day but that there's a good chance of getting a reasonable selection of decent images. This really fits in with the whole wedding - she and her fiance are turning their backs on what weddings have become today - they are hiring a big old house that's not too expensive, have booked a registrar for a standard civil wedding, are self-catering the food and drink with the help of many of the guests, made their own invitations, are keeping outfits simple and have stressed to guests that there isn't a dress code - anything from completely casual to black tie formal goes.

So... I DO feel comfortable about doing this... especially as my husband Pete will also be busy shooting on the second DSLR.

My question is about how to present the images to the couple afterwards.

I have not really followed wedding threads before but I have noticed references to digitally created albums - where images are combined into collages, other images used as backgrounds and all sorts before these pages are then printed and assembled into an album.

I'd like to know as much more as possible about this both in terms of the design of the pages and also the physical creation of the album.

Anyone have any links to examples or tutorials?
Any tips?
Templates?
Ideas?
Thoughts?

THANKS in advance,
Kavey

Message edited by author 2005-08-01 12:17:16.

Makka

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

08/01/2005 12:18:18 PM · #2

I always do an proof album....full of 3.5" x 2.5" photos! I find people prefer them that way rather than on a disk or slide show etc! If they want a slide show I can do it but I find some people find it gimmicky!

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

08/01/2005 12:19:42 PM · #3

Great selection of templates, and best of all, IDEAS, for some stunning albums!

YSI - you select it

LindaLee

Canon EOS-40D

08/01/2005 12:28:00 PM · #4

MyPublisher was recommended to me by skiprow, and I am using it to do 2 wedding albums right now, but don't have any results to show as yet.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

08/01/2005 12:29:51 PM · #5

Thanks...

That YSI option looks interesting BUT as I'm only doing this as a one-off I'd rather not invest in new software.

A similar option for use with Photoshop would be perfect.

Also, does anyone know of any examples out there (regardless of what program has been used to create them) as that might give me some ideas on what I want to aim for.

Message edited by author 2005-08-01 12:39:13.

wewillexplore

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

08/01/2005 12:31:10 PM · #6

I use Lumapix's FotoFusion to make the pages - maybe just browsing around their site will give you some ideas. If you do a search for photoshop album templates and such you should find stuff on yahoo/google too. I print with MyPublisher in 12x16 and it's GREAT. What a superb album size!

08/01/2005 12:32:52 PM · #7

Originally posted by Kavey:

There's the great thing behind it! You can do it all with photoshop. I mean, it takes more steps then it would take on the software, but you can recreat it very easily on PS. Just play around with some of the templates, use some solid color layers, mess with blending modes and opacity, some lines, and you're good! Look at the templates for some ideas, create on top of that!

I have drawn myself some templates that are very nice!
U can make some pretty unique stuff

08/01/2005 12:33:20 PM · #8

I quite like this one I just found:

//www.image-designer.com/digitalalbumtemplates.htm

08/01/2005 12:34:53 PM · #9

Originally posted by scuds:

There's the great thing behind it! You can do it all with photoshop. I mean, it takes more steps then it would take on the software, but you can recreat it very easily on PS.

Did you pay for some of their templates and then adjust them in Photoshop or simply look at their and create your own from scratch?

Originally posted by scuds:

Just play around with some of the templates, use some solid color layers, mess with blending modes and opacity, some lines, and you're good! Look at the templates for some ideas, create on top of that!

I have drawn myself some templates that are very nice!

Any you're willing to share with me?

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

08/01/2005 12:35:35 PM · #10

Originally posted by mavrik:

Thanks Mav, any samples online that I can look at? :o)

I'll take a ganders at the Lumapix site.

Prof_Fate

08/01/2005 12:39:12 PM · #11

Gary Fong has great books, but the price is about $350 printed useing the giclee process . His site tells more about it. Sounds good, but i have not seen one.

i have heard of the mypublisher, snapfish memory books are an option, but it looks low end and not with full bleed. at $40 for 20 pages i think i want to try one for family shots or a holiday as a trial.

Cornerstone is another option.

I too am interested in this method - the alternative of a 'regular' album (binder of some sort, inserts like mattes, and pages to hold the prints) seems old-school, expensive and boring to me. There are programs out there to do the montage/collage, but many just use PS.

Message edited by author 2005-08-01 12:43:02.

wewillexplore

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

08/01/2005 12:39:54 PM · #12

//www.pictureinfinity.com/weddings/albums/index.html

08/01/2005 12:40:49 PM · #13

Originally posted by Kavey:

Originally posted by scuds:
There's the great thing behind it! You can do it all with photoshop. I mean, it takes more steps then it would take on the software, but you can recreat it very easily on PS.

Did you pay for some of their templates and then adjust them in Photoshop or simply look at their and create your own from scratch?

Originally posted by scuds:
Just play around with some of the templates, use some solid color layers, mess with blending modes and opacity, some lines, and you're good! Look at the templates for some ideas, create on top of that!

I have drawn myself some templates that are very nice!

Any you're willing to share with me?

sure I could share them.....

It's just a matter of looking at the samples on their website.
Based on that, use ur imagination to creat some diff stuff.
Suggestion: If you download the try-out version, you'll get all the templates of the website, as jpeg files. It does not mean you have to use something 100% like the ones they have. The program itself wven gives you the possibility to creat your own templates. From there, you can creat it on PS, no need to purchase the software. You won't be able to make the album autonatically, but then, you have a lot more room to create on PS. Always something unique!!!!

08/01/2005 12:40:55 PM · #14

I agree, I don't want to go down the traditional album and inserts route.

Two parts, it seems to me.

One is to create my pages in Photoshop, that bit I think I'll be able to do, especially with additional advice and examples from my DPC friends here.

The other part is to find a UK based printing solution that doesn't break the bank... since the entire finished album is my gift to them.

08/01/2005 12:44:19 PM · #15

Originally posted by scuds:

Thanks Scuds, I'll contact you for further input and advice but will look into downloading the trial version just to get an idea of their template layouts.

I know PS well enough to recreate and even to do some fairly major adjustment but I'm not a graphic designer so it's good to have a starting point...

Message edited by author 2005-08-01 12:44:45.

Prof_Fate

08/01/2005 12:48:50 PM · #16

I want to create one from a weddiing i did as a sales aid for my next 'sales presentation' with a potential customer. So cost is an issue to some extent.

I figure to have an idea for a layout, as in chapters...so i can grap BG images and have an idea in my mind as I shoot the next one...

BG images / pages / chapters...
Brides home (pics of getting ready)
Church - need several BG images as there are likely to be several pages.
Limo or park or a detail of boquet, rings, etc - just good BG idea
formals - these go on the above BGs or perhaps without a BG image at all.
reception - lots of BG images here - cake, head table, dancers, etc. boquest, invatation, garter maybe...

i like this ideas as you can freely crop and resize - helps save bad shots that way. Also, if you give them 200 4x6's in a book and say 'pick 40 or 80 for your album you ahve many meetings, time delays and no control over the final look of your album whick will be seen by others as an example of your work. Besides, you are the pro and providing a service, part of that should be the album design.

08/01/2005 12:52:13 PM · #17

Some other thing that just came up to my mind.
You can use CorelDraw, for example to creat something like a book, or you album. As CorelDraw is very handy for creating stuff, you'll get plenty of tools to "mess" around with the layout of the pages itself.
Do all the post editing you have to do to the photos on PS, the on corel, simply import it, use ur imagination, creat forms, backgrounds. Let it run free. You'll be amazed with what you can come up with.
Once you're finished, there's a menu called "prepare for digital bureau"(or something like that). The program itself will gather all the info regarding your file (corel file created, fonts files, color profiles, proofs and some other stuff) and make it ready for been printed out.
You get some "WoW" looking stuff, and it's a lot of fun as well! At least to me, LoL

Message edited by author 2005-08-01 12:54:08.

08/01/2005 12:55:33 PM · #18

As I already own PS but not CorelDraw I think solutions that use PS would be best for me.

:o)

08/01/2005 01:00:10 PM · #19

Originally posted by Kavey:

As I already own PS but not CorelDraw I think solutions that use PS would be best for me.

:o)

U can do it on ps as well, it's just that I find it easier to create it on corel, cz it deals with vectors, so it's a lot easier to work with!
Try working around with simple stuff, like lines, geometrical (???)forms (squares, triangles, and etc.) Diff fills, gradients, blending modes, diff image sizes (like 6 small sequential shots, and one big shot on the BG).
I find it nice to ask the couple, if they have something like, a favourite song, poem, or stuff like that. then add it to the album.
anything else, let me know

08/01/2005 01:04:34 PM · #20

I'd already intended to include their readings and any other little quotes from the day...

:o)

TerryGee

08/01/2005 02:09:43 PM · #21

wow...someone read my mind...I was just about to ask this very question!!
this site is one I am thinking of trying. The cost is about $100-150
a book but the quality looks much better than my publisher or similar books. Havent seen any in person, but when the Expo rolls around in October I plan on getting lots of info on albums and such.

One thing difficult is estimating costs involved in creating a digital album. I am trying to give a wedding quote right now but having never put together a digital album i have no idea how much time is involved. I will estimate about 20 hours to the project.

Message edited by author 2005-08-01 14:21:16.

08/01/2005 02:11:57 PM · #22

Originally posted by TerryGee:

wow...someone read my mind...I was just about to ask this very question!!

LoL, I pretty much love looking for this kind of stuff.
If any1 else is interested on sharing ideas/links for ideas, plz, my MSN is adrscuds@hotmail.com

feel free to add me

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

08/01/2005 03:51:25 PM · #23

Thanks!

Anyone have any ideas for printers of these kinds of albums here in the UK. And yes I have googled!

SteveJ

Canon EOS-7D

08/01/2005 04:00:36 PM · #24

Hi Kavey,

My daughter got married last month. My neighbour, my 9 year old grandson and myself took candid photos. I then put all on a CDROM, she looked thru and chose the ones she wanted. There was over 400 to choose from,

Steve