RE: The Art & Design of Producing Professional Wedding Photo books ( Coffee-table ) & Albums
Dear All,
It been interesting to note that as we move forward, many digital wedding photographers, whether the 'transitional' or the veterans are offering the hottest item of the moment -- Wedding Photo Books, or the so-called "Coffee-table" books.
If my observation is correct, the trend started in early in 2001, whereby simple collage pages were offered as a supplementary to the main 'proof' 4R albums, and later more designs and pages were introduced, as seen in the 2002 & 2003, as a form of a scrape booking format, with or without re-fillable card-stock pages.
The first lot of true 'booking-binding' or the 'coffee-table' wedding books were witness sometimes in Mid-2004, and later mass productions and offerings were spotted everywhere, in nearly every album - from the bridal studio albums to wedding day photo books, between early 2005 till today (mid-2006).
The term 'coffee-table' was coined from the commercial offset printing of screenline #175 and above, high quality and limited edition book productions, on glossy or semi-matt art papers with perfect book-bindings.
However, it was loosely used in many photographers' offerings, where photo-prints album productions were either the scrap-booking format, or the simple soft-covers spine-bindings (by hand) type.
The early years (2002 - 2004) offerings were output from inkjet prints and finishing with hand-binding (hard and soft-covers) materials. It is in the last 2 years (2005 - 2006), and the widely availability and low cost production of the perfect-binding Photo Books, that we have come of age, in offering a near 'coffee-table' quality Photo-books and collage albums.
Well, the main point that i am highlighting here, is that when everything is being equal, the quality and professional contents, design and layouts, and albums' finishing will decide whether your final works will stands out from the crowds. :thumbsup:
With a books and magazines' designer background, i can't help but would like to offer a few pointers for fellow photographers, who are going to 'take that road' and thinking of producing Wedding photo books for your clients, or even making a portfolio for showcasing your wedding works.
Apart from arming yourself with good technical skill and detail imaging knowledge of producing wonderful and impressive wedding images, that are convincing and sell by itself, one would be encouraged to venture into the realm of producing Wedding Photo-Books and such. Why? Many a times a good composed and conceptual image, may not do well or justice to a 4R print in a 'normal' proofing album, but if it was to enlarged, played-up and give it an emphasis, it will shines, according to the original vision and direction, that you have captured it. :heart:
If you are rich or have the budgets, you may paid some book designers to do the concepts and layouts for you. However, many of us are not in the luxury boat, and have to D-I-Y the layouts and out-source photo books' production to printers/contractors.
Ok, if you are seriously looking at that direction, here are the 5 main points that you might want to 'upgrade' yourself :
[1] Shooting styles ( variety will increased your book's value content and interest )
[2] Digital imaging and retouching ( including colour correction and enhancement )
[3] Page design & layout ( create your own distinct style and concept, instead of using templates or 'copy-cats' )
[4] Typography ( learn what is san and san-serif, and the typography rules, including point-size and leading )
[5] Photo-Book production ( learn the page-setting, bleeding margin, etc -- it will saves you production mistakes that cost money and time )
In the next few years, being a competent wedding photographer may no longer enough to keep you in the trade, and even if you are offering the extras ( coffee-table books ), you may still faced cut-throat competition, and many times you may feel the returns are not justified, to the amount of time and work you'd spend on it. However, an unique and consistency of your signature photo books and wedding products, will keep your phone ringing, or should i say, your hands busy on the keyboards and mouse, for many years to come.
Nick Goh
Dear All,
It been interesting to note that as we move forward, many digital wedding photographers, whether the 'transitional' or the veterans are offering the hottest item of the moment -- Wedding Photo Books, or the so-called "Coffee-table" books.
If my observation is correct, the trend started in early in 2001, whereby simple collage pages were offered as a supplementary to the main 'proof' 4R albums, and later more designs and pages were introduced, as seen in the 2002 & 2003, as a form of a scrape booking format, with or without re-fillable card-stock pages.
The first lot of true 'booking-binding' or the 'coffee-table' wedding books were witness sometimes in Mid-2004, and later mass productions and offerings were spotted everywhere, in nearly every album - from the bridal studio albums to wedding day photo books, between early 2005 till today (mid-2006).
The term 'coffee-table' was coined from the commercial offset printing of screenline #175 and above, high quality and limited edition book productions, on glossy or semi-matt art papers with perfect book-bindings.
However, it was loosely used in many photographers' offerings, where photo-prints album productions were either the scrap-booking format, or the simple soft-covers spine-bindings (by hand) type.
The early years (2002 - 2004) offerings were output from inkjet prints and finishing with hand-binding (hard and soft-covers) materials. It is in the last 2 years (2005 - 2006), and the widely availability and low cost production of the perfect-binding Photo Books, that we have come of age, in offering a near 'coffee-table' quality Photo-books and collage albums.
Well, the main point that i am highlighting here, is that when everything is being equal, the quality and professional contents, design and layouts, and albums' finishing will decide whether your final works will stands out from the crowds. :thumbsup:
With a books and magazines' designer background, i can't help but would like to offer a few pointers for fellow photographers, who are going to 'take that road' and thinking of producing Wedding photo books for your clients, or even making a portfolio for showcasing your wedding works.
Apart from arming yourself with good technical skill and detail imaging knowledge of producing wonderful and impressive wedding images, that are convincing and sell by itself, one would be encouraged to venture into the realm of producing Wedding Photo-Books and such. Why? Many a times a good composed and conceptual image, may not do well or justice to a 4R print in a 'normal' proofing album, but if it was to enlarged, played-up and give it an emphasis, it will shines, according to the original vision and direction, that you have captured it. :heart:
If you are rich or have the budgets, you may paid some book designers to do the concepts and layouts for you. However, many of us are not in the luxury boat, and have to D-I-Y the layouts and out-source photo books' production to printers/contractors.
Ok, if you are seriously looking at that direction, here are the 5 main points that you might want to 'upgrade' yourself :
[1] Shooting styles ( variety will increased your book's value content and interest )
[2] Digital imaging and retouching ( including colour correction and enhancement )
[3] Page design & layout ( create your own distinct style and concept, instead of using templates or 'copy-cats' )
[4] Typography ( learn what is san and san-serif, and the typography rules, including point-size and leading )
[5] Photo-Book production ( learn the page-setting, bleeding margin, etc -- it will saves you production mistakes that cost money and time )
In the next few years, being a competent wedding photographer may no longer enough to keep you in the trade, and even if you are offering the extras ( coffee-table books ), you may still faced cut-throat competition, and many times you may feel the returns are not justified, to the amount of time and work you'd spend on it. However, an unique and consistency of your signature photo books and wedding products, will keep your phone ringing, or should i say, your hands busy on the keyboards and mouse, for many years to come.
Nick Goh