The Album Design Process

A common question I've seen in the past on wedding-related forums goes something like "Help! It's been a year and I still haven't picked my photos for our album, what should I do?"

The answer is to contact your photographer. Chances are good that you are not the first person your photographer has seen with this question. It's very common, especially in cases where the design process goes like this:

1. Photographer shoots wedding.
2. Photographer prepares images.
3. Bride sees proofs, and may be overwhelmed by the sheer number of them, or so tired of "all things wedding" at that point that she looks at them, likes them, and puts them out of her mind.
4. Life continues for months or years, with the nagging feeling of something left undone.
5. Eventually, bride & groom choose photos.
6. Photographer is contacted, and album process is begun.

This process used to wear me out, because I would stress about all the unfinished work waiting. I suspect that brides & grooms might have gotten tired of moms & dads asking about their album status. Instead, I now choose the photos I think would look best in the album, which narrows things down. Then I design and layout the album, and show a computerized proof of the entire album (created in Photoshop). Any desired changes to the layout or photos can be made at that point. Once the final version of the album is approved it's sent off to the album company. I believe that the process I use results in less stress for everyone involved.

© 2004-2008 Jacqueline L. Beck. All rights reserved.