Photo books design question

I'm about to create my first Loxley photo book, which I will use as a sample/promotional album to show my clients.

I still haven't decided if I should mix pictures from various weddings, or just stick to one wedding throughout the entire album.

Ideally I would order several sizes, with one wedding in each, but I get no considerable discount for sample albums, so it will be very pricey.
How are your sample albums organized?

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http://www.uk-weddingphotography.com

My albums are all one wedding and I have 3 I show at the moment and will get a fourth this year - I get a new one each year and retire the oldest one (offer it to the bride or place at a venue).

Styles change - both mine and weddings dresses and colors. Brides are particularly aware of this and if you're showing 4 or 5 year old work they'll know it. Every company that is successful is always updating their look - even the bottom of the market companlies like McDonalds and Walmarts remodel and update packaging, signage, uniforms, etc. It's just another a cost of doing business.

I've always done one wedding per book - for the above reason that I can give/sell the album to the bride or use it at the venue. It also gives brides a much better idea of what they're album will look like - and with 80+ weddings behind me i've never had a bride have an issue with what I shot or how - because they all get to see complete weddings before they book me. I set their expectations properly.

Now at the last bridal show there was a photog there with a book like you describe and it looked ridiculous to me and my assistant. How many ways are there to shoot get ready shots, the bride and her mom, ceremony, etc? He had page after page of the same shot just with different people in them. It looked comical. The fact that some of the images looked 20 years old didn't help. I shows he's consistent and been around a long time, but it shows a lack of creativity, a inability to keep up with the times, etc.
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If I knew how to take a good picture I'd do it every time.

Thanks for the feedback.

I started collecting pictures with the intention of creating a mixed album, but ended up thinking as you describe. Looks a bit strange having different couples in the same situation throughout the album. Tricky picking just one wedding though, as ideally I would like to show off the best shots. Investing in a couple more albums might pay off though.

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http://www.uk-weddingphotography.com

Same wedding throughout the whole album! Have the best one ready to show the client to feel it and touch it, go through it, check the pages quality and feel, the covers, etc. ..and have multiple digital ones available if they want to see variations of your work and design...

For a photo book/album - use just one wedding.

In most cases - brides have seen a variety of wedding shots on your website and what you need to show them in person is the fact that you can produce quality work from the ENTIRE wedding.

A completed album from one wedding shows the ability to capture images from the entire day - not just the highlights from a bunch of different weddings.

It is good to also have a portfolio of your best work in LARGE PRINTS - something that they cannot see online.
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http://www.almariphoto.net

I show my clients at least two books. One book is a duplicate of a couple's wedding, the other showcases my best photos from many different weddings. The first is an example of how their personalized book will look, the other is a promotional tool during our first consultation.

I really don't understand why you're limiting yourself to only one. I use Asuka Book. The two books cost less than $350 total. A small expense for a wedding photographer.

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Insert obligatory quote here...

http://www.picsure.net

Henrikw said:

I'm about to create my first Loxley photo book, which I will use as a sample/promotional album to show my clients.

I still haven't decided if I should mix pictures from various weddings, or just stick to one wedding throughout the entire album.

Ideally I would order several sizes, with one wedding in each, but I get no considerable discount for sample albums, so it will be very pricey.
How are your sample albums organized?

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http://www.uk-weddingphotography.com

Click to expand...

I have several display albums I place at various function centres for them to show potential clients as well as promote myself. Not everyone has a few years history and be in a position to have worked at most venues so...

Making display albums is supposed to show off your talent but many media mongrels are advocating now that clients demand a look at a complete album before signing with someone.

If you can afford it, (and have the history) For your own display, I'd use at least 2, 10 page albums. One for your wedding portraits and one a pictorial story of a wedding... Don't be frightened also to add some well placed text and use a fair amount of blank space.

Then I'd think about the cost of putting out albums to the venues you work at, as you build up a history with them. Another good avenue is to create a one page article with photos about a recent wedding and submit to the local newspaper or lifestyle magazine as a contribution article. You might be surprised when you get a check (cheque) from them!

If you have the creative talent, eventually you'll want to move away from "standard" templates into templates you designed. Even perhaps, to making your own photo book style wedding albums.

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Opinions expressed by me are mine. They may well conflict with other people's opinion. Rather than start an argument because you disagree with me, it would be more productive to state your opinion and let interested readers form their own.