Album Layouts and Choices

[Transcendence]

How is everyone handling their wedding album layouts with customers? What I mean is are you allowing the customer to chosse what photos will be in the album and where they will be located? And as far as composites go. Are you allowing them to choose which composite is on what page and how the images are separated in the composite? This is what I have been doing and putting together a 40 page album with a separate composite on each page and 2-7 images on each composite is a nightmare. I spend more time with them trying to make decisions than I actually do shooting the wedding it seems. There has got to be an easier way to do this than how I am doing it now.

[Phil V]

There certainly is!

Seriously, some 'togs don't allow the B&G to choose anything, some allow them to choose all the pics (and many variables inbetween). Personaly we allow them to choose about half the pic's, which allows us to design an album that tells the story and is well designed, without missing out their favourites. We allow them to 'soft proof' before we order.

You're making life difficult for yourself, the more people involved in a decision - the worse things get.

[Transcendence]

I knew I was. I am just trying to remove any reason for them to complain about how the album is put together. I guess having them proof it before hand would resolve that though. But then again I dont want to be redesigning an album 3 or 4 times either.

[Phil V]

The way we do it, we get about 1 change per album. We're either good or lucky.;)

Jeff Ascough once mentioned in a seminar that he's had 1 change to make ever - and he designs his albums with no input from the customer at all.

[Transcendence]

Well, we are changing the way we offer our albums totally. I currently offer the three albums from Candid 2000 as well as the huge line of MPO albums and TAP albums from a local dist. I think we are just giving them to many choices and to much control. I am all about customer satisfaction but I think I go to far sometimes and that is effecting business.

[tim]

The customer gets what the customer wants. I suggest the tell me their favorite 20 images, the album style (matted/digital), and the size, I do the rest. I give people an unlimited number of changes at the moment, which I might stop doing. The most changes i've had is 8, the fewest is 1, usually 3-4. Some people tell me exactly what they want, some give me free reign.

Going forward, as I get better at it and have more sample albums, people will get a little less choice but will get a better album.

[sierra_nova]

I'm quite similar to Tim. I have the couple choose their 20 favs, design the album around it, have them proof it, and away we go. Very few changes.

Cheers,
Naomi

[Baadil]

Not to change the topic, but how do you choose your layout? Software and/or just what you see good.

[tim]

Not to change the topic, but how do you choose your layout? Software and/or just what you see good.

When I first started I got a couple of dozen complete albums from the net and stuck them on my PC for inspiration. I still look at them occasionally. Most of my albums are matted, I go for simple layouts, with symmetry. I have templates from Queensberry and PhotoJunction which I use and modify.