First Wedding Album

[tampaphotogal]

This is my first attempt at putting together a professional album. Gentle critique appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help.

page 1

http://HollyProvancePhotography.smugmug.com/photos/178342549-M.jpg

page 2
http://HollyProvancePhotography.smugmug.com/photos/178342931-M.jpg
page 3




http://HollyProvancePhotography.smugmug.com/photos/178343634-M.jpg

page 4

http://HollyProvancePhotography.smugmug.com/photos/178344430-M.jpg


page 5
http://HollyProvancePhotography.smugmug.com/photos/178345219-M.jpg


page 6
http://HollyProvancePhotography.smugmug.com/photos/178346286-M.jpg

page 7


http://HollyProvancePhotography.smugmug.com/photos/178347247-M.jpg


page 8

http://HollyProvancePhotography.smugmug.com/photos/178581163-M.jpg

[PixelChick78]

Looks pretty good so far!:)

[tampaphotogal]

page 9

page 10

[tampaphotogal]

page 11

page 12

[tampaphotogal]

page 13

page 14

[tampaphotogal]

page 15

page 16

[tampaphotogal]

page 17

page 18

[tampaphotogal]

page 19

page 20

[tampaphotogal]

page 21

page 22

[tampaphotogal]

page 23

[janine_w]

I think that you have done a fantastic job of shooting the wedding and also of putting the images together for the album.

[spphoto]

The photos look great, and the layouts are pretty good too (though I suspect still too busy for tim's liking :P). What I would like to see is more consistency between the images on a page. Not in the sense of subject, but in some the color and density conflicts between image on a page. Also, in some it seems like some of the images are bordered and some aren't.

Page 4 - on the right page the top image doesn't look like it's bordered and the bottom two aren't.

Page 6 - the top left and bottom right images are darker than the others

Page 11 - the bar on the right page is akward, you won't lose anything by dropping it.

those are just some examples of what i mean. A great first try though!

[QX56]

Very nice ....thanks for sharing .

[tim]

Overall it's not bad, and the couple will like it because they're good photos, but the album layout leaves quite a bit to be desired from my point of view. Just because someone likes an album (like I said, they will) it doesn't mean it can't be improved, or that they'll like it in 20 years. I think this album will date quite quickly. Please read my critique below as constructive, it's quite short and curt, i'm in a bit of a rush but want to give you feedback to help you improve the album :)

First, usually there's a half page at the front that you don't seem to have? I usually put a photo of the couple, and their names there.

1. Nice
2. How about putting the little images near the right?
3. Not sure I like the pattern.
4. How about making them all the same height and top aligning them?
5. I don't like the pattern, and it's a bit busy. See if you can tell the story of this part of the day with less images.
6. I rarely like overlays, even though they don't hide people they hide the location. If you have to have the align things nicely, and i'd use a simple white stroke.
7. These overlays I like. Make them all the same width, and give them a simple white stroke.
8. Align/resize images.
9. Alignment
10. Lose the transperancy. I would suggest a simple black stroke not a drop shadow.
11. On left move the top and bottom row closer together. On the right you seem to be trying to use graphics, it's out of place because there's none in the rest of the album so far. I'd cut them out and center align that image.
12. Symmetry is important. Add another photo bottom right. Again stroke instead of drop shadow.
13. The left image is over a person, their head's coming out the top. The main photo's too dark, and the images on the right are distracting beacuse they're not aligned.
14. Symmetry is good - little images. You'll lose some of the center image in the gutter. White stroke.
15. Keep the sizes of the big images the same. I like the small images, add stroke?
16. Right image is underexposed, and has a horrible vignette. It could be a full spread image, the images on the left don't match or tell a story.
17. Nice. Level it out though.
18. Left photo with fading is out of place since it's not anywhere else in the album. Right images are different sizes, different brightness, and don't make a nice pattern. It's hard to design a nice page with three similarly sized images, maybe add or remove one.
19. Too fuzzy. Similar comments to earlier pages.
20. Symmetery.
21. Nice, lose the fuzzy.
22. Horrible layout, go for symmetry.
23. Overlays, lack of symmetry.

Hope that helps :)

[tampaphotogal]

thanks for the advice Tim. It will definitely help me improve the next album.

[tim]

How about improving this one?

[Kai]

looked like a great wedding. I don't have anything to offer ... I have never created an album. It looks like you put a lot of time and thought into it. The only thing that kinda bothers me is on page three- the large picture - the bridesmaid looks a little funny.

[amironsi]

man u did a great work for your first album... i don't think i would do it any good near this if it is my first album...
keep going

[Grace]

looks good except for the blurred edges on some of the pages...

[ktgiggle]

I'd say terrific job for fist album! If you follow Tim's suggestion regarding the position of the little images and the overlay..., I think it'll be really GREAT.

[tampaphotogal]

well, she already has the album and loves it, I will try and improve it so I can show it to future couples as one of my samples. Thanks for all of the encouragement.

[DVS_WiNdz]

very nice, photos looks great

[Chris]

Page 3, I like the bride looking up at the dress but I think the gal next to the bride looks weird with where her hands are and how that pushes in her dress

[bigcountry]

not sure if i overlooked it or not, but who did you create your album through?

[tampaphotogal]

I used KISS albums. It came out gorgeous.

[joruiz]

Just wanted to say 'thanks Tim'... it's always educational to read your advice. I am about to make my first album, so this was a good read for me.

Joel

[jsanz11]

I think it's awsome...where are you getting the book printed?

[_aravena]

Very nice! Love the layout, some of it is busy but still nice. I have my first wedding by myself Dec 1st in tampa. Surprised they didn't hire you. But gives me some insight, I'm just shooting, no layout. I have a week to prepare...gag me. But seeing how it's a week and they never got a photographer, I can't imagine it being too complicatedor them expecting much. Awesome job. I have a question though. PM'd.

[Zonieart]

Nice job. Great setting too.

[buffalophotographer]

I dont like page 22 it seem too cluttered and there is the OOF image on 21 that distracts from the beauty of the album. The other pages look great.

[tampaphotogal]

thank you. for those that were asking it is kissweddingalbum on the web. their philosophy is keep it simple.

[canotographer]

Overall it's not bad, and the couple will like it because they're good photos, but the album layout leaves quite a bit to be desired from my point of view. Just because someone likes an album (like I said, they will) it doesn't mean it can't be improved, or that they'll like it in 20 years. I think this album will date quite quickly. Please read my critique below as constructive, it's quite short and curt, i'm in a bit of a rush but want to give you feedback to help you improve the album :)

First, usually there's a half page at the front that you don't seem to have? I usually put a photo of the couple, and their names there.

1. Nice
2. How about putting the little images near the right?
3. Not sure I like the pattern.
4. How about making them all the same height and top aligning them?
5. I don't like the pattern, and it's a bit busy. See if you can tell the story of this part of the day with less images.
6. I rarely like overlays, even though they don't hide people they hide the location. If you have to have the align things nicely, and i'd use a simple white stroke.
7. These overlays I like. Make them all the same width, and give them a simple white stroke.
8. Align/resize images.
9. Alignment
10. Lose the transperancy. I would suggest a simple black stroke not a drop shadow.
11. On left move the top and bottom row closer together. On the right you seem to be trying to use graphics, it's out of place because there's none in the rest of the album so far. I'd cut them out and center align that image.
12. Symmetry is important. Add another photo bottom right. Again stroke instead of drop shadow.
13. The left image is over a person, their head's coming out the top. The main photo's too dark, and the images on the right are distracting beacuse they're not aligned.
14. Symmetry is good - little images. You'll lose some of the center image in the gutter. White stroke.
15. Keep the sizes of the big images the same. I like the small images, add stroke?
16. Right image is underexposed, and has a horrible vignette. It could be a full spread image, the images on the left don't match or tell a story.
17. Nice. Level it out though.
18. Left photo with fading is out of place since it's not anywhere else in the album. Right images are different sizes, different brightness, and don't make a nice pattern. It's hard to design a nice page with three similarly sized images, maybe add or remove one.
19. Too fuzzy. Similar comments to earlier pages.
20. Symmetery.
21. Nice, lose the fuzzy.
22. Horrible layout, go for symmetry.
23. Overlays, lack of symmetry.

Hope that helps :)

Wow... I've learned a lot from this comment! Thanks Tim.