Album Questions for Wedding Photographers

[daletu]

I started shooting wedding last summer and just started offering wedding albums since August this year. A couple of my clients actually wants to order albums after seeing their photos.
Anyway, I have been looking at a few high end album companies and decided to try Queensberry and Leather Craftsmen. I've received an information email from Queensberry as well as their pricing list. Leather Craftsmen also sent out the information package yesterday, I should receive it in a couple days.
After seeing the prices from Queensberry, I was kind of shock by how expensive it is...

My question is...
From your experience, are these two album companies really that great and worth a try? I just don't want my clients spend a lot of money, and receiving albums thats not in their expectation.

Other questions...
Are there other album companies that have the same quality but a little bit cheaper? If there are, what would you recommend?
Should I offer an alternative album that's cheaper so my clients will not be shock (like me) after seeing the prices? And what will be the alternative album?

Thanks!!

[tim]

Queensberry are one of the top album companies in the world, I make 20-30 albums with them each year, and yeah they are expensive. I don't know their US pricing, but decent sized leather albums will usually sell to your customer for between $1500 and $4000. Some high end photographers will charge $10K for an album. You have to pay for the Queensberry starter kit as well.

If you want something cheaper there are dozens of album companies. Check out http://www.kissweddingbooks.com/ , if I was in the US i'd consider them. Also do a search on POTN for threads about albums, a few days ago someone posted a list of about 20 album companies.

[tim]

If found these thread using the search feature... it's quite handy you know :p

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=542075
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=92390

[daletu]

Thank you Tim. I've read many threads about albums on this forum, but don't see much of photographers have experience with a few high end albums and rate the albums they have used.
Based on the threads I've read, I understand Queensberry, Leather Craftsmen, Asuka, Graphistudio, Art Leather are the most recommended album companies, but haven't seem anyone actully rates them by experience.
From your experience, what would you rate on each of the albums I listed above?

Thanks!

[tim]

I wouldn't bother with Graphi, there's a lot of complaints about them on DWF, but on the other hand a lot of people love them too. The only albums i've made myself are Queensberry and Asuka, QB is in a different league to Asuka. I know nothing about the others. QB are one of the best in the world, it's just handy they're in my country :)

[daletu]

Thank you Tim. I think I will give Queensberry a try. Well... starting from ordering their expensive starter kit. ;)

[Mike30D]

Dale, here's more....

Book and Album Vendor Links

Finao Online - Home (http://www.finaoonline.com/) ~ USA
Wedding Albums by Jorgensen Albums (http://www.jorgensen.com.au/) ~ Australia
La-Vie Album (http://www.la-viealbum.com/home.php) ~ USA
KISS Wedding Books (http://www.kissweddingbooks.com/) ~ USA
firstup ~ USA (http://www.visionartbook.com/)
Cypress Fine Handmade Albums & Boxes (http://www.cypressalbums.com/html/welcome.html)
WillowBook - Products (http://www.willowbook.com/products.htm)
Leather Craftsmen Inc. - Custom Bookbinding (http://www.leathercraftsmen.com/) ~ USA
Home Page (http://www.albumsaustralia.com.au/) ~ Australia
Photovalue.com - Your online store for I Nobili Wedding Albums, Gem Collection Folders & Strut Mounts and the Memories Collection of Frames (http://www.photovalue.com/) ~ UK & Ireland
Albums Inc. (http://www.albumsinc.com/) ~ USA
capri album inc. (http://www.caprialbum.com/) ~ USA
Candid2000.com (http://www.candid2000.com/) ~ USA
Welcome to Zookbinders: handmade quality photo albums for professional photographers (http://www.zookbinders.com/) ~ USA
AsukaBook - Custom Coffee Table Quality Art Books (http://www.asukabook.com/) ~ USA
:: Graphistudio - Il Libro del matrimonio - The Wedding Book :: (http://www.graphistudio.com/) ~ Multiple Countries
Queensberry - Home (http://www.queensberry.com/) ~ New Zeeland
F O R B E Y O N - FOR BEYOND YOUR IMAGINATION (http://www.forbeyon.com/) ~ USA
http://www.thebookalbum.com (http://www.thebookalbum.com/) ~ USA
Renaissance Art Leather Journals (http://www.renaissance-art.com/)
White Glove Books (http://www.wgbooks.com/)
MyPublisher | Design your own Photo Book to be printed as a beautiful hardcover book! (http://www.mypublisher.com/)
Blurb | Self publish with free BookSmart software for Windows or Mac (http://www.blurb.com/)
JonesBook Inc (http://www.jonesbook.com/)
Art Leather - Home (http://www.artleather.com/)
| Bon Match Albums_Unlimited Creation ... (http://www.bonmatch.com/)
www.pictobooks.com (http://www.pictobooks.com/)
Album Crafters (http://www.albumcrafters.com/)
:::: White Wedding Album :::: Magazine Style Full page Flush Album and Coffee Table Album (http://www.whiteweddingalbum.com/)

[tim]

Thank you Tim. I think I will give Queensberry a try. Well... starting from ordering their expensive starter kit. ;)

Honestly, if you're not going to be a high volume user i'm not sure if they're the best option. It takes some effort to learn PhotoJunction (the design tool they supply), and the starter kit isn't cheap. On top of that they're in New Zealand, so everything has to be shipped internationally, which costs more.

I would suggest looking into local alternatives first. Don't get me wrong, Queensberry make fantastic albums and their service is great, but they might not be the best company for everyone. Get a price list before you sign up too, they're not cheap, but I don't have US prices so I can't help with that.

[daletu]

Thank you Mike for the list.

Tim,
Queensberry already sent me the pricing list, and the price of feature album has already included shipping, so I was not too worry about shipping. I was just worry about the quality. If you confirm that the quality of their album is excellent, then I think I will go with it.
Question... on the price sheet, they have 4 different page styles... overlay, pagemount, digital and duo. What's the difference between each other, and which one has the better quality?

Thanks!

[tim]

Their website has examples on this page (http://www.queensberry.com/products/pages/index.html).

Overlay has part of the photo hidden under a matt - it's a very old style that I don't offer. Pagemount has colored paper or foil set under the matt, the prints are put on top of it with the color showing - this is 90% of my albums, they look great. Digital is one sheet of photographic paper, everything done digitally - a modern style. Duo is albums with a combination of matted, pagemount, and digital, I like consistency so I rarely use duo.

If you mostly want to do digital there are better value options around locally to you. The main reason to do Queensberry albums is if you want to do pagemount matted albums.

[daletu]

Thanks Tim! This helps!

For the digial print (flush mount), does any body know which company has the best quality?
I am looking at Kiss Books, their product looks pretty good. I am also looking at Art Leather, Picto, and Leather Craftsmen. I know there are a lot of companies make flush mount book, like Zookbinders, Candid, White Wedding Album...etc. Out of all these choices, which one is most recommended by wedding photographers?

Thanks!

[bluesmap]

thanks for this post. i've been looking for some album to publish

[BestVisuals]

I've used Zookbinders with great success...they use Kodak's ROES system to upload your page JPEGs. Fantastic service and quality, speedy service.

[Dermit]

I use Asuka and love them... so do my clients.

[tim]

Asuka make nice books, but they don't have the durability of a real album. I want wedding albums to last generations.

[Dermit]

I've got an Asuka that I use for a sample and it's two years old, high gloss pages. It's holding up great. No torn pages, minimal if any fingerprints, the colors are not faded. What with Asuka have you heard is not going to last? ...and what do you consider a 'real' album?

[tim]

I consider a real album something that has rigid pages, something substantial that can stand up to some abuse. The book if treated well will last a fairly long time, I just have less confidence in them than more robust albums.

[Dermit]

Ah, I understand. But most my clients pick the Asuka coffee table style because they can't stand rigid/carboard pages. And I do not see a problem with the robustness of a coffee table book. In fact I think it might weather the years a little better than a flush mount/stiff page book as those rigid pages will get damages when you bump a coner, etc as a nice coffee table book page has give. But in the end it is ones taste in what they like and what ever sells is what is used. For me it's the coffee table book style that sells.

[tim]

The flush mount albums I sell have recessed pages so the edges don't get damaged, but you should sell what your customers want.