Here at Align, we get the biggest kick out of working with photographers who value albums as much as we do! That's one of many reasons why love working with Britt Croft Photography, an amazing wedding & portrait photographer who works in South Carolina & Georgia. In the past, we have not only featured several of her albums on this blog, but Britt has also shared a blog post about her strategies for selling albums consistently. Today we're thrilled to share another design showcasing her gorgeous photography! 
 
We feel so lucky that Britt sent us the photographs of the finished album! The spreads were designed by Align and the album was printed through Madera Books. We LOVE seeing the way our design looks in this heirloom-quality album! Here are some of our favorite spreads:

Flip through the full album design in the slideshow below: 
 

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Design by: Andrea (View More) // Design style: Classic (View More) // Blog post written by: Alaine

Today we're so lucky to get to share images and insight from Elizabeth Gelineau, a talented wedding and portrait photographer. We love working with Elizabeth and with her beautiful images! 
 
Elizabeth shared some of her thoughts about how to get the most out of working with Align. We were fascinated to get a photographer's perspective on this, and thought that this insight would be valuable for other photographers! Here's what Elizabeth had to say:

Headshots by Deborah Michelle Photography 
 

Since my first order with Align, I have chosen the option for "Hands Off" design service. This option is so wonderful because my album designer will handle all the emailing with the client in regards to proofing. When I submit my order, I ask to receive an initial proof of the album. I usually make a couple of changes and then give my designer the go-ahead to send the proof to my client. Once the proof goes to the client, I don't have to do anything until the album is approved! This service saves me so much time that I can't afford to not use it!!! Best of all, my clients receive revisions quickly, which means we usually get to the approval point within just a few weeks.  
 
I prepare my clients for the album design process from the initial consultation, making it clear that I am working with a designer for my albums. I talk about this as I go through one of my sample albums at the consultation. From the beginning, I explain that the wedding album is designed to tell the overall story of their wedding day, highlighting the most special details, moments and portraits. Because my couples see the end product right at the beginning of the process, they know what to expect later. Additionally, I send an email to my clients reminding them of how the album design process works prior to giving Align the go-ahead to send the proof to them. That way they know to be on the lookout for an email from my designer regarding album proofing. 
 
One of my favorite aspects of working with Align is the ability to request a specific designer. Andrea was the designer I was matched with on my first couple of wedding album orders. She and I worked so well together that I started requesting her with each new order. I know that all the Align designers are fabulous, but there is something special about being able to work with the same person over and over. Andrea has learned my preferences during the time we've worked together, and we are now getting to a point where I don't always make changes to the initial proof because she knows what I like. I've also gotten better at narrowing down images to send in for the initial design. On my first few orders I was sending in the maximum of 300 images, but now that I'm used to the process, I send in between 150 and 200 images for her to use for the pre-design.  
 
I highly recommend being very specific with your designer about things that you do and do not like, because it helps them design something that you'll love! Preferences that I've communicated to my designer include: 

• I love at least one spread to be all black and white if possible.
• I love when the first spread in an album contains either all details, one full-bleed photo of the bride and groom, or a portrait of the bride and groom along with a photo that gives a sense of place.
• I love for at least one spread in the album to be a full-bleed photo of just the bride and groom whenever possible (I don't have a shot from every wedding that lends itself to this).
• I typically like for there to be only one spread of family formal portraits.

If you've been hesitant to give up control over certain aspects in your business, consider outsourcing from the perspective of how it can help your business grow, rather than from the perspective of losing control. Album design was the first aspect of my business that I outsourced, and it has been one of the best decisions I've ever made for my business!

 

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Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, Elizabeth! We know that photographers who are considering working with Align or just starting out using our services will find your insight and experience so helpful! 
 
The following are Elizabeth's photographs of one of her recent albums designed by Align and printed through RedTree Albums. Elizabeth prints all of her wedding albums through RedTree because she loves the quality of their gorgeous books. For portrait sessions and parent albums, she uses the photo books from Miller Professional Imaging. P.S. Both of these album printing & binding companies are included on Align's list of Top 10 Most Popular Album Companies. 
 
Check out these beautiful photos of one of Elizabeth's finished albums!

And here's the full album design for you to flip through: 
 

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Design by: Andrea (View More) // Design style: Simple (View More) // Blog post written by: Alaine

When North Carolina wedding photographer Megan Travis attended a photography workshop by Magnolia Photography, she had a motivating & uplifting experience. And when she took part in an absolutely stellar styled shoot at that workshop, Megan recognized what an incredible opportunity she had to create a sample album with those images. We are so, so glad that she did! 
 
It has never been harder to choose our favorite spreads of an album! Every single page is full of beautifully styled and expertly photographed images, all laid out in our Classic Style with clean, white space to allow each shot to shine! Here are just a few of the gorgeous spreads from this album:

And here's the full album design for you to flip through: 
 

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Design by: Denise (View More) // Design style: Classic (View More) // Blog post written by: Alaine

We've got SUCH a pretty album design to share with you today! We're totally smitten with this album design that features Kortney Boyett's images of an amazing outdoor wedding. We especially love the huge Live Oak tree that was the centerpiece of the ceremony.  
 
Kortney is a fine-art wedding photographer based in Texas, and she's so good at what she does! We love the way she captured the deep connection between the bride & groom and the emotional moments of the day, while still highlighting the natural beauty of the setting! Her images are a joy to work with, and we think this album design does them justice! 
 
Here are some of our favorite spreads from this album:

Check out the full design by clicking through the slideshow below: 
 

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Design by: Sarah (View More) // Design style: Classic (View More) // Blog post written by: Alaine

Although it may not feel like it everywhere in the country, it is actually Spring out there! Luckily, this album design for Dana Cubbage makes us feel all of the light and vibrancy of this fresh season! This album features a wedding on picturesque Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. Dana told us that the bride's grandmother made her wedding dress BY HAND and documented the process with a little notebook full of notes and sketches. We're sure that notebook will be treasured right alongside the wedding album! The overcast sky made it a cool and softly lit day, which Dana captured perfectly!  
 
Dana is a talented wedding photographer based in Charleston. We love when she places a new order with us, because we know we'll be working with stunning images and a wonderful client! For this album, Dana requested our Culling Service so that she could send us more than 300 images and get our help narrowing them down to the best of the best. 
 
Here are a few of our favorite spreads from this lovely album:

To see some other designs we've made for Dana, check out this Charming Charleston Plantation Wedding Album Design and this Gorgeous South Carolina Wedding Album Design. 
 
And here's the full album design for you to flip through: 
 

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Design by: Andrea (View More) // Design style: Classic (View More) // Blog post written by: Alaine