Montana Mountainside Wedding Album Design for Katelyn James Photography
Guess how many albums we've had the pleasure of designing for Virginia-based wedding photographer Katelyn James in the past 10 years??
126.
Nutso! We're probably not suppose to play favorites, but Katelyn is definitely on our favorites list! We owe her a world of gratitude because she has sent so many photographers our way by sharing about how she integrates us in her workflow through all her educational resources and courses. If you are needing help for anything photo or business-related, you should definitely check out all she has to offer here!
And if you're interested in hearing a little about Katelyn's journey with albums and what caused her to start outsourcing even though she LOVED designing her own albums, check out this video:
Here are some of our favorite spreads from the most recent design we created for Katelyn:
126.
Nutso! We're probably not suppose to play favorites, but Katelyn is definitely on our favorites list! We owe her a world of gratitude because she has sent so many photographers our way by sharing about how she integrates us in her workflow through all her educational resources and courses. If you are needing help for anything photo or business-related, you should definitely check out all she has to offer here!
And if you're interested in hearing a little about Katelyn's journey with albums and what caused her to start outsourcing even though she LOVED designing her own albums, check out this video:
Here are some of our favorite spreads from the most recent design we created for Katelyn:
To see the design in full, click through the slideshow:
Thank you, Katelyn, for allowing us to be a part of your team!!
Thank you, Katelyn, for allowing us to be a part of your team!!
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Design by: Kari (View More) // Design style: Classic (View More) // Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
Design by: Kari (View More) // Design style: Classic (View More) // Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
8 Tips for Timeless Album Design
above images by Megan Travis Photography
Hey guys! Melissa Jill here! I remember the first album I designed myself. It was 2004 and my client had asked for an album. I had never even created a sample album at that point so EVERYTHING was new to me. But I figured, how hard could it be? I'll just whip one up. Haha! Poor little naive me. Three months, ten headaches, and a dozen workflow issues later, I had my first album done. It turned out to be much more challenging than I had initially anticipated. And being that I was new to albums, I was dealing with a HUGE learning curve. Since then I have learned so much about the album design and sales process, and that's one of the main reasons I'm sharing this series of tips -- to help others who may be facing this learning curve for the first time themselves.
I remember looking back at that very first album years later in my client's home and cringing at a few of my choices. Namely, I thought it would be fun to make a collage of overlapping and tilted images for a reception spread. You know...because receptions are wild and crazy, the design should be as well? Yikes! Major regret on that design choice. There were a number of other design trends that I succumbed to in that first design that are SO entirely outdated now. Which makes me sad, because wedding albums need to last generations without looking outdated. Of all things, a wedding album should be timeless.
Today I'm going to share some timeless design tips that we at Align adhere to, and that I would recommend to any of you out there who are designing your albums in house. I hope I don't step on any toes or hurt any feelings, but there are also a few outdated trends that I'd like to call out as well. I learned my lesson the hard way by regretting my design choices, and I want to encourage you all to keep your designs clean and timeless so you don't experience this same sense of regret years from now.
So let's start by ripping the bandaid off first. The outdated trends to steer clear of are:
1. Using images as backgrounds
2. Making images opaque
3. Excessive overlapping of images
All of these trends clutter up your design and don't allow your images to stand apart and be appreciated as art. Your images themselves are interesting. You don't need to make your design overly complex to create a beautiful album. Let the images shine and tell the story for you. As a side note, even though we don't recommend any of the above design choices as being ideal, Align can absolutely design albums with these specifications. The most important thing to us is that you and your clients are happy. And we strive to customize our designs to fit your unique preferences. Just select the "Styled" design option and put your preferences in the comments section of your order form.
Now for the positive tips. Here is what TO DO if you want your albums to be beautiful and remain timeless for generations to come.
#1 -- Use restraint and don't clutter up your spreads with too many images. The fewer images per spread, the more importance you give them.
Hey guys! Melissa Jill here! I remember the first album I designed myself. It was 2004 and my client had asked for an album. I had never even created a sample album at that point so EVERYTHING was new to me. But I figured, how hard could it be? I'll just whip one up. Haha! Poor little naive me. Three months, ten headaches, and a dozen workflow issues later, I had my first album done. It turned out to be much more challenging than I had initially anticipated. And being that I was new to albums, I was dealing with a HUGE learning curve. Since then I have learned so much about the album design and sales process, and that's one of the main reasons I'm sharing this series of tips -- to help others who may be facing this learning curve for the first time themselves.
I remember looking back at that very first album years later in my client's home and cringing at a few of my choices. Namely, I thought it would be fun to make a collage of overlapping and tilted images for a reception spread. You know...because receptions are wild and crazy, the design should be as well? Yikes! Major regret on that design choice. There were a number of other design trends that I succumbed to in that first design that are SO entirely outdated now. Which makes me sad, because wedding albums need to last generations without looking outdated. Of all things, a wedding album should be timeless.
Today I'm going to share some timeless design tips that we at Align adhere to, and that I would recommend to any of you out there who are designing your albums in house. I hope I don't step on any toes or hurt any feelings, but there are also a few outdated trends that I'd like to call out as well. I learned my lesson the hard way by regretting my design choices, and I want to encourage you all to keep your designs clean and timeless so you don't experience this same sense of regret years from now.
So let's start by ripping the bandaid off first. The outdated trends to steer clear of are:
1. Using images as backgrounds
2. Making images opaque
3. Excessive overlapping of images
All of these trends clutter up your design and don't allow your images to stand apart and be appreciated as art. Your images themselves are interesting. You don't need to make your design overly complex to create a beautiful album. Let the images shine and tell the story for you. As a side note, even though we don't recommend any of the above design choices as being ideal, Align can absolutely design albums with these specifications. The most important thing to us is that you and your clients are happy. And we strive to customize our designs to fit your unique preferences. Just select the "Styled" design option and put your preferences in the comments section of your order form.
Now for the positive tips. Here is what TO DO if you want your albums to be beautiful and remain timeless for generations to come.
#1 -- Use restraint and don't clutter up your spreads with too many images. The fewer images per spread, the more importance you give them.
above images by Candace Berry Photography
#2 -- If you do use a lot of images on a given page, make sure to use a structured layout that makes it easy for your eye to "read" what is going on.
#2 -- If you do use a lot of images on a given page, make sure to use a structured layout that makes it easy for your eye to "read" what is going on.
above images by Maggie Harkov Photography
#3 -- We prefer white backgrounds, but if you'd like to use some color on your album spreads, makes sure to pull the color from the photographs that are used on the spread to keep everything cohesive.
#3 -- We prefer white backgrounds, but if you'd like to use some color on your album spreads, makes sure to pull the color from the photographs that are used on the spread to keep everything cohesive.
above images by Amelia Soper Photography
#4 -- Much like matting for a framed photo, using negative space is a great way to draw attention and importance to an image. Don't feel the need to fill every white space.
#4 -- Much like matting for a framed photo, using negative space is a great way to draw attention and importance to an image. Don't feel the need to fill every white space.
above images by Hello Love Photography
#5 -- Make your favorite image the focal point of the spread. Duh, the best images should be given the most real estate.
#5 -- Make your favorite image the focal point of the spread. Duh, the best images should be given the most real estate.
above images by Megan Alvarez Photography
#6 -- Group your images by location so that each spread tells a cohesive story. This is a great thing to keep in mind when you are shooting too. Taking a number of different photos in each location will make for a great album design!
#6 -- Group your images by location so that each spread tells a cohesive story. This is a great thing to keep in mind when you are shooting too. Taking a number of different photos in each location will make for a great album design!
above images by Leezett Photography
#7 -- Think about the color story you are telling on each spread. If there is too much going on color-wise, think about separating competing images onto separate spreads, or putting some of the images in black and white.
#7 -- Think about the color story you are telling on each spread. If there is too much going on color-wise, think about separating competing images onto separate spreads, or putting some of the images in black and white.
above images by Katelyn James Photography
#8 -- Help your design to tell a story by including a number of scene-setting spreads that set the scene for what is to come. This is another great tip to keep in mind for when you are shooting! It's not only wedding detail photographs that help make a design beautiful, think about how you can take detail shots of the location and venue to help tell the story of the day.
#8 -- Help your design to tell a story by including a number of scene-setting spreads that set the scene for what is to come. This is another great tip to keep in mind for when you are shooting! It's not only wedding detail photographs that help make a design beautiful, think about how you can take detail shots of the location and venue to help tell the story of the day.
above images by Leezett Photography
I hope you've found these tips and examples helpful!
----------> If you are overwhelmed with design and want to give outsourcing a try, click here to find out more about the design styles that Align offers. We have 3 standard design styles but can definitely customize to meet most needs, so don't hesitate to send us examples of designs you like and let us know what your preferences are, and we will design to those specifications. After you take a look at our design styles to find out which one would work best for you, click here to sign up for an account with Align. When you do so, we'll send you a free welcome gift -- our "Top 10 Most Popular Album Companies" Resource List. That way you can find out which album printing & binding companies are the most popular among photographers who use Align, and more importantly, WHY.
I hope you've found these tips and examples helpful!
----------> If you are overwhelmed with design and want to give outsourcing a try, click here to find out more about the design styles that Align offers. We have 3 standard design styles but can definitely customize to meet most needs, so don't hesitate to send us examples of designs you like and let us know what your preferences are, and we will design to those specifications. After you take a look at our design styles to find out which one would work best for you, click here to sign up for an account with Align. When you do so, we'll send you a free welcome gift -- our "Top 10 Most Popular Album Companies" Resource List. That way you can find out which album printing & binding companies are the most popular among photographers who use Align, and more importantly, WHY.
If you already have an existing Align account and want a copy of this resource guide, you're welcome to email us for a copy.
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Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
Pennsylvania Farm Wedding Album Design for Katelyn James Photography
You wouldn't know it from the photos in today's featured wedding album design, but it poured rain on and off all day! But Virginia-based wedding photographer and educator Katelyn James is the ultimate pro, and she was quick on her feet with a solution! When the rain looked like it was going to set in, she quickly suggested the couple do a first look, then she got them under a tree, then back out when there was a break in the rain. And she worked FAST. You have to see how this design turned out!
Katelyn is a long-time client and friend of ours. We have had the pleasure of designing over 120 albums for her and her clients in the 9 years we have worked with her and she is one of our beloved Client Advocates. Katelyn has single-handedly sent us more photographers than anyone else through her photographer education and resources and kind recommendations and we are SO GRATEFUL FOR HER!!
When prepping for this post, she shared, "We absolutely love working with Align! The design process is SO efficient and so professionally done we cannot say enough great things about using Align as our album company."
And obviously the feeling is mutual! We adore Katelyn and her whole team! Her photos are so stunning and we love the clean design style she prefers along with her penchant for film-strip layouts! Here are a few of our favorite spreads from this stunning design:
Katelyn is a long-time client and friend of ours. We have had the pleasure of designing over 120 albums for her and her clients in the 9 years we have worked with her and she is one of our beloved Client Advocates. Katelyn has single-handedly sent us more photographers than anyone else through her photographer education and resources and kind recommendations and we are SO GRATEFUL FOR HER!!
When prepping for this post, she shared, "We absolutely love working with Align! The design process is SO efficient and so professionally done we cannot say enough great things about using Align as our album company."
And obviously the feeling is mutual! We adore Katelyn and her whole team! Her photos are so stunning and we love the clean design style she prefers along with her penchant for film-strip layouts! Here are a few of our favorite spreads from this stunning design:
To see the design in full, click through the slideshow:
Thank you Katelyn for allowing us to work with your beautiful images!
Thank you Katelyn for allowing us to work with your beautiful images!
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Design by: Kari (View More) // Design style: Classic (View More) // Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
Design by: Kari (View More) // Design style: Classic (View More) // Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
Stunning Texas Wedding Album Design for Katelyn James
To date we have done 119 (!!) album designs for Katelyn James. We have had the honor of working with her and her beautiful images since 2013 and we have been SO BLESSED by her friendship to us! If you don't know Katelyn, you're likely not a photographer -- haha! She is well known for her educational courses and resources that have equipped thousands of professional photographers to be more successful. Not only is she amazing at what she does, but she is one of the kindest, most caring humans on the planet. She really has a heart of gold!
Katelyn shoots so many gorgeous weddings, but this one is truly special. The bride, Melanie, is a photographer herself, and every detail about this day -- from the stunning Texas venue, to Melanie's flowing veil and her groom's playful bowtie were meticulously thought through. Melanie was also very particular with her album design -- as she should be! -- and made many changes throughout the revision rounds to make sure it was just perfect. We love how it turned out!
Here are a few of our favorite spreads from this design:
Katelyn shoots so many gorgeous weddings, but this one is truly special. The bride, Melanie, is a photographer herself, and every detail about this day -- from the stunning Texas venue, to Melanie's flowing veil and her groom's playful bowtie were meticulously thought through. Melanie was also very particular with her album design -- as she should be! -- and made many changes throughout the revision rounds to make sure it was just perfect. We love how it turned out!
Here are a few of our favorite spreads from this design:
To see this stunning design in full, click through the slideshow:
Thank you Katelyn for your friendship and for allowing us to work with your beautiful images for so many years!
Thank you Katelyn for your friendship and for allowing us to work with your beautiful images for so many years!
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Design by: Kari (View More) // Design style: Classic (View More) // Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
Design by: Kari (View More) // Design style: Classic (View More) // Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
Elizabeth Gelineau on Why She Photographs All her Albums
above photo by Deborah Michelle Photography
Mobile, Alabama-based wedding photographer Elizabeth Gelineau always sends us the most BEAUTIFUL images of her finished wedding albums. She clearly has a passion for styling and photographing albums so we asked her if we could pick her brain and share some of her tips with you.
We've talked in the past about the importance of sharing your passion for albums with your clients as well as tips for photographing them and Elizabeth is an amazing example of how doing these things well can really drive your album sales and help get albums into the hands of all of your clients! We've worked with Elizabeth for three years now and last year alone she delivered 15 albums to her clients!
Elizabeth has so much valuable insight to share, that we decided to divide it up into a 2-part series. Today she will be sharing why she photographs albums and how she uses the images and very soon she will be sharing all her album styling tips for getting beautiful flatlay images like this one:
Mobile, Alabama-based wedding photographer Elizabeth Gelineau always sends us the most BEAUTIFUL images of her finished wedding albums. She clearly has a passion for styling and photographing albums so we asked her if we could pick her brain and share some of her tips with you.
We've talked in the past about the importance of sharing your passion for albums with your clients as well as tips for photographing them and Elizabeth is an amazing example of how doing these things well can really drive your album sales and help get albums into the hands of all of your clients! We've worked with Elizabeth for three years now and last year alone she delivered 15 albums to her clients!
Elizabeth has so much valuable insight to share, that we decided to divide it up into a 2-part series. Today she will be sharing why she photographs albums and how she uses the images and very soon she will be sharing all her album styling tips for getting beautiful flatlay images like this one:
So without further ado, here is Elizabeth!
I always hate parting with an album once it's made its way to my office. Yes, I'm happy for my couples to receive this gorgeous heirloom full of their wedding day photos, but I secretly wish I had a copy for myself as well. The wedding album is a curated collection of the best of the best images from a wedding day. It's like a mini portfolio for each wedding and seeing my work in print is so rewarding! Since it's not possible to have a sample album for each wedding, I photograph the albums before I package them for shipping to my clients.
Photographing albums has become something I look forward to, but the images aren't just for archiving purposes. I can use them in multiple ways on my blog, website and social media posts. It takes me about an hour to set up and photograph one album. That includes setting up my background, choosing any props, taking the photos and then the post-shoot cleanup. It's a small investment of time to create images that will work overtime for me later.
Here are some of the various ways I use album images:
1 - On My Blog
I use album images on my blog to create educational posts, both for my brides and for anyone who is passionate about printing photos. I want every bride to print their wedding photos and a wedding album is a great way to preserve the overall story of your wedding day. Showcasing albums in a blog post allows me to talk about the importance of albums, as well as showcase my wedding photography. It also becomes a resource for my clients, who are often working on their album order long-distance. Being able to see the finished version of an album in a cover material they're considering for their own album is so helpful. If you create a blog post featuring a client's album, be sure to link back to their original wedding blog post so that a viewer can see more of that same wedding.
Click here to see one of the album features on my blog!
1 - On My Blog
I use album images on my blog to create educational posts, both for my brides and for anyone who is passionate about printing photos. I want every bride to print their wedding photos and a wedding album is a great way to preserve the overall story of your wedding day. Showcasing albums in a blog post allows me to talk about the importance of albums, as well as showcase my wedding photography. It also becomes a resource for my clients, who are often working on their album order long-distance. Being able to see the finished version of an album in a cover material they're considering for their own album is so helpful. If you create a blog post featuring a client's album, be sure to link back to their original wedding blog post so that a viewer can see more of that same wedding.
Click here to see one of the album features on my blog!
2 - On My Website
After receiving the same questions about album options from multiple brides, I went in search of a solution that would save me time and answer their questions. When I found the album website template from Davey & Krista's online shop, I knew I'd found the perfect solution. The site is designed to provide clients with all the details about album options and is customizable to your album company, what you offer your clients, and your own pricing. I was able to put in the cover color options using stock images from my album company and then add images I'd taken of my client albums to round out the album website. Since I already had a catalog of photos of my client albums, I had this new page up and running in less than a couple of hours.
After receiving the same questions about album options from multiple brides, I went in search of a solution that would save me time and answer their questions. When I found the album website template from Davey & Krista's online shop, I knew I'd found the perfect solution. The site is designed to provide clients with all the details about album options and is customizable to your album company, what you offer your clients, and your own pricing. I was able to put in the cover color options using stock images from my album company and then add images I'd taken of my client albums to round out the album website. Since I already had a catalog of photos of my client albums, I had this new page up and running in less than a couple of hours.
3 - On Social Media
Who doesn't love a beautiful flatlay image in their social media feed? In addition to using the album photos on my blog and the album website, I make sure to share them on social media and write captions for those posts that talk about albums, often addressing frequently asked questions. I also love showcasing the beautiful work done by Align when it comes to the design of my albums! (Click here to follow Elizabeth on Instagram and see how she showcases albums so well!)
Who doesn't love a beautiful flatlay image in their social media feed? In addition to using the album photos on my blog and the album website, I make sure to share them on social media and write captions for those posts that talk about albums, often addressing frequently asked questions. I also love showcasing the beautiful work done by Align when it comes to the design of my albums! (Click here to follow Elizabeth on Instagram and see how she showcases albums so well!)
4 - In My Collection Guide & Bridal Guide Magazines
My Collection Guide and Bridal Guide magazines both include information on wedding albums. I use photographs I've taken of my client albums in both of these printed booklets. I certainly could have used stock photos in these templates, but it's much more impactful to have photographs featuring albums that have been ordered by past clients than it is to insert a generic album image.
My Collection Guide and Bridal Guide magazines both include information on wedding albums. I use photographs I've taken of my client albums in both of these printed booklets. I certainly could have used stock photos in these templates, but it's much more impactful to have photographs featuring albums that have been ordered by past clients than it is to insert a generic album image.
(Bridal guide layout by Katelyn James)
As you can see, there are SO MANY ways that I love to use images of my albums. It's been so valuable to take time to build up a portfolio of beautiful photos to share with my clients and for marketing purposes!
Wow Elizabeth!! Thank you so much for sharing! This has been so helpful! I especially love what you shared about how using these images helps you give your current and upcoming clients an elevated experience by allowing them to see so many beautiful examples of album covers and envision what their own wedding album could look like! That is such a time-saving tip!
Stay tuned....We will be sharing part 2 on how Elizabeth styles her flatlay album images very soon!
As you can see, there are SO MANY ways that I love to use images of my albums. It's been so valuable to take time to build up a portfolio of beautiful photos to share with my clients and for marketing purposes!
Wow Elizabeth!! Thank you so much for sharing! This has been so helpful! I especially love what you shared about how using these images helps you give your current and upcoming clients an elevated experience by allowing them to see so many beautiful examples of album covers and envision what their own wedding album could look like! That is such a time-saving tip!
Stay tuned....We will be sharing part 2 on how Elizabeth styles her flatlay album images very soon!
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Design by: Andrea (View More) // Design style: Classic (View More) // Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
Design by: Andrea (View More) // Design style: Classic (View More) // Blog post written by: Melissa Jill