Sharing Your Passion For Albums On Your Website
So many photographers struggle to get their clients to value albums enough to buy one. The reality is that if we want to sell albums, we need to tackle this challenge of establishing the value of an album in the minds and hearts of our clients head on.
I've addressed this in a past post by offering Four Tips for Getting Your Clients to Value Albums and Buy One. And in essence, they all come down to communicating your own PASSION FOR ALBUMS.
Today I want to talk specifically about one of the best ways we can do this: Creating a spot on our websites just for albums!
Adding an album section to your website can be a quick and easy task. It can be as simple as constructing a blurb on your "Info" page like I have done for my photography business. I can easily point my audience toward this information within various blog posts in which I reference albums. This helps reinforce my passion for albums to potential clients because chances are when they search for package and pricing information, they will see the album page and will understand up front that a wedding album is the number one product I most want my clients to walk away with. The thought of purchasing one will already be a seed planted in their minds before they even meet with me!
So, what all should this designated page on your website include?
Here are 5 important things to incorporate when sharing your passion for albums on your website:
1 -- Your "WHY"
Whether you are talking about albums in your initial client meeting or are communicating this product/service to your clients through a different avenue, your WHY is always going to be important. I truly believe that an album tells the story of a wedding day in a way that no other product can and lives on to tell that story for generations to come. I make sure to share that belief with my clients throughout my interaction with them in various forms. I encourage you to know exactly what it is you value about albums and then build a strong, clear expression you can share with your clients, both in person and on your website! Feel free to check out my website for some inspiration!
2 -- Album Options
While I believe it is wise to keep your album options simple, I also believe it is important to communicate those options in a way that is easily understood. Spelling out exactly what you offer frees up everyone from unnecessary overwhelm. I have picked out one album size, one cover option and one paper type that I LOVE from my album company, had a sample album created with it, and that is one of the two options I give my clients. The other option is a completely different album from another company -- again with one size, one paper type, and one cover option. Whatever your album options are, showcasing them clearly and in an easily consumable way will make choices easier on your clients!
3 -- Noteworthy Details
If there are any specific details that deserve a special shout out for each of your album options and/or the album company you use, this is a great place to do so! For example, when sharing about the Queensbury album option I offer my clients, I mention it is a high end, leather covered album that is custom made in New Zealand. I also highlight specific distinguishing features such as the textured white matte pages of the album. Each album is unique and has special characteristics that might attract potential clients. This designated space on your website is a great place to highlight these features!
4 -- Additional Album Options
Are parent albums an option within your packages? Gift books? These are all things that are worth mentioning when sharing your album information and all the various options available for purchase on your website. The more you can educate your potential clients about what is available to them within your products and services, the better!
5 -- Album Images
When it comes to helping clients visualize the product you are hoping they will purchase, words can only do so much. Using high quality images that show off the beauty of your albums is essential! It is the online equivalent to sharing your sample album at the initial client meeting. If you are in search of inspiration for some ideas on how to take photographs of your albums efficiently, look no further than this post where I share some fun tips and tricks for photographing your albums!
Hopefully this has helped give you some good ideas on what is important to include on your website in order to communicate your passion for albums effectively!
I've addressed this in a past post by offering Four Tips for Getting Your Clients to Value Albums and Buy One. And in essence, they all come down to communicating your own PASSION FOR ALBUMS.
Today I want to talk specifically about one of the best ways we can do this: Creating a spot on our websites just for albums!
Adding an album section to your website can be a quick and easy task. It can be as simple as constructing a blurb on your "Info" page like I have done for my photography business. I can easily point my audience toward this information within various blog posts in which I reference albums. This helps reinforce my passion for albums to potential clients because chances are when they search for package and pricing information, they will see the album page and will understand up front that a wedding album is the number one product I most want my clients to walk away with. The thought of purchasing one will already be a seed planted in their minds before they even meet with me!
So, what all should this designated page on your website include?
Here are 5 important things to incorporate when sharing your passion for albums on your website:
1 -- Your "WHY"
Whether you are talking about albums in your initial client meeting or are communicating this product/service to your clients through a different avenue, your WHY is always going to be important. I truly believe that an album tells the story of a wedding day in a way that no other product can and lives on to tell that story for generations to come. I make sure to share that belief with my clients throughout my interaction with them in various forms. I encourage you to know exactly what it is you value about albums and then build a strong, clear expression you can share with your clients, both in person and on your website! Feel free to check out my website for some inspiration!
2 -- Album Options
While I believe it is wise to keep your album options simple, I also believe it is important to communicate those options in a way that is easily understood. Spelling out exactly what you offer frees up everyone from unnecessary overwhelm. I have picked out one album size, one cover option and one paper type that I LOVE from my album company, had a sample album created with it, and that is one of the two options I give my clients. The other option is a completely different album from another company -- again with one size, one paper type, and one cover option. Whatever your album options are, showcasing them clearly and in an easily consumable way will make choices easier on your clients!
3 -- Noteworthy Details
If there are any specific details that deserve a special shout out for each of your album options and/or the album company you use, this is a great place to do so! For example, when sharing about the Queensbury album option I offer my clients, I mention it is a high end, leather covered album that is custom made in New Zealand. I also highlight specific distinguishing features such as the textured white matte pages of the album. Each album is unique and has special characteristics that might attract potential clients. This designated space on your website is a great place to highlight these features!
4 -- Additional Album Options
Are parent albums an option within your packages? Gift books? These are all things that are worth mentioning when sharing your album information and all the various options available for purchase on your website. The more you can educate your potential clients about what is available to them within your products and services, the better!
5 -- Album Images
When it comes to helping clients visualize the product you are hoping they will purchase, words can only do so much. Using high quality images that show off the beauty of your albums is essential! It is the online equivalent to sharing your sample album at the initial client meeting. If you are in search of inspiration for some ideas on how to take photographs of your albums efficiently, look no further than this post where I share some fun tips and tricks for photographing your albums!
Hopefully this has helped give you some good ideas on what is important to include on your website in order to communicate your passion for albums effectively!
If you are new to albums all together and could benefit from even more help creating an album page on your website, check out our Album Start-Up Kit! Included in the Kit is text you can customize for your website and blog. Use our worksheet to help you develop your own personal "why" that will serve as a compelling way to communicate the value of albums to your clients, and then choose between one of two copy-and-paste text options that effectively overcome the common question of why albums "cost so much" in a non-salesy way.
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Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
Austin Garden Wedding Album Design for Lucy Struve Photography
We truly get to work with some of the most talented photographers of all time. Austin, Texas wedding photographer Lucy Struve is one of them! Her work makes us fall in love with photography and our job as designers allllll over again. Just wait until you see this stunning design we are featuring today!
Designed for a 12x12 Red Tree Album, this album design was initially created with 20 spreads, but the client increased it to 21 during revision rounds.
The colors Lucy captured in the images she shot on film from this upscale garden wedding in Austin are SO dreamy!! Here are a few of our favorite spreads from this impeccable design:
Designed for a 12x12 Red Tree Album, this album design was initially created with 20 spreads, but the client increased it to 21 during revision rounds.
The colors Lucy captured in the images she shot on film from this upscale garden wedding in Austin are SO dreamy!! Here are a few of our favorite spreads from this impeccable design:
To see the design in full, click through the slideshow:
Thank you, Lucy, for trusting us to be a part of your team!
Thank you, Lucy, for trusting us to be a part of your team!
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Design by: Rachel (View More) // Design style: Classic (View More) // Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
Design by: Rachel (View More) // Design style: Classic (View More) // Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
New Jersey Estate Wedding Album Design for Alaina Elizabeth Photography
We thought we'd start this year out right with a stand-out wedding album design we put together for New Jersey wedding photographer Alaina Elizabeth! The setting of this wedding day was Ryland Inn -- an historic equestrian estate. Alaina did such a great job featuring the setting throughout the photos from this day and as a result the whole design has a fairytale quality to it!
We were able to get this design revised and wrapped up for Alaina and her clients within 2 weeks of the order date, which is always a win!
Here are a few of our favorite spreads from this beautiful design:
We were able to get this design revised and wrapped up for Alaina and her clients within 2 weeks of the order date, which is always a win!
Here are a few of our favorite spreads from this beautiful design:
To see the design in full, click through the slideshow:
Thank you, Alaina, for trusting us to be a part of your team!
Thank you, Alaina, for trusting 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
Tips & Tricks For Photographing Your Albums
Hey guys! Melissa Jill here, owner of Align. We've talked in the past about the importance of sharing your passion for albums -- EVERYWHERE. You can't sell albums effectively and get them into the hands of all of your clients unless you are sharing your heart for this product and putting examples in front of them again and again. One of the most effective ways you can do this is through putting beautiful images of albums consistently out there on every channel that your clients might browse or interact with: your website, Instagram, Instagram Stories (Instagram Story highlights is one of our favorite places to showcase albums because you can flip through them in a video while you talk about them and really give your clients a good look at an album in action!!), etc.
So taking a moment to photograph each and every beautiful album that comes through your studio is SO valuable. Then you will have a slew of stunning examples to share! But photographing albums in a way that shows off their quality and value can be tricky. Today we are going to share some tips for photographing albums effectively!
There are a few different things to consider when approaching the task of photographing albums. First, as a photographer myself, I know your time is limited and valuable. Photographing albums, while worthwhile and beneficial, is not something that should take up a ton of your time. In an effort to demystify the process of photographing albums, I am excited to share a short video that Abby Grace was kind enough to create for us on her album photographing strategy. It is both simple and efficient.
We LOVE how Abby has systematized the process of photographing each of her client albums!
By way of review -- here is a list of Abby's 5 Steps to an Efficient Album Photo Shoot:
1 -- Set-up
Set up your tripod with camera pointed straight down at a 90 degree angle. This tripod works great!
2 -- Lighting
Make sure you are in an area with plenty of natural light! Create a make-shift reflector. Use 3 white foam poster boards taped together to make a 3/4 reflector. This helps to lessen those pesky shadows.
3 -- Background
Place a cheap, flimsy white poster board directly underneath the camera and lay the album on top of it for a clean backdrop.
4 -- Frame
Put your camera on "live preview" mode to make sure everything is lined up evenly and completely flat. This will minimize the post-production cropping/editing.
5 -- Shoot
Once everything is nailed into focus, turn the camera to manual focus to take the first photo. Without moving the camera at all, turn the page and take the next photo. Move through the entire album this way. Since everything is composed exactly the same way, you can batch the images and apply edits to the entire batch. Everything is super automated and easy with this system, which makes it possible for you to shoot 3-4 albums within 20 minutes!
You can see just how clean and lovely the outcome of this process is by visiting some of Abby's finished work that we've featured here on our blog in the past!
So taking a moment to photograph each and every beautiful album that comes through your studio is SO valuable. Then you will have a slew of stunning examples to share! But photographing albums in a way that shows off their quality and value can be tricky. Today we are going to share some tips for photographing albums effectively!
There are a few different things to consider when approaching the task of photographing albums. First, as a photographer myself, I know your time is limited and valuable. Photographing albums, while worthwhile and beneficial, is not something that should take up a ton of your time. In an effort to demystify the process of photographing albums, I am excited to share a short video that Abby Grace was kind enough to create for us on her album photographing strategy. It is both simple and efficient.
We LOVE how Abby has systematized the process of photographing each of her client albums!
By way of review -- here is a list of Abby's 5 Steps to an Efficient Album Photo Shoot:
1 -- Set-up
Set up your tripod with camera pointed straight down at a 90 degree angle. This tripod works great!
2 -- Lighting
Make sure you are in an area with plenty of natural light! Create a make-shift reflector. Use 3 white foam poster boards taped together to make a 3/4 reflector. This helps to lessen those pesky shadows.
3 -- Background
Place a cheap, flimsy white poster board directly underneath the camera and lay the album on top of it for a clean backdrop.
4 -- Frame
Put your camera on "live preview" mode to make sure everything is lined up evenly and completely flat. This will minimize the post-production cropping/editing.
5 -- Shoot
Once everything is nailed into focus, turn the camera to manual focus to take the first photo. Without moving the camera at all, turn the page and take the next photo. Move through the entire album this way. Since everything is composed exactly the same way, you can batch the images and apply edits to the entire batch. Everything is super automated and easy with this system, which makes it possible for you to shoot 3-4 albums within 20 minutes!
You can see just how clean and lovely the outcome of this process is by visiting some of Abby's finished work that we've featured here on our blog in the past!
above image by Abby Grace Photography
above image by Abby Grace Photography
While the above method is super-efficient and simple, there are also other ways to creatively style your albums that can really show off their unique features and personalities. Here are just a few that we love:
1 -- Use a textured background to add depth and character to the image. An album placed upon something that has its own shadows and light can really enhance the beauty and simplicity of the album. Some great materials to utilize are wood, tulle or textured fabric.
While the above method is super-efficient and simple, there are also other ways to creatively style your albums that can really show off their unique features and personalities. Here are just a few that we love:
1 -- Use a textured background to add depth and character to the image. An album placed upon something that has its own shadows and light can really enhance the beauty and simplicity of the album. Some great materials to utilize are wood, tulle or textured fabric.
above image by Melissa Jill Photography
2 -- Try posing the album! Photograph the details at different angles. Take some shots of the album standing up, where the pages are showcased. Take some close ups of the cover, and the fine details of various pages. Get creative with perspectives! Sometimes just showing portions of the spreads along with a textured background creates a lot of interest.
2 -- Try posing the album! Photograph the details at different angles. Take some shots of the album standing up, where the pages are showcased. Take some close ups of the cover, and the fine details of various pages. Get creative with perspectives! Sometimes just showing portions of the spreads along with a textured background creates a lot of interest.
above image by Brittany Thomas Photography
3 -- Add props to make it more interesting. Try setting up the album within the box it came in, along with some tissue paper and ribbon. Some other ideas would be to use cover fabric swatches, flowers, leaves, pine cones, etc to style the image. Using an actual detail from the wedding is also a way to help tell the story held within its pages.
3 -- Add props to make it more interesting. Try setting up the album within the box it came in, along with some tissue paper and ribbon. Some other ideas would be to use cover fabric swatches, flowers, leaves, pine cones, etc to style the image. Using an actual detail from the wedding is also a way to help tell the story held within its pages.
above image by Caroline Logan Photography
4 -- Photograph the album fulfilling its purpose. Which means, take pictures of someone sitting down with the album and pouring over the pages. You can add texture with a blanket or some kind of fabric within the shot. This not only adds depth and dimension to the image but also personalizes it and invites the viewer to imagine themselves cozied up with their very own album, soaking in the memories they will treasure for life!
4 -- Photograph the album fulfilling its purpose. Which means, take pictures of someone sitting down with the album and pouring over the pages. You can add texture with a blanket or some kind of fabric within the shot. This not only adds depth and dimension to the image but also personalizes it and invites the viewer to imagine themselves cozied up with their very own album, soaking in the memories they will treasure for life!
above image by Melissa Jill Photography
5 -- Use blank space and the rule of thirds. The album doesn't need to be centered perfectly and doesn't need much more than it's own beautiful face! Try holding the album up against a white wall where you include the hands of a nearby willing person as props! This creates a very clean and simple image, where the album is the star of the show.
5 -- Use blank space and the rule of thirds. The album doesn't need to be centered perfectly and doesn't need much more than it's own beautiful face! Try holding the album up against a white wall where you include the hands of a nearby willing person as props! This creates a very clean and simple image, where the album is the star of the show.
above image by Melissa Jill Photography
Photographing albums doesn't have to be an overwhelming or time consuming task. In fact, with a little bit of intention and creative thought, it can be kind of fun! Plus, the benefits of featuring a gorgeous album in a truly appealing way can be huge! Just like sharing sample albums with our clients during an initial client meeting, consistently sharing each clients' album through visually stunning images can be so helpful for getting clients to value them as much as we do!
Photographing albums doesn't have to be an overwhelming or time consuming task. In fact, with a little bit of intention and creative thought, it can be kind of fun! Plus, the benefits of featuring a gorgeous album in a truly appealing way can be huge! Just like sharing sample albums with our clients during an initial client meeting, consistently sharing each clients' album through visually stunning images can be so helpful for getting clients to value them as much as we do!
If you found this post helpful and would like to receive tips like these straight to your inbox, click here to sign up!
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Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
Lovely Michigan Wedding Album Design for Kelsey Renee Photography
When an album turns out this beautifully, you just HAVE TO share it!
We are so excited to share with you today the very first album we designed for Chicago based wedding photographer Kelsey Renee! Kelsey creates beautiful images and it has been such a joy to work with her this year!
This Michigan State University wedding is full of fun moments and details -- we especially are smitten with the spread featuring the groomsmen drinking out of tea cups! Too fun!
Not only did we design this album -- which was approved with NO REVISIONS in less than one week -- but we also printed it! Kelsey was so kind to send us a few photos of the 10x10 Align Legacy Book covered in our Tweed distressed leather. This album includes 15 spreads and has gold fold debossing on the cover in Helvetica font.
Here are a few of our favorite spreads from this lovely design:
We are so excited to share with you today the very first album we designed for Chicago based wedding photographer Kelsey Renee! Kelsey creates beautiful images and it has been such a joy to work with her this year!
This Michigan State University wedding is full of fun moments and details -- we especially are smitten with the spread featuring the groomsmen drinking out of tea cups! Too fun!
Not only did we design this album -- which was approved with NO REVISIONS in less than one week -- but we also printed it! Kelsey was so kind to send us a few photos of the 10x10 Align Legacy Book covered in our Tweed distressed leather. This album includes 15 spreads and has gold fold debossing on the cover in Helvetica font.
Here are a few of our favorite spreads from this lovely design:
To see the album design in full, click through the slideshow:
Thank you, Kelsey, for trusting us to be a part of your team!
Thank you, Kelsey, for trusting 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
