Album advice.

[Mike Keller]

I've always purchased albums from Albums Inc., and the prices are reasonable and you can put together a nice looking album. The only problem with doing the old-fashioned individual prints is having to stock various opening mats, which you have to buy in packages of a dozen, if you want to get creative on pages.

I agree, I wouldn't give the bride an album for free, you're gonna have at least $100 in it and the bride may not like the album or layout. But an album for yourself is a necessity and you can get creative with that.

I recently did a wedding for a friend's daughter and I want to deliver the "magazine style" album, but I don't want to send it off to be made. I want to get the prints made locally and assemble the album myself using one of those albums that will let you do that (either stick on or slip in). Has anyone here done that and if so, what do you use?

[allcart]

Chris, At the moment I am really just an amateur but enthusiastic freelance photographer. I have a substantial investment in photographic equipment (for an amateur) and am being asked more and more if I would cover events, weddings or simply shoot family portraits. I generally turned down weddings because I didn't want the responsibility involved, but a close friend persuaded me to cover her wedding and I loved it. I actually got quite a buzz from it. I would seriously consider doing more weddings in the future. I still have a lot to learn though, and creating albums is just one part.

[allcart]

Ok, so I took the general advice and did not produce an album. Instead, I gave the bride and groom 90 6x4 edited prints of her choice and a handful of A4 enlargements. They were very pleased, so I guess I worried for nothing.
It turns out that she is going to create her own album which is why she did not want me to do one for her. So as someone said...give them what they want.
She is happy, I got paid, so everyone is happy.

PS; Having spent some more time printing the pics myself, and weighing up the cost in time, paper and ink, I'm not sure I want to go that way in future. I must find a quality lab in the UK, I'm sure it will be better in the long term.

[Ed Gerson]

"BTW: Drew, what happened to real names?? I think it's a huge difference."

Well Doug, do you see a REPORT THIS POST option? Many professional forums have a button where you can click in order to reply, or quote, also to report bad language or abusive posts, etc.

I haven't seen any bad language or verbal abuse. Haven't run in to any bad people yet - that said, I'd like for Drew to notify the people as a professional courtesy to all concerned. The site needs to be monitored for rules compliance.

Another method would simply be to check out the threads and insert the same question you posed each time you see a violation. - Ed

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