Best album for portfolio?

[sara_sanders]

<p>Hello all! I usually present my work to potential clients on a DVD or online. In two years, I have never had a need to use anything else. However, a potential client would like to see a hard copy of my work. It's about time I had a hard copy of my portfolio.</p>

<p>Anyway, the question is this: What do you all use for a hard copy of your portfolios? I would like to present various 4x6, 5X7 and 8x10 of all of the weddings that I have done. I would also like to be able to remove and replace these pictures as I do more weddings. Where is the best place to get this type of album? I have done thorough research on this site and have found minimal answers as to the exact type of album that would be perfect for this.</p>

<p>Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!</p>

<p>Sara</p>

[chris_whitcomb1]

<p>Are you doing albums for your clients? If so, use that company to make a best of 2008 album where you could put your individual fav's from the year or create a spread for each wedding. We're doing the spread for each wedding book so the client can get a feel for our consistency of quality from wedding to wedding.<br /> To actually try and answer your question, I have yet to find an album like the one your looking for that is professional enough to do our images the justice they deserve. Presentation of the product is just as important as the product itself.</p>

[sherijohnson]

<p>I like Chris's idea...the best of....</p>

[barbara_lucas_wilson]

<p>I use Itoya portfolios to present my work to clients. The 11 x 14 size works well for me, and I do a mixture of 4 x 6s and other sizes, and then usually an 8 x 10 on a separate page. 3 pages per wedding, to give them a highlights view. I also have a couple of sample albums, one with GraphiStudio, with several weddings in it. And another from Black River Imaging that just has one wedding in it. This is only our third season, so we're building slowly. But for what you're looking to do, the Itoya would work well. Even available at Amazon for a reasonable price.</p>

[wedding-photography-denver]

<p>If you are selling albums, get the albums you want to sell and make them look like a single wedding, not a best of (IMO).</p>

<p>If you just want prints in a portfolio, get a nice leather 11x14 portfolio from Aaron bros. (or such) and a set or two, of the sleves that go in there. Of course, this will mean selecting a few prints in smaller sizes to be printed as one on an 11x14 if you choose the smaller sizes. I would only print 11x14's of single images in this case anyhow. It has more impact.</p>

[sara_sanders]

<p>Chris - I am doing albums for my clients. I go through Studio Logic. I have been purchasing their Couture Albums which are absolutely beautiful. I could use that, but I'd rather my portfolio encompass more than just one year. I suppose I could by a new album every year, but I was just hoping to find a nice professional-looking album that I could remove and replace pictures as I please.</p>

<p>Barbara and David - thank you for the suggestions. I am looking at both Itoya and Aaron Brothers as I write this. Do you find that these portfolios are as professional-looking as a flush mount album?</p>

[think27]

Sara - I always showed one full wedding in an album to show how a wedding would look and it really helps to sell albums. Then, I'd frame a few 5x7's and 8x10's and 11 x14's for the walls. If you don't have an office .. I would (and did) purchase a large artist porfolio to show loose (favorite) enlargements. In addition, I kept a nice full proof album full of 4x6's. I had them divided by theme. First 10 pages (3 up) were getting ready shots (all kinds of brides/locations/lighting), next would be bride portraits with many of my favorite brides, next would be lots of different ceremony shots, then group shots, lots of couple shots and a combo of formal and artsy/candid and then lots of reception. Also had a section for detail shots. This way you can show a large variety of your work and a full = typical album as well as a selection of enlargements

[sara_sanders]

<p>Mary - thank you for the suggestions! That would encompass absolutely everything. I'm finding it harder and harder to sell albums. With every wedding that I do, I give the bride and groom a DVD of all of the pictures that I take. I give them the option of doing with it as they please. However, I do give them a form to order prints through me. I'd like to be able to take the DVD out of my package so that they would have to order the prints through me, but most couples won't book a package without the DVD. Most of them think that they can create an album themselves that rivals a professionally done album.</p>

<p>Anyway, thanks for everyone's help! I have something to go on now.</p>

[think27]

<p>Sara - that is where educating the client comes in. Having a real pro album on hand and educating them that there are very few outlets for couples to buy or produce a pro level album is one way. And, image quality is another...<br>

To make a short story long ;-) I had a second shooter once that shot digital (I shot film) for one of my weddings. He make proof prints from the files and gave me those for the proof album.</p>

<p>The couple ordered some of his prints. He had the reprints printed for the order and gave them to me. They were different and not anywhere near as good. I asked what happened. He changed labs. I then took his files and sent them to my lab and they were even better than the original proofs! </p>

<p>So - if it were me? I'd take a few choice prints and have them printed by 3-4 different labs (maybe one being a Walmart) and hopefully the best image would be from my lab ;-) I'd tell them, "sure you can have your lab print your files from this DVD but if you want really good prints....you would be getting "this" (my lab) instead of "that" (consumer lab) ... </p>

<p>This is something I did for years with negatives printed from 4 different labs and I convinced 95% of my couples that they should print with me. When you see the photos side by side - you really understand why the photographer should be in charge of printing your photos. </p>

<p>Now, I don't know if it is always true that different labs printing the same digital file will come up with different results. I'm only talking about one experience I had which really surprised me.</p>