brooke_moore

MPIX, is fantastic. The software is simple but has tons of premade templates and it is so easy to customize from there.

Great prices and enough choices to satisfy most clients.

Since it is a full service lab with a retail side bar you will have properly adjusted files on each page!!!

Give them a look.

Brooke

Use a major photo lab. They all provide these cards in units of either 5 or 24 and the prices are great. Most have two or more paper choices and fast turn around.

I use MillersLab but all of the full service labs do them. A quick search will turn up one that you feel comfortable with.

I just reread and you want single, hard to find unless you do them yourself which is easy if you have a photo quality printer. The card blanks are available at all of the office supply stores.

But I would suggest you can offer a collection of say 25 with 5 of each image, closer to what the marketplace offers.

Good luck

Brooke

Lightroom is perfect for your request.

I Export my selections in multiple ways, high res JPGS for printing, SRGB for web use, med res JPGS for proofing all at a quick click or two.

If you are using Lightroom I can't see why you need anything else.

Brooke

the main site is: www.millerslab.com

They have just upgraded their order software so for those of us with Vista a good thing.

Brooke

James

On turnaround time from MillersLab I uploaded a panoramic album, 12x12 on Monday am and had the finished product at my studio yesterday.

Amazing turn around. I estimate that it takes me less time to design and upload an album than it did to put prints and mats into an album. The digital time is the same for either a standard printed book or a digital one.

I do press books which are very economical but love the look of the assembled flush books with totally flat pano spreads. I can do a 40 side design in about 1-2 hours as long as the images are corrected before hand.

Brooke

After trying a few I am backwith Millers and very happy.

The proof book printing is wonderful and the paper is heavy and makes a "big" impact in presentation.

I am looking for a way cool envelope or box to use for delivery but meanwhile found some fabriczip pouches at Target that will get me through the rest of the season.

Brooke

While some may be willing to have another person design I am not at all sure that it is a reasonable way to have a good finished product.

Since you are getting started why not get started and take control of your final product as well as the images that go into it.

There are simple design systems to begin with, like using a major lab and working with the provided templates to start with and making modifications to incorporate your ideas.

Keep in mind that photographers created great film based albums using a set of mats for decades and the albums were fun and showcased a day very well. Too much design does not always increase the impact of the product.

Look around and see if you have the skill to put the images into a reasonable order and then using the templates to make a design that reflects your client and your perception of the day.

Nothing against the Storybookpages concept but it does make for an extreemly high priced end product which is probably not a good balance with a staring photographer's client.

Brooke

Since you have not indicated what camera/flash you are using hard to give a specific answer.

I use fill flash outdoors for formals to avoid harsh shadows and make sure that there is even lighting on the group.

Some directional light and or open shade is much easier to manage. More people will have their eyes open and be focused on you.

That said, flash should compliment the lighting not try to be the lighting. IF you have a flash/camera system that are matched and have high level metering capability then use it! If you are spending so much time trying to meter for every situation you will never get the images taken.

Learn what the meter says and what the camera/flash gives you so that you can alter the setting of the flash to give you the best capture for the look you are after.

I use D200s with 800Nikon flashes and the proper cord and have totally reliable and accurate metering and flash output. I generaly use the flash neutral but will add or subtract flash output if there is an affect I am after.

Takes practice and mostly takes learning to see the light that is in the scene and then modifying it with your flash. Also it should not be neccesary to be at ISO100, we shoot mostly at 400 to have more depth of field and a fair chance of having the whole group in focus.

Brooke

I highly reccomend MillersLab.

You can do it all or they will do a lot. Tons of choices on album from simple cheap press printed-theirs look better than most "pro" albums at a third of the cost to full pano-photo bound books.

Turn around is immediate. I just did a 12x12 pano album which I uploaded on Monday morning and have in my hands right now, Wed afternoon!!!!!!!!!!!!

They have image hosting and print systems-I don;t use that part of the program. Well worth a look. Much less low end looking than the ones you are considering.

Beware of Collage. The charges just mount up at an astonishing rate and the fullfillment times are not as touted.

Brooke

These post surely indicate how photos are just another commodity to be consumed and not appreciated.

It is almost impossible to get a clean aisle shot these days even if you ask those in the front rows to please stay inside the pew they lean out or stand right in the middle in front of the bride and dad to take their cell phone image.

Amazingly the clients seem not to notice as long you get the images they are expecting. Grin and bear it!

My response to a similar demand that a child be allowed to be where I was standing to do the ceremony was "when she grows up and is the pro she can stand here, meanwhile she can be right there" and I pointed to a location away from me. Shut the parent up and the kid was happy to be given a bit of direction.

Brooke

Must have been in the stars yesteday.

Had a day not dissimilar that started with the limo breaking down 1 block from the church and the driver just saying "nothing I can do about it."!

Some days are just like that. Take a look at some images you love from another day and tell yourself "some days I really earn the $$"

Amazing to me after years of this that more of them are not horrible!

My sympathy on a rotten day and my hope that better will come for us all

Brooke

Box is ok if you are not doing an album design.

Problem is people give them away or take them and then the couple is looking for an image that they want used and they have no idea what it is.

I still use some proof albums with prints but am converting to printed proof albums so that there is not problem either way and if they want a print they can order it!

Brooke

I believe that they have a retail web site that sells albums direct to those not in the business.

Or for wholesale AlbumsInc. huge distributor of their products.

Be cautious on the ebay some of the albums are former samples and not new.

Brooke

I agree too much photoshop, his head is too distorted looks like he has a brain injury.

I don't think the background is the issue. But maybe a different crop would take away some of the distractions like the bows The kiss is sweet and the arm angles very intimate but the image looks creepy to me.

Brooke

Hey Kevin

The quality looks questionable on my display, hard to know if it is how you posted them on facebook or if they are all sort of out of focus.

Ok for second shooting approaches but not no much snap to the images. I like the one of the groomsman and the boy, sweet candid.

One suggestion I would have is that you need to sort out a point of view of what you are trying to capture. Are you looking only for casual moments or more of the central story line? Also the realtionship between you and the subject seems all the same to me.

Not bad for a start but keep looking!

Brooke

The D200 is a fabulous camera BUT you need to operate it in a method that takes advantage of its best features.

The 800 is a far superior flash and better balanced with the camera.

If you are shooting RAW/JPG then you can print a very good 4x6 from the jpg directly. Keep in mind that the camera has modified the jpg image and has not done anything to the raw file, SO you have to work with the raw file to define color balance, sharpen etc.

I know I am a huge fan of Lightroom but it really works and if you are seriously going to try to have the look of medium then it will be worth while to learn it. Do the 30 day trial and I am confident that after two you will buy it!

Don't know much about MAC but I do know that having a lot of memory is essential to deal with digital. I also keep two computers one that is only used for image work and another that does everything else.

Keeps things simple and avoids bad stuff getting into the image areas.

Feel free to email me if you want or to call next week.

Brooke

I make the basic adjustments in Lightroom on all the files, conversions to tonal changes like B&W, sepia etc then if there is a huge problem to retouch I will do a few at the proof edit.

We find that most clients feel our proofs are better quality than most of their friend's final products.

As long as there was no extreeme exposure issues then the proofs go quick and I have done the base adjustment before the images are selected for album or print production. Lightroom has saved me an incredible amount of time and effort.

I love being able to see what the options are for a give image right away and make the change then move on. It is quick to do batch changes or you can work more closely in the Develop module on a few similar images and the set again for the next grouping. I switch to Photoshop if there is a big fix needed but don't get too carried away.

Editing down images is quick in several view options and you can export for printing and then edit again and export for images for web use.

Love it, worth the price and the short learning time.

Brooke

I often have this question on not only Bar/Bat but weddings with sibs.

I match the items that were purchased the last time and then adjust to take into account price raises.

Most people assume that it will be more to get the same as they did the previous time and some want to do something different to reflect differences in the style of the kids.

I have never had the price difference be a big issue. Sometimes I discount something that really doesn't cost me anything, we can discount our video coverage and it is time not product cost so that is where I usually make the bigger discount evident.

Brooke

Good thoughts above but I would also suggest that you will need to be sure that who ever the photographer for the events you are going to is aware that you are shooting for the DJ not for the client!!

Could be a bit sticky otherwise.

I also assume that the DJ should clear this with the clients as well

Brooke

The cake in the corner is often a better option than the cake totally blocking the view of the couple through out the rest of the day!

So many of the venues here plunk the cake and all the other stuff right in front of the table and it not only blocks the view but is a huge obstacle for the toast, dancing etc.

Unless the cake is some sort of really fabulous special creation I dont make a big deal out of it. Get some great still life images at the start and go with the flow later on. In so many cases the bride and groom are hardly at their optimal look at that point and a close up of the hands and knife and a great kiss after feeding makes a fine moment to include.

Parents seem more interested in the classic knife on the cake looking into the camera shot which when I can I do but don't get overly carried away if it isn't going to happen.

Brooke

Not a dumb question!

What to wear is a challenge. Never a dress! Too hard to move around and too many ways to be uncomfortable and show a bit too much.

I always wear a jacket no matter the temperature. I will take it off after the ceremony outside and sometimes if its really hot will forgo during an informal ceremony.

I have a collection of jackets with pockets than hold what I need from moment to moment and most of them are fairly long so that no problems with bending over and reaching up.

Tailored pants in dark colors that work with jackets. Then I add t-shirt, cotton shirt or sweater depending on the tempt and time of year. I avoid the cliche of the all black boring I assume that they hired me to be a bit artsy and festive!

Best bet is to invest in some good quaility tailored black pants that really fit! I find that web sites like lands end, ColdwaterCreek(my favorite source) and Orvis have good prices and washable items that look great.

You will get more value from 1 pair of $50 pants from a good source than 4 pair of $15 ones from the local WalMart.

For a formal event you are still working not attending so simple and tailored is always good. I think the fake tux thing is way out of date. You are not the wait staff.

Most important SHOES that do NOT make a sound!

Pretty earings and simple make up. I don't wear lipstick because of the potential for it to get on veil or dress. Seems odd but you only have to be close when the brides maids are tossing the dress around and have it hit you in the face to know what I mean.

Hope that helps

Brooke

Look into Millerslab they have a reasonably priced method.

You will need to be a client of theirs but the services are great, the press print items are fabulous.

Worth a look, more "pro" and less consumer which is my problem with smugmug.

Brooke

What do you want cost to you? Range I find from labs is from about 10-46cents.

Cost charged to clients? $4-5 typical around here.

Brooke

I like the rectangle format for drama but the square looks more like traditional matted albums so some clients like that look.

I think it important to have options. Some clients are more creative and receptive to a dramatic look and others are not. I only offer the parent sizes in square, 8x8 so that is one spot that is simpler.

I agree with Mark that is nice to just resize some of the layouts and pop them into the smaller album offerings.

I find it is easy to have an option available with a price and even if no one picks it you look better for having some options on the list.

Brooke

Join PhotoshopProfessionals and weekly there are great video podcasts with tips and approaches.

Great value and you will get discounts on all types of things from books to dvd's to workshops and the magazine is an incredible resource.

Brooke