Today, I’m here to give you the skinny on albums, and to help you figure out if an album will be worth an investment for you, and what your options are with JHP if you do decide to invest in one!
WHO EXACTLY ARE ALBUMS FOR?
When many people think of albums, they think of the wedding album their parents (or grandparents) would pull out of the attic or the basement from time to time, featuring familiar faces with younger features. While wedding albums are still an extremely popular way to showcase photos, and double as a family heirloom, albums are not just for wedding couples. Albums can also be for:
Parents of the Bride or Groom: They play a huge role in a wedding day and want to remember it, too!
Grandparents of the Bride or Groom: Grandparents are so proud of their grandchildren, and the gift of photos (and something physical they can show their friends and family!) is priceless!
Parents of High School Seniors: An album is an excellent way to showcase photos from a senior session. Think of it as a more “upscale” yearbook, featuring just the senior! I’ve also seen beautiful albums featuring a senior throughout the years - from an infant, to high school senior! Those are sure to bring some happy tears!
Grandparents of High School Seniors: Tell me what grandparent wouldn’t absolutely ADORE an album filled with their precious grandchild’s senior photos?! This one’s a given!
Families: Ever heard of a “family year book?” While scrapbooking might not be as popular as it once was, beautifully crafted yearly family photo albums are gaining in popularity! Yearly photo albums are a great way to showcase family highlights throughout the year, and create a legacy and “history” of sorts, for your family to look back on! (Note: not all of the photos in an album have to be professional! I’ve had some families mix personal and phone photos into their professional shots to feature the full year!)
Albums are a wonderful way to showcase all of life’s highlights. By investing in an album, you are investing in remembering your history. You’re creating an heirloom that will stand the test of changes in technology, and can be passed down from generation to generation. We might not know how long digital photographs will last if they’re simply living on a computer or a phone - technology could change at any moment! But albums? They stand the test of time.
ALBUM OVERVIEW DETAILS:
If you’ve read this far and you’re interested preserving your legacy with an album (yay!) I’d love to share some options with you for the albums I offer to my clients!
All of the albums JHP offers feature:
Custom interior photo design
Linen or Leatherette album covering
20 pages, or 10 spreads (with the option to add additional pages/spreads)
Thick pages for durability (0.05" thick with a black core)
A Luster page surface for maximum shine and vibrant colors
Below, I’ll be offering some additional details on size and cover style and materials. Albums are customizable in color, cover, and are made durably to stand the test of time!
ALBUM SIZE OPTIONS:
8x8” - The perfect “coffee table” size! If you want this album to be a piece that remains on display in your living room (but doesn’t take up too much room), this size is perfect! The only caveat about the 8x8” album is that you can’t put too many photos on each spread or page - because the pages are quite small!
10x10” - This is my most popular size for parent albums! While the 12x12” is large (and sometimes bulky to handle) and the 8x8” is a little small (and holds less photos) the 10x10” is the perfect in between. It can easily stay on a coffee table, or can be kept on a bookshelf. It’s large enough to feature multiple photos on each spread, but small enough to easily handle. It is the perfect size for reminiscing over your photos with friends and family!
12x12” - This is my most popular size among my wedding couples! My 12x12” albums are robust and can hold lots of photos per page (or spread). Many of my couples love this size because they can have beautiful spreads featuring portraits and details together, in a cohesive format, all on one page! This is a big album, so it doesn’t always fit on standard bookshelves or coffee tables. It’s less for display purposes, and more for pulling out on special occasions!
ALBUM COVER MATERIAL OPTIONS:
Linen: A cloth-like material for a modern look! There are 14 colors of linen to choose from (see below), making the material a popular choice for parents and couples who want a cover color to match the colors of the wedding!
Leatherette: A classic leather finish never goes out of style! I, personally, tend to love leather because it is easy to keep clean and fresh. I own a few leather albums and have accidentally spilled water and/or coffee on them, and the spills wipe right off!
ALBUM COVER STYLE OPTIONS:
Inscription (Pictured Below): Imprint names and the wedding date on the cover in your choice of gold, silver, or embossing!
Photo Cut Out Covers (Pictured below): Features a cameo window with your choice of photo in the center of the album cover.
ALBUM ORDERING PROCESS:
If you would be interested in ordering an album, take a peek at the process below!
Inquire: Email me (Jenna) directly at jhidingerphotography@gmail.com, to let me know that you are interested in ordering an album.
Complete Order Form: I will send over an “album order form,” where you will be able to choose the size of your album, your cover material & style, and any additional features.
Choose Photos: Next, you’ll go into your gallery and “like” the photos you would like to be included in your album. The gallery software will create a folder for me to download with your favorite images! Or, if you would rather have me choose the photos to be included in your album, I’d be happy to do so!
Interior Design: Once you are finished liking your photos, I will download your selected images and design an interior layout. It can take a few days to a week to receive your first draft, depending on the time of year (i.e., if you’re ordering an album during wedding season, turn around time will be a bit slower!)
Proofing: After the initial interior design is complete, I will send you your initial design via my gallery software, where you’ll be able to make comments and request changes.
Payment: Once we finalize your design, I’ll send over an invoice for the full album amount, and once it is paid, I will place your album order!
Finished Album! You will receive your finished album in the mail within 6 to 8 weeks! Production time takes a couple of weeks from the time the order is placed, and I always have any album orders I place shipped to me first, in order to make sure the order is accurately fulfilled!
ALBUM FAQ:
How much will my album cost?
Album prices range from $350 for the smallest size, to $750 for the largest size (plus sales tax) depending on things like size, style, and number of pages. ALL albums include 20 pages (or 10 spreads) as default, with the option of adding more.
Who chooses the photos that are going to be in my album?
I always like to encourage my clients to choose the photos that will be included in their album, but I know the photo choosing process can be overwhelming, especially for wedding albums where you’re trying to tell the story of the wedding day! If you’re having trouble choosing images, let me know and I would be happy to either (1) choose some of images for you to “fill in” the gaps in the design, or (2) choose all of the images for you. Even if I do choose all of your images for you, you’ll be able to see the interior design and ask for any to be removed or included throughout the proofing process.
How long, from inquiring to getting my album in the mail, does the process take?
Depending on the time of year you start your album ordering process, and how fast we’re able to work through the interior design proofs, the process as a whole can take anywhere from 2 to 4 months. In the winter during my “slower season” (when I’m not photographing as many sessions and/or events), my turn around time for albums is faster.
How do I know what size album to get? Is one better than the others?
It really depends on what you plan on using your album for, and the event/session you want to showcase. For example, I always recommend a 10x10” or 12x12” size album for weddings, because there are so many more photos to include than, say, a senior or family session. Most parents of brides/grooms order the 10x10” size, because it’s not too big and not too small. Many of my wedding couples order a 12x12” so they can fit lots of photos in, and many of my senior and family clients opt for the smallest size (8x8”), because it’s the perfect size for keeping on a book shelf or featuring on a coffee table!
Why are these albums priced the way they are?
These albums are made to last. They are built from the highest quality materials available on the market and are meant to be kept for years. The incredibly thick pages and durable covers make them heirloom quality.
How do I start the album ordering process?
Simply shoot me an email at jhidingerphotography@gmail.com and we can get the ball rolling! If you want to start working ahead, head over to your online photo gallery and begin “liking” the photos in your gallery you’d like to be included!
Have a question about albums that wasn’t answered in this blog post? Feel free to leave a comment below, or email me directly at: jhidingerphotography@gmail.com.