Toronto 424 club

What's that? 


The only preset I use are the premade Black 20"x14.6" by 300dpi blank pages (I have different template sets for the I mount albums)  that I have made for the complete album so that I don't have to do that step every time. The pages are saved with a center guideline and named accordingly. Everything else is "by eye" and visual feel as I go along. I have 2 guidlelines to work with as I go along (I don't preplan the whole book before I start) - - - firstly that on 40 pages with the 110 images that have been selected,  I am working with roughly 2 to 3 images for each page and so consider that as I am going along putting images into the pages from front to back - - - secondly the limitations caused by the images that the couple have selected and making sure that they fit properly and in sequence for telling a story.  But all pages start as a black blank slate. This layout took around 7 or 8 hours to complete - - - but that is why I consider $1000 of the $4500 the couple pay for these albums, to be Design Fee.


The reason I am stating this - is because I have had so many photographers contact me over the last couple years that I have been posting the layouts on forums - who are trying to do all of this work on albums that are included within their normal pricing structure - - - and it is frustrating and time consuming for them - - - and not possible. Many who are just starting out don't realize the dollar value that experienced or artistic photographers place on their products - - - and try and copy the methods without the compensation. That may be fine for 1 or 2 weddings, but the will soon give up. My lowest priced wedding book is the 20 page 8x10 Art Leather I Mount which I price at $1500 (I consider $500 of that to be design fee) - - - up to custom books that contain 40 to 60 pages and that can exceed $5000. These prices are not abnormal if you were to talk to any established photographers who see their product as an artsitic investement. A few months back I visited Al Gilberts Studio in Toronto (http://www.pdn-pix.com/pdn/cp/olympus/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003409066 )and he showed me a couple of his current wedding albums (standard matted type) and stated that they were $5000 - - - and it is worth every penny to his clients.     


BTW - the company who makes my books has extensive layout templates free of charge (and online) which I could use - - - but I find it too complicated for my simple mind to figure out, so just throw then together myself.