How to CHOOSE the right album for you

Some of our clients who come in for their initial consultation are often surprised by how much our albums cost, so I wanted to share why & how I chose the products we offer.

Most consumers have no idea what the difference is between all the types of albums, and rightly so! It’s our job as the photographer and the expert in our field to share with our clients the different options so they can make an informed and educated decision based on their own values, wants and needs. 

Here’s a breakdown of typical album options:

Self Mount Albums: 

Self-mount albums are more like scrapbooks that can be as creative or as clean and modern as you wish. These types of albums typically have blank paper pages that allow you to personally mount and design your album with your printed photos.

These can be fun for the creative types, but can be very expensive and time consuming. First you must purchase and print your favorite photos and buy all your materials and then you will have to make sure your portraits last a lifetime and do not deteriorate over time.

Press Printed Album: 

Think Shutterfly, MixPrint, SnapFish, & VistaPrint! These are albums you design online and are printed on thin sheets of paper in a book type style. They are very economical compared to other choices, but often the press printing downgrades the quality of the images and can appear grainy and blurry. As a photographer who works very hard to deliver my clients the highest quality images that are tack sharp, this can ruin the integrity of my quality guarantee.

I actually had a mom tell me the other day that she, not knowing any better, had printed her daughter’s newborn pictures in an album with shutterfly and just 2-3 years later the binding and pages were falling apart. She said, “yes it was the cheaper option, but I wanted to pass this down to my daughter and now I have to go make another album. I wish I would have just invested in a better option in the first place.”

So in conclusion...  press printed albums are cheaper, but can also be poor quality when it comes to the images, the construction and the longevity. 

Lay Flat Album vs Flush Mount Album:

Lay Flat Albums can be very similar to Flush Mount Albums with 2 major differences depending on the printer/vendor. 

Lay Flat Albums are typically either press printed or printed on Premium photo paper with thin, floppy pages whereas Flush Mount Albums, which also have lay flat pages, are printed on Professional photo paper and are mounted on thick archival board pages which lend to durability and longevity.

 
Our Albums: 

I offer Professional Flush Mount Albums from one of the top quality pro labs in the World. I believe in delivering you the highest quality experience and photography and that guarantee doesn’t stop when it comes to the products I offer either. I want you to not only love your portraits today, but for 10, 20, 40, 60 years down the road. I want to make sure that the money you are investing is going to give you an album & products that last a lifetime too. 

I’ve heard more than once from my clients… “Oh Wow! This is kinda like a kids' cardboard book!” And I always answer…. “Yep! You know why a kids book is made that way? So it will stand up to lots of use and no tearing of pages! I want you to look at your album often and I want it to last for a lifetime, so I choose the highest quality product that will last!”

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Hopefully this insight was helpful and you can now choose which album is in alignment with your values & needs for your next photo shoot, be it a family shoot, newborn shoot, etc!