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Creating Professional Photo Books

Creating professional photo books is something that used to take a designers’ eye - and that seems to be something that discouraged a number of photographers from offering the books to their clients as a unique wedding or family album and from using them as unique, attention-getting portfolios. Fortunately for those photographers who want to be sure that they are using professional quality photo books and who want to not feel intimidated by the design process, there are simple ways of getting the photo book you’ve always dreamed of.

When you create professional photo books, even starting out with page templates does not mean that your book will look just like anyone else’s; it just means that you’ll have some guidelines in front of you so that page bleeds and margins show up correctly. Choosing colors and fonts that are appropriate - or even looking for unique, somewhat “funky” styles - is simple, and laying text over or around photos does not take a great deal of time or effort.

By creating the right professional photo books, you can be sure that your work stands out in the way that you want it to. By taking control of the process and making the effort to maintain creative control throughout you can be sure that you feel good about standing behind your work, supporting and promoting your photography business and selling your work to your clients.

Photo Book Marketing: Something to Offer Your Clients

While there are some profession photographers who shoot portraits and weddings, there are others that capture shots for advertisers. Whether you shoot fashion photography, focus on macros of the small product parts that your clients market and sell, or you do something in between, photo book marketing can help you to know that you’re giving your clients exactly what they are looking for.

With photo book marketing, you’re able to help your clients to use your photos to build their reputation. With photo book marketing, you’ll find that it’s easy to create a lasting impression and to help your clients to inspire and entice those who they are trying to reach..

More than by just using your photos for photo book marketing, your clients will be able to provide you with text, descriptions and other information that they want to include. That way, you will be able to work with the big picture and to help your clients help themselves,

When you are able to talk with your clients about the merits of photo book marketing, you’ll find that suddenly you aren’t just a photographer, it’s almost like you become a member of their marketing team. And, as a result, you build your repution along with theirs,

Printed Photo Books Create Solutions

As a photographer, there are going to be times when you find yourself challenged. It’s not always going to be that the family your are photographing isn’t particularly "into the shot." It does not always have something to do with the lighting, or shooting in the rain for an outdoor wedding. Sometimes, the challenge to photography has a lot more to do with showcasing your work and standing out from your competitors.

Printed photo books create solutions when you need a better way to showcase your work and to send a final version to your clients.

With printed photo books:

  1. You’re able to crop photos so that they’ll work in the photo book and the "rough spots" can be removed;
  2. You’ll be able to use photos that have been shot on an angle to create a more interesting look - something that doesn’t always work in a more traditional album;
  3. You’ll be able to please those clients who  want something that’s different, something that other photographers don’t offer.

Knowing that you have the right tools for showcasing your work can help to create a newfound confidence, a sense that you have what it takes to make your work stand out.

Design Tips: Get Your Clients Involved

One of the best design tips that you can get when you offer printed photo books as an option of your clients is simple: get your clients involved in the design process.

Here’s why getting your clients involved in the planning is such a great idea:

  • Your clients are going to want specific pictures included in the photo book; when they are involved, you can be sure that the album you’ve created has all of the shots that they want it to have;
  • Your clients know themselves better than you know them. When they are involved in the design process, you can let them choose a color scheme, a cover that better suits their personalities;
  • If there is going to be text included in the printed photo books, your clients can have a say in what is said.

In other words, when you let your clients for whom you are designing a printed photo books get involved, you can be sure that they are getting the photo book that they want - ensuring that they are even happier with the end results.

Printed Photo Books: Publishing Should Be More than a Pipe Dream

Everyone has dreams - professional photographers are no exception. Many of those photographers probably share a dream - at least on some levels: they want to be able to publish their work in a printed photo books. What many of them don’t consider is that there’s a chance to make this dream come true - and to do so on their own terms.

Printed photo books allow photographers to self-publish: no more waiting aound for a publisher to come across their work. No more having to compromise - whether by including a photo that you see as imperfect or by not including the shot that you see as the highlight of your collection. No more need to be told that someone else will edit your writing which means no more risk of having the you taken out of your photo book.

When you self-publish, you will find that you are able to make your dreams come true without the wait. You’ll find that you are able to create the look and feel that you want your photo book to have and that you won’t have to worry about anything. You’ll know up front that everything looks exactly the way that you want it to. You’ll know from the get go that, whether you intend to use the book for yourself, as a gift or even for a client, it will be exactly as you planned it.

Printed Photo Books Let You Capture the World as You See It

When you walk down any street in your home town, when you visit a nearby city and really take the time to absorb the landscape, when you travel: as a photographer, each of those situations gives you the chance to see the world in a new way. printed photo books give you a chance to share what you see with others.

When you use a printed photo book, you’re able to create a narrative: what’s going on in the lives of those whose portraits you’ve taken? What is an average day life, or is there no such thing as an average day in the life? When someone is walking, your photos collected into a printed photo book are an opportunity to show where that person is walking to - even if the destination is one that is only real within your imagination.

As a photographer, there are so many things that you document each and every day; as a photographer, you have stories to tell. Printed photo books allow you do more than just tell your stories; they give you a chance to share those stories as well.

Sharing makes everything more valuable. When you share your experiences, they become more credible. When you share your work, you’ll find that you’re able to develop a stronger sense of purpose; a greater appreciation for why you do what you do.

Photo Book Tip: Choose the Book’s Purpose Up Front

When you’re going to be creating printed photo books for your photography business, one of the best tips that you can get is one of the simplest: before you get started with the design process, know the book’s purpose.

For example, if you’re going to be using a printed photo book as an album for your clients, you’ll find that you’re way of laying out a photo book will be different than if you are creating an album that is meant to showcase your work.

Likewise, if you’re creating a printed photo book because you’re looking to self-publish, you’ll be taking a different approach to a photo book as well.

When you know the purpose of the book that you’re going to be creating, you’ll find that it’s a lot easier to choose which photos to use, what text you will want to include, what color scheme will be best - and all of the rest of the details will fall into place as well.

That’s why knowing the book’s purpose ahead of time is such a valuable tip: it will smooth out the whole process.

Design Tips for Creating Great Photo Books

When you are designing photo books, there are a number of things that you can do to make sure that the process goes smoothly. Here are some great design tips so that, whether your goal is to design photo books for your clients or to sell or as a portfolio, you’ll come up with exactly what you are looking for.

  1. Sketch out layouts even before you start to design a photo book. When you take the time to develop a sense of how pages will look before you set them up, it gives you a roadmap and ensures that the end result will be closer to your ideal.
  2. Consider whether or not you’ll be including text and develop a sense of which photos you’ll be using. When you know what content you’re going to be using, it’s easier to put it all into place.
  3. Be willing to step back and take breaks. You don’t need to design your photo books in a single setting.
  4. Seek input from others. If you’re working on a photo book for a client, be sure to let him or her see the proofs; if you’re designing something for yourself, be willing to ask a friend or colleague for advice before sending your book to print.

These simple design tips can ensure that you’re able to create just the right photo book - whatever your goals may be.

Professional Photo Books: Documenting Ideas

As a photographer, you don’t just shoot images. You don’t just make the choices between film and digital or a specialty like fashion photography, nature photography, portraiture or art shots. Instead, you capture ideas - each moment that you capture on film is something that you can use to document the way that you think and the way that you see.

Professional photo books give you the opportunity to showcase your ideas - and to let others get a feel for what you are thinking as you capture each shot.

With professional photo books, you will be able to share more than just your best shots - you’ll be able to share your inspiration. Rather than simply shooting a portrait, a scene, a wedding or a style, you will have the opportunity to create something more.

When you express your vision and share what you see with professional photo books, you will find that you are able to attract new clients. You will be able to book more gallery shows, sell more of your work and grow your business.

Photo Book Marketing: Promoting Gallery Shows

When you’re trying to get a gallery show, printed photo books are a great tool for markting yourself. With them, you are able to create an eye catching portfolio, express your statement as an artist and to get the word out in a far more memorable sort of way.

However, photo book marketing is not just something that you should use before you have the show; creating printed photo books will allow you to spread the word about th gallery shows that you have.

With a printed photo book, you will be able to sell copies of the work that you have submitted to the show, creating a take home guide for those who attend the showings. Even if you offer promotional copies rather than selling the photo books that you’ve created, more people will see your work, learn about the show and help to build your reputation as an artist.

Photo book marketing is a great way to get the word out about who you are and what you do; why not take advantage of it? It’s a simple and effective tool, and it’s a great way to showcase your work as you see it.