06.12.09 ~ Photographers (and their Clients) can be Choosey!
Our last post encouraged you to think more carefully about the number of images to include in a design that reflects your style. After deciding how many images, the next logical questions are which images and who decides? There are generally three options: the client, the photographer, or both. I’d like to share a little on my experience with these different options to help you decide what your policy will be.
Client’s choice
The obvious advantage is that you know your client will like the images in their album! In my opinion, this is the only advantage, and there’s a lot you may want to consider if this is how you work – you may be missing out on some value for your client. When the client chooses, the collection is usually their favorite images. There is nothing wrong with this, but typically many of your favorite images are left out, and their selection tends to be repetitive. This can break up the story-telling element of the album. I once had a wedding client choose eight images of the ring exchange and no images of the cake cutting or the garter toss. I wondered if they liked anything that I showed them. After speaking to the bride, I learned that she didn’t even realize it! If your clients will be choosing the images, at least add in a few of your favorites as a surprise. These will add a dimension to the design that your client will most likely appreciate.
Photographer’s choice
Many photographers using a pre-design method choose the images for the initial design. The primary disadvantage to choosing alone is that you may not select your client’s favorite images. The biggest mistake I see photographers make is minimizing or even neglecting the family photographs. These are usually pretty important to the client, so make sure they get plenty of coverage. An advantage to selecting yourself is that you can show your clients something they may have never considered. You will also have greater artistic control – an important consideration. You might be opening yourself up to more changes, but if you include a good balance of classic and creative images, changes should be minimal.
Both client and photographer choose
When you and your client choose the images together, you will achieve a good balance between their favorites and yours, while still allowing you almost complete artistic freedom in the design. It’s a good idea to give them a maximum number to select, often called the “must have” images. This should expedite the selection process so you can get to work on their design, while freeing them from the laborious (and time-consuming) process of wading through hundreds of images to come up with a large enough collection to fill a full design. I’ve learned that if you limit their selection to the “must haves”, they determine their favorites pretty quick. The advantages to this method are obvious: you and the client include your favorites, the story and artistry is managed by the photographer or designer, and changes will be minimal if any at all.
Let DoodleDo do it!
Most DoodleDo clients leave the selection to us. We occasionally receive entire wedding collections, but usually the photographer has made a first edit and we then choose those that best represent the event and produce a beautiful, complementary design. We still strongly recommend that you or your client pick those important “must have” images, and there is sometimes a collection of these from both client and photographer. When editing prior to submission to DoodleDo, we suggest narrowing to about five times the number of pages you are ordering. Photographers who follow our recommendations and have turned over the selections to us have been very happy, and in many cases their album process has become much more efficient.
One such photographer is Andrea Murphy, whom we’ve been featuring in this series on album style. In another recent design, DoodleDo chose the album images from Andrea’s edited collection, a process that works very well for her workflow. To see this gorgeous new design, click on the thumbnail below.
Next, we will consider the impact of color on design. Choosing wisely is critical!
~ Robin
