When working with photographic negatives, you could simply have your lab enlarge the image to nearly whatever sized print you’d like for your album. In the digital age, a lot more goes into resizing your digital images. When you enlarge a digital image you are not enlarging the pixels; rather, each pixel must be evaluated and new pixels need to be placed between the existing pixels. You are literally adding information to make the image larger (making a bigger file).
There are limits, however, to how much information you can add to an image and in the end, how large you can make it. Another problem is digital noise. As you enlarge an image, this noise becomes more apparent. One of the things you can do to minimize noise is use noise-reduction software on your images after capture.
Photos by George St. Photo and Video
What does this have to do with making bigger albums? If you like to have panoramic images in your albums, be they large group portraits or background images, you’ll need to ensure that from your camera to your post capture processing system, you optimize each image so that it looks good when enlarged. Understanding the limits of your camera and software will help you size your images correctly for these larger album images. See the chart below for reference.
Also, when designing your albums, design for the largest size we offer in the format of your choice. Even if your client is ordering an 8×8 album from their session, design it at least as a 10×10 or better yet a 12×12. Too many times we’ve had to have photographers redesign their albums because of a last minute request for a larger sized book. Because they designed too small, there was not a way to “enlarge” each page layout without losing image quality. If you’d like to learn more about upsizing your images, check out this series of articles at Digital PhotoPro.
Our featured customer for December is Capone Photography, LLC of Stratford, New Jersey. They have been active professionals since 1986 consistently receiving a 5 star rating from their clients.
John, Nancy and Lindsey are accomplished photographic artists and have been Zookbinders clients for over 12 years. John is a Certified Professional Photographer by the PPA and they have created an excellent brand for thier professionalism and creativity in the New Jersey and Philadelphia areas.
Where is your favorite location to photograph? We hate to play favorites, so anywhere that’s different than the last assignment. We like different!
What excites you about being a photographer? Several things are not only exciting, but humbling at the same time. We are grateful that we have a gift to share with others. We are thankful that people appreciate our craft. And, without sounding cliché, we are truly excited to preserve a moment in time for many generations to come.
What turns you off about being a photographer? Not a whole lot. It is a rewarding profession. The biggest bummers are paperwork, file handling, the sometimes long hours, and all the “stuff” other than the creation.
What is your favorite marketing tool? Our satisfied clients and word-of-mouth referrals. It’s the best advertisement that money can’t buy. And Facebook for it’s immediacy of reach.
What or who has inspired you? Inspiration comes in many disguises, from many places, for many things. It can directly or indirectly affect your photography, your business and your life Donald Trump, Karl Albrecht, Hanson Fong, Stephen Hawking, children, movies, and nature have provided inspiration and influence. Following your heart is extremely inspirational.
What’s your favorite f-stop? Again, tough to play favorites. Guess it depends upon the application. f/2.8 for selective focus and bokeh, f/8 because of laziness : ) , and f/32 when detail is the deal.
What is your favorite book? Several for all different reasons – 1984, Who Moved My Cheese?, Of Mice and Men, The Silence of the Lambs, The Millionaire Next Door, and Charlotte’s Web.
What is the #1 reason client’s hire you? Initially it would be because of our imagery, since that’s what most people see first. But we assume in our business that creating a wonderful image goes without saying, whether it’s traditional, candid or somewhere in between. Therefore, and we think this is true of just about all businesses, people ultimately hire us because of our personalities and enthusiasm and the fact that we are easy to work with.
What do you do when you’re not photographing? When you have your own business, it seems like there is never enough time to do other things. But when not photographing in a work related sense, we enjoy great dining experiences, a good vacation, the company of friends and family, and volunteering our time to community services.
If heaven exists, which photographer would you like to hang out with? Heaven does exist, and when it comes time for the big party in the sky, we hope to share time with several for different reasons — Les Krims, Man Ray, Eadweard Muybridge, George Eastman, and Ansel Adams.
When we asked what the Capones like best Zookbinders products and different creative ways in which they use them to grow their business they had this to say. ”Zookbinders has been a trusted and reliable partner with our company for more than 12 years. We rely upon Zookbinders to provide top-of-the-line albums for our very particular clients. Zookbinders performs consistently, with product and delivery, and their customer service is second to none. It’s very comforting to know that Zookbinders cares as much about their clients as they do about their products.
Thanks to John, Nancy and Lindsey for sharing with us. All images Copyright Capone Photography, LLC. If you’d like to learn more about Capone Photography and see more images please check out the slide show below or visit www.caponephotography.com.
Those of us who have been in the wedding photography industry long enough know how styles have changed. We’ve gone from the classic portraiture of Rocky Gunn and Monte Zucker to the documentary approach of Denis Reggie and Joe Buissink to today’s modern fusion of classic techniques and hip editorial imagery. For some, traditional, grand portraiture is making a come back and none are doing better of creating these images than the Chinese. In a couple of recent articles in The Sacramento Bee Blog and Foreign Policy.com we see how important beautiful bridal portraits have become in this culture and how they’ve even gone as far as creating destination portrait locations at which you can have your portraits made.
Chinese wedding couple at Thames Town by Daniel Berehulak for Getty Images
Our Feature Photo of the Week is from Britton Photography, located in Spokane Valley, WA. Since we didn’t have the opportunity to post a “photo of the week” in over 2 months, we think this photo is a great image to showcase as we get back into the groove! The light captured behind the woman’s back adds to the romantic appeal of this photo. Plus, the reflection of the couple in the window is a unique element!
Image provided to Zookbinders by Britton Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Hi everyone, we’re sorry to have been offline for awhile. We had some technical glitches with our Zookbinders blog site but are back and running full strength. We’ll be getting some new articles and info posted for you very soon.
If there is anything you want to learn more about please let us know. Otherwise happy photographing and happy designing – remember our holiday ordering deadline is this Wednesday, November 24. Have your orders in by then to avoid rush charges and ensure delivery by December 21.
Since 1995, our founders Mark and Leslie Zucker have applied their rigorous personal standards for excellence to everything Zookbinders. The professional photographers we have been so fortunate to work with (and their satisfied clients) benefit from our cutting-edge products, time-saving services and above all, customer care. We'll do whatever it takes to preserve precious memories and help you tell personal stories well.
Spend less time in front of the computer and make more money doing what you do best. ZOHO Design has been creating award-winning album designs since 2002. In fact, they were the first to offer one-of-a-kind album design, and are the exclusive Zookbinders album design partner. With ZOHO Design layouts and hand crafted albums from Zookbinders you have the winning team on your side. Together we can help you work smarter – not harder – and truly stand out from the crowd.
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Bigger Books at Less-than-Premium-Prices! The contemporary book of choice features lay-flat pages in larger sizes: up to 12x12 square, 9x12 vertical and 12x9 horizontal. more >
new framed album panoramas
Increase your sales and delight your clients with new Framed Album Panoramas—the perfect complement to any album or PhotoBook. Available in a variety of square and rectangular sizes as well as three finishes. more >
