Posts Tagged ‘photography tips’

Creating custom wraparound photo covers

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

To design your own custom full wrap photo covers in Photoshop for Zookbinders PhotoBooks, PhotoBook Plus, and LustreBook, just follow these step-by-step directions.  Start by creating a new canvas in Photoshop to the specification listed in the linked PDF for wraparound cover height and width:   Cover Specs 

As an example, let us create a 10×10 cover for a 20 page (40 side) PhotoBook Plus. Remember, this chart is based on page inserts; each page on the chart equals two sides (front and back) in your book.

Width: 22.375 inches (based on the table)
Height: 11.5 inches (the same for all 10 inch high covers)
Resolution: 300 pixels/inch
Color Mode: RGB Color / 8 Bit

preset

Now we’ll set your margins. From the outer edge of each side, set a guide line in 0.75 of an inch. This is the case for ANY sized book and accounts for the part of the image that wraps around the edges of the cover and won’t be visible. In our example, margins are set at 0.75 and 21.625 inches on the outer edges and 0.75 inch and 10.75 inches from the top.

Next we’ll set the spine width which is the width of the cover face in from your edge margins. In this example we’ll have guide lines set at 10.75 and 11.625 inches. Then we set additional guide lines 0.5 inches outside the spine with for the “pinch” or hinge part of the cover on either side of the spine guides: 10.25 and 12.125 inches.

We recommend that you save this canvas at this point as a template that you can use it over and over again for books of the same size and page count.

You’re now ready to layout your cover and add your images, background, text and logo. We still recommend that you don’t place critical elements too close to the margins as our covers are hand made and very slight variations can take place. If you have any additional questions about your covers please let us know. Happy designing.

Shedding 1000 Pounds, Marketing and Pricing for Profit

Friday, December 11th, 2009

We’ve gotten quite a response to Mark Zucker’s article “Your Business Needs to Lose 1000 Pounds.” He first presented it at Pictage’s PartnerCon in November and we also sent it to all of our customers in our ZookNotes newsletter. MarksRemarksFall2009

Some people thought Mark was simply saying “drop your prices by $1000 because shoot and burn photographers are cheaper than you.” That’s not it at all. As most of you know, the digital age has changed the wedding photography business in many ways. Whether it’s Susan the soccer mom, Uncle Joe or Ashton Kutcher at the wedding with their DSLR, the public perception is that wedding photography is easy and cheap. And if your business is struggling because of this new competition, then you might want to look at offering a lower entry price point. This doesn’t just mean lower your prices, it means offer a smaller, bare bones, no frills package to get these price conscious brides in your door.

But then what do you do? Once you make contact with these brides you need to show them how your service, skills, products and value is so much better than that of those newbees. Wow them with your Unique Selling Points! You educate your prospects and market your talents, photographs, service and value. You answer the question, “Why I should hire you over the other photographer?”

But how much should you charge? Just as you shouldn’t arbitrarily lower your prices by $1000, you shouldn’t just set your prices without knowing your product and package costs. One of the best quick references to understanding pricing is Ann Monteith’s three part series of articles on the PPA magazine web site. Understanding this valuable information will help you set your prices correctly, know where your money is going and know where you can trim your packages without losing your profits.

So there you have it. With a little research and knowledge of how your business works, you will understand what you need to charge to be profitable and how you can trim your offerings be lean, efficient and survive in the digital age.

Just Say No: 10 Wedding Photography Clichés

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

From the I Do For Brides Website

We understand that everyone has different aesthetics when it comes to wedding-day beauty and wedding photographs. We also understand that couples want “artistic” renderings of their wedding day. However, we have compiled a list of 10 wedding photograph clichés that we gracefully, mercifully ask couples to stop requesting, and photographers to stop taking.

1. Body-free wedding gowns hanging from doorways and curtains.
Do you really need a photograph of your dress with light shining through it?

2. Feet-free shoes.
We get it. The shoes were expensive. We don’t need a picture.

3. The under-the-veil kiss.
Kinda defeats the purpose of the veil doesn’t it? And oh, by the way: We can still see you.

4. Children in the wedding party.
We’ll just quietly step back from this one.

5. Black-and-white photos with one colored element, like the bouquet.
Stop it, photographers! 1988 called and would like this cliche back.

6. Blurred edges.
We know you know how to focus the camera.

7. Jumping bridal parties.
Why? Why are they jumping? For joy? Or because someone told them too? When was the last time you saw someone jumping (and we mean jumping, not the foot stamping you see on “The Price is Right”) for joy?

8. Tie: Doleful/Sad-looking brides and Duckfaces.
This is your wedding day. You are supposed to be happy. Happy people smile. Bridezillas don’t. And duckfaces. Seriously. You’re not an Olsen twin. Stop saying “prunes” whenever you get your picture taken. You look ridiculous.

9. The bride standing alone in a room, looking into a mirror.
What could she be thinking? “There I am as a single lady. I wonder if I’ll be able to recognize myself after I say my vows. Sigh.”

10. Groomsmen with a flask.
Nice sentiments, bros. “Dude, you’re getting married, bro! Let’s do shots before the ceremony!”

One more: We are very thankful that the Double Exposure has slipped into obscurity.

From Scott at Zookbinders: Obviously, when it comes to aesthetics there is no absolute right or wrong and nobody can tell another what to do or not. As a photographer for over 25 years, I found this article to be a bit humorous but true and very agreeable to me. However, because my clients come first, and because this is usually their first wedding, all of this stuff is new to them. If a bride wants a B&W portrait with her bouquet in color, I’ll do it for a few extra bucks for my time in Photoshop. And yes, I’ve done the monster bride and groom heads hovering over their ceremony but today, that is where I draw the line, no matter how much they pay me.

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