I feel like I haven't talked about what I love about the products that I offer in a while (if ever?), but I think it's important that you know WHY I selected the particular products that I have.  Let's start with albums, shall we?

Firstly, I've named my albums after my favorite cookies: Chocolate Lavender and Coconut Macaroon.  Yum.

Both albums are hand-crafted and fully archival.  They contain thick, lay-flat seamless pages that will not bend or warp (which is super important here in Florida with all of our humidity).  The Chocolate Lavender Albums are 10x10 in size, have a padded black cover, and may contain up to 40 spreads.  The Coconut Macaroon Albums are 8”x8” in size, have a natural linen cover, and may contain up to 35 spreads.

Let's go back to the term 'archival' for a moment.  What exactly does that mean?  It means that the paper and all the materials in the album are acid-free, which will preserve the colors and photographs inside the album for many, many, many years.  In contrast, if you were to print a photo on your home or office printer or at a non-professional lab, in most cases it will begin to fade within a couple of years.  Archival quality paper and materials are more expensive, but it ensures that the photoraph will last for decades.  And decades.  And decades.

Also, let's revisit the 'lay-flat seamless pages' too.  So that means that the spreads (think of opening a magazine to a two-page spread) are actually a single piece of Kodak Lustre photographic paper that has been printed and then cut to the correct size.  That piece of photo paper is then mounted onto plastic 'pages' in the album, which lend support and durability, and is what prevents warping.  So when you open the album, there is no seam or binding in the middle of the pages; it is just one full photographic spread.  Maybe I'm a weirdo, but I like to run my hand across each spread as I review it to feel the texture of the page and lack of seam. The surface of the page feels smooth and rich, but there is also a subtle texture that the Lustre coating produces that gives it a nice final touch.

The albums are sourced from two of the best labs in the country.  Before deciding on these two labs, I spoke with several other professionals about their experiences with these labs and I ran sample albums to ensure that the quality was super-high and the product was exactly what I was expecting.  A few other labs I tried were not quite there, so I am happy to have found two great ones that I can consistently rely on.

With regard to your album, when we sit down together for the premier of your photographs, if you had decided during our preconsultation that you wanted an album, I will already have an album predesign ready for you.  After we do the initial premeir of the photos and the album layouts, we will go back through the photographs more slowly so that we can select your favorites.  If we need to revisit the album layouts at that point to make one or two adjustments, we can absolutely do that.  Then you'll pace your order.

At that point, it's game on for me.  I will finalize the layout and then order a few test prints to ensure that the colors and tones are exactly what they should be.  Then I'll submit the final order for the album.  The turn-around time from the labs is about five weeks because the albums are hand-crafted.  Once I receive the finished product, I will inspect it to ensure that the quality is up to snuff, and then package it up and give you a call to let you know that it has arrived!

The thing I love most about albums is that it gives me a great opportunity to tell your story.  It allows us to go a little bit more in detail about who you are, as a person, as a company, or as a couple.  We also have the opportunity to insert some of your own content - your words and thoughts - into the finished product.  It becomes a keepsake that describes the many different facets of who you are and where you are in your life's journey.  I feel like that's something worth creating, don't you?

To see Tia & Mar's wedding (featured in this album),  check out their wedding at the Alachua Conservation Trust here!

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