A Word About Album Design

Wedding Photos are meant to be enjoyed. And not just in a “posted-on-facebook” sort of way (although, that is fun). They are the graphic retelling of the story of how a family came to be, and with that in mind the wedding album is something that should be cherished for generations. When it’s cold outside, you should be able to pull your album down off a shelf, pour a glass of wine, build a fire and relive your story from cover to cover (maybe even with your children, or grandchildren). You should be able to curl up with it like you would a good book. Yes, many photographers offer CD only packages; myself included, but when was the last time you heard of anyone curling up with a CD?

After several years of designing albums for the couples I’m honored enough to work with (and I do get to work with the most awesome couples ever), I’ve noticed I hear the same kinds of questions when it comes to beginning to lay out an album. So, here’s a little list I’ve compiled of things to keep in mind when thinking about your album…Happy Designing!

Although albums can be designed in a “collage-style” (a.k.a pictures on top of pictures), keep in mind that simple layouts work best. Clean lines will keep the eye focused on the actual image, and overwhelm the viewer with special effects.

Reduced opacity (faded) backgrounds are fine, but usually best kept to one or two spreads at the most.

Black and white images usually look best along with other black and white images, be careful of grouping too many of them with color.

Don’t put too many photos on any one page. If you want to include more photos, consider adding another page. You don’t want an album to appear to be busting at the seams with photos.
Consider leaving some negative space. Not every photo needs to take up the entire page on its own, leave some space for the eye to be “led” to the image.

Click here to see Elizabeth and Andy's album!