If you’re like me, then you’ve been going crazy trying to come up with new hobbies you can do from your home during all of the stay at home orders.
One such hobby I’ve fallen into is focusing on creating the perfect photo album layout for my clients. But, in order to create the perfect photo album layout, you also need to have a phenomenal photo album. One without the other will feel cheap.
I’ll be honest, I’ve been on a quest for the perfect photo album for years, and until I came across QtAlbums, I didn’t find what I was looking for.
But I’ve used the Heirloom Book, which I’m highlighting in this article, multiple times and it is becoming my favorite photo album for my clients. Let me tell you why.
The Heirloom Book Features One Image Per Page
The Heirloom Book is a photo album that is meant to be passed down from generation to generation.
This photo album features non-layflat pages so that it feels more classic as you are flipping through the images. Importantly, it doesn’t need to be a layflat photo album because every single page is built for one image.
The photo album comes in a few different sizes: 9 x 12, 12 x 12, or 12 x 18. This way you can decide what works best for your specific photo album concept.
I’ve recently used this photo album for some film prints that a client ordered and I found that it was the perfect book for this look, although QtAlbums does recommend you can also use it for bright, pastel, or lower contrast images.
If you have a lot of photography that is moody or darker, you may want to look at different photo album options from QtAlbums since the printing process for the Heirloom Book may mean these images turn out too dark.
You can also choose between the traditional Heirloom Book and an Heirloom Book with vellum pages.
Another customization option is the number of pages you want, ranging from 50-100. The 50 page option is going to be cheaper, but once you switch to 51 pages the price is the same until you reach 100.
Finally, this photo album comes with a linen cover that you can customize with a cameo.
While I strongly believe a cameo is the best use of a photo album cover, you can also choose to create a custom stamp for the front cover, or to create embossing or an overprint. QtAlbums basically does it all, and if you aren’t seeing the exact thing that you want, feel free to ask for an exception.
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Tip 1: Create a Concept
When working with this photo album, there are a few tips you need to keep in mind. The first is to create a concept before ever reaching out to the photo album creator.
You need to ask yourself some important questions, like what story you want the photo album to tell and who your audience is.
You’ll also need to figure out what arrangement you want your photos to be in. For instance, if you want your photo album to tell a story in terms of theme or to follow a storyline, then the placement of each image throughout the book will be of the utmost importance.
The last thing you’ll need to decide when creating your concept is how many images you will need in order to properly captivate your audience and tell your full story.
Tip 2: Make Sure Your Software is Appropriate
photo by andresr via iStock
This tip is frequently overlooked, but you want to use a software that you’re comfortable with. For instance, I usually use InDesign to create my photo album outlines, but I’ve been working with InDesign for years.
If you aren’t comfortable with a software currently, reach out to QtAlbums customer service for help.
Tip 3: Choose Your Cover Wisely
The last tip you will need to create the best photo album you can is to choose the exterior wisely.
With the Heirloom Book, you get a gorgeous linen cover to welcome people to the album. Additionally, if you opt for the cameo, then you will know you just need to choose one image to represent what can be found within the book at large.
But, make sure that you are choosing that image based on the narrative of the book. I often find that photographers will choose a cameo image simply based on the image that they like the most, and while this is appropriate for a client who specifically chooses the image they want in the cameo, it might not be appropriate for a narrative photo album or a fine art photo album.