The importance of a Wedding Album
Let’s face it, typically you (the client) are new to this process. In this digital age of photography, some trends and wedding planning websites suggest skipping a wedding album and say “just make sure you receive a disc of images”. While I agree that it is important to provide you with a Disc of Digital Negatives, this does not replace the Timeless Heirloom quality of a Finished Wedding Album.
What’s the difference? Disc vs. Wedding Album
I speak from experience telling you that my wife and I do not have a wedding album and it is a bummer! Like most people that receive a disc of images (like us!) the disc sits there and gets pushed aside for years on end until someday something sparks inside the couple to make a wedding album. By the time the spark occurs, A. They cannot find the disc of images. B. They find the disc but are overwhelmed with all of the images, causing paralysis by analysis and then they put it off some more. C. They want to make an album, but they need the photographer’s help and he is no longer in business.. What to do???
The Disc:
I think it is very important that you receive a Disc of Images from your wedding. Whether you decide on an album or not, you will receive a Disc of your digital negatives. It is YOUR wedding, so why not? For us, it is another form of offsite archival storage. For you, the ability to print and share images is there. This is what a disc is meant for. Much like the fllm days, a digital file is a negative. A print is still a print.
The Album:
When we are documenting your wedding, we are shooting with the story in mind. It is our goal to tell your story with images that are Meant to be Printed. A finished print is much different than a digital file. Extra care and attention goes into a final print to ensure long lasting beautiful prints for years to come. Retouching, enhancing, fixing imperfections, contrast, brightness and more result in a properly developed image. Think of ole Ansel Adams in the darkroom perfecting his prints as he developed them. What would have happened if they stayed in their Raw form of a negative? (I would not be referring to Ansel Adams, that is for sure
) When you just have a disc of negatives they are just that…. negatives that will sit on that disc.
The album is your first family heirloom. The album preserves your legacy. I mean this wholeheartedly. What a joy it will be 10, 20, 50+ years from now to hold your album and turn the pages. For those that were not at the wedding, they will feel like they were. Our albums are of top quality craftsmanship and are intended to last for 100+ years with proper care.
A wedding album showcases the best of the best to tell your story. A disc of images has a lot of great images, but you may not want all of them in print. The album gives you the outlet for your favorite images to shine and stand the test of time. Along with our documentary photography style, I assure you that your album will be timeless and look just as good 50 years from now as it does today (*with proper care). After all, the reason for having your wedding photographed is to preserve the memories and share, right? The wedding album is the best vehicle for sharing your story.
Sometimes when choosing between Disc and Album it comes down to budget, which is also an important factor when making plans. When budgeting, I suggest thinking long term, rather than short term. This means that in the short term, the extra resources needed to design and build the album of your choice may seem like a barrier. The truth is, in the long term the extra resources needed to complete the album you want will not be a factor. You will find that the album is priceless.
What is right for you?
Only you can answer this question. We do not force our clients to purchase a wedding album, however most all of our clients do. The choice is definitely up to you. We are happy to be there capturing the day. Whether you choose to have an album or not, our goal remains the same: To provide record of an honest representation of you day.
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