Digital Album and Photobooks

Digital Album and Photobooks

When I first started shooting weddings in the 1990's, the only choice for final output was a traditional wedding album. No online viewing, no DVD of images (although maybe they would buy the original negatives) and certainly no Photobooks! Getting a book published in those days was not only expensive but also a logistical and administrative nightmare. For most people anyway…it just wasn’t viable.

Now, the trend has changed completely. Many photographers, myself included, favour the Photobook as opposed to traditional wedding albums. For me, it is the simplicity of creation coupled with the ability to be as creative as you like in its design.

Of course, maybe you don't have those design skills available to you? Fear not, there are numerous companies and software packages available to assist you in creating the perfect digital album and Photobooks for your clients. The internet is continually growing and becoming more accessible and popular with companies. It is inevitable that the supply for just about every photography and imaging product imaginable grows with it.

With this comes the cheaper "wannabe's" jumping on the bandwagon. They are producing lower grade Photobooks at a ridiculously low price. Whilst some of these are not too bad, they don’t even come close to the quality of a professionally made Digital album or Photobook. The feel, the smell, the durability and overall presence is unmistakable. Especially the leather-bound one's I have just received. Fake leather is available too.

When I visited a recent trade show, I was amazed at the sheer volume of choice when it came to the digital album and Photobooks suppliers. Trying to choose one or two to concentrate on was a complete nightmare. In many cases it comes down to personal preference.

For me, two suppliers stood out.

SIM2000 Imaging

The first thing that struck me about the SIM2000 Imaging stand was the sheer range of choice available. They had not only Photobooks but they also covered a vast range of interesting, high quality marketing products, and the prices. Very reasonable!

Secondly, the customer service was excellent. The CEO of the company was present to explain everything I needed to know. This is a majorly important factor for me as you may well find out when you become busy and have a number of Photobooks on the go at once. Knowing you have a great system and customer service to back you up is a must.

They have some fantastic software that is intuitive and simple to use to help you create the perfect digital album and Photobooks for any client.

Read our full review of SIM2000 Imaging here: Sim2000 Imaging Digital Photo Book

Asukabook UK

For years I have used Asukabook USA for my wedding clients' Photobooks. Pretty much every potential client I showed my sample albums to booked me. They looked classy, stylish and professional with a "made to measure" custom feel to them.

At the afore-mentioned show, I visited the Asukabook UK stand.

Asukabook previously only had agents in the US but thankfully now have offices in the UK. This saves me a lot of money on delivery charges as well as speeding up the turnaround time. Once again, the head of Asukabook UK was there to help everyone with a cheerful and knowledgeable attitude.

Whilst talking about the new range of albums, two new products stood out to me with one in particular. The NEO Classic!

Read our full review of the Asukabook NEO Classic and other available Asukabooks here: Asukabook Custom Wedding Photo Books

Between them, these two companies have enough diversity and choice for me to offer my clients. From mid to high end photobooks, the prices are good enough for me to pass on some of those savings. This means I feel that much more confident about my business and how I promote it.

My advice when looking for your digital album and Photobooks is to: