Take a look at Greatchen and Dan’t wedding album!

[svgallery name="gretchen-rochester"]

Here’s Gretchen’s comments from the design process – which she gave no input on – just let me do my thing:

First, THANK YOU! It’s even more perfect than we imagined!!! I’m all misty. Second, we have exactly ONE change to request: Dan would like to include the photo of him and the best man chest-bumping “backstage.”

Have you fainted yet? I know, I know, an immediate, low maintenance reply! Shockingly on-time. (It’s the only completion I’ve managed today.) I figure we owe it to you.

Thanks so much for all your patience, and your talent. Dan just kept shaking his head as I paged through the design, saying “He’s just so good!”

Dan – it takes a good man to know one!  I do want to put a sideline note in about my beloved bride Gretchen, a self described ‘type A’ as you can see from the lists and flow charts that decorated the background of page 2.  Gretchen took my advice about not stressing over the album image selection, and was thoroughly pleased with the results.  You may want to select your album images, but the process is often more rewarding when the design flows from how the pictures best fit together.

A few of my favorite spreads and some comments on them:

This spread from the opening moments of the ceremony is an engaging peek into Dan’s excitement, Gretchen grinning behind the doors, and walking down the isle taking Dan’s breath away, and drawing a tear from the groomsmaid.  The iconic shot of Gretchen’s tweaked nervous smile from behind the hall doors, gives a huge visual splash to the carefully observed moments of the beginning of the ceremony.  I shot this wedding alone, and I find it very satisfying to shoot the big epic graphics, and complement it with great storytelling shots to make you look closer at the page!

A moment in time – or a story across time.  I often try to tell stories in my pictures, but sometimes I can tell time too!!  But seriously, how else could you see how much fun Gretchen has with her dress, and Dan?  Good solid album design comes from good solid ideas while we’re shooting.  I often describe the process of ‘posing’ for me, more like acting for a movie–and this is why.  Good action, helps you forget  your nervousness, be natural in your expressions, and let loose with some fun.  Cheers to great results in your album design.

Deanna finally approves her wedding album!

[svgallery name="deanna-album"]

Sweet success indeed for this well planned, wonderful event.  Catch the blended storylines in this intricately designed and textured wedding album design.

Here are a couple of my favorite speads:

Here Deanna is coming down the isle (which is a narrow row of cedar bushes) and my three shots on the left show her finding, posing and receiving the roses from her groom; which the key shot on the right is coming into view of the guests for the first time and was shot by the assistant photographer.

The first dace spread is a free flowing sequence that really tells about the interpersonal and environmental space is a freeform design over time.  To me this is the most gratifying way to view the wedding photos – and it’s also without color.

Which leads us into the next spread – which is all about color, the emotion and mood of their after dinner portrait session in the field.

Here’s a good look at Kelly and Tom’s 70 page Make Love Real album design:

[svgallery name="kelly-tom"]

Here are a couple of my favorite spreads:

If you’ll give me a moment to talk about the elements of design we use in our albums – in this horizontal spread, I cropped the images in a tight panoramic 1:5 format to show the tight moments of the bride and groom placing the rings on each other’s fingers. The tight spacing and blurred edges allow for a quick ‘read’ of the eye across the page. That emphasis is heightened by the horizontal bars of color running through the background of the image at the grooms eye height and the bride’s ring height. The lines tie together the separate pictures with implied continuation of line that I ‘felt’ between the photos while laying them out. This extra amount of care and attention brings your album to life telling the visual stories of your wedding.

In this spread we use the design element of a light vignette to tie together and soften the overall page design, can you see the subtle darkening at the coreners?

And if you’re looking for a creative photographer, look at how we tie the action of the day into the album design! We’re wiling to see the whole day for what it is, without presuppositions about what wedding photography ‘should be’ – so we notice the littlest things that make your wedding yours! (did you notice the bee on the clover in the above spread? – I know it’s hard on the web, but we noticed it and shot it!)

Enjoy your album Kelly and Tom.

Here’s the design layout for Morgan and Jason’s toronto skyline wedding:

[svgallery name="toronto-album"]

A couple of my favorite design layouts feature the close combination of related photographic moments:

I can’t wait until my next Toronto wedding photojournalism assignment!

You know Charlie & Courtney from their magic making.

You can also see this album delivered by me, here’s the layout in detail:

[svgallery name="eastman_wedding_album"]

Courtney & Charlie’s wedding was at the Episcopal Church in Pittsford NY while we shot family photos and wedding party photos at the George Eastman House and gardens on East Ave.  We then continued out to the Rochester Country Club for their tented wedding reception. Apples carried the fall theme and colors through the centerpieces and decor. No matter the location their rich personalities show through in all their photos while their caring and compassionate family moments are seen clearly in their album.