Diane Schuller, Your All Occasion Custom Photographer

Two quick things today. First, a simple reminder that I do sell some my own photographic art if you’re looking for something beautiful for your home or office. Photographic prints can be purchased as mounted prints ready for framing; already matted & framed; or for a real classic look they can be ordered as a canvas gallery wrap. The fine art photo above would be ideal for printing on canvas. In a range of subject matter, these also make great gifts for anything from: corporate gifts, employee reward program, farewell gifts for employees, Christmas or birthdays, or as a housewarming. A gift certificate for a custom lifestyle photo session also makes an excellent gift whether as a corporate gift or for a family member.

The second reminder is a show-and-tell of my press printed portrait books. If there are several photos from your photo session that you really need to have and you don’t have room on the walls for all of them, the portrait books are an excellent and cost-effective option. Besides, they look beautiful for showing off on your coffee- or end-tables. And the bonus, they last for years so you can look back on them with pride enjoying those great memories. Here is a sample of one of the many cover options (photo covers also available). This is one of the gorgeous floral covers that gleams something like a hologram, depending upon how the light hits it. A variety of leathers are also available for the covers. Of course, inside are your beautiful photos. I can design a lovely set of page formats especially for you — and you can include some of your favourite quotes as well, if you like. These also make great gifts for grandparents or parents — far more tangible and beautiful than a fleeting image on a computer screen.

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Photographs Never Forget! Keeping memories alive with custom albums and portraits

I had the pleasure of photographing a truly wonderful couple and their two dogs. Although there are some incredibly fun photos of this playful couple, I’m posting some of the quiet moments first.

This first trio of photos I put on a sample storyboard — just thought these three fit nicely together. I wish I had more ‘play’ time because I love creating storyboards and putting together design pages. For some I use templates I have purchased and others I design myself. This is a nice little sample though, don’t you think? The perky little dog is Chewy and that noble looking Great Dane is Eva. The handsome couple are A & S.

I had such an enjoyable time with this couple. They were also a delight to photograph. I’ll likely post a few more from their session in a day or two. For today, here is one more photo of Chewy and one artistic photo of Eva.

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Photographs Never Forget! … Keeping memories alive with custom portraits and albums.

It’s already time to start booking for fall photos. I will be taking a very limited number of bookings this fall so contact me today to ensure you get a spot. I will also be running a special for all 2010 clients who wish to order Christmas cards for this year. Watch my newsletter and this photo journal for details.

Custom albums are the ideal way to tell the story of your wedding day. Any professional photographer involved in wedding photography considers an album an important element of the full service. The sad thing these days is that so many couples purchase a disk of images with the intention of printing their own photos or making their own book. I’ve talked to several photographers and individuals and have learned that most couples simply put a few photos on their Facebook account, then keep the disk stored in a drawer or corner somewhere. What’s even more unfortunate is that, because life gets busy or other priorities take over, that book is never created and most couples never print any of their photos. What a shame.

A professionally designed album of your wedding day is a tangible item you can open anytime and reflect upon the memories and special moments of that special day. A quality album lasts for years becoming a treasured family heirloom that can be handed down and shared with future generations. Think about when you flipped through your parents wedding album and then consider your own children doing the same one day. Disks fail and, especially if prints are never made, what a shame to have those once-in-a-lifetime moments gone, except in memory.

If you’re looking for professional photography in the Grande Prairie area, or any location/destination, contact me to discuss availability and details. I’d love to photograph your special day, capturing moments and your personal story that will live on in your custom wedding album.

If you are one of those couples who have a disk hidden under a pile of papers somewhere, contact me to inquire about getting those images in a beautiful custom album or custom hardcover book. You have a choice of the custom designed flush mount albums or a more traditional type of matted albums in different styles you can choose from with prices starting at $400 and up (2010 prices). I also offer Portrait Books or traditional albums for parents, family, or friends at lower price points. These other albums and books make a memorable and classy thank you gift for those who shared in or helped create your special day. (Albums and books come in a wide range of sizes and cover options — even a mini is better than none at all.)

The following is a photo collage demonstrating a 20 page 10″x10″ wedding Book (the flush mount albums have full spreads whereas the books are individual pages). This also shows how multiple photos can be incorporated to better tell the story of your special day, although using fewer photographs better showcases your favourites.

A WIDE variety of styles and designs are available from plain & simple (featured above), modern, or traditional options. Quotes or captions may be incorporated. With some of the designs, colour blocks to match the wedding colours are another option. There are many possibilities and each album is entirely unique — custom designed to your desires.

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Photographs Never Forget! … Keeping memories alive with custom albums and portraits.

I enjoy putting storyboards together. Partly because it’s another creative outlet but also because I like to see how some of the images I’ve captured come together. This is simply a sample of a 10×20 but I really like the idea of featuring the 3 dogs on their own. This storyboard configuration would work well for a family and children or for a couple and then featuring some detail images on the side. Lots of possibilities.

Of course, we can turn things a few degrees changing it right up. No one says a 10×20 needs to be created or hung horizontally; vertical works quite nicely too, especially for those narrow spaces on certain walls. Don’t you love how that brilliant orange makes a statement?

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Photographs Never Forget!

Your home or office can and should be a unique expression of who you are, changing and evolving with you, over time. So rather than mass produced prints from the local box store, hang art that is meaningful and representative of you and your lifestyle. Canvas gallery wraps are one way of accomplishing this simple aesthetic.

These are beautiful products and come ready to hang (framing not necessary) – a true work of art.

24 x 36 canvas gallery wrap in darkened room highlighted with picture light

Have one of your images created on canvas or order one of Diane’s fine art images. Canvas wraps are printed directly onto archival canvas, UV protected, then stretched over a wood frame. Please note that part of the image actually wraps around each of the four sides of the wrap. These are made only at a top quality lab using the highest quality materials & workmanship (cannot compare to those sold at retail box stores). The fine canvas gallery wraps begin at 11″ x 14″ and up — the larger they are, the more impressive they are. Custom sizes are also available for special applications.

detail showing the tight corners and properly finished backing on a canvas gallery wrap

What you may not know about purchasing your canvas gallery wrap from Diane … you get a huge BONUS: For each image from your photo session that you order as a canvas gallery wrap, you receive the corresponding high resolution digital file. Since I provide a full print release with this item, you may then print as many copies in any size(s) your heart desires. Imagine how many gifts you can print off with this amazing offer! This bonus does not apply to Diane’s fine art images; it only applies to images from your custom photo shoot.

Here’s an image that I’m going to order in a large canvas gallery wrap for my home. Several things about this appeal to me and express elements about me. This is from a personal experience I had on a particularly sunny day. I love animals and was intrigued by this playful, soft-eyed harbour seal. I’m drawn to many other elements of this image. I have a deep connection to water, especially the sea with it’s ripples and the ebb and flow of the tides. The ripples in the water from the seal popping its head on the surface plus the play of the many reflections provide so much visual interest. The way the seal is nearly camouflaged among all the undulations and reflections gives the overall image an almost abstract quality. How’s that for multiple reasons for wanting this blown up on a canvas?!

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Photographs Never Forget!

If you’re new to visiting my photo journal or website, welcome! If you are not familiar with custom on-location photography, I welcome you to click on the “Client Info” tab above to learn more. One of the other bonuses with a custom photographer is the level of quality of your finished boutique products. I’m including the condensed version below of what you can expect from me when you order beautiful boutique products from your custom photo session.

All prints, portraits, canvas gallery wraps, and custom albums are colour corrected, appropriately edited, and are then finished at a Professional lab specifically for professional photographers. All wall portraits are mounted on 2 mm styrene, as they should be, to protect your valuable portrait from creases, folds, or damage and is also intended for long life. I will not compromise quality for a cheaper and inferior final product. My Portrait Collections (in 2010) start from $300, Weddings from $1600 (with a mini-option for small weddings at $500), and an average Portrait Session investment is usually $550 (2010 pricing). Please visit my website for more information on the creative sessions.

{Caveat Emptor: Beware of amateurs masquerading as professional photographers — frequently found advertising on Kijiji or Craigslist.}

“Photographs never forget!”

In my last post, I talked about why I love albums so much. In that post, I focused more on albums in general and not specifically on the albums I offer my clients. I love for people to have their photos in an album, whether it’s personal snapshots taken with your own camera or those taken by a professional photographer.

I’ve featured some of the other custom designed press printed books and albums that I create for my clients in previous posts. Realizing that not everyone is ready to have a uniquely designed custom album, I want to share one of the options I can provide that comes with a much more reasonable price tag. As of today, I don’t yet have a sample of this particular album but I plan to buy one during the summer to have on hand. These albums are what a lot of people are familiar with as a traditional professional photography album.

Just as with the custom designed albums I create, these are available in a range of sizes. Adhesive mount albums are available in 5×5, 8×8 and 10×10, and provide a beautiful and affordable alternative to the more expensive flush mount albums. They’re perfect for parents, grandparents, brag books, guest books, or coffee table books of your favourite photos from your session!

Adhesive mount albums are finished in a lovely black leatherette, each holding 30 individual images. Imagine having this on your coffee table for guests to enjoy, or giving it as a gift to parents/grandparents? Better yet, imagine browsing through this album years, even decades, from now enjoying the photos and the memories. So much better than firing up the computer and looking at a computer screen. Pass it on to your children or other family members as a family heirloom.

Contact Diane (use the contact tab above or at her website) to find out more about these affordable, yet classy albums.

Note about the photos in this post: These are not Diane’s photos. They are borrowed with permission from Diane’s album supplier.

We live in a digital world but that doesn’t mean there is less value in having albums. In the past couple months I have conducted a poll and also have been asking the question to people about whether or not they get their digital images printed. I was shocked at how many people not only didn’t put their photos in self-albums anymore but that most of those people didn’t even get their images printed. Their images remain on hard drives and some are on discs.

I knew there would be some people who don’t get their images printed but had no idea that so few people bother to get their images printed out.

As my business has evolved, I have begun to realize the importance of offering my clients the opportunity to have the images I take of them put into books or albums. When you can bring a tear to someone’s eyes when they see their family in a beautiful album, it doesn’t take too many times to realize how much people do value albums – even in this digital era.

I’m now promoting the use of albums as much as possible. I’m making it easier than ever in my business for people to have a lovely custom created book or album from their photo session. On my Facebook business page I’m also trying to encourage people to get the images they take on their own cameras printed and either placed into an album, or a photo box.

I realize there are armies of amateur photographers ‘out there’ who are doing so-called photo shoots, passing themselves off as pro photographers, and then giving a disk of (usually terribly un-edited) images for people to do with as they please. That’s a shame because they are bastardizing true and quality professional photography. I definitely love that most people have their own camera and take all kinds of photos. That’s excellent! I hope that all the favourite photos on people’s memory cards and hard drives would end up being printed out. Going back to those amateur photographers. Rather than pay an amateur the small amounts they charge (while undercutting true photographers), I would rather people take their own photos or get a friend to take their photos and use their money to get all their images printed out and purchase an album to put them in.

I still love pulling out my parent’s wedding album, my mom’s photo albums, even my own wedding album and flipping through the pages and memories. If we don’t get our pictures printed and put into albums (or photo boxes), what will happen if the hard drive crashes? What will happen if the disks are corrupted or damaged? What will our children and grandchildren have to look through and enjoy? Sure we can still watch the images on slideshows and computer screens but nothing beats having those images in a physical album.

So yes, I do love albums.

In my business, I don’t just give away a disk of images. I do make it possible to purchase some of the digital images but that’s definitely not my priority. I also love creating the custom made albums and books my clients order. It’s a beautiful feeling to hand over a lovely work of art that I know the family will cherish and hand down as a family heirloom.

I hope you will reconsider all those images that are sitting on your hard drive or on disks. Little by little, why not start getting them printed out and placed into albums. It even feels good to hold an album in your hands. Give it a try!

“While many baby photographers do offer the files for sale, many custom photographers don’t. It’s a matter of quality control from start to finish. They realize cutting corners on that is a disservice to their clients.” ~ Lauri Baker, professional photographer.

“Photographs never forget!”

Wow! Each time I receive one of the custom press printed portrait books I am blown away all over again. So far, the press printed books I have ordered for clients have had the genuine leather cover with embossing. This is the first one (I made this one as a gift for my husband) I’ve ordered with a wrap around photo on the cover. I’m in love.

These portrait books come in different cover options, as I mentioned. Shown here are the genuine leather with embossing and the wrap-around custom photo cover. The leather comes in different colours and the photo cover is custom designed by me, with every one being entirely different and unique for each client.

Previous ones I’ve ordered have been the 10×10 size, although they do come in other sizes. The one I just received is the 6×6 flush mount album and I LOVE that size so much I have already incorporated it into a new session that I call, “Diane’s Signature Session.” The session, design, editing, and this beautiful portrait book are all included! It feels so good in the hand too. What a great way to get a bunch of the images from your photo session all in one gorgeous book. Visit my website for details on my new Signature Session. While at the website, check out the “Slice of Life” sessions I am now offering in which you receive a full size press printed portrait book with your session (like the red one above and below — you choose your cover options).

The portrait books come with a nice lay-flat hinged paper so it is much sturdier than ordinary magazine paper and is definitely steps above in quality. With the flush mount albums the pages are incredibly thick, unlike the magazine-style coffee table books, and I order them in a Pearl finish with UV coating. They are so posh! Although I’m partial to that pearl finish, you may order from other papers that are available and equally as impressive.

I am so proud of these exquisite portrait books and flush mount albums. They’re also ideal for people who are running out of room for portraits on the walls. Instead, place these works of art on your coffee table and wow all your guests when they come over to visit!

I’ve spent the better part of the day working on a custom flush mount album. I’m still learning how to be proficient at creating these gorgeous products so it takes me a lot longer than it takes others. I’m also so darn fussy about the details that I tend to “measure twice; cut once” over and over again. I’ve made some of these in the past but, because I don’t make them frequently, I am rusty each time I begin again. The end result is always so beautiful but boy-oh-boy it takes me a very long time to create them. So here is a preview of the one I created today. It’s a gift for my husband.

Unfortunately to put together my mosaic of each spread, I was not able to get them all in order no matter how much I fiddled with my software. So here is a peek at what the full page spreads basically will look like. I did not include the cover but when the album arrives, I’ll take photos of it for you. I added a light black stroke around each spread so you could see what the 2-pages look like opened up. (I also see from my preview here on the web that they look over-sharpened — the album itself definitely is not over-sharpened but it’s late and I wanted to post this sample for you.

Here is a separate sample of the first 2-page spread so you can see it a bit closer.

So what is a flush mount album anyway? Press Printed Albums are flush mount albums with thick lay-flat pages and no middle gutter.

Unique to Press Printed Albums, the inside pages are printed on either Art Watercolor, Art Linen, Art Recycled, or Pearl press paper and adhered to heavy black cardstock. The ones I’ve ordered so far are all on the gorgeous Pearl finish. This allows each spread to lay flat with a thick and rigid look and feel. Pages are printed as full spreads and not cut so imagery and design elements are not lost in the center of the book! Press Printed Albums are available in fixed lengths of 20, 40, or 60 sides (10, 20 or 30 spreads) and are available in 6×6, 6×12, 8×8, 10×10, 12×6 and 12×12 sizes.

All Press Printed Albums are available in a full line of cover materials including floral, mineral, suede and book fabrics, as well as many leather options including vintage, alligator and standard bonded leathers, and as a premium genuine black leather. The very popular custom photo covers are also available with Lustre or Metallic photographic paper, and Fine Art Canvas or Metallic Canvas. All cover materials can be padded as an option. All covers are wrapped around masonite providing a heavier, more substantial album. Photo custom covers are made with a photographic or canvas print that is laminated and adhered to the masonite cover.

I have shown photos before of the press printed books & albums. I’ll be sure to take photos of this one when it arrives. See what a beautiful keepsake you can have from your photo session when you hire a custom photographer? Although the press printed albums are most popular for weddings, newborns, and graduation, ANY occasion or any time is ideal for such a quality keepsake. These are quality heirlooms you’ll be proud to display and pass on to family. {Don’t forget Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are coming up very soon.}