In part 2 of our 3 part series, we dig into why albums are our second favorite, no-brainer product you should be offering every client. Did you miss Part 1? Check it out here. Don’t worry, we’ll wait for you.

Albums are the one product that truly stands the test of time and will be treasured by families from generation to generation. Not long ago, album design went a bit “photographers-gone-wild” with acrylic, metal, and fur covers. Remember that panoramic ultra-wide album fad?

Luckily the tide has turned back to favoring a classic, luxury presentation. 

We believe that elegant, high-quality products are the easiest to sell and also offer the highest level of client satisfaction.

Trust us when we say that your client would rather be offered 3 album sizes, rather than 20; 8 cover options instead of 100. Simple is the new black.

Albums can be gorgeous, luxurious, and classic… letting your images speak for themselves.

“Simple (album design) is the new black.” - Lena Hyde, CEO Design Aglow

Best Practices To Increase Wedding Album Sales

1. Think about your album while you shoot. Gather details that tell a complete story. Create those epic images that beg to be displayed across a full spread. Let clients know as you’re shooting how amazing those images are going to look in their album. Get yourself in the mindset, and get them in the mindset: Someone’s going home with an album.
2. Choose your favorite images and pre-design an album. Simplify the process. Make it beyond easy for them to order. They’ve already put their trust in you to capture their family or their wedding or their new baby, so let them trust your professional opinion on the best presentation.
3. Remember, every client wants an album — but whether it will be a Facebook album, a scrapbook full of 4×6 proofs, or a custom-made heirloom depends on how effectively you choose and promote your products.

Product: Design Aglow Albums

Appeal: Newborns, Babies, Kids, Families, Engagements, Weddings, High School Seniors, Boudoir, Pets

By Design Aglow

Brand Consistency: For both wedding and portrait photographers, albums are an essential offering. Clients don’t always have room or a desire for large wall galleries, but everyone has space for a beautiful album in their life. Albums are fantastic for your brand because they showcase a large variety of your images in a luxe presentation and are also highly collectible, ensuring repeat sales.

Wow Factor: Housed in a complimentary heavyweight eco-friendly charcoal box, and tied with a pretty ribbon that fits your brand, you have an instant classic, yet modern presentation of an incomparable product. Prepare for thrilled clients and lots of gushing feedback!

By Design Aglow

Pro Tip #1: Software like Fundy Designer allows you to design a custom album in minutes and present the layout to your client during an in-person sales meeting. Show a sample in the largest size so clients can see its fine quality cover, real photographic interior pages, and bespoke quality. Someone’s going home with an album! The only question is which color cover they will choose.

Pro Tip #2: Buying albums is easy-breezy fun for both you and your client. There are only 3 things you need to ask your client to do:

1. Choose a set number of favorite images (for weddings) or eliminate any photos they don’t want inside (for portraits)
2. Pick a cover color
3. Select their favorite image for the cover cameo.

By Design Aglow

Client Satisfaction: Clients love when you offer a consistent product, year after year; one that is made to last ensures their happiness for years to come. Large, beautiful albums are perfect for weddings, even in two volume sets. For portraits, clients can add to their collection, year after year, or by an event, like the birth of a new baby. Out on a shelf, or on a coffee table, albums are meant to be enjoyed whenever the mood strikes and can be passed down for future generations.

Markup Potential: Design Aglow albums have a wholesale cost of $180-220 and can be sold at a retail price point of $800-2500+ depending on your market and your brand. If you are not offering albums, you are missing the boat on a product with a 400-1000+% collectible markup that will delight your clients.

Pro Tip #3: Don’t have impressive samples yet? Take advantage of 20% off sample albums or drop your images into an album lookbook and catalog to make it seem like you have already created dozens of gorgeous albums and launch your album line today.

A huge canvas print might show the bride’s stunning dress, the groom’s wingtip shoes, and the epic location. But they don’t show all of the smaller, more subtle captures. If you shoot documentary-style weddings or lifestyle portraits, you’re not selling images — you’re telling a complete story of their life at that particular moment. Albums are a natural extension of that.