Video: Curt's parents had their wedding filmed in 1949. As he grew up, he and his siblings enjoyed this film many, many times even though it was basic - not even any sound. With this perspective, we encourage everyone to have a video made of their wedding. From our perspective as photographers and occasional videographers, we have some suggestions.

There is minimal interference between photographers and videographers when they treat each other with respect. That means literally working side by side - neither should adopt an "in your face" style. Video crews that feel free to wander around the altar, or spin around dancing couples from three feet away, or stand directly in front of the best man during his toast - argh! Having done video ourselves, we know producing a high-quality video is a daunting task. We try to be aware of their fixed camera positions, keep quiet near their cameras (they are recording sound!) and communicate with them on upcoming events.

Gabriel: A nice couple came by recently to get some photos of their new son. They were floored by the result. "The album brought tears to my eyes!" The entire album is currently shown on our Family page.

Album types: Of all the things a wedding photographer needs to know about, the most complicated subject is Albums. There were over 30 album suppliers at WPPI this year. But physically, albums can be grouped in just a few categories. The traditional album is called a "slip-in" - leaves are assembled with separate mats and individual photographs. We offer this sort of album to traditionalists. The mounted/matted album is somewhat similar: Photographs and mats are firmly bonded to the leaves by the album manufacturer. The photographs are often trimmed slightly smaller than the mat opening. We can provide this sort of album upon request.

The third type is the mounted/flush album. Single, large prints are mounted to leaves without mats. These have a very neat and clean appearance, more like a book. They've been available for years, but have enjoyed an explosion in popularity with the introduction of digital imaging. Pages are created in Photoshop and are typically composites of several images that can be arranged in many creative ways - even emulating a traditional matted album. There is no industry-wide term for these albums, so we call them Art Albums. Others may call them coffee table books, magazine style albums, or other names. Over 90% of our clients choose our Art Album.

We've been producing Art Albums for longer than most photographers, thanks to our prior experience in composite imaging and our early switch to digital cameras. Knowing we will be creating an Art Album for a client affects the way we do their photography - there is much more room for artistic expression in these albums, many additional types of images, and also some special requirements.

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