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Jim Garner: Album Design: The Formula

Design rules we have a formula that we use you know brian getting ready groom getting ready how I'm going to show you different ideas on how you could do that in this next section bear with me we're gonna go quick because we have a lot of these slides so basically you start with a theme the theme could come from the venue that you're out it could come from the color of the dress it can come from of the you know the environment that the event was photographed around etcetera I use a lot of my themes will be from the actual artwork that the bride and groom choose further imitation etcetera onda color in the tones of their wedding day right we also will bring in if we don't have a theme will run a couple's examples by our bride and groom so we've come up with a bunch of beautiful themes as backgrounds over the years and and often our bride and groom will will fall in love with one of them and that becomes the theme of the book okay we also included some things in the transformational tool...

box to help you if you're starting with your collection of of stock themes that would get you started okay to every spread must have a purpose there's no question about that each spread reads clearly from top left to bottom right? Okay. Every images within a story must be required to tell that story you can't have images out of a story of outside, perhaps photograph later in the day if you want this to be a chronological experience, okay, critical to portray every image must be critical to betray expression within each story, so you have to have expression within each story, and it doesn't have to be laughter. Playfulness could be crying moments, etcetera two to five images per spread on average, with this style of of storytelling and that's pretty unbelievable. Most picture books are ten, twelve images per spread and boy, if we haven't properly oriented minds of our client's minds over clients to the storytelling philosophy and reminded them why you're designing this, they will want to fill it up just like a picture book, because they see quantity more important than quality of story. So that's what we're gonna talk about the documents you need in the next section to remind them to do that to thinking out those terms. Each image within the story has continuity, no mixed treatment, so consider it like a house house might be a brown house inside there are rooms, each room has its own particular theme as well, and everything in that room works within that theme that's an album, okay, every time you walk into a different room or turn the turn the page, you're provided a different, wonderful experience. I think in those terms and you'll be successful okay all images within this story must have the same theme I just said that absolutely no repeating images okay if two images that you shot in a siri's are exactly the same and don't require that second images being in there you'll get the cut syndrome once your clients start cutting images they start designing it for you so that's why we need diversity and images change your lenses out often if you have you want to do a filmstrip that's one thing but if you pre think hey I'm gonna shoot long with this first and then I get I'm gonna get close for the second put those two together head sizes are different for a reason because I'm coming in and grabbing that emotional moment then you'll have victory your clients will find value in that if you have image and image is slightly different heads tilted this way a little bit more on the third image slightly tilted that way that you're going to cut syndrome cut cut cut once they cut boy is your art going to get butchered and there's gonna be a lot of frustration back and forth we need to have um rules in place to handle this head sizes next next point is head sizes of subject must remain the same unless clearly intentionally different I just brought that up I've talked about it a lot during this process but negative space is critical in story shooting and story design okay, we shoot for negative space and we use it. We use it to heal the eye to add crescendo toe add excitement to make you want to turn the page into the next after healing your eye after a busy spread if you have a really busy busy fred twenty twenty images in it perhaps a reception spread or ceremony spread for that matter the next one has to be single image wow and that could be a shot a wide angle shot officially a shot of the reception hall itself it heals your eye just one experience or got a boom turn it to the next page. Okay? Unique location stores must be tied together with in transition spread describing change. Okay, so if you're going from one location to the next you got a transition between them by telling how you got there. We've talked a lot about this throughout the workshop together a single image spread is necessary at least every three to five spreads it's a big important rule heals your eye while spreads necessary every three to five spreads as well to keep interest usually a single image spread is awhile spread so that's kind of the same thing but I just need you teo no, the terminology here uh book wow like wow holy cow moment holy cow moment it could be like one of the shots we re touched in the last segment that last shot that could be a while spread single image spread across full of emotion and when you see that in the book it has so much more impact and you'll see on ever on your screen that's why I love I love getting my books back from italy from graphics studio opening for the first time and you just you lose your breath wow I didn't realize that's going to be like that and it issues got a plan for two it's so much fun so a clear beginning middle and end with a wow crescendo three cores away through something big three quarters the way through just like a beautiful piece of classical music right or opera must start and end with the wild spreads you have to have a beginning an end ending that's extraordinary it's very difficult last friend must describe the ending or beginning of next chapter and subjects lives and use symbolism because it's key okay one spread one story lighting continuity it's gotta look like it was naturally shot all day long okay you gotta have continuity and lighting so this is such an important point before we get into the rest of this content here how do we assure that our clients will appreciate the value of our design you have to have documents to remind them why they hired you ah and here it is this is the album design guidelines every one of you are going to make this document okay you're going to remind them of these rules I just talked to you about now we're about to make an album for you can you sign off on this document it's critical for post wedding documents defines the studio design rules it reinforces designed vision and process its clients signatures required they must read it and see it alleviates post production work they know that your design on ly three images toe five images per spread they're not going to if they sign off on it their minds know when they see it they will be disappointed you remind them there's going to be single image spreads hey, you hired me for this this is what you saw and this is what I'll be making for you. Cool okay? We're ready to design it's a contract by the way, if you want all these documents I show you you know have to quickly write them down there in the transformation toolbox adobo dot com we're not talking about that stuff right now. I just want to get through a lot of these. These are the pitfalls these will get you through its communication because you're now a design studio so it's a side note I'm going to talk about work flow and later in the in a program here. And we're gonna go through all the things that you need to save you to keep you successful in this process of transformation. So I created a theme for solid created a personalized name adds value to your commission. Art there's, no question about it. Notice this is that imitation here's what it became in their album and let's, take a look at how this could work within their album. Okay, there it is that only visible in the corners. See, now, this is the grey. This is a grand and off white themed book and that's how I inverse it. So now that graphic design element is the off white in the negative space here is that umbrella shop? Not nice when they get this. And they don't realize that we took that much care into creating their book toe actually scan their invitation. And, you know, we adapted in many ways, it's possible put in their book and they go, oh, my gosh, you wanted that level for us, that's. The cut kind of experience you want to give to our people who appreciate in value art. But look, I now have a new design element, I mixed it and tweaked it up, and I used it for a family client, and they love it. Love that theme for the books so you end up with a catalogue of themes like this that you put in the background are themes are all on our actually put him all there in the transformation to box if you want it, they're there to get you started and then you're going to start creating your own, um, stock themes. Take a look at those if you're interested in that tool box, so I'm zain adding emotion. Check your emotional state before designing you must be in a creative place you're not a factory worker while you are putting images into art, you must have your mind in the right place. Music is very important to right brainers too emotionally brain people like us so we listen to inspire the music we always start with the big the big spreads, the ones that make you go yes, I'm so excited. I just did this beautiful image it's not a feared things first thing you know, I always say always when you have a task list in front of you feared things for not in this case you start with the exciting stuff and you end with a not so exciting stuff for me, I'm not excited about doing reception spreads so much, I like the big wild spread, so I start without and that powers me forward motivates me. I designed out of team I used the feeling I talked about the using feeling how do you feel about this? How do you feel about this show? I do if I put these images together was would it work for you? Team environments really great nana let's have that luxury, but trust me, if you go down this pathway with us into the world of delivering art to your clients, you will be able to afford a team eventually. Okay, set it as your goal, remember backwards, engineer your goals so find a series of images produced a non literal outcome find a serious of images that produce a non literal outcome. All right remember symbolism it's so important he's a design elements of composition and I'm going really quick. I know that I'm sorry we've got a lot to do today. I'm cram it in so my apologies six element of a composition that we consider his pattern, symmetry, color and texture are my favorite. Okay color and texture, obviously depth of field that's why I shot yesterday an aperture priority and manual most of the time I'm wide open with my lens to get that narrow depth of field. When I had a group, the whole group together I scrolled my finger to the right, giving me after a five point six or eight even to get teo handle the depth of field that needed to get everybody sharp but most the time I'm wide open because that's an emotional state when you get a narrow depth of field so also lines and expression being the most important thing expression trumps perfection in any image when it comes to what we do in storytelling and out of focus image but something that contains tons of joy and laughter and playfulness and fun that the client sees themselves in that image that's very motion and fun that is going to sell all over a perfectly posed perfectly sharp image any day so those are the influences on the design so how do we show time? How do we represent time in our album's three ways three key techniques I use film stripping I use motion framing and I use flow transitioning and here's some examples okay film stripping siri's of images quickly looking like something happens within this is cross walking this is a motion framing technique where they walk away and then rot walk across the frame get real quick here okay these two images this is motion framing things changed within the frame from one image to the next time started in time continued okay, this is an example of that bow tie and then the boys follow their all together in the next image you turn the page and they'd be walking towards me here's a definitely time they're coming up the stairs and I have a moment the top of the stairs there's a filmstrip filmstrip again this is cross walking which is a flow transition things happening within the frame there walking off the frame another moment walking from left to right a left a right okay, this is exactly that as well they're walking left to right then they have a moment along the way I showed you this yesterday where they walking along from left to right and a big quick hug. Okay, sometimes I want from right to left and that's a problem for story but you could flip it always keep that in mind okay they held still people blurred around them and I drag shutter in this one represents time hey that building on the left there that's where we were yesterday don't the lemos facing the wrong way I could have flipped that but the building was symmetrical I couldn't do that but it look it represents them arriving to the next location on they leave in a boat move off to the right after a filmstrip here's a film strip of the first viewing their first time they see each other here's another first time they see each other they hug and then walk off you see this image before same thing, same thing flo transitioning okay let's talk about the rules I'm going so fast sorry guys tell it like a classical piece of music flo from spread t spread story to spread story flows okay remember if you get that incredible image member when I looked on my viewfinder and there there's a bride with a heart shaped veil against a red wall perfect symmetry I went oh my gosh what happened here wow take a look at this oh my god and then we walked back to my next shot we're back in the venue I didn't finish the story I didn't walk us away from that incredible moment it was out of context in their album and it was ah major changing moment for me so one I'm inspiring you all to do with hope to inspire you all do is when you feel that oh my goodness shot happened for you so wow and they'll happen tenfold will happen tenfold for you if you start story shooting and can't throw away your campos is start doing what this workshop is all about you will find your portfolio explodes you'll no question have that heart moment you go oh my gosh I got a heart shaped bill shot remember what jim gardner says shoot your way out of that moment and it will flow in your story that have much greater value in a story format then by itself okay images must have the same tone throughout we talked about that a lot stain on literal give the viewer break. Rusty, I with negative space used additive finishing techniques that we're talking about today. Photoshopped layer over, layer over layer, etcetera. So right now, there's a bunch of theirs, I think twelve different types of spreads that we make in the story. Okay, we start with the intro wows, we're gonna have a bride introduction. Then we're going to move to the groom introduction. I'm gonna show you what those spreads look like. We're gonna do detail spreads. How do we describe the details? Such as what we shot yesterday. You saw me shoot her to get stay the different platters we saw around the room. The first glance, if planned, we're going. Teo spreads about the introduction of this additional players. Okay, that would be the bridal party. Could be family members, et cetera. We call them the players in this story. Bridal party. Of course, we really want to feature and celebrate each and every individual as well as all of them and their energy as a group. Unexpected locations are key. So our mock up yesterday we had unexpected location, and that was hey, let's, get some champagne. You know, it's it's a cliche sort of thing to do, but wonderful, I always offer to my clients if they're interested. But unexpected locations the hand let's drop in my gosh on the in the car on the way from one location to the next pull over right here look at the light against that wall everybody out he creates wonderful energy emotion so unexpected locations are fun and you should do it keep it up second location perhaps if we find the time to do it such as in the experiential style remember they gave us an additional time we can find time to do a second location. Okay? Formals ceremony uh reception images seen centers, transition spreads and while spreads so obviously the closer must be a chronological wow, this is a very difficult spread. It has to be represented the end of the day and has to be a big moment that's why? I really stressed the importance of understanding night shooting that's why we did the bonus video for this program. So if you purchased this program you're gonna get the night shoot that we did you have to be able to go out and shoot in the evening to get a closing while shop and obviously didn't have a nighttime to share with you so we did that in the bonus content okay, here we go introduction while spreads dot designed this last usually often designed this last okay the opener wow here's some examples quickly ofsome books that we've done in the past notice the negative space is used to put in the names of the couple. Sometimes they want the dates the negative space is key with while spreads there's touchy on and christian she oh my gosh, I showed you this album yesterday, I believe, or the day before and she male mayor friends said, hey, I saw on facebook that you played our album, she was I have something to tell you. I'm I'm pregnant with twins fraternal twins and and we went back to vis chiyo where we photographed your way and we tried to emulate also sum of all the of the photos you took care of us on our wedding day, but now with babies in r and so she looks so pretty beautiful is really need to hear from her and that's what I'm talking about those relationships like had I really wish they lived in my area because we'd be dear friends with these wonderful people, so it's really need to hear from her and I thank you too creative live for getting the word out, but thank you talking on and christian love it so it's our side note that's eighty moment made a bunch of those today, so look at negative space you gotta shoot with a lot of negative space I love this this is a kawai wedding last year I didn't use it for the opener because had so many great big while spreads. I actually think I used this one that's their opener. Negative space it's got to be a oh my gosh, I can't wait to open the book type of thing, okay? Here's, chris and kyle you saw that he was a different style of design we've played with in the past. More linear style with grace. Sometimes that entire opener is there graphic element for the wedding this openers there's lots of examples on how important the first broad should be in the book really draws you in now. Let's, go into the bride. It must be good. You have to design often designed this last first impression is really important also negative space. Okay, negative space now here's depends on really how many spreads were doing for a couple. I will always do a single image of the bride, but sometimes it could be three spreads. There she is with her details and then a full of expression moment and then there's her while spread afterwards. Okay, the bride deserves that. Everything revolves around the broad. We did this shot with heidi yesterday. Maybe we should photoshopped that one always portray expression hears this fried single image, fred details and then the bride in her semi nervous expression and then a while spread of just her you guys know how I fit that to the image we only saw that one and there's tricia same thing. So the groom where with who who's he with elements are easy I showed you yesterday matched the bride's layout single spreader many sometimes that it's just them putting on their tie right sometimes they're all ready to go you just have him hey, constraint that time for me given excuse to grab his tie and saying I want a picture of you holding your time it's a different sort of thing um give me a reason they can't see their tie right tell him to straighten it even though it's perfectly straight um christian all this is a fun one to just different different ways of doing it again expression was what made that one good so he already had most of his clothing on and I just straightened stuff up became the details this guy was more cool so details along with get you ready there's so many ways to do it make it tweak it you saw that one tweak what you've seen make it your own style pretty easy stuff remember we're not after the best photos ever were after the story line so it could be simple images putting story is as impactful as that wow shot that you take minutes to set up remember that phenomenon uh first glance filmstrip it keep it private make it there if there's no on a bunch of people watching it if you're going to have a a couple's see each other before him were willing to do that to make it private from them you'll get more emotion out of it is when all the friends and family around they'll contain that emotion so that's a scene setting strategy isn't it by saying hand speak in private for you as your scene setting uh close it close it hard there's a really old one with a big team okay they come out they hug it's a real moment always they always love these this is old style of going dark light dark light I don't do this anymore I found that not to be so timeless here's here's uh dark light our instead of normal and then light instead of normal and dark but it's kind of a cute moment it's a different way of film stripping so it's always expression field filled okay she comes down walks out hugs and then a hugging moment nose head sizes or the same in less intentionally different introduction the players celebrate each individual personality use themes cross walk them into the next story here's an example of cross walking him there you know cross walking is just walking period it's just crossing into the next spread so and sometimes it's literally cross walking here's a shot with that we showed you earlier it's celebrates each individual personality we did that yesterday is a mirror and then shot of them we showed you this exactly how the shot was taken yesterday by separate people bringing them together fast you get that expression any user internation walking people up walking the running group up into the bridal party this is a really raw example of that and here's some story she checked yourself out in the mirror I'm looking good a little hug moment and we all walked down to the next spread together so look, I did it with girls I did exactly the same with the guys notice this is a black themed album it's just a little bit harsh I don't do black and I don't do any pure white and pure black stories unless they're signing books and that would be white at all anymore every book hasn't a new theme that were coming up with I need you all start thinking about that collecting themes for background that are better subtle and that I won't interfere with the tones of the image just real subtle, subtle and simple ok, so you get the idea that's how we introduced them here's another personality strip calm personality strips here is a great way to introduce him a real fun close up single image spread here's a massive bridal party to an unbelievable ranch wedding this is such a beautiful wedding and fun but boy did they come late? We're hours late. We ate right into our experiential time that we added to the front of the wedding there's no two hours left but we still had our normal time and I used the old skill set for doing hour and a half get everything done I would have have you ever been to a wedding, guys where they ate up all the time and you have nothing? Nothing left that's. Why the experiential time on the front it is the best buffer ever. Hair and makeup people are chronic issues for us because they want that bride and to look so good they usually do the bride last make sure she's fresh and everything and it can eat up to an hour of the time. So one of the things we have in our contract and it's, you want our exact contract wish I strongly agree everyone needs a contract to shoot weddings it's in our toolkit get it, use it. Put your names where our names were at it says hey, we're really want to deliver for you we really want to deliver amazing images please consider hair and making people in their time we want to be respectful timeto please let them know that, uh we'd love for them respect our time as well because more time we get with you them or experiences room fun we're gonna have the better the photos were going to so our contract is really experiential uh communicating and it's all about making the client's really understand we've gotta have time to make it special so let's go quick here unexpected location transition into the experience that's natural for the group ok hey hey here we are at the bar suddenly they didn't know they were gonna be there and it's super fun there's another bar shot super busy spread for my liking today too many things going on I need to clean that up so why the experience of the broader party's having a drink? We could do beautiful images of the bride and groom in a stylized format that's what we did there's another spread of it it's a very old book black themed book but here's another idea of what you could do when the bride of parties enjoying themselves it's so fun though everyone instantly goes into expression mode you could hardly be wrong in that unexpected location portion of that. So I brought a party portray personality asked for candid play it's not a photo shoot remember motion movement we demonstrated the power of this yesterday okay use those techniques for energy rationing vale this is avail mona work it love it okay look at this this is a recent wedding expression expression expression bright sunny day we have no shaded all zero so what do you put the sun behind him um there we go this is the personality that group that is not a perfect image at all it's got a lot of issues a lot of problems but boy did the bride and groom love it because it represented who they were here's another version of it same group fun okay this was I'm gonna hope they have a chance to show you this entire book this is years ago but it's so much fun this is a real experiential style wedding where the broader party introduced by caring in the groom into the shot and that became kind of energy that lasted throughout the day really fun wedding so how you introduced the bridal party so important that you kind of a cross walk him in or celebrate their inner personalities you'll know but you're also in charge of that energy that you provide the clients you bring to the clients of the kind there's the energy you get back remember that your energy out because energy back okay yeah you take a chance for quick question here I notice is that use a lot of standard storytelling elements along these were developed by aristotle about what three thousand years ago on you've applied them to wedding albums I haven't really seen other people do that I know that there are other storytelling elements have you ever thought about that or how you might incorporate those or do you yeah anything that anything that helps the story happen we want to incorporate yeah I'm always studying new ways of communicating the storyline and I love your comments about air style because it's so true right it's been done for years storytelling is key and and what's sad to me is that we all have the opportunity to do this and it's easier to do the national image single image capture on yet not many people really know that they have that potential to do that so why don't you answer your question? I'm just finding an inspirational moment to se teoh everybody one I'm showing you here is is just individual examples of off this philosophy moving last eight nine years but even hopefully not intimidated by these simple shots because that you could see how that totally attainable after seeing yesterday's work that we did anyone could do this stuff if you realize and understand that you could get away with storytelling you could get away captain the simplest of images they don't have to be perfect they just have to be in chronological order and have expression and be let well that's it that's all you have to worry about and you're golden your golden you will start down this road you have success there's no question about it so I want to bring in I wantto finish a few slides and then we're gonna do some album design how does that sound was going real quick bridegroom together here's some quick examples it's gotta be big obviously big shots you know, it's a lot of these were made to fit a horizontal albums most of these were all spreads don't think about that negative space in other words okay locations or transitions thinking themes texture, color, composition jump in, jump out! All right, okay so family spreads notice that's how I like to do them all in one orientation with the camera and there's this type this is the same wedding is the formal in the church. We also have time with the style to do this type it's tight and emotion expressed emotion filled what usually gets celebrated the album are these types were you saying? Alright everybody hug each other lean forward look at each other laugh come on, have some fun you're inviting a different style it's easy to do when you see it, the bride and the groom will lead it to so they see the style and now they're going to help help help it happen with people that haven't seen it understand it so I start down that path it's fun so the ceremony keep clean three to four spreads okay, keep it clean on it it's a very busy time see there's my single image while spread from the ceremony notice it's a really busy spread but I've made it small check out the themes see that the mums theme in our transformational took it that cool um real tex cherie eso hears tears the storytelling and then there's the big while spread the moment we're getting married where you're seeing study okay there's there main ceremony and then their departure so they were married you kiss and now you come out with a film strip okay other examples keep it clean it's hard to keep clean is such a busy environment is it reception? All major events captured design in mind kid you got it's got candid looking use negative space one spread with all the busy stuff and I used funny to create this spread for me fundings album designed software agood news fundy is here today he's going to show you that stuff just a few minutes actually so I usually do it single image dance photo okay it's gotta be chronological the events you need to catch the evening line as well and get out there and don't forget the closing spread you got to get a night shot you've got to get the nightshade so here's an example of first dance single image bread this is captured with video lyon eighty five millimeter one too okay here's a simple cake cutting but there's their dance shot that's pretty darn emotional beautiful careful with flash you know we could have one cam with a bunch of flash on it just for you party pics like this then I have another one that's capturing the emotional images with available like two cameras around my neck uh these days okay see that seem behind okay that's if those air flash shots here's a bunch of flash shots as well and no answers on that last one there's tons of images on it here's the first dance so seen centers critical critical toe have always purchased they have to have it transitions are perfect hears we're about to go into this house to photograph the bridegroom okay we're about to enter this beautiful setting and that's where the reception's going to be okay here's another one exactly the same scene centers now for the upscale couple that wants a really big book you do one strip of details then you will get one a single image spread awhile spread of the venue itself of the entire room okay scene setters critical okay we're wrapping up this formula with transition spreads on b a picture book without transition spread were very easy to shoot simply describes how subject moved into a space and into the into the next scene it involves motion posing and flo transitioning cross walking motion framing and film stripping okay walk him out, walk him in how'd they get there where they're going? Easy super easy super fun okay there's one with the girls and one of the guys that was an hour apart I shot those two but I had in mind that we needed matching stores for both the girls and the guys lot of great examples here so I'm going so quick you couldn't go in slow motion after you purchased this program whatever slow down while spreads every three to five rusty oslo's ofyou critical to create the ride must crescendo your story designed starts with wound ends with wow forms the glue in the store you gotta have that here's a few wow you've seen a lot of these so you get you get there all so important? Oh yes wow way all say wow! Okay but your wild style is completely different than my wild style that's the beauty of this I'm not asking everybody to like what I do and they may think I'm a big bozo but totally perfect that's perfectly fine maybe my work is too much too cheesy maybe you know, whatever that's fine is right for my clients and that's all I care about my clients like it so I've refined into these type of wow shots and I love it because now I know exactly what I'm doing at every single wedding finally closers must describe chronologically the chronological order of the day it must be at the end it must be a transition have symbolism for moving them into the lives together okay it's gotta end with a bang you can't drop you can't this is the worst when I stow judge albums you get this wonderful album you could oh you get so wrapped up in it and then it had a bad ending and you go oh no and your score would just drop right off the top and you gotta go big cnn's challenge this is the greatest challenge is to a plan for something that happens really beautifully in the end the end of your story so go big it's gotta be big something like these there is the closer attrition drew that dark moody image it's also dance but you know what? Here is a good time tio gordo thanks so much for sharing everyone is definitely uh sharing some exclamation points on the chat rooms wait a couple of very quick rapid fire questions before we move on let's do it so all right eve asked do you ever he's quotes or text within your album designs? I love that you no it's one of those I showed you that I said this one was heavily designed this is ah polish couple and we put polar scenes inside of it for them the answers absolutely it is appropriate for the client in their style it's. Not about your style, necessarily it's about what your commission to do, right? So absolutely, I think it's a great idea. Well, that second one viki l age. When do you actually use the album design guideline contract? Is it after you've reviewed favorites with them? Is it at the very beginning, where do you actually do that? Uh, it's, a great saying, wait in the next segment, in fact, we're gonna talk about work low and where we plugged the different documents in in the transformational translation toolbox is the main documents show you where you plug this, sent along the way. It also has our workflow and also has a lot more things that will get into later, but but not right now, but great question. Before you do anything, you need to have them understand what you do, so that would definitely happen right before the design starts. You need to have that signed off on, okay, but I'll get into it a lot more later.