Wedding photographers are increasingly focusing on presentation to differentiate themselves and drive sales. Products that are gaining popularity include metal prints, books, boxes, and other personalized accessories. Loxleys is showcasing innovative presentation solutions at Focus, including marketing materials produced through their online Dynamo Press program. Asukabook is launching two new album styles with protective laminate finishes and invisible bindings. Wedding photographer Graham Keutenius uses books to tell clients' wedding stories.

1. WEDDING SPECIAL WEDDING SPECIAL
Presentation Presentation
The finishing touch Mouthwatering Mounts
Photographers who enjoy the control that
comes with a ‘do-it-yourself’ approach might
Get your presentation right and not only can you hand your work over to well be interested in the Longridge Trio Midi
mount cutting system, which offers a cost-
your client looking its absolute best but you also have the potential to add effective way to produce perfect results
that can be used to partner anything from
serious margin to your job WORDS Terry Hope wedding prints through to an expensive fine
art product.
F
or those who visited the Societies’ Is it simple to use? Very much so, with
Convention back in January and who around four steps required to get to a precisely-
will be making the journey up to cut mount. In fact, the hardest part is getting
Birmingham this month to take a trip around the numbers right to enable you to measure the
Focus, it can’t have escaped your notice size of the aperture – a calculator in some cases
that everywhere you look there are stands will be a must. The steps after measuring are
devoted to the art of presentation. to draw the lines using the parallelogram and
Whatever trade show you care to go guide rails, place the cutter stops and then cut
to these days you can count on being (it can be used by left or right handed people).
confronted with traditional frames in every As long as you work with good quality, square
shape and size imaginable, high-tech digital mount board you’ll be fine.
frames, more albums than you could ever The pack, which costs £325, comes with a
hope to shake a stick at and a good scattering highly informative DVD which is designed to
of cutting edge design ideas that utilise walk even the beginner through the process. Patent Pending
materials such as metal and wood that once Results when we tried the kit out were superb, Asukabook – the high-end digital art book
would have been considered completely off although watching the DVD for a second specialist – is using the Focus 2010 show to
the wall. It’s a sign of a healthy industry that or third time was advisable to make sure launch a brand new ‘patent pending’ album
has finally taken the message on board that everything was crystal clear. featuring innovative invisible binding and a
presentation is inextricably linked to selling, new protective laminate finish on each page.
and those who can master this particular l Contact: A second new coffee table-style book boasts
dark art are well placed to not only survive www.longridge.co.uk six colour printing and a new customizable
the current downturn but to come out of it all slide-in presentation case.
well placed to grow their business strongly. And photographers new to the ‘top end’
The fact is that, just as poorly thought out Japanese brand will pick up a 50% discount
or executed presentation can drag down the on their first sample book order when they
best of work, so too can brilliant presentation
act as a showcase and transport great
“If your presentation visit the Asukabook Stand (Q16) or order/
register online.
photography to new levels. It can be the key
to upselling your work and as a further bonus
is brilliant it acts as “This is the first time the company has
exhibited in its own right at the NEC show,”
there is also the potential to add the kind of
profit margin to your material costs that you
a showcase and can says Asukabook’s Andrew Moorcroft, “and
the company is going flat-out to make a big
might only be able to dream about in other
parts of your business. take your work to impression with the launch of these two
superior art books with compelling and
It’s also worth considering the fact that
presentation invariably will define where new levels” innovative features for photographers and
their customers.”
your particular business might happen The new Zen Lay-Flat book is, as its
to be in the marketplace. There’s no point name suggests, a lay-flat style, and the
tilting at the top end for example if you’re product incorporates Asukabook’s special
going to present work to your client in a £50 and will also showcase an extensive array of ABOVE to create their own bespoke professional invisible binding, allowing the perfect
album: that kind of approach might have pioneering products, including contemporary & RIGHT: marketing collateral at a fraction of the cost display of images with no gutter loss. The
The range
an important role to play if you’re going for wall art and framing services. of products of using design houses. “The idea is that laminate finish protects pages and continues
the cut-throat budget end of the market, “Any photographer with an eye on the being offered photographers can have professional-looking seamlessly into the binding.
but you need to see what your aspirations road ahead and a serious ambition to drive by Loxleys products to hand out to their clients without The second new Focus product, the
are and plan your presentation accordingly. his or her business forward after the worst is designed having to invest in huge print runs,” says NeoClassic book, has a more traditional style
to give pho-
A Queensberry Album or a book from recession in decades must make a beeline for tographers
Chris. “We have a number of pre-designed with thicker, board-style pages. The stylish
Graphistudio might well cost you way over the M1,” says Chris Kay, Loxleys’ marketing the back up templates that they can use – or they can cover is fully designable and the entire book
£1000 to produce but if you are working with manager. “That’s our stand number at the they need upload their own designs – and they can then is showcased in a unique, customisable slide-
a client who has been assured that they will NEC show by the way! to take their go on and produce one, ten, twenty or 100 in presentation case, complete with space for
presentation
only get the best every step of the way and “We are ploughing more funds than ever copies of whatever they want: it’s completely a DVD or CD. Both books will be showcased at
seriously
they are prepared to pay for the privilege before into our cutting edge marketing up to the individual how many they order. Focus and available in the spring.
then that will be the level of service that they and presentation solutions for customers “It’s all part of our drive to help
are going to expect. nationwide. Following the hugely successful photographers to market their businesses l Photographers who have already bought
One of the biggest stands at the Societies trade show we took part in at the recent professionally and the results they can get Asukabook products in the past will still be
Show, and with another massive one SWPP Convention in London we now have a by using our service are output on an HP eligible for a total of three 25% discounts per
planned for Focus, is Loxleys. Hot-on- the- sharp focus on Focus with the largest stand Indigo printer and look fantastic. Dynamo calendar year on studio samples.
heels of its £1 million investment in its new we’ve ever had – 110 square metres in total.” Press offers photographers the most brilliant
‘Dynamo Press’ online marketing solution, Showcased on the stand will be the lab’s marketing solutions in the form of tri-folds, l Contact:
this innovative Glasgow-based pro lab will Dynamo Press programme, which has been greetings cards, gift vouchers, letterheads Info@asukabook.com
debut two new album ranges at the NEC designed to give photographers the chance and much more at a fraction of the cost
90 April 2010 Taking your photography to the next level Taking your photography to the next level April 2010 91

2. WEDDING SPECIAL WEDDING SPECIAL
Presentation Presentation
Sim2000 at Focus
To mark its presence at the Focus Show Sim2000 has
announced lower prices on its top selling album and coffee
table books, along with new pricing for Thank You cards and
marketing products. To check out the full updated 2010 price
list either contact Sim2000 by phone or visit the website.
Thank You cards are now priced from 49p and feature a
“Because it was so cold I had to work fast stylish new DL format size (99x210mm). This can be used
in combination with the company’s free software, SimWare,
and be really organised on the day” which also offers the photographer a number of easy-to-use
contemporary templates. Also new is the Tri-fold Mini, the
little brother of the range which costs from only 20p. This
4x4in leaflet is a useful budget option that can be left at
venues and wedding shows.
l More details of these promotional offers at
www.sim2000imaging.com or call 020 8207 0700
“We like to do things in our business which ABOVE:
Karl Andre
took prints
told us where we could to order up prints of
this kind for ourselves,” says Louise. “They
entry level products that can cost the
photographer way under £100.
days so it will be ready for the couple to
view once they’re back from honeymoon.”
make us stand out from the crowd” made on
metal along
really did look different and they attracted a
lot of attention at the fair we attended. We
Wedding photographer Graham
Keutenius who runs Eton Photography
Graham doesn’t price the book separately
but rather provides it as part of a wedding
to a wedding also put together a deal on the day that if moved into this style of presentation a few package that works out at around £1400.
fair and used someone was to book a particular wedding years back, basing some of the services “I do sell quite a lot of extra books to the
them as part
of a promo-
package with us they would qualify for a free he offers around the products offered by couple who will want to give them away to
tion there metal print, which was a nice way of using Bob Books. “Using a book is a great way of parents, friends and relatives,” he says. “I
of going to a litho printers.” Examples of may never have seen before and knocking the presentation to create business. telling a story,” he says. “I’ll use maybe 200 price them realistically at between £100 to
ABOVE
products that can be produced using the
Dynamo Press programme will be exhibited
them dead with the product. These forms of
presentation tend to be fairly volatile: a short
RIGHT:
“We do like to do things in our business
which help to make us stand out: our
images in a book and if I know that’s how I’m
ultimately going to present my work I’ll plan
£150 but this does encourage extra sales
and helps to earn me extra profit on a job.”
Hand made from Booked
Graham
at Focus and can also be checked out on the while back canvases were all the rage and Keutenius wedding albums are sourced from a different the wedding shoot around it. The need to stay on top of presentation Booked Images is showing its new range of hand made
Loxley Colour website. they still continue to dominate large areas has pre- supplier but they also feature a metal cover “Bob Books have recently redesigned is clear and wedding photographers ignore bespoke wedding books at Focus. The new art book is
So, given the feedback that Loxleys of the wedding and portrait market. Acrylic sented many and so there is a connection now between their design software and also revamped this aspect of the business at their peril. 300mm square and hand sewn with a gloss laminate, and
of his wed-
received at the Societies’ Convention, what then became the next big thing and now the album and print services that we offer.” the range of products they offer. The books Take a close look at what you see next time comes with either 60 or 120 sides. Also new for 2010 is
ding clients
are the presentation products that could there is the opportunity to output prints on with books “We did get a great response to the metal I’m now offering have fewer pages than you visit a trade show and also look around a panoramic book which is said to be perfect for simple
truly be considered to be ‘hot’ right now? to metal for a radically different kind of look. that feature prints,” confirms Karl. “It’s a very different before – 82 pages compared to 120 – but the wedding fairs and online to see what other weddings.
“Things that are really hot now include In a wedding business that is becoming the complete kind of product and it’s one that has its paper grade is thicker and the whole feel is photographers are doing. Don’t be afraid to The new designs are being complemented by a freshly
extra sets of presentation boxes, parent’s increasingly competitive it can really help to story of their market. It’s not a cheap product and so it much better. It’s more of a magazine-style be adventurous and make sure your work expanded range of handmade boxes, which feature bespoke
big day
albums, keepsake accordions, mini books and have a product to show that has a distinct has to be used in a certain kind of way for a album now rather than a photo book.” looks the very best that it possibly can. blocking and include a range of wooden veneered examples
accessories that provide that additional value ‘wow’ factor, and it was this kind of thinking certain kind of client, but I’m confident that While Bob Books do offer ready-made made by French master craftsmen. A more affordable option
for money and a twist to the norm,” says that led photographer Karl Andre and it’s going to do well for us into the future.” design templates Graham prefers to produce l Contact: is a picture box, where imagery can be carried over from the
Chris. “The show itself was a brilliant success his partner Louise to order up a couple of Books are another form of wedding his own designs in Photoshop and then www.loxleycolour.com wedding book to create a personalised package.
this year with plenty of space to show our wedding prints from Printing on Metal to presentation that have taken off simply imports them ready for printing. “It’s www.printingonmetal.com
entire range of products and services.” show at a wedding fair they were attending. spectacularly in recent years, and they range just the way I’m used to working,” he says. www.karlandrephotography.co.uk l Book prices start from £149 and rise to around £299 + VAT.
Part of what great presentation is all “We first saw this form of presentation from the high-end album style pioneered “It takes me a full day - 7-8 hours - to design www.etonphotography.com www.bookedimages.com or call 0118 976 2796
about is showing a customer something they being used by a student, Nathan Pidd, and he by the likes of Graphistudio down to more a book and turnaround time is around 7-10 www.bobbooks.co.uk
92 April 2010 Taking your photography to the next level Taking your photography to the next level April 2010 93