USING FILM NEGATIVES TO MAKE A FLUSH ALBUM
EXAMPLE: Zook Book, Classic Flush Albums, AlbumArt Flush Album, etc.
All flush albums are made from digital image files.
Using a film camera the proofs would just be used to enjoy the photos and select the images for the album. They cannot be used in a flush album.
They could be used for a Jorgensen ProBound Album | Zookbinders Matted Album | Renaissance | Art Leather | Florentina, Mosaic, 600/602 albums however.
You would need to have a wedding pro lab make scans from either all the film images or from the ones you want in the album.
Direct your photographer to tell the processing lab TO NOT CUT THE NEGATIVES INTO STRIPS. LEAVE IN LONG ROLL FORM. Why? Many labs will Not scan cut film! If your photographer has the film scanned at time of processing often times it is cheaper to do than waiting and scanning later. Many times a hobby type photographer doesn't know to use a Pro wedding lab. They bring the film to CostCo, Walmart, or Sam's Club, Wolf Camera, Ritz Camera etc...these type labs have terrific Fuji Frontier machines for printing but their "Hi Res" scans are really medium resolution scans usually about 4MB in size. These scans are good for 4x6 and 5x7 prints. When enlarged to fill a 12x12 or 10x10 canvas (prints) used in flush albums they fall apart....appear mushy soft and pixelated looking digital.
Using a Pro Lab 18MB scans can be ordered and these will work fine. Not all scans are equal. So your photographer needs to test the lab before your wedding to avoid the wailing and gnashing of teeth and deep regret you used them.
LAB: ask them if they can make 18MB Hi Res Scans that are color corrected and dust removed.
Often these scans gain contrast emphasizing the grain of the film and breaks up detail in the highlights (white wedding dress and collars of the men's white shirts) and in the shadows (tuxes and dark clothes of guest/family). Also the color can suck, so finding a lab up to it is imperative!
These type scans when done at time of processing usually cost about $1.75 per image. 10 rolls of film = 360 images x $1.75 = $630.00 Depending on the length of coverage of your wedding...say six hours and your photographer shoots 2.5 rolls per hour which is average then expect 15 rolls [2.5rolls x 6hrs= 15 rolls] x 36 exposures on a roll = 540 exposures x $1.75 = $945 plus film processing at $4.50 [ $67.50 ] plus proofs at $0.19 [540 x $0.19 each = 102.60 for one set at great proof prices.....pro labs often charge $ 0.24 to $0.59 cents a proof!
So you have a lot of money tied into processing before you begin. If your photographer shot digital they would have $0.00 cost upfront. No Film to buy, no processing and you don't even need the proofs except for family and parties. The images would be viewed on the computer for Zero costs. This is why photographers have gone digital. Cost are labor. The photographer has to edit the images and then someone has to color manage them. So Pro Photographers charge for this since time is money. No one works for free and can pay their bills. So the cost of film and processing is exchanged for the photographer's time.
Also shooting digital allows your photographer to see the pictures at the wedding and know they turned out. But now they need media to capture that many pictures at one time without erasing the images. Photographers use 'digital film' called Compact Flash Cards (CF Cards) buying a $1500 Canon 20D gives you a 8.2 MB file times 540 images =4428 MB of data divided by a 1GIG CF card = 5 CF cards needed at 1GB each. These cost about $180 each.
Buying a 5mb prosumer digital camera for the wedding produces ok results. Better is to buy a Pro camera body.
Why? The sensor size is different. A prosumer camera uses a smaller 5MB sensor than a Pro Camera 5MB camera. Think video...super small home video cameras vs. broadcast size video cameras...chip size = quality ...the bigger the better....
Wow! what to do?!!!
MATTED ALBUMS AS AN ALTERNATIVE:
If you went with a Matted Album you don't need the scans. Use the 4x6 proof size prints in the album using the Mat codes and select 10 images for 5x7 and perhaps 4-6 prints for 8x10's.
Read Making Your Own Album: http://www.albumart.com/textfiles/making_own_album.htm
Back to Flush albums. Once you have a digital image file from either the camera or the scans, you would select the images for the album and COPY just those images to a newly created folder called ALBUMPRINTS on your computer.
Then someone needs to design the album using either PhotoShop or Album Design software.
If you want to do it yourself and save money then we suggest buying Foto Fusion Pro for $89.00 to do the album design. PC based software only. You will need to calibrate your monitor.
If you choose a 10x10
Zook Book than a 10x10 print is needed one print per side in the album.
If you choose a 12x12 album then a 12x12 print, one print per side is
needed.
A spread is two sides, a left page and a right page. This canvas size is 10x20 or 12x24 depending on size you chose. Having a print this big allows the designer to put the images across the gutter where the album closes. It leads to more interesting designs
We can design, make the prints and have an album company mount/spray/trim and bind the prints into the album for you. Check on our doing the design & printing.
Zookbinder's Zook Book, AlbumArt Flush Album & Classic Album Pricing is listed for you providing the prints to us. So someone would need to design the album and then make the prints. Then forward those to AlbumArt when happy with everything.
If you don't want to buy album design software (PC only) then you could use www.bayphoto.com and download their ROES software, set up an account and drag the images into the templates they offer and have them color manage the work and make the prints. Then forward those to us.
As you can see someone has to do a lot of work. You pay for this or do yourself. You work for free. Others have bills to pay so charge for their labor, expertise and computers etc.
Take a look at GraphiStudio Book Albums. Why? Free Scans!
Here you would select the images for the album using your set of proofs. Match it to the negative. Starting on frame one cut the negs into strips of four or six depending on the film sleeve purchased. Keep organized and cut one roll at a time. Mark a #10 business envelope with the roll number or use a Print File Sleeve to keep all the negs from that roll together. When pulling a strip out of that collection number the strip with the roll number so you know what proofs match it.
You would have a matching neg and proof for each image for the album. Sort them into order of appearance in the album. Use post it notes with #2 pencil and label them 1 through end number...say 70 ..... for 70 images in the album.
You won't know how many images you want in the album until you see and live with the images (proofs) for a while. The images that are your favorites and meet family viewing needs become your album selects. Mark images for full page or as favorites so they are emphasized in the design.
Forward to AlbumArt and we make the album for you. Pretty simple! You save scanning cost. No other company offers free scans. Since they do it they do it right. The results are fabulous. Italian made album.
GraphiStudio Book Album Homepage:
Pricing: E-mail Rick $1200 to about $2500
CONCLUSION:
- Best to have original digital images from digital camera to produce a flush or book album.
- Scans from film adds to cost of Album [Except GraphiStudio Albums]
- Scan Image Specs: Use 18MB RGB Hi Res image files color corrected and dust free or larger
- Use PRO digital camera instead of film camera or Prosumer digital camera.
- PRO CAMERAS MOST USE:
Canon: Mark II 1D,
Mark II 1Ds, 20D | Older Cameras: 10D, 60D
Nikon: D2Hs, D2X, D70s | Older Cameras: D1x, D2H, D70, D100, D1H
Fuji: S3, S2 | Older Cameras: S1
Other cameras:
Kodak 760, 14N
Olympus -