Sorry, Cows

March 3rd, 2011:

It’s been 6 years since I last shot fully on film, where finished images were delivered to clients as printed 4×6 proofs, and then the selects would be made into an album.

As much as I love the convenience that digital photography offers, I still feel that pictures are best seen and felt in a tactile manner. There is just something heartwarmingly awesome about sitting down and flipping through a hefty album, reminiscing about the days gone by. In fact, it pains me to think of my images sitting on a DVD in a drawer, neglected and forgotten. Pictures are made to be enjoyed, which is why I provide hi-resolution images to my clients, and encourage them to have prints, canvases and albums professionally printed, so they may enjoy their images for many years to come.

Felicia and I take pride in our work because we see value in what we do: just as the royalty and aristocrats of old commissioned paintings of themselves to mark a significant event or milestone in their lives, our clients choosing us to capture their wedding day is the modern equivalent of choosing an artist to immortalize the day with a pictorial, historical record.

So several weeks ago, Felicia and I requested a tour of The Leather Craftsmen facility here in Southern California, to see just how their albums differ from the others out there. After all, we have read so much about the legendary craftsmanship, and some of the top wedding photographers in the country – billing $10,000 per wedding – work exclusively with Leathers Craftsmen for their albums.

We were thoroughly impressed by how the albums are meticulously constructed from start to finish. Some of the steps involved:

• Each print page is meticulously inspected by hand to check for any inconsistency in color or texture
• Pages are coated for UV protection, and made resistant to fingerprints
• Each page of the album is closely inspected at each stage of the production process
• The entire book is painstakingly hand-assembled by people who clearly take pride in their craft

I have been to countless the trade shows and have seen a huge assortment the albums offered to professional photographers, so I know what’s out there. After spending 2 hours at the facility, Felicia and I were thoroughly impressed and convinced that you get what you pay for: this was quality that you can see, feel, heck – even smell! Clearly, not all leather albums are made equal. Maybe Leather Craftsmen has access to better cows or something, I’m not sure. [Note: If you prefer that no cows be harmed in the production of your album, they do offer high-quality alternatives that did not go ‘Moo’.]

Today, having learnt that our new sample albums were ready, Felicia and I agreed without hesitation to drive out to Orange County to pick them up – we were so excited and simply could not wait till Monday to have the albums delivered to us!

Needless to say, Leather Craftsmen lived up to their reputation, and we are totally thrilled to have such awesome albums and are proud to offer the best quality albums to our clients, so that they can enjoy their images, and so will their children, grandchildren, and barring Armageddon – for even more generations after.

*Leather Craftsmen albums come with a lifetime warranty, so you have peace of mind that your investment will go the distance.