With the spring/summer wedding season upon us, you’ll soon be flooded with excited thank-you emails from couples and links to online galleries. If used strategically, these images can be a powerful tool for your marketing. In this guide, we’ll explore the art of curating a standout highlights album, discuss which pictures to include, and share best practices for storing and sharing, including the importance of crediting photographers through file renaming.
Selecting the Perfect Images
Storytelling Shots: Begin by selecting images that tell the story of the day from start to finish. Include shots of the couple getting ready, the ceremony, candid moments, and the reception. Aim for a balance of candid and posed shots that capture the emotions and atmosphere of the event.
Key Moments: Highlight pivotal moments such as a first look, exchanging vows, the first dance, golden hour portraits and cutting the cake. These images are the album’s heart and should be carefully chosen to evoke the essence of a wedding day at your venue.
Emotional Reactions: Don’t overlook the power of emotional reactions. Include images of laughter, tears, and heartfelt embraces that showcase the genuine emotions of the couple and their guests. However, please be wary of including any imagery of children in your highlights album.
Details and Décor: Showcase the unique details and décor that make each wedding special. From floral arrangements to table settings, these images add depth and visual interest to the album and can showcase to potential couples how past couples have used the spaces.
Stunning Portraits: Select a handful of standout portraits that showcase the couple. These images serve as timeless keepsakes and are often the most cherished by your clients.
Venue Shots: Share the beauty of your venue (interior, exterior and details) and surrounding landscape. These images provide context and help set the scene for the wedding day.
Get Comfortable with Culling: You don’t need to store thousands of images for each wedding. This is overwhelming for you and wherever you use them for marketing purposes. Instead, the above image requirements should easily be cut down into a manageable album of 100 images max.
Mark the ‘heroes’: Within each highlight gallery, there will be a handful of standout shots, your ‘hero’ images. Mark these within the folder and duplicate them into a separate folder where you can start accruing your absolute best shots covering all of the above elements.
Mix it up: The highlights folder should contain a good mix of landscape and portrait shots. For example, some photographers will often shoot primarily portraits. Still, add in the landscape images where you can—these are key for marketing across various media and devices.
OrganiSing and Storing Files
File Renaming: Before storing or sharing your images, it’s crucial to rename them with the photographer’s name for crediting purposes. This ensures proper recognition isn’t lost when teams change and you pull an album from the archives.
File Organisation: Create a dedicated folder for each wedding shoot within a Dropbox account (our preferred method). Organise your files by date, season/year, or client name to streamline the process of locating specific images.
Crediting: Within each folder, add a Word document containing the couple’s name, wedding date, and links to the suppliers involved in the wedding. If you ask your couples for feedback or a testimonial, include this in the folder for future social media use.
Backup and Security: Implement a backup system to protect your albums aren’t lost or damaged. Consider using cloud storage services like Dropbox for added security and accessibility.
Sharing Permissions: When sharing files with third-party platforms or submitting them for marketing purposes, be mindful of sharing permissions. Set permissions to restrict access to only those who need it, and always obtain consent from the photographer who holds the copyright and the couple before sharing images with others.
Conclusion
Curating a highlights album from a real wedding gallery is an art and a science. By selecting the perfect images that capture the essence of the day and organising them effectively within your Dropbox files, you can create a standout album that showcases your venue and resonates with potential clients.
Remember to always rename your files with the photographer’s name for crediting purposes, ensuring their work receives the recognition it deserves. With these tips and best practices, you and your team will be well-equipped to curate the perfect highlights album for submissions and marketing use.