Hi Nigel, I've been using Saal Digital (from Belgium) and I'm always amazed by their quality. I've ordered large prints (50x70cm) and photo books over the last couple of years: prices are actually rather low in comparison to other printing services here.
Here in the states, the names that come to mind are Shutterfly and Snapfish. Both have good prices. I used one of these companies for a small flimsy book for my trip to the Grand Canyon and the photo quality was quite good. I'll probably revisit both companies for some higher quality paper and hardcovers.
I have made several photo books through Apple’s print services, through iPhoto. I was very impressed with the quality and the prices. I’ve also ordered and have been happy with prints I ordered through Apple. Unfortunately Apple no longer had a print service anymore, which is a shame because it was so easy to order photos and books through them.
I use Saal digital as well but also a company called Blurb. I make with them each year a square book with my photos taken with the smartphone for my Instagram account, I'm quite happy with them. I've never used WhiteWall but I wanted to try in the future, thanks for sharing your opinions.
I 100% agree that everyone should do this, the world of digital is great and all, the fact we can keep thousands of photos with no issue and be able to look at them whenever we can. But for me nothing compares to having something printed and being able to hold that.
Good to hear your thought on the various books Nigel, but the highlight of this video for me, was seeing how excited you were opening the box and seeing your Vistas book........brilliant.
This video inspired me to make my first photo book. I made my first book through Blurb and it came this week. I am very pleased with it and it is definitely a great feeling seeing some of my work in print! Thanks for the inspiration!
Lay Flat books work well when you want a photo to stretch from one page across the opposite page . It gives a feeling of expansiveness . Lay flat also allows for three equal size images to be laid out side by side without having the middle of the centre image compromised via the fold.
Hey Nigel, would you consider doing a video just on exposure (or brightness?) for export? I know it’s a simple concept but no matter how much post-processing study I’ve done, I don’t feel I’ve settled on a fool-proof method for getting my images at the right brightness for print (or web for that matter). Great video on book printing though, thank you!
I've heard Joe McNally talk of "the emotional impact of the printed image" - and I have no doubt that he's absolutely correct. No display can match the impact of a print. Thanks for an interesting video, Nigel.
Joe Mcnally is a few decades too late to talk about emotional impact of photographs. One of the first people who publicly aired this subject was Ansel Adams in very early stages of his photographic career. If you ever saw one of his prints in the flesh you'd very quickly understand what he was all about.
@@lensman5762 yep. It's not a new idea, and I think that any of us who have printed our work intuitively know this. As to Adams' work, I have seen and held his prints. It was a moving experience - with a sense of being transported in time and space. Have a good one.
Great video Nigel. Have been taking photos for a long time but only just starting to get them printed. Been struggling with my printed images always appearing dark so good to hear your tip of dimming the brightness on my monitor. Thanks again.
Hi Nigel! This is great, I've learned a lot. Thank you for sharing. I've also just watched your backup storage video, which is something I'm focusing my attention as well at the moment, and I was wondering if you'd ever consider doing a video with your complete process of shooting, transferring the RAW files over to the computer, processing, deleting what you don't need, backup what you need, organize, how you store selects, how you store the photos you export, the copies you edit in Photoshop, etc.. That would be amazing to watch. All the best!
I received your book a few weeks ago and it is stunning! Thank you so much for putting this together. I have learned so much from you over the years, but mostly you inspire me to continue to push the envelope of my skillset. Cheers!
Love the excitement and enthusiasm you show when opening Vistas for the first time! I mainly make photobooks of travelling (mainly family travelling). I live in Belgium and have been very happy working with a Dutch company 'Albelli' for my photobooks. They have very nice prints in my opinion. They are not the cheapest at all but have some great offers worth waiting for every now and then. I do spend quite some time in selecting the pictures and making a book so I do recognise your excitement when you see the final product!!! Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Glad that you speak about your impressions with full explanation why and what, cause very ofter there is no better or worse paper etc., but simply the preference. :-)
Congratulations on the success of your book, it looks fantastic from here. As for making books, I've been at it for about six years and have used Printique, Blub, Shutterfly and Flickr. I've been relatively satisfied with all of my books except one.I contacted them, they analysed my photos, told me what I had done wrong, allowed me to fix them and reprinted the book at no additional cost to me. So once I've selected a vender, paper, book size and cost; it comes down to software. In other words is the software user friendly.
Very interesting and inspired me to put another book together. I’ve been using Mixbook for years. Very user friendly and so far the quality has been extremely good. Glossy photo hardcover and other options, lustre type paper, digital printing. I’ve always been happy with how my photos look. Lots of themes and layouts to choose from, easy to add photos and text. I love how it helps to line up photos you custom drop in.
Nigel I just wanted to let you know what a great job you did putting together Vistas! I preordered a copy and I was just blown away by the incredible quality of both the images themselves and the layout and printing. I have a fairly large collection of photo books and your self published volume is as good or better than any of the commercially printed and distributed books in my collection! I can't imagine how much work you put into this project and just wanted you to know how much I have enjoyed and will continue to enjoy the results! I am currently putting together a book of my own and Vistas serves daily as an inspiration, Thanks!
Very worthwhile video Nigel.I so agree with you about taking time to create books for your own pleasure and as a record.....so so different looking at your own photos in book form. I originally tried it using Apples service linked to aperture or iphoto I think. They stopped that but did a deal to keep service going with a couple of specialist companies and I have used Mimeo from that,several times now and have been very pleased with the service and results...their app integrates on a mac (only I think) with the photos app and is very easy to use and see what your layout us going to look like. Well worth a try.
Enjoyable video, well done. I had a photobook printed a couple of years ago for my parents' 70th wedding anniversary and went down a treat with all who looked at it. My grandkids really enjoy looking at the various photos and reading the captions.
Ive done books through Blurb.com. Software download which allows you to work on the book as you wish and save it to your computer and when you are ready upload it to them for printing.
I've seen several of your videos. They inspire me and I´ll dig deeper in them. But what really makes a difference is that you are so passionate and nice that I enjoy just looking at you while you share your knowledge. Thank you for that. Has worked as a news video photographer for almost 30 years. Leica M still photographer og getting to know Lightroom Classic and CC. Looking forward to see all your videos - and soon have a book made with my pictures. Just for my girlfriend, daughter and me :-)
Thank you for the info on lowering the monitor light. I had a book on my India trip made using Blurb and I found the pictures to be too dark. I will be making now with my monster darker.
The books looks amazing and what can I say, Pebbles looks adorable! As a graphic designer it was really interesting to see what non-designers can do on their own. I also really liked the idea of creating photo books as keepsakes, more so nowadays when everything is digital... brilliant really. I have a couple of trips happening this year so will look into making my own book as well.
The smile on your face when you opened your new book (old now in comparison but just going through all your videos for the first time) was priceless. I hope to one day make a book of my photos I have taken here in NZ
Like a few people I have been looking to do a photobook for a while so very timely. Just been on Facebook and an invite / advert for £100 off Saal photobook, so a read of the small print and if it is OK then its picking which photos to do . UPDATE. Went and did the book with Saal. Very easy, did the upload on the Monday evening , about 3-4 emails on the process and it arrived at 6.40am on the Saturday via DHL courier. I am very impressed. They are expensive but look as if they do a fair number of special offers. Will be using again. Thanks Nigel for the heads up.
Im new in photography. But love to learn more. So i watch most of your videos.. im so grateful for everything you share about taking photos or getting to know camera settings.
Nigel, many thanks for this video. I was particularly interested to see the Saal Digital high-end book, because I ordered something similar of a wedding album I did of my brother’s wedding, which will be delivered any day now. I chose the same paper, but in a lay flat album, which I think will work well for a wedding album. He and his wife live in East Sussex; I live in New York, so I’m sending it to him blind, praying they do a good job. With Covid-19, I decided to have it shipped direct, rather than sent here to look at first and then send on to him. Your video of this has given me more confidence it will turn out well. I’ve also used Mimeo Photos to do family books and calendars and did my nephew and niece’s graduation book with Mimeo. They did an excellent job with my nephew’s book, but I won’t see my niece’s until I’m next in England, whenever that will be.
The very first feeling I've got when this video started was goosebumps of seeing your face :) You looked like a kid opening up a present. Really good video. I've enjoyed it! :)
Thanks for your video and you videos in general, Nigel! You made me use the rainy sunday and make a photo book I had in my mind for a longer time but I always put it off. One tip as a long-time Saal customer: They run special offers more often than not so you can usually save 20-30€ by waiting a few weeks if you wait for a special offer.
Your videos are so wholesome! I started a Photography Degree last year, I'm now 29. Lockdown had me completely regretting my decision - but your videos (and Pebbles) are two of the things that have kept me going! Thank you - the books look amazing
Totally agree, a printed book is a whole different ball game. It is a real pleasure to see one's work in print instead of always on a backlit screen. You made a very good point about turning down your display brightness before making exposure or contrast adjustments in Lightroom. To really get it right, one also has to calibrate the display for color temperature, though today's monitors are much better than what we had in the early days of PCs. Back in the day, I've spent a good amount of money on monitor calibration hardware and software, and I suppose some of those devices are still available. Being in the printing trade, I've always pronounced the word litho with a short i as in lithograph or offset lithography. Though one shouldn't confuse those two terms, as they are completely different processes. Also, the technique on your "Vistas" book cover looks like foil stamping. An embossed cover would feature raised or relief letters. Finally, it's important to be sure your images have sufficient resolution. About 300 pixels per inch of final print is usually a safe number, but it's good to check with your printer as different presses and processes require more or less pixels for a good result. Shooting at the highest resolution your camera supports will give you the most flexibility when cropping in Photoshop (or exporting in Lightroom) for the printed page. Cropping at too high of a resolution can make your file sizes unmanageable and hard to handle. So, better too many pixels than too few, but don't get carried away!
Congratulations on the book Nigel. I did manage to pick up a copy before you sold out, so looking forward to that. I couldn't agree more, having a book made from a trip or a collection of photos is an excellent way to show off your work and give to family, friends as a keepsake. It's a brilliant idea and one that I would highly recommend to all photographers, landscape or otherwise.
Loved your detailed video. Would you be kind enough to do a detailed video about how to have your own photo exhibition (in UK) like you did by sharing your own experiences please?
Thank you so much, Nigel. You have definitely inspired me to create a photo book filled with my special and favorite images that I can gift to my family or ..... You are such a gifted photographer and teacher. Thanks again!
Nigel, really enjoyed your views and the comparisons between the various providers, certainly food for thought. Really like the calendar and I have pre-ordered a copy, looking forward to seeing it in the flesh. Keep up the brilliant input!
I love photo books. I don't make one online with my photos. I only shoot films, I print all of them (bad or good, it's a good start for editing after), select some to put them in my own "books". But yes, it is very satisfying to open a book with your photos in it ! I completely agree with the title of your video, every one should do it :)
I always enjoy creating a photo book, after a longer trip. I'm doing this now for 10 years and if you look back in those books, you can really see the progress you make as a photographer!! Will be ordering the calendar in a second!!!
To set the right monitor brightness just open up a white image, put a white sheet of paper on your table and try to tune down the monitor so that the white looks only nearly as bright as the sheet of paper. Most will be astonished how dim this will be. (Oh, CEWE is more pronounced like "C-V", it comes from the initials of Carl Wöltje and the way those are spelled in German. And I think Saal messed up at least with the acrylic cover, they should have better quality control for that price.)
Loved the video! I would love to know even more about books, would you consider making this a regular topic? I’m curious about loads of details such as your method of choosing your screen settings, Lightroom parameters for exporting to the photo book platform, as well as the economics behind a « consumer version book » which you obviously can’t buy for £100 each as you would do for a personal book. Best regards Nigel, I’m a big fan sincerely.
Amazing way to cherish you work, Nigel - and it deserves nothing less. As far as Saal goes, it's a pity they didn't get back to you - I have some smearing issues with my photobook and they sent me a new one for free.
I'm not sure if it's nostalgia or just being able to focus better, but I much prefer print in general, not just with photos. When looking at a screen, I find myself zooming in or out, randomly highlighting things, or switching windows to check something else. In print, I focus on what I'm looking at. When it's photos, I can move the book to a different angle or closer or farther from me--I can still interact with it, but I'm much more focused. Beyond photos, I also prefer to read from paper; I've never read an eBook or magazine. As to your question about other companies, I used Printique (formerly AdoramaPix; USA-based) last year to print a photo book of my trip to Kauai, and the quality was outstanding. My goal was to effectively have a photo album, but with me doing the layout prior to printing, rather than putting together an album with hundreds of individual pictures. Previously I'd used other companies where the photos printed in lower quality (you could see the ink dots) and I really wanted these to look like photo prints. Other than identifying locations, I didn't add any text, and I found the lay-flat format worked very well to meet that goal. For a book that has more text and is more of a "book" than an album, I'm not sure the bulk of the lay-flat's thick pages would be necessary. Either way, when I get my act together and put the next set of photos together, I'm going right back to Printique to make another.
Currently learning InDesign to design the layout of my own book and also a small magazine. It's amazing to have your own prints on something physical. Swiping on a phone just is not the same
Thanks Nigel for showing the different books and qualities. I have several books made and i love ProPhotoNet (a Dutch company), not the cheapest but the quality is superb. They have good software for MAC and Windos to download, more editing freedom compared with other companies. Also a good online help center. For me the difficult part is choosing the best paper for the pictures ( finish and thickness ), your video helps to make a decision in the future. Showing your pictures in a book is far more rewarding than sharing online.
Calendar pre-ordered! I live in the USA and I use mpix for all my out of home printing. Always fast and easy and well priced for single prints or books.
You inspired me to get out the book I made via Saal Digital and look it over again. They had an ad on Instagram that got me a $150 voucher for a photobook. It was lots of fun to make. Today I ended up taking pictures of it and putting them up on my SmugMug site so I could share with people far away. They're terrible pics, due to cell phone and a small apartments poor lighting, but at least I can share them. I also made an album of just the pictures. Thanks for the inspiration!
I love the book of Pebbles! Cuteness overload :) I love to use Saaldigital. Love the quality. I make a yearbook every year of my favorite photo’s. So great to see them come alive.
What a wonderful presentation of your photo books. I’m excited to do one of my own from my wilderness backpacking trips. I a future episode, I would be interested to hear your thoughts in planning a photo book and calendar.
Loving Vistas - cracking book. As a couple of others have said, it would be interesting to hear your thoughts on Blurb - I know one of our camera club members uses that and they seem good ... but we don't have a comparison to other companies such as the ones mentioned in this video.
Great video. There’s something satisfying about a print in a book that you don’t get from an image on a computer screen. I found your comments about how different types of paper affect an image especially interesting. Perhaps in the future you can talk about how you match a type of paper to a particular image to get the best result.
Thanks for the vlog Nigel. Some really interesting and useful information here. Will definitely be a major point of reference when I'm deciding on a print shop my own photo book.
You reminded me of a young kid and Christmas opening their main present Nigel lol. Love your enthusiasm. As someone who is just looking at taking your advice about getting some photos printed but doesn't have the space or money for the quality printer I'd like this sort of episode is very useful as I'm researching print labs and paper/mounting options. I think it's an overlooked aspect of photography and of the main photographers I follow (you, Gavin, Adam, Thomas, Nick, BvS, Kim & Henry) only you give much in the way of advice/knowledge on printing. I hadn't thought of a photobook for trips etc but I certainly will now! I know £180 is not cheap but if I compare it to the cost of getting a single largish print it's actually not unreasonable. maybe one day I can get the spare room back from my son and get a printer but until that day it's photolabs for me. Please keep returning to printing topics every so often - and mounting the prints.
I just made a photo book with Cewe. I want to make one book from every year I do photography. I was so pleased with the quality of the book and its a lot of fun to have your images printed.
Hi Nigel, your photos and photo books are fantastic! I also get a lot of pleasure from getting photo books of my photos, there's something about looking through a book rather than a phone, tablet or computer.
Hi Nigel, I have printed a few books for myself, and I always used Blurb as it is so convenient for a Lightroom users.. I see you don’t even mention this option, is it because its quality is not good enough for you? I was actually not impressed, but not even disappointed.. I am curious to know your opinion, thanks!
Your face was priceless when you opened your book Vistas. In the US there are numerous places to have photo books made. I have used Shutterfly and Snapfish.
Thanks for that Nigel. I found it very useful. Could I ask about lowering the brightness of your monitor? Is this just for when you are printing your images? Will your images appear too bright if you are displaying them digitally?
It was great seeing your surprise at Vistas. And Marilyn on your wall...class, we gave our daughter a print for her 18th. This is a superb review, what would you say is the ideal weight of paper? 170 or 250gsm?
Greetings, Nigel. Yes, I ordered a calendar, looking forward to a better year with that one. We can hope. I've been doing books for several years now, though pretty far from Fine Art grade; a mix of some worthy images with just travel snaps. They are mostly records of trips to red-rock Utah, California and Oregon coast, the usual-suspect places in Califonia, and some trips to UK and Europe (no longer the same, eh?). Started with the book app in iPhoto, then a mix of Apple and, um, Shutterfly-not horrible, really. It does make you look closely at each image, yet put a presentation together that flows and tells a story. One question: I notice you have several images that spread across the center, something that usually bugs me. You don't mind? I feel that some of the image, and its wholeness, gets lost across the gutter. Lovely images, though, in any case.
That was terrific Nigel. I use photobox for my images. I do an annual landscapes book, and I did a Northern Lights cruise book from just before lockdown in the Uk and they are great. I have plans for other books too, all from Photobox. Vistas is really good, and I've ordered your 2021 calendar!
Here in the USA I use Printique. Used to ne Adorama pix. One word. Have printed 100 page books there which I think is the max. 12x12 100 page lay-flat for an Australia trip $320. Fantastic 12x24 double page photos. Thick paper. Expensive but really fine. Very happy. But I think non-lay-flat may be more durable, not sure.
Fantastic looking photo books and the Calendar looks amazing! Especially that spectacular December imagine, it's one of my favourites of 2020 and the Calendar is top of my Christmas list again this year!
I like the Saal Digital Photo books. I have one from the Professional Line with Acrylic Cover and some normal ones. The quality is great and awesome by Professional Line. There is nothing better as to see photos printed in a book.
I ordered one too. The quality is really great.. But after some days I was really shocked. The paper had deformed. It was very wavy. Saal Digital told me that it was due to the humidity and if you stored it in a bookcase it would be smooth again. That was true. The paper is now straight again ... Did you have a problem like this too?
Thanks for the video Nigel - one supplier I have used with some lovely quality results is "Bob Books" - they are at the lower price end for people who don't want to spend large amounts on their production.
This was very helpful Nigel. I've had one book done by PhotoBox and was pretty pleased with it. You've just inspired me to get another one done soon. Thanks man!
Great video and very helpful. Love your photo books and am tempted by the calendar but the non picture part is probably too small for me to get info onto. Keep up the good work - you really are inspirational.
This is such a great concept compared to the traditional photo album. It's like a photo-journal of our trips. For some reason, I always associate photobooks as something to sell, but it doesnt have to be at all, as you show here. Going to create one from a backpacking trip to India I had done back in 2014.
Nigel, you mentioned that with Vistas you and "the printer" spent a great deal of time together getting the images right. How did that happen, what did that entail, and what was the additional cost? What did the printer's tech contribute? I assume most us are unable to access that kind of one-on-one expertise, but that apparently was important, and insight could be helpful before embarking on a project like a photo book. Thanks!
This video encouraged me to prepare my own photobook, so I picked one from Saal Digital, Just a standard one with matte finishing, It looks amazing, Now, I'm wondering why I haven't done it before, Nigel, thank You very much for inspiration,:-)
Nigel, given your experience producing several photo books, do you have some suggestions about how to best prepare the images for printing? And how might that differ from say, printing with an inkjet printer. I'm thinking about things like contrast, brightness or sharpening. Also, I noticed that most of the pages displaying your images don't have any text or a title. Is that something that is problematic or just your preference?
Very enjoyable video Nigel. Your enthusiasm for photographs in print is infectious and the book review very timely indeed. I'm sure many photographers, like me, have been putting lockdown to good use and sorting out their Lightroom catalogs, reprocessing images and creating photobooks. I have a few on the go at the moment, but being a Lightroom user I've naturally gravitated to using Blurb as I'm sure many others have. Question is, have you tried Blurb, and if so how does the quality compare to the others you have? If not, why not? I've looked at a few other book companies but I have to agree with all the software is pretty basic, but I don't want the pain and expense of something like InDesign, but wanting to add narrative, contents, and index's tec., seems awkward with the software the book companies offer. It would be really interesting to see how Burb compares to your books, which by the way look amazing. A great watch.
Hi Nigel. I had the Saal book printed also and I also found the colour was way off on the acrylic cover. It wasn't just you, it does seem their cover printing process has issues. The pages were great, just the cover was an issue for me.
It would be good to hear your thoughts on companies making books in other countries below
Hi Nigel, I've been using Saal Digital (from Belgium) and I'm always amazed by their quality. I've ordered large prints (50x70cm) and photo books over the last couple of years: prices are actually rather low in comparison to other printing services here.
Here in the states, the names that come to mind are Shutterfly and Snapfish. Both have good prices. I used one of these companies for a small flimsy book for my trip to the Grand Canyon and the photo quality was quite good. I'll probably revisit both companies for some higher quality paper and hardcovers.
I have made several photo books through Apple’s print services, through iPhoto. I was very impressed with the quality and the prices. I’ve also ordered and have been happy with prints I ordered through Apple.
Unfortunately Apple no longer had a print service anymore, which is a shame because it was so easy to order photos and books through them.
For those in the US, Blurb is a very good option. They have a pretty good variety of papers to choose from and the image quality is excellent..
I use Saal digital as well but also a company called Blurb. I make with them each year a square book with my photos taken with the smartphone for my Instagram account, I'm quite happy with them. I've never used WhiteWall but I wanted to try in the future, thanks for sharing your opinions.
I 100% agree that everyone should do this, the world of digital is great and all, the fact we can keep thousands of photos with no issue and be able to look at them whenever we can. But for me nothing compares to having something printed and being able to hold that.
Good to hear your thought on the various books Nigel, but the highlight of this video for me, was seeing how excited you were opening the box and seeing your Vistas book........brilliant.
Thanks Bob - I was so pleased - and so glad I recorded it
This video inspired me to make my first photo book. I made my first book through Blurb and it came this week. I am very pleased with it and it is definitely a great feeling seeing some of my work in print! Thanks for the inspiration!
Lay Flat books work well when you want a photo to stretch from one page across the opposite page . It gives a feeling of expansiveness . Lay flat also allows for three equal size images to be laid out side by side without having the middle of the centre image compromised via the fold.
Hey Nigel, would you consider doing a video just on exposure (or brightness?) for export? I know it’s a simple concept but no matter how much post-processing study I’ve done, I don’t feel I’ve settled on a fool-proof method for getting my images at the right brightness for print (or web for that matter). Great video on book printing though, thank you!
I've heard Joe McNally talk of "the emotional impact of the printed image" - and I have no doubt that he's absolutely correct. No display can match the impact of a print.
Thanks for an interesting video, Nigel.
Joe Mcnally is a few decades too late to talk about emotional impact of photographs. One of the first people who publicly aired this subject was Ansel Adams in very early stages of his photographic career. If you ever saw one of his prints in the flesh you'd very quickly understand what he was all about.
@@lensman5762 yep. It's not a new idea, and I think that any of us who have printed our work intuitively know this.
As to Adams' work, I have seen and held his prints. It was a moving experience - with a sense of being transported in time and space.
Have a good one.
Great video Nigel. Have been taking photos for a long time but only just starting to get them printed. Been struggling with my printed images always appearing dark so good to hear your tip of dimming the brightness on my monitor. Thanks again.
Hi Nigel! This is great, I've learned a lot. Thank you for sharing. I've also just watched your backup storage video, which is something I'm focusing my attention as well at the moment, and I was wondering if you'd ever consider doing a video with your complete process of shooting, transferring the RAW files over to the computer, processing, deleting what you don't need, backup what you need, organize, how you store selects, how you store the photos you export, the copies you edit in Photoshop, etc.. That would be amazing to watch.
All the best!
I received your book a few weeks ago and it is stunning! Thank you so much for putting this together. I have learned so much from you over the years, but mostly you inspire me to continue to push the envelope of my skillset. Cheers!
Thanks so much!
Love the excitement and enthusiasm you show when opening Vistas for the first time! I mainly make photobooks of travelling (mainly family travelling). I live in Belgium and have been very happy working with a Dutch company 'Albelli' for my photobooks. They have very nice prints in my opinion. They are not the cheapest at all but have some great offers worth waiting for every now and then. I do spend quite some time in selecting the pictures and making a book so I do recognise your excitement when you see the final product!!! Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Glad that you speak about your impressions with full explanation why and what, cause very ofter there is no better or worse paper etc., but simply the preference. :-)
Congratulations on the success of your book, it looks fantastic from here. As for making books, I've been at it for about six years and have used Printique, Blub, Shutterfly and Flickr. I've been relatively satisfied with all of my books except one.I contacted them, they analysed my photos, told me what I had done wrong, allowed me to fix them and reprinted the book at no additional cost to me. So once I've selected a vender, paper, book size and cost; it comes down to software. In other words is the software user friendly.
Very interesting and inspired me to put another book together. I’ve been using Mixbook for years. Very user friendly and so far the quality has been extremely good. Glossy photo hardcover and other options, lustre type paper, digital printing. I’ve always been happy with how my photos look. Lots of themes and layouts to choose from, easy to add photos and text. I love how it helps to line up photos you custom drop in.
Thanks for covering this Nigel - its been on my mind the last couple of days how to go about creating one in the Future.
Nigel I just wanted to let you know what a great job you did putting together Vistas! I preordered a copy and I was just blown away by the incredible quality of both the images themselves and the layout and printing. I have a fairly large collection of photo books and your self published volume is as good or better than any of the commercially printed and distributed books in my collection! I can't imagine how much work you put into this project and just wanted you to know how much I have enjoyed and will continue to enjoy the results! I am currently putting together a book of my own and Vistas serves daily as an inspiration, Thanks!
Thanks so much! I really appreciate that
Very worthwhile video Nigel.I so agree with you about taking time to create books for your own pleasure and as a record.....so so different looking at your own photos in book form. I originally tried it using Apples service linked to aperture or iphoto I think. They stopped that but did a deal to keep service going with a couple of specialist companies and I have used Mimeo from that,several times now and have been very pleased with the service and results...their app integrates on a mac (only I think) with the photos app and is very easy to use and see what your layout us going to look like. Well worth a try.
Enjoyable video, well done. I had a photobook printed a couple of years ago for my parents' 70th wedding anniversary and went down a treat with all who looked at it. My grandkids really enjoy looking at the various photos and reading the captions.
Ive done books through Blurb.com. Software download which allows you to work on the book as you wish and save it to your computer and when you are ready upload it to them for printing.
I've seen several of your videos. They inspire me and I´ll dig deeper in them. But what really makes a difference is that you are so passionate and nice that I enjoy just looking at you while you share your knowledge. Thank you for that. Has worked as a news video photographer for almost 30 years. Leica M still photographer og getting to know Lightroom Classic and CC. Looking forward to see all your videos - and soon have a book made with my pictures. Just for my girlfriend, daughter and me :-)
Thank you for the info on lowering the monitor light. I had a book on my India trip made using Blurb and I found the pictures to be too dark. I will be making now with my monster darker.
The books looks amazing and what can I say, Pebbles looks adorable! As a graphic designer it was really interesting to see what non-designers can do on their own. I also really liked the idea of creating photo books as keepsakes, more so nowadays when everything is digital... brilliant really. I have a couple of trips happening this year so will look into making my own book as well.
The smile on your face when you opened your new book (old now in comparison but just going through all your videos for the first time) was priceless. I hope to one day make a book of my photos I have taken here in NZ
Hi Nigel, Do you have an instruction video on how to make the photo books? The Do's and Dont's when making layout choices etc.?
Like a few people I have been looking to do a photobook for a while so very timely. Just been on Facebook and an invite / advert for £100 off Saal photobook, so a read of the small print and if it is OK then its picking which photos to do . UPDATE. Went and did the book with Saal. Very easy, did the upload on the Monday evening , about 3-4 emails on the process and it arrived at 6.40am on the Saturday via DHL courier. I am very impressed. They are expensive but look as if they do a fair number of special offers. Will be using again. Thanks Nigel for the heads up.
Im new in photography. But love to learn more. So i watch most of your videos.. im so grateful for everything you share about taking photos or getting to know camera settings.
Made one for my 4yearolds birthday... She had a princess photoshoot for her birthday and this was an extra surprise... She loves it
Nigel, many thanks for this video. I was particularly interested to see the Saal Digital high-end book, because I ordered something similar of a wedding album I did of my brother’s wedding, which will be delivered any day now. I chose the same paper, but in a lay flat album, which I think will work well for a wedding album. He and his wife live in East Sussex; I live in New York, so I’m sending it to him blind, praying they do a good job. With Covid-19, I decided to have it shipped direct, rather than sent here to look at first and then send on to him. Your video of this has given me more confidence it will turn out well. I’ve also used Mimeo Photos to do family books and calendars and did my nephew and niece’s graduation book with Mimeo. They did an excellent job with my nephew’s book, but I won’t see my niece’s until I’m next in England, whenever that will be.
Yeah - I am sure it will
The very first feeling I've got when this video started was goosebumps of seeing your face :) You looked like a kid opening up a present.
Really good video. I've enjoyed it! :)
The first 45 seconds of this video made the whole thing... Congratulations Nigel !!
Truly nothing better than holding and touching your printed images. Monotonous are class!
Thanks for your video and you videos in general, Nigel!
You made me use the rainy sunday and make a photo book I had in my mind for a longer time but I always put it off.
One tip as a long-time Saal customer: They run special offers more often than not so you can usually save 20-30€ by waiting a few weeks if you wait for a special offer.
Your videos are so wholesome! I started a Photography Degree last year, I'm now 29. Lockdown had me completely regretting my decision - but your videos (and Pebbles) are two of the things that have kept me going! Thank you - the books look amazing
All the best
Totally agree, a printed book is a whole different ball game. It is a real pleasure to see one's work in print instead of always on a backlit screen. You made a very good point about turning down your display brightness before making exposure or contrast adjustments in Lightroom. To really get it right, one also has to calibrate the display for color temperature, though today's monitors are much better than what we had in the early days of PCs. Back in the day, I've spent a good amount of money on monitor calibration hardware and software, and I suppose some of those devices are still available.
Being in the printing trade, I've always pronounced the word litho with a short i as in lithograph or offset lithography. Though one shouldn't confuse those two terms, as they are completely different processes. Also, the technique on your "Vistas" book cover looks like foil stamping. An embossed cover would feature raised or relief letters.
Finally, it's important to be sure your images have sufficient resolution. About 300 pixels per inch of final print is usually a safe number, but it's good to check with your printer as different presses and processes require more or less pixels for a good result. Shooting at the highest resolution your camera supports will give you the most flexibility when cropping in Photoshop (or exporting in Lightroom) for the printed page. Cropping at too high of a resolution can make your file sizes unmanageable and hard to handle. So, better too many pixels than too few, but don't get carried away!
Congratulations on the book Nigel. I did manage to pick up a copy before you sold out, so looking forward to that. I couldn't agree more, having a book made from a trip or a collection of photos is an excellent way to show off your work and give to family, friends as a keepsake. It's a brilliant idea and one that I would highly recommend to all photographers, landscape or otherwise.
Thanks Adam... appreciate that!
I loved the transition
From Regular Nigel to Editor Nigel, that little subtle hump made my day
🥲☺️
Loved your detailed video. Would you be kind enough to do a detailed video about how to have your own photo exhibition (in UK) like you did by sharing your own experiences please?
Thank you so much, Nigel. You have definitely inspired me to create a photo book filled with my special and favorite images that I can gift to my family or ..... You are such a gifted photographer and teacher. Thanks again!
I absolutely love how happy you are about this, and I'm sure it'll inspire others to follow suit. Congratulations on making an amazing photo book!
Nigel, really enjoyed your views and the comparisons between the various providers, certainly food for thought. Really like the calendar and I have pre-ordered a copy, looking forward to seeing it in the flesh. Keep up the brilliant input!
I love photo books. I don't make one online with my photos. I only shoot films, I print all of them (bad or good, it's a good start for editing after), select some to put them in my own "books". But yes, it is very satisfying to open a book with your photos in it ! I completely agree with the title of your video, every one should do it :)
A complete turn page video of these photobooks will be amazing to just relax and watch.
I always enjoy creating a photo book, after a longer trip. I'm doing this now for 10 years and if you look back in those books, you can really see the progress you make as a photographer!!
Will be ordering the calendar in a second!!!
I just love the background music you use in your videos in addition to the valuable content that you provide. Amazing
To set the right monitor brightness just open up a white image, put a white sheet of paper on your table and try to tune down the monitor so that the white looks only nearly as bright as the sheet of paper. Most will be astonished how dim this will be. (Oh, CEWE is more pronounced like "C-V", it comes from the initials of Carl Wöltje and the way those are spelled in German. And I think Saal messed up at least with the acrylic cover, they should have better quality control for that price.)
That is a great tip! Thanks for the correction on C-V
Loved the video! I would love to know even more about books, would you consider making this a regular topic? I’m curious about loads of details such as your method of choosing your screen settings, Lightroom parameters for exporting to the photo book platform, as well as the economics behind a « consumer version book » which you obviously can’t buy for £100 each as you would do for a personal book. Best regards Nigel, I’m a big fan sincerely.
Amazing way to cherish you work, Nigel - and it deserves nothing less. As far as Saal goes, it's a pity they didn't get back to you - I have some smearing issues with my photobook and they sent me a new one for free.
I'm not sure if it's nostalgia or just being able to focus better, but I much prefer print in general, not just with photos. When looking at a screen, I find myself zooming in or out, randomly highlighting things, or switching windows to check something else. In print, I focus on what I'm looking at. When it's photos, I can move the book to a different angle or closer or farther from me--I can still interact with it, but I'm much more focused. Beyond photos, I also prefer to read from paper; I've never read an eBook or magazine.
As to your question about other companies, I used Printique (formerly AdoramaPix; USA-based) last year to print a photo book of my trip to Kauai, and the quality was outstanding. My goal was to effectively have a photo album, but with me doing the layout prior to printing, rather than putting together an album with hundreds of individual pictures. Previously I'd used other companies where the photos printed in lower quality (you could see the ink dots) and I really wanted these to look like photo prints. Other than identifying locations, I didn't add any text, and I found the lay-flat format worked very well to meet that goal. For a book that has more text and is more of a "book" than an album, I'm not sure the bulk of the lay-flat's thick pages would be necessary. Either way, when I get my act together and put the next set of photos together, I'm going right back to Printique to make another.
Currently learning InDesign to design the layout of my own book and also a small magazine.
It's amazing to have your own prints on something physical.
Swiping on a phone just is not the same
Thanks Nigel for showing the different books and qualities. I have several books made and i love ProPhotoNet (a Dutch company), not the cheapest but the quality is superb.
They have good software for MAC and Windos to download, more editing freedom compared with other companies. Also a good online help center.
For me the difficult part is choosing the best paper for the pictures ( finish and thickness ), your video helps to make a decision in the future.
Showing your pictures in a book is far more rewarding than sharing online.
Calendar pre-ordered!
I live in the USA and I use mpix for all my out of home printing. Always fast and easy and well priced for single prints or books.
Love Mpix!
You inspired me to get out the book I made via Saal Digital and look it over again. They had an ad on Instagram that got me a $150 voucher for a photobook. It was lots of fun to make. Today I ended up taking pictures of it and putting them up on my SmugMug site so I could share with people far away. They're terrible pics, due to cell phone and a small apartments poor lighting, but at least I can share them. I also made an album of just the pictures. Thanks for the inspiration!
I love the book of Pebbles! Cuteness overload :)
I love to use Saaldigital. Love the quality. I make a yearbook every year of my favorite photo’s. So great to see them come alive.
What a wonderful presentation of your photo books. I’m excited to do one of my own from my wilderness backpacking trips.
I a future episode, I would be interested to hear your thoughts in planning a photo book and calendar.
I also used Photo box for family calendars and holiday photo books. They have regular discount offers on their website.
Congratulations !!! I just join your channel few weeks ago. A glimpse of that photo book and it's wow....
Loving Vistas - cracking book.
As a couple of others have said, it would be interesting to hear your thoughts on Blurb - I know one of our camera club members uses that and they seem good ... but we don't have a comparison to other companies such as the ones mentioned in this video.
Very useful and thanks for taking the time to create this video.
Great video. There’s something satisfying about a print in a book that you don’t get from an image on a computer screen. I found your comments about how different types of paper affect an image especially interesting. Perhaps in the future you can talk about how you match a type of paper to a particular image to get the best result.
Thanks for the vlog Nigel. Some really interesting and useful information here. Will definitely be a major point of reference when I'm deciding on a print shop my own photo book.
You reminded me of a young kid and Christmas opening their main present Nigel lol. Love your enthusiasm.
As someone who is just looking at taking your advice about getting some photos printed but doesn't have the space or money for the quality printer I'd like this sort of episode is very useful as I'm researching print labs and paper/mounting options. I think it's an overlooked aspect of photography and of the main photographers I follow (you, Gavin, Adam, Thomas, Nick, BvS, Kim & Henry) only you give much in the way of advice/knowledge on printing. I hadn't thought of a photobook for trips etc but I certainly will now! I know £180 is not cheap but if I compare it to the cost of getting a single largish print it's actually not unreasonable. maybe one day I can get the spare room back from my son and get a printer but until that day it's photolabs for me. Please keep returning to printing topics every so often - and mounting the prints.
You will have the book to treasure and look at for a long time as well!
One of the best videos regarding photobooks I have seen ! Thanks
Literally you’re the best channel I’ve found for photography. 😋
I just made a photo book with Cewe. I want to make one book from every year I do photography. I was so pleased with the quality of the book and its a lot of fun to have your images printed.
Hi Nigel, your photos and photo books are fantastic! I also get a lot of pleasure from getting photo books of my photos, there's something about looking through a book rather than a phone, tablet or computer.
Hi Nigel, I have printed a few books for myself, and I always used Blurb as it is so convenient for a Lightroom users.. I see you don’t even mention this option, is it because its quality is not good enough for you? I was actually not impressed, but not even disappointed.. I am curious to know your opinion, thanks!
Your face was priceless when you opened your book Vistas. In the US there are numerous places to have photo books made. I have used Shutterfly and Snapfish.
I was super excited
Thanks for that Nigel. I found it very useful. Could I ask about lowering the brightness of your monitor? Is this just for when you are printing your images? Will your images appear too bright if you are displaying them digitally?
I always run monitor around 5-7 bars on iMac
Nigel Danson Thanks for getting back to me.
Absolutely Magic Nigel. I’m going to set a goal, my own photos book before August 30, 2021...Neville. Western Australia.
I'm getting a Canon EOS 800D/T7i (depending on what region you're in) and will definitely keep this idea in mind
Outstanding, Nigel! Thanks for your wonderful inspiration and insight- your work is terrific
The design of the books is outstanding.
looks amazing on my computer screen, I cant imagine how beautiful it is in person
It was great seeing your surprise at Vistas. And Marilyn on your wall...class, we gave our daughter a print for her 18th. This is a superb review, what would you say is the ideal weight of paper? 170 or 250gsm?
Greetings, Nigel. Yes, I ordered a calendar, looking forward to a better year with that one. We can hope.
I've been doing books for several years now, though pretty far from Fine Art grade; a mix of some worthy images with just travel snaps. They are mostly records of trips to red-rock Utah, California and Oregon coast, the usual-suspect places in Califonia, and some trips to UK and Europe (no longer the same, eh?). Started with the book app in iPhoto, then a mix of Apple and, um, Shutterfly-not horrible, really. It does make you look closely at each image, yet put a presentation together that flows and tells a story.
One question: I notice you have several images that spread across the center, something that usually bugs me. You don't mind? I feel that some of the image, and its wholeness, gets lost across the gutter. Lovely images, though, in any case.
Neat to see you first open that box of books! I'm enjoying my copy 😃
That was terrific Nigel. I use photobox for my images. I do an annual landscapes book, and I did a Northern Lights cruise book from just before lockdown in the Uk and they are great. I have plans for other books too, all from Photobox. Vistas is really good, and I've ordered your 2021 calendar!
Here in the USA I use Printique. Used to ne Adorama pix. One word. Have printed 100 page books there which I think is the max. 12x12 100 page lay-flat for an Australia trip $320. Fantastic 12x24 double page photos. Thick paper. Expensive but really fine. Very happy. But I think non-lay-flat may be more durable, not sure.
Fantastic looking photo books and the Calendar looks amazing! Especially that spectacular December imagine, it's one of my favourites of 2020 and the Calendar is top of my Christmas list again this year!
I like the Saal Digital Photo books. I have one from the Professional Line with Acrylic Cover and some normal ones. The quality is great and awesome by Professional Line. There is nothing better as to see photos printed in a book.
I ordered one too. The quality is really great.. But after some days I was really shocked. The paper had deformed. It was very wavy. Saal Digital told me that it was due to the humidity and if you stored it in a bookcase it would be smooth again. That was true. The paper is now straight again ... Did you have a problem like this too?
I did not have any problem with the photo book.
Thanks for the video Nigel - one supplier I have used with some lovely quality results is "Bob Books" - they are at the lower price end for people who don't want to spend large amounts
on their production.
Excellent video with only one snag : my wife has fallen in love with Pebbles and has increased her "lets get another springer" pressure.
This was very helpful Nigel.
I've had one book done by PhotoBox and was pretty pleased with it.
You've just inspired me to get another one done soon.
Thanks man!
Loving the NSU RO80 from the 1970s, what a great car..!
There is NOTHING like a photographic monograph. It is the ultimate photographic expression.
That final Iceland image might be the best of your work. Well done!
I've been toying with the idea of photobooks for some time now. Thanks Nigel you have convinced me to go ahead with them for family viewing. Jim
Great video and very helpful. Love your photo books and am tempted by the calendar but the non picture part is probably too small for me to get info onto. Keep up the good work - you really are inspirational.
This is such a great concept compared to the traditional photo album. It's like a photo-journal of our trips. For some reason, I always associate photobooks as something to sell, but it doesnt have to be at all, as you show here. Going to create one from a backpacking trip to India I had done back in 2014.
I hadn't opened my book. I was planning on doing an unboxing video. 🙄 You were so giddy, I couldn't wait. Awesome! Rock on!
Ha Ha! I was so excited!!!!
Well done Nigel - just the best to you and your gifts.
Nigel, you mentioned that with Vistas you and "the printer" spent a great deal of time together getting the images right. How did that happen, what did that entail, and what was the additional cost? What did the printer's tech contribute? I assume most us are unable to access that kind of one-on-one expertise, but that apparently was important, and insight could be helpful before embarking on a project like a photo book. Thanks!
Great setup and comparison with the gfx. Really good for 35mm
Absolutely brilliant! I will start working on my first book from my trip to New Zealand. Inspiration this video!
This video encouraged me to prepare my own photobook, so I picked one from Saal Digital,
Just a standard one with matte finishing,
It looks amazing,
Now, I'm wondering why I haven't done it before,
Nigel, thank You very much for inspiration,:-)
Nigel, given your experience producing several photo books, do you have some suggestions about how to best prepare the images for printing? And how might that differ from say, printing with an inkjet printer. I'm thinking about things like contrast, brightness or sharpening. Also, I noticed that most of the pages displaying your images don't have any text or a title. Is that something that is problematic or just your preference?
*opens book*
(Grey page appears)
Nigel: “That looks good”
Absolutely lovit🌞
Great videos keep it up👍🏻
Very enjoyable video Nigel. Your enthusiasm for photographs in print is infectious and the book review very timely indeed. I'm sure many photographers, like me, have been putting lockdown to good use and sorting out their Lightroom catalogs, reprocessing images and creating photobooks. I have a few on the go at the moment, but being a Lightroom user I've naturally gravitated to using Blurb as I'm sure many others have. Question is, have you tried Blurb, and if so how does the quality compare to the others you have? If not, why not? I've looked at a few other book companies but I have to agree with all the software is pretty basic, but I don't want the pain and expense of something like InDesign, but wanting to add narrative, contents, and index's tec., seems awkward with the software the book companies offer. It would be really interesting to see how Burb compares to your books, which by the way look amazing. A great watch.
Of all the photo books the one with the family photos is the one who made you laugh and reminisce the moments.
Hi Nigel. I had the Saal book printed also and I also found the colour was way off on the acrylic cover. It wasn't just you, it does seem their cover printing process has issues. The pages were great, just the cover was an issue for me.
Yep - shame as would be awesome otherwise