Chinese
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Russian
Spanish
Showing posts with label projects. Show all posts
Showing posts with label projects. Show all posts
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Vol. 2 No. 12
If you have been following the Lenscapture Blog, you have seen some of the images I have posted from my latest trips to the Southwest of the United States. These recent adventures have taken me to the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Verde Canyon, Zion National Park, Kodachrome Basin State Park and the amazing Bryce Canyon.
Sharing these adventures with others is one of the main reasons for starting this blog more than a year ago. Another way to share and preserve these memories is to create a photo book. The great thing about a photo book is how it can be used. You can use it to create a portfolio of your work, to remember and re-live a fantastic vacation, to share an event such as a wedding or sweet 16, or to just decorate your coffee table.
In this tutorial, I'll be describing the steps in creating a photo book using AdoramaPix's online design tool. I just produced an 8x12 hard cover book from my recent exploits through Arizona and Utah. This is a big book that opens to a nice wide 24" allowing me to display huge panoramas.
I have used several photo book building applications in the past and have found them to be either under-powered or way too complex. The Adorama PixBuilder application is pretty versatile and simple to use. You will need to create an account upfront, so let's start there:
Step 1 - Create a free account. In order to begin the process Adorama requires you to sign up. They give you 25 free prints when you create a new account and 3 GB of long term storage. They have a premium membership for $24.95 a year that allows you unlimited long term storage (60 day temporary storage is free with both account levels). This paid membership also allows downloading your galleries from any browser.
Step 2 - Click the link Photo Books in the upper navigation bar, then select Create a Book to launch the Flash-based builder.
Step 3 - Select the shape for your book. You can choose from portrait or landscape layouts or square books.
Step 4 - Choose the size and page count. Books range from 6x4 inch to as large as 12"x 12". You have two choices for page count: 26 pages (13 double- page spreads) or 50 pages (25 double-page spreads). Prices run as low as $15.95 for a 6x4 inch 26 page book, to $124.95 for a 12x12 inch with 50 pages
Step 5 - Now you select a theme. While I produced my book using their "build your own" theme, the Adorama PixBuilder interface provides 33 other themes; from baby books to family fun, to fine art, recipe, and wedding books. The Flash interface allows you to select a theme and preview it by flipping through pages with sample photos before making a final theme selection. This is a very nice feature.
Step 6 - Select the photos you'll be using for the book. This is where you'll upload your images. You can upload them directly from your computer, import them from photo sharing sites Flickr or Picassa, or from an existing Adoramapix gallery.
Step 7 - Name your book. This will not appear on the book. It's only a reference used when placing your order, sharing or reordering a book.
Step 8 - Layout your cover and your page spreads. This is the fun part where you select which photos go where, add any captions or text, and place a title on your cover and spline. Themed-pages have placeholders allowing you to drop photos right in for automatic resizing. You can even select to have a photo spread across the entire two-page spread. The interface even keeps track of what images you have already used in your layout.
What I found very appealing was the ability to change design elements that are part of the pre-made themes. So, if there's a butterfly cutout on one-page you can click on it and slide it over across the spread, or delete it entirely. This book builder also allows you to add elements that Adorama calls "stickers." With over 2,000 to choose from, you can further personalize your book by adding clip art, stock photos, or even calendars.
Step 9 - Preview your book. You can virtually turn the pages for a realistic preview of your creation. If you need to change anything, you can easily go back into the editor and make your corrections.
Step 10 - Now it's time to place the order. Again, Adoramapix provides a straightforward interface that shows your order detail with cover image and the price. This step provides options for image color correction (recommended) and ordering additional books in other sizes. Once you are satisfied with the order, add it to your shopping cart and checkout.
I would estimate a 26 page book would take you around 30 minutes after uploading you images to finalizing your order, if you use one of the themed-layouts. After that, it takes about a week for the finished book to land on your doorstep.
As of this writing, I have produced two different books in 4 sizes. I am already planning my next book project. This is a quality product that will not disappoint.
-30-
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Vol. 2 No. 3
Last post I mentioned you shouldn't let your creative works sit idle and unseen on your hard drive. So, here is a review of a product you can use to create a canvas wrapped print. The Hahnemühle Gallerie Photo Wrap is a complete kit that includes a pre-sized bar kit, holding pins and two 8.5" x 11' sheets of Hahnemühle canvas.
The system is pretty straightforward. You prepare your image. Which I did by resizing my "Drooping Tulip" image from the previous post on Wireless Flash. I used guides in Photoshop to make sure my layout would fit properly.
After loading a sheet of the supplied canvas, I sent it off to my printer. This is where I ran into a problem. Even after setting my printer to handle thick paper, I keep experiencing miss-feeds. It wasn't until I attached a piece of plain print paper to the back of the canvas, that I finally got my Epson printer to feed properly.
Once I allowed the print to dry for a few minutes, I laid out the print with the bar kit, and holding pins. The stretcher bars are lined with adhesive strips.
After turning the print face down and aligning the bar kit, I removed the release strips covering the adhesive. Then I trimmed the corners with a utility knife (not supplied), and folded the edges up with the stretcher bars of the bar kit. The holding pins kept the wrap secure.
And within a matter of about 20 minutes, I had a 6" x 8" finished Gallerie Wrap suitable for hanging on the wall or placement in a stand.
All in all, a pretty easy way to obtain a gallery canvas wrap without having to outsource the work online or to a local frame shop. I think Hahnemühle could improve the product by adding some sort of carrier sheet to facilitate better printer loading since the back of the canvas sheet is too slippery. Otherwise, assembly was simple. Priced reasonably enough for the kit, it definitely is a great way to show off a favorite image.
FTC Disclosure: The product reviewed in this post was not supplied to me by the manufacturer. It was purchased with my own funds, for my own use. No promise of remuneration was made for any endorsement offered in this review.
-30-
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
