Mindy Leigh Photography - Grand Rapids & Holland Wedding & Portrait Photographer » Products

New Pricing & Digital Products

Mindy — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 01:05:40 +0000

This year is full of growth and change in my life, so it’s only natural that my business would evolve as well. Recently, I learned about a service and website that gives me (and my clients) something everyone likes: freedom. The site is full of fantastic features that clients will enjoy, and this is sure to streamline my business and personal life. As I constantly look for ways in which I can improve my customer’s overall experience, I can spot areas that I struggle with, or areas that I find I don’t have adequate time for (in order to provide the customer service my clients deserve)! One of the main things I wanted to improve upon was the final image delivery. It seems that today there is such a demand for digital images, and after much careful consideration, I have decided to restructure my pricing this year to simplify the process for everyone, and this change is effective starting NOW. Through the month of May, however, I will continue to honor my previous pricing and a-la-carte print ordering. By simply offering access to full-resolution digital copies of all your images, I get a little of my life back, and clients get a great value for their investment! It was not an easy decision to come to, because I have always been a stickler for print quality, and once those digital files are sold, I ultimately have no control over the finished product that hangs on your wall. So, I’m making a compromise, and will do my best to educate my clients on where to get their prints made. Afterall, if you are investing in beautiful, carefully crafted photographs, you don’t want a poor rendering of those images to be displayed in your home. More on that later…

The new proofing site stores your full-resolution photographs safe and secure in the cloud, allowing you the access to download them directly to your computer, or to share them directly to Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest! Here is a peek at the layout (I think it’s just beautiful, clean, and modern, and it kind of reminds me of Pinterest… which we all love)! and a glimpse at one of the easy-to-use menus with fun features!

Once you click on any image, you are presented with various choices, share, email, download, or add to a favorites collection. Soon you will be able to place your print order through this website.

You can also download a free app (I’ll send you all the details) for your mobile device or iPad, allowing you to quickly and easily view your photos in a beautiful gallery (or toggle to a slideshow / swipe view) wherever you go. You can also access the gallery online, without the app, but I can tell you the app is pretty slick, and a great way to show off your photos when you are away from home!

Every photo in the gallery will be carefully retouched and prepared for print, and I will provide you with a PDF print release. The lab you choose to print your photos matters a great deal to me (and it should matter to you as well), because the quality and accuracy can be pretty bad if you print images at certain places… but don’t worry, I will be sure to clue you in on recommended labs where you can print your own images in any size you want, any time you want!

So what is the catch? Suddenly you’re getting all the full-resolution digital images? It must cost a lot more, right? Well, in the past, I would occasionally sell individual digital images for holiday cards, graduation announcements, etc., but I had such a hard time letting go of my concerns about print quality issues and the profit potential of selling individual prints. I do place a value on my own time, my talent, AND the timeliness of my client’s receiving their final images, but when my life gets a little crazy I feel like I’m not getting things done quickly enough! With the new all digital package, once I edit and post the gallery, my work is done**! You have your images, you can print them if and when you are ready. Of course, I highly recommend making actual prints of your favorite photos … although we live in a digital world, physical prints and products are just too beautiful to live without! I have set my new all-digital pricing to reflect the total value of a session fee + minimum print order requirement (nothing new there) + the limitless value of having full resolution copies of every session image (you may find you are able to purchase products that would have otherwise been beyond your budget). In fact, it’s quite a deal when you add it all up.

For $520 plus tax, you will receive:

1 – 2 hour custom portrait session
30-40 fully retouched, high resolution digital images in an online gallery
Your images saved on the cloud, and accessible in a beautiful online gallery for 10 years
Ability to quickly and easily download every image in your gallery to your computer
Rights to PRINT your own images, and instructions & tips on choosing the best labs!
Easy instant sharing on Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest
Optional password protection
Coming soon: built-in ordering straight from the gallery, with prints from a professional photo lab!

So, there you have it. Really, that’s what it’s all about. It is simpler. It is faster. You get it all.

**Wedding Clients will have the benefit of receiving both the digital gallery, the DVD(s) of their images, and professional print and product fulfillment done by me, per their contract / print credit.

Album Style

Mindy — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:58:15 +0000

Most of my wedding clients receive a gorgeous flush mount album featuring their best images. I have to admit that I am a little envious that I don’t have something quite this beautiful of our own wedding photos! Over the past few months I have been wrapping up the 2011 wedding albums, placing orders as the finishing touches and final decisions are made. Today I wanted to share one that just arrived. I love the accent fabric, which adds a twist to a traditional brown leather album, and ties in with their colorful, summery wedding theme. These albums always amaze me, both in construction and image quality. Some of you are currently awaiting your albums, and there are some which are still in the design process. If you have an idea for the cover materials you’d like for your book, I just want you to know that I can do just about anything you can imagine. I would love to help you choose something that will reflect your wedding style in a totally personalized way!

2011 Holiday Cards

Mindy — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:00:11 +0000

You only send holiday cards once a year, so why not choose something special… especially if you have invested in professional portraits this year! This is a great way to showcase a few of your favorite images on a unique and stylish double-sided press-printed card! This year’s collection of holiday card designs includes one 5×5 and ten 5×7 options. I love the teal, red, and brown color combination, as well as the retro patterns, holiday motifs, polka dots and snowflakes! You can choose black and white, or color images, but please consider cropping limitations when choosing your photo(s). They are $50.00 (plus tax) for 25 press-printed cards, and they come with envelopes. I am also offering 4×6 inch digital images for you to insert into your own holiday cards for $30.00 per image. If you are interested, or have any questions, please contact me at mindy@mindyleigh.com. All holiday card orders must be placed by December 1, no exceptions!

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Press-Printed Albums

Mindy — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 13:20:04 +0000

I get asked a lot, often during an engagement session or in an email, if I can make “one of those albums where guests can sign in the space around photos….” and I explain that yes, I can do that! I have made these for some of my wedding couples, and decided that I need to post some photos on my site for people who are curious about them! Today I am showcasing a recent 10 x 10 inch press-printed album I designed for a couple to use at their wedding in lieu of a guest book. Their family and friends can write messages, or sign their names in the white space around the photos, and Caleb and Kerri will have a collection of their favorite engagement photos in a book that coordinates with their wedding style! There are so many cover options (fabrics, leathers, and faux leathers), they can be a lovely keepsake for any type of session! Unlike the bigger flush mount albums offered as part of each wedding couple’s package, press-printed albums are thinner, lightweight, and less expensive.
Pages are thick but slightly flexible.
Lay-flat, hinged pages with an extremely small “gutter”, allows images to be placed across the spread for a dramatic layout!
The album company I use has developed their own binding process for press-printed albums. The pages are not just crimped together, they are bound, so this book will not fall apart!
Interested in ordering one for your engagement, family, or children’s session? Contact me for more info! Albums start at only $200!

Featured Storyboard Design | Sweet 16

Mindy — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:43:09 +0000

After seeing their proofs, a lot of my clients say, “I am going to have such a hard time choosing!” That always makes me feel great, but it’s not good when you have to decide which images not to purchase. Sometimes I suggest a storyboard, which is a wonderful way to display multiple photos on one mounted print (such as a stand-out mount) or canvas wrap. Common storyboard sizes are 10×20, 10×30, or square sizes (such as 16×16 or 20x2o or bigger), featuring anywhere from 3 photos on up. In some cases, custom wording or decorative elements can be incorporated to personalize it even further.

I’ve had this design template for quite a while now, but haven’t been showing it, so I’m sure that my clients have no idea this is something they could purchase! However, it is one of my all-time favorites, because the options are endless, and it works for any type of session, as well as weddings! I just put together this example using photos from Eames’ hospital session. This storyboard can be done with more or fewer photos, and with or without the leaf designs (I removed them from some of the squares in this example). It would look gorgeous with black and white photos as well, and the colors can be customized to fit your home’s decor! I just added this product to my store, in 16×16 and 20x2o inch standout mounts, but it can be special ordered in other sizes as well (I will be adding new sizes into the store soon). It is also available as a gallery wrapped canvas, at standard square canvas prices – no difference from a 1-image canvas print. In fact, it can even be ordered as a standard print, or mounted on 2mm styrene… something for every design approach and budget. Let me know what you think!

Looking Ahead: Holiday Break

Mindy — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:11:06 +0000

Happy Friday everyone! I have plenty of work on my plate these days, and I’m trying to balance it all: family, photography, client sessions, editing, albums, blogging… I think my clients (and my family, for that matter!) are extremely understanding, but that doesn’t mean that I am not stressing out trying my best to give everyone the best attention and service I can. I will admit, I sometimes flat-out fail at it! I am, however, confident to say that I am trying my best… what more can I do, right? Right now it seems like every photographer I know is experiencing the exact. same. thing. It’s that time of year! Weddings wrapping up, family sessions in full-swing… I can only take one or two more clients in October before I am maxed out!

That being said, I am not shooting any sessions in December this year. I need that break, time of decompression, and refocusing. Of course, I will have plenty of work to do, so it’s barely a “vacation”. I know I will be editing, designing, and getting things ready for the changes I am making in 2011 (so excited, trying to be patient)! Most importantly, I want to spend December enjoying life with my family, cookies, snow, fires in the fireplace, John Denver and the Muppets on the record player… you know you love that album!

Also, please note, if you are interested in getting photos for a Christmas card, your session needs to take place before November 20, in order to allow enough time for me to edit your photos and for you to choose your card style, order it, and have them in time to mail to your friends and family! If you already had a session recently and would like to use a photo for a card, contact me. Flat 5×7 cards with printing on both sides will be $50.00 (plus tax) for 25 cards with envelopes. I am also offering 4×6 inch digital images for you to insert into your own holiday cards for $30.00 per image (plus sales tax).

Telling Your Wedding Story | Albums

Mindy — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 18:16:38 +0000

My wedding packages now include a 12×12″ Flush Mount album – which is also an optional upgrade for couples who have hired me in the past who are interested (if you are one of these couples, just e-mail me if you have questions). These books come from a highly respected company, they are heirloom quality, and solidly constructed. Your album will display your best images in simple, but carefully thought out layouts. I love to show the day as it unfolds with a series of storyboard-inspired spreads, as well as full-bleed images that fill the entire page, everything clean, simple, and modern! Each spread opens up to a continuous 12×24″ photographic print, mounted onto thick, sturdy pages, and cut “flush” with the edge. The pages are coated to stay beautiful through years of handling.

The cover options include an incredible variety of leathers in every color, texture, and style you can imagine, as well as silks, textured fabrics, plexiglass, and even metal! So, you can keep it simple, or choose a combination of materials that will be unlike any other album out there! I photographed this album belonging to Danielle and Dave, and I’m so happy with how this, and the others I’ve done, have turned out. It’s beautiful, from the packaging… right through to the back cover.

Danielle and Dave chose a 5″ square cutout to display one of their favorite images on the front cover, but many other cover styles and layouts are available.

The continuous spread allows for more freedom and flexibility with the layouts!

I personally feel that an amazing wedding album is the most important photographic item you will walk away with after your wedding. It is the finished product, the thing that will show all of the details you planned, and all the moments of the day you never want to forget. It is the item that you will keep nearby, and it will be looked at many times, by many people, for many years. I wanted it to be a part of every wedding couple’s collection because I can’t think of a more beautiful way to display your photos, and to tell your story for generations to come.

… Oh, and of course these fabulous books aren’t just for weddings! I will be glad to create a gorgeous album of your baby’s first year, your family’s session, your engagement photos as a guest book, or anything else you can imagine. I can create books in many different sizes and orientations to suit your needs, and your budget!