Rangefinder Magazine
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March 2000

Extraordinary Albums II by Michael J. Ayers, M.Photog.,Cr.,AOPA
Highlights From Another Interactive 3D Wedding Album

ur albums are not the ordinary "stick in the prints and mats" type of albums; we decided a long time ago that if we were to compete in the market, we would have to make a practice of being both different and better. Our books reflect that principle in many ways. Many of our pages are interactive and visually stimulating. We offer pages that pop up and fold open, spring out and stand vertically, form myriads of intricate designs, and some pages even play musical melodies!

The album pictured here represents the story of a theme wedding in which every significant item used during the celebration was at least 100 years old! The bride's gown, the groom's formal tuxedo, her parasol and hand bouquet, his walking cane and boot spats, their rings, and many other items enveloped the event into a step back in time. The church was a colonial style building dating back to Vermont's early years, and the reception site, which was once the governor's mansion-now a bed and breakfast-was a romantic country setting for a small gathering of close friends and family.

The special significance of this event, other that it was another one of our out-of-state weddings, is the fact that both the bride and groom are also professional wedding photographers! Initially, this started intimidating Pam and me, until we laid ground-rules as to who gets to photograph and who gets to play the bride and groom. As a result of this couple wanting fantastic images to remember their day by, they were good enough to give us the necessary latitude to do just about anything we could dream up. The resulting album contains images and ideas that are undeniably sensational and perform a story filled with adventure and love.


PHOTO "K" is the album's opening page immediately setting the scene for an out-of-the-ordinary wedding. Two 8x8 prints were fit together in this Multi-Image Page showcasing the couple's rings, her hand bouquet, and other treasures. The first page of any book must reflect the theme of the entire volume, and the colors, composition and items used tell us that this is no typical 'weekend' wedding.

PHOTO "L" has enough personal appeal to me to be one of my favorite pages that I have ever created. With the church on the far right (a preview of things to come on future pages), we chose to show the bride in her bedroom/dressing room before she left the mansion. This room was named the Charles Lindbergh Room, in honor of a previous guest who stayed there decades earlier. This insert is actually a Pop-Out Page using several prints (one on each major panel).


PHOTO "M" is a close-up showing the detail of how the pop-out section is attached at the back to the panorama mat.

PHOTO "N" really doesn't fit into any specific category of our standard page-design services. As the insert is opened, the center section stands up into an "A-frame" shape allowing the viewer to see two additional 8x8 prints. Whereas the page would normally contain just the two 10x10 illustrations by the big windows, we added an additional architectural dimension. The page immediately folds perfectly flat again as the next page is turned.


PHOTO "O" is an engineering feat that we call a Cameo Page. This type of creation takes a bit of thought and planning to work properly and effectively. The purpose of the Cameo Page is to give a preview of coming attractions on the very next page (see PHOTO "P"); but I also have to consider what will be shown on the previous insert as the Cameo Page is turned (see PHOTO "Q"). I usually use a circle cutter to cut the shape of the hole all the way through the insert, but I have also experimented with squares and ovals.

PHOTO "R" is the most readily obvious aspect of many of our albums: the addition of theme colors on our pages. We started testing various colors of pin-stripe tapes over a decade ago, and eventually began using a real sea sponge to add acrylic paint to open areas of mats in the wedding's theme colors. Here is just one more way our albums stand out from all the others; it takes only a few minutes to do, and gives our books each a unique flavor.

PHOTOS "S" AND "T" portray a horizontal 8x10 fisheye view of the bride and groom in the aisle of their colonial church. In many albums, the page would end there, but on this insert the page opens (see PHOTO "U") to form a Fold-Out Page displaying a 16x20 trimmed to about 11 inches high. This sequence of two images was composed specifically so that this page could be constructed in the album.

PHOTO "V" is the type of page that started it all: our standard Pop-Up Page. This page features two 5x5 prints in the lower corners and a 16x20 outside pictorial of the church with the couple leaving the scene. In the early days, I made my first page that stretched beyond the boundaries of a panorama with a design similar to this illustration. I used a 20x24 folded and reinforced so that it popped up as the insert was opened. This was done in an effort to show both the frescoes on the vaulted ceiling of the church, and the bride's grandfather watching the ceremony from the second row. Why both the paintings in an old gothic building and grandpa? Because the bride's grandfather actually made the frescoes!

PHOTO "W" and close-up view, PHOTO "X" are pictures of a Stand-Up Page with three scenes outside the governor's house including a portrait with the car on the lower right, focused on the hood ornament, as to not distract from the album's antique theme. The close-up view shows the attention to detail in my pin-striping and reinforcement techniques. We have never had a customer album come back to the studio for repairs-- a testament to the quality and workmanship that goes into all our pages.

PHOTO "Y" is just a standard album mat, but our portrait of the cake was taken with windowlight, a reminder that much of the way we photograph a wedding is performed with as much natural light as possible. This image is small on the page (just 5x7) and note how we tied in the bride's theme colors with the use of our sea sponge and acrylic paints on the corner of the mat.


PHOTOS "Z," "AA," and "BB" are another Fold-Out Page, this time drawing the viewer into the intimacy of the bride's and groom's relationship. The outside photograph is an 11x11 print which folds open to reveal an 11x22 panoramic view inside. My impression is that these two portraits encompass the most climactic point in the album. Everyone who sees the book stops on this page in admiration. Of course, both shots were taken with my fisheye lens, and the positive effect of these prints would have been lost if they were to be paced as 5x7's on a single page.

PHOTO "CC" starts our afternoon excursion to the covered bridges and the Vermont creek beds. We made some of these images in black and white and infrared to exemplify the stunning summer foliage. But this page is actually two flyleaves (PHOTO "DD") that open to show what was originally a 30x40 print (PHOTO "EE"). The resulting ultra-wide panorama stands 11 inches high and is an unusual view of the glacial rocks and creek. This is one of the largest single photographs we regularly place inside an album, but occasionally we have even started with a 40x50!

FIGURE "FF" is a subtle finish to an album filled with fireworks. We chose the idea of ending with a windowlit, black and white, small image. Additionally, we offset the placement of the print in the lower left corner as a Spring-Up Page; this foam-mounted photograph raises at least one half inch off the surface of the blank mat below. I even added a little color with my acrylic paints. The page is simple, yet effective and leaves a memorable impression.

Note the completion of the inside back cover with my signature in gold and the name of the album (see PHOTO "FF"). Our albums are a creative and valuable art form-- my signature goes onto every piece of artwork signifying my pride and the album's individuality. Why do I give each of my albums a special name? The tradition started with Antonio Stradivari, the Italian violin maker who gave each of his instruments a unique name, because every stringed creation made by him was unique.

Above all, I get a new set of challenges and generate more excitement every time I photograph a wedding! My wife, Pam and I are always trying to improve and think of new concepts for our books. It helps to visualize your album pages on the day of the wedding-- remember: you are building your wedding albums every time you expose the film!

Michael J. Ayers and Pamela J. Ayers are considered among the best wedding album designers in the world. Their creations and constructions have been honored as numerous Master's Loan Collection albums and received Honors in the WPPI Awards of Excellence Print Competition. They have lectured in Europe, Canada, Mexico, and all over the United States, and have had exhibitions all over the world. To get their new book/video about album design, call 1-800-PANORAMA. The Ayers will be presenting an all-day program at this year's WPPI show, entitled "The Album Workshop."