Print Edit: Amy Rose Productions

BY Jemma Dilag 22 March 2021

Last week, we talked about my Web Edit with Amy Rose Productions; after we wrapped that up, Missy, Chelsea, and I started their print edit. Since I was already familiar with their work, it was easier for us to dive straight into the project.

Our first order of business was to lay out the design and size of their book. After mulling through a few options, they decided to go with a 17” x 11” screwpost portfolio from Lost Luggage.

Next, we laid out the order and sequencing. Print portfolios should share a broad but tight overview of a photographer’s most up-to-date body of work. On a website, photographers are able to show a large amount of work separated into individual galleries. But print portfolios should be much more selective, showing only the best work that entices viewers to keep turning the pages.

Missy’s and Chelsea’s portfolio contains a diverse set of specialties, so my initial plan was to segment their specialties into individual sections: home & garden, still life, lifestyle, and fashion. However, they wanted a book that tied all specialties together to build one larger story.

As you might imagine, it was easier said than done. First, I attempted to narrow down the number of images to a small selection.

With a tighter selection of images, it was much easier to see the lay of the land. I loosely sequenced the edit, grouping images with similar color palettes and subject matter. This helped me cull down even further and imagine what the book would look like. Through this process, I saw that adding the fashion work would feel jarring, so I decided to leave it out. However, this also gave me more space to add more lifestyle projects.

**_{Overview of preliminary print portfolio edit}**

My biggest question was how to smoothly transition between the various specialties. It was much easier to do for their home and garden and still life photography, but it was harder to do for the lifestyle imagery. I tried to break up the pacing of the book by experimenting with different page layouts and adding blank pages and white spaces. This way, each spread could feel unique without overwhelming the viewer.

**_{Relish the Good Times lifestyle project page spread}**

If there’s one thing I know from working with Missy and Chelsea, it’s that they really know how to add flair and fun to photography, and the collages felt perfect for their lifestyle projects. They helped capture the full project without lengthening the book. From here, it was easier to pull interior and product shots with similar color palettes and a vibe to match.

Page spreads from preliminary round of print portfolio edit — **_{Page spreads from the preliminary round of print portfolio edit}**

This was a good start! We just needed a few extra changes to tighten up the book. We added more images to fill the pages, swapped out some images for Missy’s and Chelsea’s favorites, and reordered a few pages. They also wanted to trim the page size to 14” x 11”, which was a pretty easy adjustment.

Overview of print edit through rounds of revisions — **_{Overview of print edit, second round}**

The edit looks so good, and we don’t have any revisions for round 3. Excellent job!

Of course, being the perfectionist that I am, I made sure I dotted my “i”s and crossed my “t”s, which just meant double and triple-checking that the margins and sizes fit the printer’s requirements. It’s always the finer details that can make or break the printing process — if you know, you know.