The WillowBook Sequoia Album Arrives.. it Rocks!

Monday was quite a special day. My custom-made, flush-mount WillowBook Sequoia Album arrived through UPS. I’d spent almost a whole day designing the interiors and waited almost 2 weeks for it to be mounted and shipped. Although my experience with prints and albums are limited (only did Blurb once), I know a quality product when I see one. To say the least, I had nothing but love for this album!

All the photos in it revolve around Guo Lu, whom I did two portrait sessions with, one on her own and another with her house-mates. I ordered a 10×10 inch square album, with a burgundy leather cover. Unfortunately, WillowBook products are only available to Pictage members. Pictage is a print lab that caters to professional photographers.

What I’m most ecstatic about is the flush-mount itself. Because many of my photos are spread over 2 pages, the flush-mount makes sure the eye follows through from left to right. With traditional binding, a good middle part of your photo will get lost in the ‘gutter.’ Sure, there’s still a ‘slit’ running between both pages in a flush-mount album, but it’s still excellent for wide shots.

The other impressive point is how WillowBook used high-end materials to make the album. Everything looks, and feels, expensive. Of course, you get what you pay for. And these albums aren’t cheap, but when I opened the album the first time, what it cost almost didn’t seem what it’s worth.

An inside look of the WillowBook Sequoia Album. Notice the 'slit' at the center of the spread, but the albums opens up flat to get a great effect

So what’s wrong with it? Dare I say it.. nothing. The leather is crisp and fragrant. The photo window on the cover was correctly aligned. The color reproduction is excellent, exactly what I saw on my monitor (and I don’t even use a calibrated monitor, just a Apple MacBook Pro). Even though I have a habit of not sharpening my photos enough for print, the album came out surprisingly sharp.

I wouldn’t hesitate to order another Sequoia album, as long as the photos up top quality themselves and deserves such a kingly treatment. Show these to some prospective clients, and I’m sure they’ll go ga-ga over it too!