How to photograph a huge book on a table so text is level?

Question

I use PENTAX Optio RS1500 Hoya Corp. digital camera with 14 megapixels.

When I photograph a huge book on a table, I can use text mode to capture all the text and lines clearly. But the lines become not straight, because it's hard to press the book to be totally level like just one paper.

How can I photograph the book so that the lines are straight, or how can I use image editors (e.g. gimp, photoshop...) to adjust the image to a straight line table?

Answer

I think you are looking for something like unpaper. The cam scanner app on android works pretty well too.

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Is there non-online software for creating professional photo books?

Question

I'm interested in Windows and Mac software or a plugin (for Lightroom, Aperture, InDesign, whatever) for creating professional photo books that I can then export as JPEGs (or any other format that is open to me and not only to that software maker), so that I can do with it what I want (e.g. send it to a local printing service, create an online flash book, etc.).

What I'm looking for is something to help me make pages interesting, like having multiple images on one page, using frames, shadows, photo positioning, etc. to create a compelling book (a series of pages).

Lots of presets

Having lots of presets is a must. Presets being page templates, borders, captions, effects, etc.

No online solutions

Online solutions and software that is closed (only usable with the online service) are out of the question.

Professional-looking

It is not important to me for it to have thousands of frames and effects, I just want them to look professional and not amateur.

Customizable

If I can customize the effects, frames, placing of photos, etc., that's a big bonus.

Answer

What it sounds like you are looking for is album design software. This is really where someone with a background in wedding photography can lend a hand. It has been a tradition you could say to order a wedding album for yourselves as the bride and groom, and also to order "parent albums" that they can display proudly of the event.

There are many different options available, and I don't think you will find a general consensus on what the best is. I can give you a few options that I have had recommended to me though.

• Fundy Album Builder(Fundy SOS)
• Album DS
• Yervant Page Gallery
• FotoFusion by Lumapix

In my personal opinion, Yervant and Fundy are the best solutions if you are looking to do this yourself. FotoFusion might be the most in reach for enthusiast photographers though.

Fundy is probably the most popular one from the group of photographers that I know. It is very well done, and lets you pump out great wedding albums in no time. From the output you can send your files through most album companies ROES systems.

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What do you recommend for a high quality photo book service?

Question

I'm looking for a reliable photo book printing service that allows the option of uploading a high quality PDF or Indesign file, but also prints using high quality photo prints.

I've used Blurb, but their print quality, even on the higher quality paper, is on par with a high quality magazine print. While I'm not disappointed with the quality for the prices I've paid, I'm wanting to use a higher quality printer for my next project.

Has anyone found a service that does actual photo quality prints for their books, and still allows for completely custom books without using their custom software? The other requirement is that they allow for small print runs. I'm only wanting to have one or two books printed.

Answer

You bet... two labs that I've specifically used for making custom photo books are:

• Bay Photo
• White House Custom Color

They both have product lines that include a variety of different configurations (book size, # of pages, paper choice, cover options and materials, etc.), quantity of books ordered (1 or 2 is a common request), and will use 4-color or 6-color offset printing, so it will be much higher quality than Blurb, Cafepress, etc.

If you want the absolute best-of-the-best quality, and money is no object, the other option I can think of is to look into wedding album manufacturers such as:

• Asuka Book
• Leather Craftsman
• La Vie

They may be 'wedding album companies,' but there's nothing saying you're only 'allowed' to create wedding albums... But you'll want to be prepared for sticker shock. The costs are way higher than you'll pay through something like Blurb... On the other hand, the quality and customization are also top-notch, and the final product is going to have a 'look and feel' that Blurb simply will not be able to match. Additionally, these companies cater to businesses, not individuals, so you may have to jump through some additional hoops in order to use them.

Full Disclosure: I am a customer of all the companies mentioned above in my photography business, so I can personally attest to their top-notch quality... I don't get anything for mentioning them here, though, and there are other album manufacturers out there... These are just the ones I happen to be familiar with.

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