November 22, 2024


WhiteWall’s new Coffee Table Book promises to be more than just another photo book. This is a lofty target, and through the use of premium materials and the attention to detail WhiteWall is known for, the company’s new offering hits the mark.


Full disclosure: This article has been brought to you by WhiteWall.


As all photographers know, photographs are special. They are meaningful and impactful, and they matter. To that end, how pictures are presented to the world matters, too. Here at PetaPixel, we have written at length about the value of printing, including within the context of WhiteWall’s various offerings. While matted prints hung on the wall are great and have their place, so too does a photo book.

An open photo book on a wooden table displays scenic images: on the left, a close-up of green leaves, and on the right, a landscape of a grassy field with flowers and mountains. A black camera is visible in the background.
Credit: WhiteWall

What WhiteWall’s prints and Coffee Table Books have in common is impeccable quality and top-notch materials. However, where they differ, and what makes a book such a compelling option for photographers, is that you can touch and interact with a book. It is meant to be held and touched. There is no substitute for that tangible experience.

As we approach the holiday season, a WhiteWall Coffee Table Book is the perfect gift for photographers to either give to their loved ones or give themselves — a chance to immortalize a photography project or take stock of the images that mean the most to them.

A camera and two lenses rest on a wooden table next to an open photography book with landscape photos. A small bowl with a wooden spoon is nearby, and sunlight casts a soft glow over the scene.
Credit: WhiteWall

In that spirit of giving, I created a WhiteWall Coffee Table Book focused on my images captured in and around Stonington, Maine. I chose this theme because my dad and I have spent numerous cold, dark mornings over the past few years driving the winding, hilly roads from Bangor to the island of Deer Isle off the coast of Maine.

A coffee table book titled "Stonington" by Jeremy P. Gray, featuring a serene coastal scene with boats on calm water and snow-covered houses in the background. The cover has a rustic wood surface underneath.

Photography has long been how we connect. We have done it together since I got my first camera as a kid. These days, I take many photos on my own and have solo adventures, but every photo trip to Stonington has been with my dad.

We each have unique stylistic and compositional approaches to photography and see the world differently. Still, all my photos from Stonington are of scenes we enjoyed together, even if our cameras caught the light differently.

When I saw WhiteWall’s new Coffee Table Book, I knew what I wanted to do with it. I wanted to have a permanent photo record of our trips to Stonington. While there are still plenty of shots I want to capture in the area with my dad, if I waited until I had every photograph I wanted before making a book, there would never be a book. There are always more photos to capture, after all. So, there’s no better time than now to do something special with your most precious images.

An open photo album displays two scenic images. The left page shows a calm lake with a reflection of a house, while the right page features a field of purple flowers by a river. The album rests on a floral-patterned tablecloth.

A High-Quality Photo Book Starts With High-Quality Materials

It perhaps goes without saying, but it should still be noted that a quality book requires papers, inks, and materials to match. In the case of the WhiteWall Coffee Table Book, considerable time and effort have gone into determining precisely what a high-end photo book requires.

The team researched extensively, including reading many excellent, acclaimed photography books, to find what worked best for professional photographers. An optional lay-flat binding? Check. Thick photographic paper with outstanding sharpness and color reproduction? Of course. Different types of paper and cover materials, including printed linen covers? You bet.

A man in a white shirt examines two large photographs of library interiors being printed. The images show shelves filled with books and architectural designs. He is wearing white gloves and carefully checks the quality of the prints.
Credit: WhiteWall

Granted, this level of detail and quality comes at a price, but there are plenty of places where people can get cheap photography books made. WhiteWall is not targeting that audience; it is targeting photographers who care deeply about how their work is presented. That is not to say that WhiteWall’s books are excessively pricey — they start at around $70 for the smallest format and 28 pages — but the focus is on delivering a professional look and feel, no matter which format, paper type, and cover material the photographer uses. Even the “cheapest” options would not look out of place on a bookstore shelf.

Speaking of paper, the backbone of any brilliant print, photographers have six options. The half dozen options are as follows: Inkjet glossy — Fedrigoni Symbol Freelife Gloss (200 gsm), Inkjet silk-matt — Inapa Galaxi Art Samt (170 gsm), Inkjet high gloss — Fedrigoni Symbol Freelife Gloss (200 gsm, plus high gloss varnish), Photo paper silk — matte — Fuji Crystal Archive Luster (368 gsm), Photo paper glossy — Fuji Crystal Archive Glossy (382 gsm), and Photo paper deep matte — Fuji Crystal Archive Velvet (370 gsm).

A person wearing white gloves flips through the pages of a photo book on a table. The pages contain photographs. The background is slightly blurred, focusing on the book.
Credit: WhiteWall

While each paper has its pros and cons, all are suitable for high-quality photo books, and each has been hand-chosen and repeatedly tested by WhiteWall before the Coffee Table Book’s release earlier this fall. WhiteWall offers a sample set, which includes samples of each paper and cover variations. This is $24.95, but you will be refunded 100% of the purchase price, excluding shipping, as a voucher for a future order from WhiteWall. The company highly recommends that photographers order this kit to ensure they pick the perfect paper for their photo book.

An open book displaying a vibrant aerial photograph of a turquoise coastline with sandy and rocky formations. A small boat is visible in the water, creating a contrast with the natural scenery. The book's pages are slightly curved.
The three photo paper options all have lay-flat binding. | Credit: WhiteWall
A close-up of an open book showing colorful artwork across its pages. The image highlights the spine and the vibrant, textured detail of the illustrations on the glossy paper.
The three inkjet paper options do not offer lay-flat binding. | Credit: WhiteWall

How to Make a Photo Book

While receiving my Coffee Table Book is a treat in itself, the process of making the book was a reward, too. It gave me the opportunity to go through my portfolio, revisit older images, and, ultimately, make hard choices concerning which photographs I wanted to include in my book and why.

As famed author Stephen King wrote in his excellent book about writing, On Writing, which offers lessons applicable to many other art forms, “Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.” It’s a bit more violent than I would put it — then again, I’m no acclaimed horror writer — but it is the most critical, painful, and ultimately beneficial part of making a photo book.

An open book displaying a photograph of a serene harbor, featuring boats moored at wooden docks under a clear blue sky. The image is set against a floral-patterned tablecloth.

With “darlings” discarded and a slimmed-down collection of images in hand, it is time to decide, “How do I turn these photos into a book?” WhiteWall offers two methods. There is an online editor, which is very straightforward and includes easy-to-use templates and guides. There is also the option to upload a PDF book made in software like Adobe InDesign or Affinity Publisher. I opted to use WhiteWall’s online editor, which was really easy. Once you have laid out your book, you can save it and share it with others before making your final order, giving you a chance to get more feedback.

While every photo book is unique, WhiteWall offers some practical advice that applies to everyone. It starts with asking yourself an important question: What do you want to do with your Coffee Table Book?

Screenshot of a photo management software displaying a grid of landscape and waterfront images. Various scenes include sunsets, boats, docks, and serene nature views. The interface shows options for uploading and ordering prints.

A digital photo editing interface displays a landscape layout of two scenic images side by side. The images show a foggy harbor with boats and a lush, green coastal scene. Various photo thumbnails are visible on the left toolbar.

A computer screen displays a photo book design software interface. On the left page, a scenic image of boats on water; on the right, a placeholder for another image. A thumbnail strip and layout options are visible.
The online editor includes templates, which the user can simply drag onto the different pages of their books. You can use different templates for each page, if you want.

It can be a portfolio, a completed project, part of a project, a collection of images from a certain period, or photos that fit a unified theme. It can be almost anything, but the important thing is that you know what it is.

In my case, my book is a thematic collection of images from a specific place. I kept similar images together while providing a general progression of time from start to finish. The earlier pages focus on photographs shot at sunrise and during the early morning, and as you flip through to the end, sunset and nighttime come into focus.

A serene seascape in an open magazine, featuring a small island with a lighthouse surrounded by calm blue water. Distant islands and hills are visible under a clear sky. The page lies on a floral-patterned surface.
The lay-flat binding for the photo papers works great for panoramic images.

I went with the largest size, the Portfolio A3 Landscape (15 x 11.4 inches), so many of the images are in landscape orientation, with some exceptions. Despite the large paper size, I mostly stuck with just one image per page. If you’re going to make a photo book, you should give your photos ample space to breathe — it is not about jamming as many images as possible into a book, but rather, picking the appropriate format to showcase every image in the best possible way.

Much like WhiteWall itself read many photo books to determine what options to offer photographers when making the Coffee Table Book, the company recommends that prospective customers do the same when deciding how to layout their book. There is nothing wrong with taking inspiration from seasoned professionals.

Ultimately, the “why” informs the “how.” Practical choices, such as the materials and layout, must be made, but these are relatively straightforward hurdles to clear once you determine what you want to accomplish with your photo book (and after browsing the sample book).

A photograph of a calm bay at dusk with boats anchored in the water. A dilapidated wooden pier is in the foreground, and the sky and water are shades of deep blue, reflecting the tranquil evening setting.
WhiteWall’s printing process handled this challenging dark blue image very well.
A close-up view of an open photo album resting on a wooden surface. The pages are slightly curved, showcasing blurred images. The spine of the album is visible in the center of the image.
Another look at the lay-flat binding.

A WhiteWall Coffee Table Book Is Special

When a photographer determines that a photography book best fits their purpose and need, whether giving a personal and thoughtful gift, showcasing their work for strangers, or doing something special for themselves, quality is of utmost importance. The focus should always be on the photography itself, and the book should be the foundation to show the photography.

A person wearing a black sweater looks at a photo album, focusing on a black and white image of a docked boat on calm water with buildings in the background.

The WhiteWall Coffee Table Book has no WhiteWall branding, inside or out, and the binding and paper quality are exceptional. The book is an incredible, interactive showcase for your images that you can touch, feel, and explore time and again.

Photographers spend so much effort on capturing beautiful images it makes perfect sense to care just as much about how to present them, and a book is an incredible way to do that.

A photo book is open on a wooden surface, showing a scenic landscape of a coastal area with vibrant purple lupines in the foreground and a forested shoreline in the background.
A WhiteWall Coffee Table Book is a high-quality, special way to share your photography.

Creating a WhiteWall Coffee Table Book of my favorite photos from Stonington has allowed me to recapture moments and memories and share them in a new, dynamic way that my family and I can touch and enjoy. Seeing my photos come to life in a professional-quality book is a remarkable gift every photographer should consider giving themselves and the people they love.


Full disclosure: This story has been brought to you by WhiteWall.


Image credits: Photographs by Jeremy Gray and WhiteWall.



Source link