When I’m not behind the camera, I’m a proud wife to a first responder, dog mom to Cooper, Gordie, and our newest addition Marvel, and a very proud auntie. Life is full and busy—just the way I like it!

A Personalized Experience from the Start

Every client who walks through my studio doors begins their journey with a personal consultation. Whether it’s in-person at the studio, over the phone, or via Google Meet, I find it incredibly valuable to connect face-to-face (or screen-to-screen!). This meeting allows me to get to know their personality, hear their vision, and also gives them a chance to meet me. I want to make sure we’re a great fit—because that’s when the magic really happens.

With my seniors, these consultations go even deeper. I walk them through the entire experience—from the session fee and what that covers (session planning, extra props like smoke bombs or confetti, etc.) to building the overall vibe of their session. We carefully plan locations, outfits, and moods to make sure every image is a reflection of who they truly are.

I always emphasize that my editing style is timeless and natural—I want my clients to look and feel like themselves, just on their best day.

Creating Collections with Intention

When it comes to pricing and ordering, I’ve adapted a version of a ‘Create a Package’ formula I learned from one of the many speakers at ShutterFest. I’ve found this approach works well in our area—even though IPS (in-person sales) is still a bit of a stretch for some families, who often come in asking, “So how many digitals do we get?”

That’s where education starts. I take time during both the consultation and the ordering appointment to explain why it’s not just about digital files. It’s about creating heirloom artwork—pieces they’ll hold onto long after those digitals are lost on an old hard drive.

I offer a curated line of products that I truly believe in. My absolute favorites are the Art Blocks and Metal Prints from McKenna—they’re modern, clean, and timeless. The Metal Prints, in particular, are one of my favorites! I also love how they hang flat to the wall with minimal hardware.

And let’s not forget about albums—which I’ve been proudly ordering from Zookbinders since 2020! I met the Zookbinders team at Wedding MBA back in 2019 and was instantly impressed by their customer service and high-quality craftsmanship. The fact that they’re photographers themselves? Huge bonus.

The Ordering Session Experience

After the session, I lightly color correct and clean up the images—no over-editing here. Most of today’s teens prefer a more natural look, and I only retouch blemishes when necessary. Once that’s done, I send a gallery link with instructions asking the client to select 30–40 favorites and schedule their IPS session.

Whether they meet me at the studio or virtually, I aim to make the experience special. In-studio, I greet them with refreshments—coffee, tea, sparkling water—and a beautiful slideshow of their images playing on the screen. I display a variety of samples—albums, wall art, metals, and more—so they can see and feel the quality firsthand.

The ordering process starts with choosing a main product: either a large wall art piece (canvas, art block, metal, or framed print) or an album, which typically includes more images and offers that “complete story” feel. From there, we build the rest of their collection: gift prints, digital files, and any upgrades they may want. My print collections are designed to be flexible, offering a mix of 8x10s, 5x7s, and the occasional wallet (because let’s be real—today’s seniors aren’t handing out wallets like we used to!).

Each package includes a set number of digital files—7, 10, or 15, depending on the collection. I also allow for a little mix-and-match flexibility if needed to help meet their needs without compromising the value of the products.

Why It Works

This model has worked well for me in a market where clients often start out wanting “just digitals.” When they see the quality of what I offer, they start to understand the value of tangible memories, and the conversation changes. They leave with more than photos—they leave with heirlooms.

Final Thoughts

Senior portraits are more than a milestone—they’re a celebration of who these young adults are becoming. My job is to honor that with authenticity, artistry, and a personal touch that makes them feel seen.

To my fellow photographers looking to make the switch to IPS or wondering how to stand out in your market: focus on connection. Invest in products you’re proud of. And always, always show your clients the value of print.

Thanks for letting me share my process—and thank you to McKenna and Zookbinders for being part of my client experience. I couldn’t do it without you!

From McKenna and Zookbinders:

A big THANK YOU to Emily for sharing her IPS process for senior portraits and trusting McKenna and Zookbinders as her print vendors.

Connect with Emily via her website, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

The post Capturing Seniors with Intention: My Personalized Approach to Senior Portraits appeared first on McKenna.

We are excited to announce that construction is done, and we have an official move date!

McKenna Companies Will Be Closed June 9 Through June 13, 2025.

As we mentioned in last month’s blog, we have been planning and strategizing this transition for months to create very little disruption for you, our loyal customers. We know how much you rely on us to produce high-quality products with quick turnaround times for you to deliver finished products to your clients. We always have and will continue to take that very seriously.

Important Production Dates at the Waterloo Location

Our strategic planning will allow us to continue to run our normal turnaround times as we draw closer to our move date.

The average turn time for McKenna products is 1–2 business days, with more labor-intensive products, such as Integrity Albums, that can have up to a 3-day turnaround.

Photo Albums Direct turnaround times and Zookbinders turnaround times can be found on their website.

For all orders, keep in mind the average turnaround time needed to produce your product. Be sure to order early! We will do our best to ship all orders out before the move.

Important Production Dates at the Cedar Falls Location

Leverage Printing’s production will be minimally impacted by this move. Their equipment and the staff are already in the building and will continue business as usual.

Our Plan for Reopening

While our production is paused June 9th–June 13th, our ordering software for all McKenna companies will be up and running! Continue to place your orders during this time.

We have meticulously mapped out the new facility and completed all the prep work to ensure our move goes smoothly. We have the right people in place for packing, moving, and setting up our new facility. Our entire team will be working diligently to make sure every department is fully functioning on or before Monday, June 16th.

As we get each department up and running at the Cedar Falls location for McKenna, Photo Albums Direct, and Zookbinders, we will start the production on the orders we have received. There is a good chance we will have departments up and running ahead of schedule. We will begin processing your orders in the order they are scheduled in the queue. Watch our McKenna newsletter, Facebook, and Instagram for updates.

Contact Us With Questions

McKenna Customer Service:
800-238-3456  |  info@mckennapro.com  |  Live Chat

Photo Albums Direct Customer Service:
847-291-3954  |  help@photoalbumsdirect.com

Zookbinders Customer Service:
847-272-5745  |  customerservice@zookbinders.com  |  Live Chat

The post McKenna is Moving to Our New, Larger Facility! appeared first on McKenna.

Album Covers for Every Occasion at Zookbinders

Photo album sales are on the rise as professional photographers pair photo albums with many types of events and sessions. Professional wedding albums are a tradition, as are albums for Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, and senior portraits. Many photographers also offer albums with annual family portraits, baby’s first year, family reunions, corporate events, and galas. Albums are a great way to share a larger number of printed photographs, and they make perfect gifts.

A professional photo album acts as a physical portfolio of all the favorite images from any photography service, which is why they are so in demand. Because of their popularity, the cover options for professional photo albums have increased.

• Full leather or fabric covers are the standard because of their durability and traditional presentation, especially for weddings. Spine stamping and custom dies can be added for more personalization at Zookbinders.
• Photo wrap covers, or canvas wrap covers, are nice for family albums because the cover image can be nice and big to show off those smiling faces!
• Cameos are popular ways to focus on an image or two, and surround them with one or two types of leather on an album for a Mitzvah or a senior portrait session.

However, some clients want something that stands apart from the crowd, something a little more show-stopping. Stunning acrylic photo album covers are at the top of the list when it comes to an impressive and elegant presentation.

Why Offer Acrylic Photo Album Covers 

Offering clients the option to upgrade to acrylic photo album covers gives them a chance to finish off their unique professional wedding album with something unexpected. Whether it’s a wedding, a senior session, or even boudoir, stunning acrylic photo album covers are a luxurious detail that makes an album feel more like a statement piece rather than a photo book.

Stunning acrylic photo album covers stand out. The crystal-clear acrylic enhances image vibrancy and sharpness, ensuring that colors remain rich and detailed. Beyond its impressive first impression, acrylic covers hold emotional value by making the album feel like a true work of art.

Acrylic photo album covers bring a sleek, contemporary feel to any professional photo album. They feature a high-gloss, crystal-clear acrylic panel on the front, placed over a printed image to enhance color depth and vibrancy. Not only do they look stunning, but they’re also durable, scratch-resistant, and easy to clean—ensuring that your client’s memories get attention and stay pristine for years.

Photo albums are a great way to share images, relive an event, and take a trip down memory lane, but they are also stand alone pieces of art. Stunning acrylic covers are a way to really elevate a traditional book of photos into a luxurious modern photo album. Zookbinders offers acrylic cover upgrades on two album styles.

Order Acrylic Photo Album Covers from Zookbinders

Zookbinders offers high-quality acrylic photo album covers for the Zook Book and the Lustre Book. A cover image printed on metallic paper is positioned underneath the acrylic making the cover look like a finished art piece.

Paired with glove leather, acrylic photo album covers offer a polished and sophisticated finish. It also adds to the album’s structure creating a solid feel and making it a standout keepsake.

The Zook Book

• The Zook Book is a premium flush mount professional wedding album with thick, gilded page edges, rounded corners, and a lay-flat design. It features an elegant leather spine paired with an acrylic photo cover, creating a striking and durable presentation. 
• Acrylic covers are one of the most popular upgrades for the Zook Book, since it’s the premium professional wedding album for photographers. An acrylic cover is icing on the cake when it comes to a luxury look. 

The Lustre Book

• The Lustre Book is a modern lay flat album with square-cut pages and white book blocks. Printed on Fuji professional paper, it is available in two page thicknesses, and a wide variety of cover options.
  Adding an acrylic photo album cover to the Luster Books elevates an everyday album to a very sleek and modern professional photo album with a little bit of sparkle!
  

Stunning Acrylic Photo Album Covers

Looking to incorporate these dazzling covers into your collections? Zookbinders acrylic photo album covers offer a premium, high-end presentation. They look impressive and are worth the investment. Here are some popular selling points.

• Modern Aesthetic – This is not your mom’s album. Acrylic covers provide a sleek, glossy finish that enhances the visual appeal. It’s not an album – it’s a work of art.
• The Durability – Not to downplay other options that included an image on the cover, but the acrylic style really does a great job protecting that cover image from wear and tear.
• A Vibrant Image Display – Having an acrylic cover on an album means it’s begging to be left out on display. It’s almost like a framed image. It’s two visual treats in one!
• High-End Appeal – This cover isn’t for everyone. It’s luxe, it’s premium, and it’s sought after. It’s an investment and it appeals to those who want the best.
• Additional Customization – Cover images can be personalized with text added to the printed images. From a wedding image with a fancy script to multiple images on a single print for a senior album, you can really get creative!

Acrylic Photo Album Covers are Good for Your Business

Acrylic photo album covers can boost business for photographers, offering acrylic covers is an excellent way to elevate their brand and increase revenue. Including acrylic covers in top-tier packages positions a photography studio as a luxury option, attracting clients who are looking to invest in quality imagery and products.

When offering exclusive or limited-edition upgrades like acrylic covers from Zookbinders, photographers can create a sense of exclusivity and encourage clients to shop the collection that delivers everything they need, like, and want. Acrylic album covers aren’t just stylish, they are money makers. Here’s how you can make the most of them in different services and collections.

Senior Portraits

Include a 10×10 Lustre Book with an acrylic cover with your Deluxe Senior Experience Collection. Make the session and album exceptional.

Family Sessions

For multiple generation sessions upgrade grandma and grandpa’s 10×10 album to an acrylic cover with the purchase of 2 – 8×8 replica albums.

Themed Sessions

When doing Santa Session, or other children’s sessions with special themes, offer a Limited Edition Keepsake -like an album with an acrylic cover with your “most popular” collection.

Boudoir

Offer a complimentary acrylic cover upgrade when booking a session during one of your slower months.

Weddings

Offer cover upgrades when the design is ready for review.

“Here is your album design. I think it turned out beautifully. I especially love the spreads with the pictures done at sunset, and the cover image is one of my favorites. What would you think about upgrading to the Luxe Crystal Cover, (the acrylic cover)? It would make the album a great display piece.”

When offering upgrades or incentives, be sure that you are calculating the cost back into your collections or that the additional spend on the clients part covers your costs plus a profit margin.

Show Off Those Acrylic  Covers

As a full-service studio, you curate and offer the best products for clients who deserve something special. Digital images are great for social sharing and making lovely slideshows, but how do you showcase the best images? Professional photo albums with stunning acrylic covers from Zookbinders are definitely something to add to your product offering for this very reason. They look impressive and will certainly contribute to the album conversation in a positive way.

Be sure to get a sample album on hand to show clients. Zookbinders, a McKenna company, is currently offering 30% off studio samples of their Zook Books and Lustre Books. To get started,  register here to set up your free Zookbinders account. 

This blog was written by Maureen Miller, CPP, contributor for McKenna and contributor to marketing and client experience at Zookbinders. With 25+ years as a professional photographer, Maureen owns and operates her successful studio, Maureen T Miller Photography. She is an advocate for making money and doing what you love. Her motto is, “Photography is a BIG DEAL!”

The post Stunning Acrylic Photo Album Covers at Zookbinders appeared first on McKenna.

The year 1969 was a time of bell bottoms, moon landings, and, most importantly, the start of McKenna. We set out with a simple but ambitious goal: to provide professional photographers with the best prints, products, and services possible. We started in a small space, but like any good success story, we didn’t stay there long. By 1974, growth pushed us into a bigger location—one that became more than just a workspace. It became our home.

For over five decades, we’ve grown, adapted, and maybe even shed a nostalgic tear or two in our Waterloo location as photography evolved from film negatives to digital, from darkrooms to high-tech printing. We’ve produced metal prints, canvases, and more photo albums than we ever could have imagined. We’ve expanded our building several times to accommodate our production space and our ideas—always keeping one step ahead of what’s next.

2024 was a blockbuster year for us. Business boomed, new printing capabilities rolled out, and—plot twist—we brought three new companies into the McKenna family: Leverage Printing, Photo Albums Direct, and Zookbinders. With all this success came an important topic of discussion: space. We needed more of it! We faced a choice—stay in close corners in our current space or take the leap. So, we leaped!

McKenna is Moving! But Only a Few Miles…

Although our roots have always been in Waterloo, we ran out of space to build at our Waterloo location and struggled to find a space large enough to accommodate our needs. After years of looking in Waterloo, we decided we would move to Cedar Falls because of the larger industrial spaces they have to offer. When we purchased Leverage Printing in 2024, we also purchased the building it was in, and we quickly began the hard work of expanding and remodeling that location.

In the summer of 2025, McKenna is making the 15-minute move to Cedar Falls, Iowa, the brand-new home for McKenna and our entire family of brands! Our new space (which is over 2x larger!) will house our production for all our brands, our people, and plenty of room for our growth and expansion to serve you and other photographers and commercial clients into the future!

Construction wraps up in late spring, and by early summer, we’ll be settling in—carefully, strategically, and with as little disruption to your workflow as possible. We know how much you rely on us, and we take that seriously! We’ll keep you posted every step of the way.

This move isn’t just about more space—it’s about building the next chapter of McKenna’s legacy. It’s about continuing to push boundaries, innovate, and, most importantly, serve you with the same quality and dedication we always have.

So, here’s to new beginnings, big moves, and even bigger dreams. We’re ready for what’s next—and we’re bringing you along for the ride. Watch for updates in our email newsletter as well as social media posts for blog updates as we share more details and important production dates in the upcoming months.

The post McKenna’s Next Chapter: Big News About a Big Expansion! appeared first on McKenna.

Our Growing Family

This year was especially exciting as we expanded our offerings to better serve you by welcoming three exceptional companies into the McKenna family of brands:

• Photo Albums Direct offers thin and thick page albums crafted for professional photographers providing even more options for you to showcase your client’s favorite images.
• Zookbinders specializes in high-end, luxury photo albums. Their acrylic cover Zook Book is a customer favorite. We’ve moved their production facility to Iowa while proudly maintaining their exceptional customer service team.
• Leverage is a local commercial printer working with businesses nationally to offer print solutions such as large print runs, variable data printing, direct mail, and marketing materials. We are thrilled to continue operations in their Cedar Falls, IA location with their dedicated staff.

These additions enhance our ability to support you, professional photographers and creative businesses, with a comprehensive suite of premium products and services. Together, these additional brands represent our commitment to meeting your needs with quality, innovation, and care.

Looking Ahead

Going into 2025, we are energized by the opportunities to continue expanding and delivering exceptional products and services. Our goal remains steadfast: to provide you with innovative, top-quality products to showcase your client’s important moments. 

From my family to yours, and from everyone in the McKenna family of brands, we wish you a Merry Christmas, a joyous holiday season, and a prosperous New Year!

Jared Mason
President of the McKenna Family of Brands

Image by Nancy Steele Portraiture.

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