I wrote a book!
Ok, well sort of anyway. My nephew just turned one and in honor of his first birthday, I decided to create a book for him as a keepsake. I thought it was a great way to chronicle his first year and a nice little tradition to start. I used a site called Blurb to create my book. I really like the different size options and layouts they offer. There are a lot of sites out there that you can use to create this style book, many of which are easy to use and quite affordable. Places like Kodak Gallery will even automatically lay out the photos you upload to them in a preset design. This is a good option if you do not have the time to design each page yourself.
This is a spread over the first two pages of my book once it gets started. I chose 18 closeups similar in size that really demonstrate the change from birth to 1 year. I know, isn't he just the cutest little guy you have ever seen? I created this book as 11x13 - which is big! But it allowed me to put many pictures like this example on one page. Blurb is great because there are so many options for your sizes and layouts. They even offer soft covers which are more cost effective. And you can upload a book design and then share the link with family and friends, so if they choose to buy it, they can. It's great for weddings, family vacations, reunions, you name it. Oh, and you can browse books there that were made by others for ideas and inspiration. There are great forums and tutorials too in case you have any questions.
I wrote a letter to my little nephew, and then I spread that letter out between the photos that were applicable to what I was saying. I also chose not to do the whole thing in chronological order which made it a lot more interesting to flip through.
In the age of digital photography, it is rare to get to hold an actual photo anymore. Creating a photo book allows you to share lots of pictures with your loved ones in a very impressive and cost effective way. Don't be afraid to give it a try. The holidays are fast approaching and this would make a great gift for Grandma and Grandpa. Have family that live far away? This is perfect.
Start a tradition like I did. I plan to make a book for this little guy every year. Taking a little time to sort out some good photos and set up your photobook has a huge payoff when your professional looking, (like I just picked it up at Barnes and Noble) photo book arrives on your doorstep. Your friends and family will swoon over it. And with a little patience you can really wow the crowd.
p.s. Are you not loving that birthday boy t-shirt in the photo above? Check it out here from the ladies over at Wicked Stitches. It has his name and a number one on the back! Too cute!
