Make Your Own Travel Photo Book
HOW TO MAKE AN AMAZING PHOTO TRAVEL BOOK
Travel photo books are some of my favorite photo books to make. A big part of that is because I love to travel! I can't imagine taking all those fun vacation shots and having them "gather virtual dust" sitting on my computer hard drive.
Sharing your photos on Facebook, while convenient, fun and fast, doesn't provide much permanence. Nothing beats seeing your photos in a printed book and your friends and family may even mistake your coffee table book for something bought at a bookstore. They'll be so impressed when they find out it's your own creation!
You don't have to be a designer to make a beautiful bookThe FREE software offered by the photo book companies is very easy to use, with drag and drop functionality. If time is a concern, most if not all the photo book companies have what's called "auto mix", "genie" or "magic" function that will take your uploaded photos and literally in one-click places and arranges your photos for you. You can then hit the order button, or decide to rearrange your photos at will. You should also check out specific travel "themes" which feature pre-made layouts with clip art and backgrounds all ready built in. Just upload your photos and drag and drop. Can't be easier than that.
Relive your favorite vacation memories
Many of my photo books are travel inspired (there are only so many wedding photo books I can make right?) and what I love about them is its power to transport me back to all the fun I had while on vacation. I don't know about you, but as time goes on, my memories fade about the amazing restaurants we dined in and the fun things we experienced, but it doesn't have to be that way. Take photos of your food, take photos of the menu and take photos of the signage that describes the monument you're visiting. If you're wondering what to do with those ticket stubs, maps, brochures, that you used to paste into a traditional scrapbook, no problem, scan those pieces of memorabilia and add them to your book (see photo below). These details make for great storytelling in your travel books and will help jog your memory when writing your captions even if you don't actually use the photos in your book. Use your camera as a tool to record what normally fades in our memories over time.
On our honeymoon, I journaled extensively on our laptop every evening back at our hotel as I wanted to remember every part of our amazing trip to Australia and New Zealand - a place I had always dreamed of visiting. And it was all the more special experiencing everything for the first time with my new husband. My photo books from my honeymoon are very detailed both visually and narratively, but on most trips a visual journal is all that I keep. We all know the power of images and how a photo can instantly take you back to remembering a certain place in time. I love flipping through my travel books with my friends and family and reliving memories with them.
What To Put In Your Travel Photo Book
Photos of course!
Plane ticket stubs and other transport tickets
Ticket stubs from activities
Local maps - subway map etc.
Brochures/Guides from local attractions
Menus or business cards from local restaurants
Coasters/napkins from local restaurants
Business card from local stores
Hotel postcards/stationery
Local magazine about the city and upcoming events
Photo Book Girl TipEver get back from vacation and can't remember the name or significance of a specific place you visited? Snap a few photos of signage - like plaques that describe the location or historical significance of a place, and street signs or other narrative signs so when you come back to make your photo books you have all the facts for your captions, or you can even include those signage shots in your layouts. If you've forgotten to snap those reference photos, refer back to brochures you may have kept or just do an online search for your location and you'll get lots of fun facts and anecdotes that you and your family and friends can enjoy!
Disney Photo Books
Ever since starting a family, we've been doing a lot of all things Disney. Most of my more recent travel related photo books have been of the Disney cruises we've taken as well as our visits to Disneyland and Walt Disney World. For a photography bug like myself, there's just so much to take in and capture when it comes to Disney. I have been especially smitten with firework photography and night photography. I actually bought a tripod and shutter release for the sole purpose of capturing those iconic shots of Cinderella's castle at night and its fireworks show.The parks in particular are just so great at providing all that type of eye candy - oh and I shouldn't forget about all those parades - especially Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade which we caught for the first time last year. Of course there are also the obligatory character photographs. My little guy was so excited (and a little nervous) to meet Lightning McQueen, but we have the best photos of him enjoying Carsland. I can't imagine leaving all those wonderful photos and memories on my hard drive. If you're interested in getting your Disney photos into a book you can share with your kids and friends, be sure to check out all my Disney related posts including my three-part series, Tips on Making the Ultimate Disney Photo Book. It's chock full of detailed steps as well as resources on all things Disney!
Photo Book Resources
If you'd like to see layout ideas check out my photo book idea gallery.
If you're looking for gift ideas, I've got the ultimate list of custom photo gifts for you! (it was written for this past holiday season, but many of these would make great gifts for any occasion!)
If you want to hear about all the latest photo book deals, the best way to not miss out is to stay in touch!
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The following links are to posts on my travel themed photo books!
Photographing Fall Colors 2019
Photo Book Girl's Best Tips for Meeting Characters and Photo Ops at Disneyland Galaxy's Edge
Scrap Your Trip - FREE and Creative Ways to Enhance Your Travel Photo Book Layouts (Part 2 - Public Domain Resources)
Scrap Your Trip - Creative Ways To Enhance Your Travel Photo Book Layouts (Part 1)
Photo Book Girl's Top 6 Travel Photo Book Design Tips
Year in Review Visual Journal Photo Book Layout
Photo Book Girl's Disney Memory Maker Review (Part 1)
5 Creative Map Ideas for Your Photo Books
Disney Wonder Photo Books - A Multi-Volume Set
6 Fun Photo Ideas to Snap on Vacation
Disney Cruise Photo Tip #2: Getting Your Money's Worth From a Shutters Photo Package
Essential Photography Gear for an Alaskan Cruise
The Ultimate Disney Photo Book - Part 3 Hand Drawn Chalkboard Doodles
Making the Ultimate Disney Photo Book Part 2 - Scanning Travel Mementos
Disney Cruise Photo Tip #1: How to Get Photos With All Your Favorite Disney Characters
Tips for Making The Ultimate Disney Photo Book - Getting Started - Disney Clip Art & Fonts (Part 1)
Seven Fun Text Ideas to Make Your Photo Book Layouts Pop
Travel Photo Books - Capturing Vacation Memories
Incorporating Non-Photo Elements Into Your Photo Book â€" Digital Scrapbooking Fun
MyPublisher GIVEAWAY (10 prizes!) Plus Review of Super Gloss Paper (ENDED)
Lay Flat MyPublisher Photo Book Review & A Lay Flat Photo Book Comparison
Picaboo Review - Classic Custom Photo Book Layouts and Ideas
My Photobook America Review - Part II: Book Quality
Q&A: Top Tips for Making Great Photo Book Templates and Layouts - My Photobook America Preview
Photobook America Review - Part I: Software Review and Helpful Tips
Picaboo Review - the Classic Custom Hardcover Photo Book & Make Your Own FREE BOOK!
My Picaboo X Review - The Madison Lay Flat Photo Book (Updated 7/1/11)
My Shutterfly Photo Book Review - Hardcover 8x8
PhotoBookGirl Goes Underwater - My Apple Aperture Photo Book Review
PhotoBookGirl's Pixable Review - 8x8 Softcover
A Review of MyPublisher's Photo Finish Hardcover
Quick Reviews of MyPublisher's New Photo Finish Cover & HotBook #2 at Flickr
My FREE Photo Book from HotPrints Has Arrived - A Review
