Family Photobook: Every  year, we engage in various activities including sports related activities, family events and parties, school related activities, holidays, vacations and so on. Different members of the family take valuable photos most of which remain tucked away in their laptops, computers and phone galleries, never to be seen by other members of the family. A brilliant idea to showcase different memorable moments and occurrences is to come up with an all-inclusive annual family photobook after the holiday cheer dies down. But how do you choose what goes into the family photo album and what tips can you use to ensure that the outcome is spectacular?







Ordering the photos
There are several ways that the photos could be arranged in the book. You could choose a chronological order, cluster them according to activities or you may even choose to dedicate a few pages to each member of the family and then have the last few pages showcase activities that involved the entire family. There are families that may even have a photobook for each member and then a combined one showcasing what different people were up to during the year.

Other options here include an A to Z arrangement where the captions accompanying the photos could start with different letters of the alphabet or the photos could be arranged based on the age of the members of the family or even an arbitrary but unique arrangement. As long as the book makes sense to the family, the rest can figure it out through conversations.

Pieces representing major milestones, those that are considered a perfect representation of a member of the family or the whole family could take up a whole page while other photos could be clustered into interesting collages. These collages could feature related photos or random photos with a common theme. For example, a collage of photos featuring naughty kids or cheeky behaviour.

Pieces to showcase
Its human nature to showcase the best of what we have and hide our flaws. However, a family photobook should include both the perfect and the not-so-perfect photos. The runny noses, the little injuries, the untidy rooms, the cheeky photographs and other embarrassing moments should all be represented in the photobook. These, when displayed in a creative way could be conversation starters for a long time. Besides, even the imperfect photos constitute memories while some may have valuable lessons.

Birthdays, graduation ceremonies, family events, family vacations, sports activities, religious milestones, school events and milestones, Mother’s and Father’s Day celebrations, friends and the extended family could all be featured in the book. You could also feature scenic photographs of the different places visited during the year. To ensure a holistic representation of the family ideologies and to make this a family activity, the whole family should be included in the selection of photos. In the case that the photos are too many to fit into one book, then several books could be created for the year.

The captions
Another great way to make the photobook interesting is by including catchy and corny captions to accompany some of the photos. In some instances, the captions could also pique the guests’ interest and tap into their creative side by asking them to fill in the blanks. Finding the right captions can be challenging but with a little team work, the end result will be hilarious and memorable. The captions do not have to be perfect, but they should evoke certain emotions in the viewer.

These captions could also include favourite phrases or words from different people. These could include the quotes used by parents to encourage their kids, threats as a result of bad behaviour, the words that are constantly mispronounced by the children, funny pet names and so on. The aim is to showcase both the serious life changing family advice and the hilarious or humiliating words used by both parents and children in different circumstances.







Artwork
The school projects and art work developed during recreation activities should also be featured in the book. They are a representation of the creative side of the family and they can also showcase major life milestones for children who would like to pursue the creative arts industry later on. Both perfect and the imperfect pieces should be showcased for a holistic experience.

There are so many aspects of the photobook that you could play with for a great outcome. The theme colours, the shape of the book, the texture of the pages, cover style, the size of the book or even the level of customisation are all aspects to consider when choosing your photobook. Customisation could include provision of space for handwritten quotes and captions, drawings, inclusion of stickers and photos with different shapes and sizes. With all these options at your disposal, a myriad of photo tips for making awesome photobooks and the ability to access numerous information online, having a boring photo book is a choice.