20 Things to Include in Your Family Photobook

This post is part of Microsoft’s #WorkWonders program.

How are you going with part one of our digital photo challenge? Did you manage to get started on uploading and sorting your photos from all of their various sources? Did you get that finished or are you still partway through like me? Have you backed up yet?

Today I want to share some fun ideas for what to include in your photobook that work really well for family yearbooks, PLUS if you read on you’ll find out all about my plan to keep us all on track with this HUGE project!

First up though, I just want to share a couple of general photobook tips to help as you get started;

• As I mentioned in the previous post, as well as beginning the process of sorting our photos, I also started a bit of a brain dump in a Word document. It’s a list of things I don’t want to forget to include in our finished yearbooks. You could alternatively use OneNote so that you could update your list instantly from multiple devices whenever a great idea hits.

• Have a bit of a look around and a play with a few different photobook programs before you commit to one for your project. I am using Blurb’s Booksmart as Blurb was recommended to me for the quality of their photobooks by a great photographer and friend, Rachel Devine.

• Whichever photobook program you decide to use, having your photos saved and sorted in one location makes it so quick and easy to add them to your photobook. As I mentioned in the first post, I am using OneDrive so that I can easily upload my photos from multiple devices into one central location.

• Create pages one event at a time and start with something easy. Don’t forget to include the date (that’s the when!) and to add any anecdotes or captions of memories of who, what, where and why.

• Keep shots from an event together by using a larger number of small images on a collage page.

• You don’t have to write text for every photo, page or event. Try a monthly summary at the beginning of each month or a short description of each new event.

• Don’t use too many layouts throughout your book, that way your book will feel more cohesive.

• If a year feels too overwhelming then start smaller. You could create a book about just one event (a birthday or Christmas) or a holiday or a mini book for one child in your family.

Now for the fun stuff! I am working on our first family yearbook for 2014 (my plan is to work backwards). I like the idea of a yearbook that keeps all of our memories for the year together. So as I have been sorting and planning and photobooking I have been making a list of fun things to include in the yearbook. Here are 20 ideas to get your creativity flowing;

1. A record of your child’s first words, when they first lost a tooth or any other milestones that you’ll want to remember down the road
2. Funny things your children say or do
3. The height of your kids
4. A record of what your children say they want to be when they grow up
5. Favourite sayings or quotes
6. Scans or photographs of artwork and of children making art
7. Samples of your children’s handwriting and story writing, or other things they have written

8. Include mention of each family member’s favourite books, movies, games, songs and toys – a bit like a mini time capsule for each person for the year
9. Photos of your children’s bedrooms and/or favourite spaces inside (and outside) your home
10. School photo, photos with teacher(s) or school friends
11. First day of school and last day of school for the year
12. A record of school merit certificates and academic awards, snippets of comments from report cards
13. Photos of out-of-school activities and records of any certificates or awards
14. Photos or scans of mementos and keepsakes from movies, concerts, productions you enjoyed and places you visited
15. Photos taken by your child/ren
16. A series of photos showing ‘a day in the life’ of your family
17. A series of photos of your local neighbourhood
18. Photos representing your family traditions for birthdays and other holidays
19. Intergenerational photos of family members
20. A map page for any trips you’ve taken

Remember finishing this big task is going to be about setting yourself small goals for each day or week – ‘Each day I’ll spend five minutes uploading and sorting photos’ or ‘Each day I’ll complete one page of your photobook.’Save