Create Photo Books to Tell a Story

Every picture tells a story, doesnýt it? If every picture tells a story, then combining pictures surely must tell a story. You can add words to the story, too. Wouldnýt that be a great way to present your photos, especially those documenting an event with family or friends? Itýs easy to do. Many websites, the kind that offer you the opportunity to create online galleries of your photos, also allow you to create photo books. If you want to use this medium to tell a story, itsý easy!

The first thing you need to think about to create a photo book to tell a story is, not surprisingly, what story you want to tell. This may seem obvious, but there is a subtle side to it. Letýs say you want to create photo books of your sonýs little league season. Do you include every single photo? Well, you could. But chances are, you took a lot of photos. You donýt need to include them all, do you? Probably you wonýt want to. Think about what happened over the course of your sonýs little league season, games lost and won, and special moments for your son, such as his best plays.

Select your photos so that they tell the story of his season. It will be even better if you plan the photo book before the season starts. That way, you can make sure you get the photos you need to tell the story, not just the occasional snapshot when you think of it. You will need a few photos to document the general action of each game, and not just the highlights of your sonýs play if you want to do this right. You may be wondering why youýd need to tell the story of the whole team, instead of just your sonýs contribution. If you think about it the answer is obviousýthe photo book you create isnýt just for you, itýs for your son. If you document the whole season well, your son can give copies to his teammates as well. Wouldnýt you rather have a photo book that your son will enjoy, that will enhance his stature amongst his peers, than just a photo book to make you happy?

Probably the best way to create this particular photo book is to adopt the sports yearbook format. That means one entry or chapter per game, with pictures, box scores, standings, and any interesting anecdotes from on and off the field. You may also want to shoot pictures at some of the teamýs practices as well. If you do it right you could have a lasting testament to your sonýs season, one that both he and you will cherish.

This particular example is based on a sports season but the principles used to create photo books with a narrative apply to any other subject. It could be your vacation, your daughterýs first ballet class, or even giving the dog a bath. All you need to make a story is a beginning, middle and end.

MJ Johnston writes for a variety of websites, including Digitalphotoalbumsite.com, site that offers advice on the quickest and easiest way to build a digital photo album, as well as free online photo storage.