If you too have ever asked yourself What to do with all your digital photos you need to know that publishing your own Photo Album is possible! I did mine using InDesign, Blurb.com and my growing layout skills! I published a years worth of photos (from 2008) in one book, exported the PDF, uploaded it and ordered it online.
The whole book is a giant experiment with different layouts. My favorite are grids of all kinds, influenced by Ali Edwards hybrid scrapbooking. This is kind of like scrapbooking, but made on the computer – no home printing, no glue, no embellishments or pretty papers added.
Me pretending to be a stylist or home decor photographer. I loved this flea market – I love this spread!
I have played a lot; with black line borders, round corners, text overlays, dotted divider lines, close up photos, three different fonts and a huge variety of photo sizes. I haven’t done much of this kind of work before, but I know what I like. When I got the book I was pleased with the overall feel. I think the book composes well. I’m just going to share a few of the many spreads in the 180 pages book.
As you can see my photo album is filled with my life; friends, family, cat, painting, being crafty, walks in nature, more cat and garden photos.
I love grids
I’ve made several photo grids in the book, most of them square format. The front is white with two rows of photos and the title. But the backside is my favorite, a huge colorful grid of my life. I could just look at it for ever.
No journaling
I fit a lot of photos into this book. The only thing there is not that much of is “journaling”; the writing. I write so much elsewhere (diary and blog) that I don’t want any journaling around my photos, though I think that could be important to someone else. A few short notes in a very small font with the date, people’s names and locality and that’s all. I want the photos to be viewed on their own. I think they say a lot, more than words can say even.
2008 was also the year I did a project called Daily Art Cards, so there are plenty of those in this book too. That reminds me that i wanted to do a book featuring all of the 366 cards, but never got around to doing that. Maybe I should…
My two Blurb books!
The photo album is a really cool idea! Especially the grid pages.
This is amazing, you did a fantastic job compiling your book and the photo spreads draw me in. Thank you for sharing this great idea
I love your blog and read it nearly every day. Your work is very inspiring. When I say this photo book I had to let you know how amazing it is. Your photography is beautiful. My favorite spread shown is the one you call your stylist page. It’s gorgeous. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Beautiful way to display all of your photos! I love grids too – I like making digital collages in Picasa for my blog with a bunch of square photos – I’m inspired to do my own book now, thanks!
Hey, is that a Pullip doll I see? I have some of those!
Lovely book you got there. It’s in fact a very good idea. Thank you for all your sharing.
Beautiful!~
absolutely beautiful! it all looks so very professional. if you don’t mind my asking – how much does it cost? it looks like it’d be super expensive..
i have been thinking about diong one of these for awhile… it feels a bit wrong, though. everything in me is telling me to do it the old fashioned way, even though i have no interest in scrapbooking. haha
Hi Hanna,
Would you mind sharing how you set your ID document up? I am not super familiar with the program and was wondering – did you set up each page as it’s own file, then convert all files to PDF when done? Then upload to Blurb?
Also, are you happy with the softcover? Does it open fairly flat?
Thank you so much! Love your blog – it’s my favorite!
Amy
these look fabulous, hanna! how cool to see all of your color drenched photos in one place!
Bahh! Those books are SO AWESOME!!!! Wow. LOVE THEM. I think I need to try this out :)
Very cute idea! I just had the photos printed out, but this is so much cooler. It’s so satisfying having a book with your photos in it.
I am so inspired to make my own photo book! Your book looks so yummy with all those photos and grids and such! Of course I love our Team Diptych book but I think I want to make my own with lots and lots of photos. For inspiration. And smiles. And memories.
Hugs and purrs,
Sophie and Diesel
such a great idea! i’ve been flirting with the idea of doing something like this, but in my mind it would be too boring…yours proves to not be. thanks for the tip!! xx
This is a great idea! I love storing photos the old fashioned way, but do think this looks really cool. I will eventually do my own cookbook using blurb though, gathering all my favourite, reworked recipes in one place. I’m also thinking of doing the blog- a book per/ year.
You did it!
After your last post I was expecting something like this :-)
Gorgious work, great looking and really appreciating one’s photos.
I have been pondering about making photo-books for years now but always drew back because of the time involved and me having so many interests.
But just last week I was discussing it with one of my online-sewing-friends from my projekt ‘monthly.fabric.pages’. We are four woman working of and on on this project and I thought it would be so nice to put all the results and the work-in-progress shots in one album that would be possible for all of us to get.
I wish on a lottery win so I can quit working for money. Serious.
Greetings to my beloved Stockholm area (I have to tell you: I started to watch silly movies on TV just because they take place in the skargard ;-)
Tally
What a wonderful idea. I have done photo books for gifts but never for myself. Such a great idea
Alison
Absolutely gorgeous and so much fun!
this is very cool!!! i really want to put this on my “to do” list. thanks for commenting on my blog and leading me to your wonderful, informative and beautiful blog!
I love your book!! your photography is just luscious and yummy!!
Are you going to sell this one Hanna?
Oh my goodness, Hanna – that is just beautiful. I will have to think about doing something like that (but for now I am concentrating on working mindfully, on one or two things, not my usual kajillion)
Congratulations Hanna! It looks really wonderful. :-)
how fun and inspiring :) i love the design! (i’m studying to be a graphic designer so good design is really something i look for)
i am planning on self publishing a book through blurb or lulu..not sure which one yet, but it’s possibly going to feature my art journal pages.
Hi Hanna
i saw your comment at Jo’s place and came over to visit you, many many minuted later I am still here and wanted to thank you for your wealth of ideas, the tutorials are great, and all so beautifully presented.
I have much more to read, but wanted to convey y appreciation..
Thank you
Hanna, The photographs look so clean and crisp, a wonderfully fresh design. I’m into grids as well, I love linearity I guess. This is a perfect way to enjoy our endless digital photos rather than attempt to pare down to a few for framing. Thank you for the inspiration!
[…] For June the crusade is an easy one, just create a grid in your Art Journal. You join the crusade by going to the blog post and commenting with a link to your post. Easy! And if you read my blog you know I love love love grids! See previous post with monthly inspirational mosaic and posts on my photo book here, and here! So for this crusade I re-visited a spread created this winter, with one grid page: […]
[…] I did layout for a digital photo album with photos from 2008 […]