5 tips to creating your own 2019 photo journal

There’s a saying which is - you only photograph the things you love - so why is it that once we take photos of our new babies and our family we don’t do anything with the images except perhaps a post them on social media every now and then? Often, we can have so many images that we just don’t know what to do with them. So, with that in mind, how about making a conscious effort to sort out this year’s photos and make your very own 2019 photo journal?

Sound like a good idea? Here are my top 5 tips to get you started!

1. Set up an account to make your photo book.

There are plenty of sites out there that sell photo books e.g. BonusPrint, PhotoBox, Bob Books etc., and all of them at some point in the year will have a special offer on printing (some up to 60%). Choose one of them and simply click onto the ‘create your photo book’ button.

2. Cull your photos and only keep the best ones.

At the end of each month (or week even) go through your favourite photos from your phone and ditch the blurry ones! Next you just need to upload them to the photo book website and create a handful of pages for that month with their easy to use page layouts.

3. Take additional photos of signs to enhance the story.

To make the pages more interesting, take photos of signs to show where you were e.g. the hospital where your baby was born.

If it’s a child’s birthday then make sure you take a photo of a card, cake, balloon or badge with their age on it.

If it was a very cold day then take a screen grab from your weather ap, and add it to the photo.

4. Add quotes or record milestones.

If you’re really on the ball then you can also add those cute phrases that kids come out with. You know, their first words or sentences - the things that you are very likely to forget. I remember my friend telling me once that after a long walk with her toddler, her little girl announced, “my feet had a headache!” Priceless quotes like that really need to be recorded and where better to put them, than with a photo of what she looked like at the time?!

Other things you could add would be, this month we quit the bottle, we moved to the big bed, we cut our first tooth, or no more nappies (yay to that)!

5. A calendar is a less taxing option!

If a photo book seems like too much work, then you could always consider a calendar. Just upload your favourite image taken that month onto a calendar page and print it at the end of the year! Also makes a great present for grandparents!

I have photo journals and calendars of my own children and they absolutely love them. I know that in 20+ year’s time they will be proudly showing their children exactly how things were done, back in the day, when they were the same age!

Perhaps your New Year’s Resolution for 2019 is to arrange a photoshoot of your family or newborn? My advice would be don’t delay! Get in touch and put that date in the diary once and for all, I promise that you won’t be disappointed!

Best wishes,

Celine x