| photo books make for a fun and interesting project | | | | wrong with the film and the whole roll is shot. |
| that everyone can contribute to. Here are some ideas | | | | Other than the ability to easily edit, arrange, and print |
| to help get you started. | | | | your own photos, this new age of photography comes |
| Planning Ahead: | | | | with one aspect of freedom that statistically increases |
| Whether your photo book project is based on a | | | | the quality of the photos that the average person is |
| sports team, a vacation or a special event, you should | | | | able to create: you can take hundreds of photos, and |
| do what you can to get everyone involved as early in | | | | choose the best one. So snap away, and encourage |
| the process as possible. Send out a group email at the | | | | all of your contributors to do the same. |
| start of the season, or before the trip, letting them | | | | When you hand out your notebooks, you will find that |
| know what the project is going to be about and how | | | | you will get varying degrees of participation. Don't |
| they can help. Make sure that everyone feels as if | | | | worry about it, some people are natural writers and |
| they are included by sending or handing out small | | | | some aren't. Just be grateful for the words that you |
| notebooks that your group can carry around to write | | | | get and encourage everyone to contribute at least a |
| down the amusing or important things that happen | | | | little bit, if even in the form of a short bio. |
| over the course of the event. If not everyone has a | | | | Arranging and Designing: |
| digital camera, you can either loan one of your old | | | | There are more than a few online services that enable |
| ones out, or let them use an old film camera and when | | | | you to allow your whole group to upload photos and |
| they get the film developed, tell them to have the | | | | words at will, but you might want to have a little more |
| processor create a CD with the photos on it. | | | | control over your project than this type of open |
| Unfortunately, this will give you photos with lower | | | | system provides. If that is the case, simply ask for the |
| resolution, but at least everyone who wants to will | | | | contributions via email, or give your group a link to your |
| have contributed. | | | | FTP site where they can upload the photos and you |
| The great thing about photo books is that they can | | | | can start to do any necessary editing and arranging. |
| use both words and pictures to keep the memories | | | | Binding: |
| alive and to provide context for everyone who looks | | | | Again, there are online services that will take care of |
| at the book forever. | | | | this for you. But if you are making a lot of books, you |
| Photos and Words: | | | | might be better off simply purchasing a thermal binding |
| Digital photography has changed everything. No longer | | | | machine and doing the work yourself. These machines |
| do you have to worry about wasting film, or waiting | | | | are what the big boys use, and are very easy to use |
| for it to be developed just to see if you have anything | | | | and inexpensive as well. |
| worth saving, only to find out that there was something | | | | |