Photo books are great alternatives to traditional albums.

If you’ve been itching to finally print the photos from your last family outing or professional photo session, here are a few tips that to help you as you work with your photographer to put your first book together.

-        Less is more. Crowding every page with multiple photos doesn’t make for a good photo book. Some pages can contain a collage of photos but other pages should contain fewer photos to create a good balance. While it might be tempting to include as many photos as you can, stick to your favorite images s to make your album special and personal.

-        Highlight striking photos. Give those extra-special photos their own spread. Every good photo book or custom album needs a focal point, so select these images carefully.

-        Create movement. To give your pages movement, add a variety of layouts in unpredictable patterns.

-        Tell a story. Before you start selecting photos for your book or album, think about the story that you want to tell. Showcase how much your children have grown, tell the story of your wedding day or allow people to take a journey with you through your last vacation.

-        Edit and edit again. You may need to go through the photo selection process more than once. Start by choosing the size of your book so that you know how many photos you need to select. From there, you can start narrowing down your options until you have enough photos. 

If you really don’t feel like you can choose between all of your amazing photos, your professional photographer can help you with the process.