{This is a collaborative post}
Anyone who has read this blog for any length of time knows that I adore printed photos, photo books and photo gifts. Of course, the invention of the digital camera and the camera phone has made life immensely easy but if we're not careful, it can also steal a little of the joy. Photos are made to be printed and to be looked at time and time again. Think of those boxes of photos that can be found in your grandparent's loft, all dog-eared and fading but so important nonetheless.
You might enjoy scrolling back through Instagram to see what you did a year ago and I think there is a place for that but there is nothing like looking through paper photos with your family or friends. The feel of them, the smell and the excitement of seeing what is in the next album, packet or box; it is so evocative and I can easily find a tear sliding down my cheek or a belly laugh rising up inside me as I relive what was happening when the image was captured.
Advent and the run-up to Christmas is a favourite time of mine and one of the reasons for that is I get to relive my year as I go through my photos looking for what will become a kitchen calendar for my mum, our family Christmas letter and the thank you cards. It's become a tradition that I'll make all these from our photos. I like to share good quality images though, the kind that pop, so I make sure I head to Fotor to use their background remover tool first to edit them to ensure they capture just what I want them to.
Then you have my dad, who is the kind of man who wants nothing for any occasion, such as Christmas or his birthday. So I tend to either give him a gift that will allow him to make memories, like a voucher for the theatre or afternoon tea, or I'll make something like a photo book or short video reel with themed photos and video clips from a specific time. I suspect there are many people like my dad who you find it difficult to choose a meaningful gift for, so my suggestion to you for this year is to make them a photo book.
I think some people are under the impression that photo books have to be expensive, but that is not the case as there is such variety in sizes, finishes and number of pages. Maybe you just want a small postcard-sized softcover book, well you can pick one of those up with 24 pages for just £6.99 at Bonusprint and that is without any discount. But do check around for discounts as you find that there are often good deals to be had and I noticed you get 7% cashback with Quidco too.
I believe that photo books work as gifts for all occasions and of course, most people create one for their wedding or the birth of a child, but here are five slightly different occasions when I think a photo book is a perfect gift or keepsake. These are all inspired by photo books I've made or ones I've seen on the Bonusprint inspiration gallery - there are some real gems there!
1. For a Special Birthday Trip
When my Mum turned 70, my brother and I took her away to Paris for a long weekend. What a superb time we had and of course I had to make a wonderful like photo book that can be flicked through whenever mum feels a bit down and like she can't travel at the moment.
2. When you Leave School
Or college, university or even a job or city. When my girls left their primary school, they made a fabulous little book with all their year 6 leavers books. They even got people to sign their shirts and we took pictures of those messages and added them to their book too. I love that photo books are easy enough to make that my 11-year-olds could create their own.
3. To Celebrate a new Skill Learnt
Both my husband and I have been honing our photography skills over the last decade. We have invested in good cameras and spent hours outdoors capturing beautiful images, be they of landscapes, animals or our family. It was a real joy to make my husband a photo book last year with so many of his best wildlife shots all grouped together.
4. Capturing a Successful Make Over
House renovations can be a real labour of love and it is wonderful to capture all the changes and the little details in a photo book. Just think how much your grandchildren will enjoy looking back at how your house looked before the extension or when brown and orange were in fashion!
5. To Remember a Lost and Loved Pet
I recall when my parents lost their dog, Toby, over twenty years ago I printed out loads of photos and made a framed collage of him, so they had those beautiful memories on the wall. Nowadays I'd make a photo book instead and then they could choose to bring the book out when they want to see him and pop it away when it felt too painful.
What do you think? Do you fancy making a photo book next time you have a gift to buy for a tricky person?