How to efficiently create photo albums of your family vacation

Photographs are some of the most valuable and cherished things we can possess. They serve as powerful memories that can take us back in time and relive moments, evoking a rollercoaster of emotions. Those moments we all want to remember often happen during a family vacation. Namely, we experience many things during traveling because we are relaxed and in adventurous mode.

Therefore, finding a good way to keep our photographs is essential. Although the digital age has made this incredibly convenient, as our photos are practically accessible at any given moment, certain memories are too significant to only remain as a file on your phone or computer. That said, creating a photo album is one of the most proper ways to preserve our cherished mementos. While many believe that photo books are outdated, they are still the best physical evidence of our experiences. So, we would say for sure that they are priceless rather than obsolete.

If you are unsure whether you should create a photo album, let us sway your mind. FamXplor strives to give the best to families, so we have some tips about photo books along with their benefits.

Benefits of creating a photo album of a family vacation

If you think creating a book of your family travel photos is time-consuming or unnecessary, consider its benefits. While it is true that it takes time to select photographs, especially if you have many of them, the outcome is marvelous. Therefore, before abandoning the idea altogether, see what you can get from creating a family travel album.

Your best memories will be in one place

If you take a lot of photographs during your trip, you will end up with a lot of digital data. As a result, you will be bound to transfer your files somewhere in order to keep them safe. Often, people opt to store their photos on a USB stick or a personal computer. While this is not a bad idea, a certain problem may appear – losing your photos forever. USB sticks are easily lost, while computers can break down without saving any of your data.

However, if you decide to organize family vacation snapshots in a photo album, you will have all your memories in one place. Plus, they will be accessible to you at all times.

You can create a unique story for your holiday

Each family vacation is a story in itself. As you travel, you and your children experience different things and see all kinds of places. That said, you create a story of the stuff you have witnessed. When holding a book with pictures, you can return to all those moments you have felt. Swiping photos on your phone differs from turning pages on a photo album. The effect of a book of photographs is distinguished and extraordinary.

It is a great gift you can give your children

If you travel with young kids, there is a high chance that they will not remember a lot from the trip. Therefore, giving them a photo album of their childhood vacation will help them reminisce. According to Katie, the creator of About and Other Memories, “We can almost instantly transport ourselves back there, and children have better imaginations than us, so it can have a greater impact. Wouldn’t it be nicer to have a physical album of treasured memories to bring out and leaf through, rather than having to scroll through photos on your phone or Facebook?”.

Family travel memories are also the best way to give children a way to learn about their experiences. Photographs of themselves in different destinations give them a unique perspective. With that in mind, do not miss out on a chance to give them a priceless gift with which they can learn about themselves!

Photos on paper can last for several generations

As we previously mentioned, the digital format of files can easily get lost. However, photographs that you print on paper can last for decades. Your children can use their family travel memories to show to their own kids. The photo album of your family vacation can show the following generations what life used to be. So, as Katie denotes, a photo album “Helps bring generations closer”.

So, if you create a family vacation photo book, you are linking several age groups. It is an authentic method to share your and your children’s legacy.

Tips for creating a photo album of your vacation

Take notes

Many people believe that after the holiday finishes, they will not remember much of the trip. Therefore, creating a family travel album once the vacation is over will not have great results. However, you should take into account that once you see your snapshots, the feelings will come back to you. Namely, each photo will take you back to the place where it is taken, even after a month or much longer.

Nonetheless, after many years, you might still remember the experience but forget the name of the place you visited. So, little pieces of information in your photo book would be really convenient. According to Our Whole Village, if you want to add precise information to each photograph, you can take notes. You can simply write down the name of the spot or monument, the date, or even the activity you are doing. You will be surprised how practical those little notes can be!

Make a story out of it

Your family vacation photo book should not consist of a bunch of snapshots put without any order or meaning. As Our Whole Village indicates, “Just like a book – with a beginning, middle, and end – your travel photo album needs to tell a story”. So, creating it needs a little bit of creative magic. You need to decide on what you want your photo book to say. For instance, consider whether it tells a story of an adventure in another country, bonding between family members, experiencing new things with your children, etc. You can go a million ways with your album, but you need to decide beforehand.

If this sounds complicated, you can start by doing a sketch. Look at your photos, think of what they are showing, and ideas will start flowing. Brainstorming is a must among family holiday photo book tips.

Sort out your photographs

With advanced technology, we have the opportunity to take numberless photos. If you are the type of person that has about 30 snaps in the same pose and place, believe us, you are not the only one! But that also means choosing the ones that should go in your album can be overwhelming.

However, Rachel Arbuckle and her team of photo organizers have found a convenient solution for this. According to them, to preserve your memories the right way, you should go for “sorting and discarding the lower-quality photos (blurry or dark) and keeping the collection down to a more manageable state”. This is a good way to get rid of photos that will not serve in any way.

Moreover, if you believe some photographs are unnecessary for your family vacation photo book, you do not need to print them out. We recommend that you pick from the most important activities and moments you want everyone to remember. And remember to arrange them by date!

Include each member of the family

Creating a family travel album means including each member of the family. We all have someone in our related group who does not want to pose in front of the camera. However, it is important to have pictures of that person as well, even if there are only a few. Make sure you have photos of everyone! So what if a few of them seem goofy? It is your family, your story, your memories!

Point out the importance of traveling

When you create a family vacation photo book, ensure to enhance the meaning of traveling. The point of your album is to show what traveling can make for your family - whether it is a new experience, new feeling, discovery of a new place, or simply bonding. Your children need to learn the importance of visiting other countries and cultures, but also the necessity of spending time together. Try to make your family vacation book a story of knowledge and meaning!

Creating a travel album years after your trips

Not everyone has the time to create a photo album immediately after the trip. In fact, years may pass after you decide it is time to make a book out of your vacation memories. We can give you a few family holiday photo book tips if this is your case as well:

• Consider chronological order: If your family book will encompass many years of traveling, sort out your photographs chronologically. First, organize your snapshots by year and then by month.
• Choose photos of each place you visited from each holiday: To remember a vacation the right way, you will need to include a photo of each spot you have visited.
• Don’t spend too much time filtering pictures: If many holidays are in question, you will probably have a vast number of photos. So, to save some time, do not go through each picture separately. A lot of filtering can be time-consuming, so pick several from a bunch of them.

Creating a photo album from your family vacation can serve many purposes. Having a memory book will be beneficial not only for you but also for your kids and the next generations. Plus, it can be fun to get creative with sorting out photographs and putting them in a book as you find convenient!

For more travel tips, read our other blogs.