Travel is often more fun in groups, and creating an album for all of your travel companions is a fun project. Here are some suggestions for how to make a great one.

Preparation:

If you know the people you are going to be traveling with, (friends or family) you can let them know ahead of time what your plans are as far as your group travel book. Ask them to make sure to take lots of photos, and to write down their thoughts along the way, and even to hold on to little things like ticket stubs, brochures and menus. At the end of the trip you can gather all the photographs that your travel mates want to contribute (though you may not end up using all of them) as well as scans of the other items. Letting every one in on the project will make the photo book more fun for all, and will help to get everyone in the mindset of coming up with ideas for creating a great group travel book.

If you think that too many cooks will spoil the broth, you can always get ahold of your travel mates after the trip to ask them for contributions.

Gathering Your Material:

Seeing as how you are creating a photo book, you will want to take as many photos as possible. Make sure that you have a hefty memory card in your camera and perhaps an extra or two. You don't want to be in the position of metering out your photographs, as you need the freedom to snap away in order to get the best possible array of photos to choose from.

Make sure to get a good mix of people and places, and objects big and small. If you have any tour guides that are especially funny or engaging, you will want to grab a snap of them as well, for instance. And while it may seem a little cliche to to a posed group shot in front of the Leaning Tower of Pizza, you will probably be glad that you did. Just make sure to get plenty of candid shots of your travel companions too, as well as some of the little things that you all will remember.

Another thing you will want to make sure of is that you take a small notebook with you and keep in on you at all times. This will help with remembering details about the places you go, and give you an opportunity to jot down some personal notes, or amusing occurrences that you can expand into stories when you start putting your book together.

Putting it Together:

There are several free online templates you can use to arrange your photo book, or if you have the ability to use programs such as Photoshop and Indesign, or something similar, all the better.

Use the best digital color printing that you can get your hands on, and when it comes time to bind your book or books together, ask your print shop about thermal (aka hardcover) printing, or simply purchase one of these inexpensive, easy to use machines yourself. If you go the latter route, you will have the option of creating as many books as you need at a moments notice, and will have the flexibility to edit the books as you see fit, not to mention the power to create any book you choose in the future.

Article Tags: Group Travel, Photo Book, Make Sure