✦ Guide
Photobook ideas: 15 books worth printing from your phone
Your phone already holds the photos for a dozen books. Here are fifteen ideas, from the obvious to the ones people wish they had thought of sooner, with a note on what makes each one work.
In short
Good photobook ideas start from a clear subject: a wedding or katb ketab, a summer or a trip, a baby’s first year, a gift for a parent or grandparents, graduation, a group of friends, a year in twelve months, Ramadan and Eid with the family, a pet, a home, or a night at a photo booth. Choose one subject, gather the original files and keep the best. Tru Photo Books prints any of them from your own photos as an A5 hardcover, printed and bound in Cairo and delivered across Egypt.
15 photobook ideas
- 1. The wedding
- The classic: the day in order, from getting ready to the last dance. Mix the photographer’s files with the guests’ candid shots.
- 2. The katb ketab and the engagement
- The smaller days before the wedding, often the most emotional, in their own book.
- 3. The first year of marriage
- The new home, the first trips, the first Ramadan together: a first-anniversary gift.
- 4. A Sahel summer
- The whole family’s summer on the North Coast, weekend by weekend.
- 5. One trip
- A honeymoon, a family holiday or a trip with friends, day by day.
- 6. The baby’s first year
- Month by month, from the first week to the first birthday, with the sebou in the middle.
- 7. For Mum or Dad
- The family through the years, from old prints and everyone’s phones, for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or a birthday.
- 8. For the grandparents
- The grandchildren growing up, the book they will show to every visitor.
- 9. Graduation
- University or school years and the graduation day, for yourself or as a gift.
- 10. The friends
- The group over the years, or a farewell book before someone moves abroad.
- 11. A year in twelve months
- The best photos of each month: an easy habit and a book to make every January.
- 12. Ramadan and Eid
- The iftars, the family gatherings and the Eid mornings, one Ramadan at a time.
- 13. The pet
- From the first day home to now. Easier to fill than you think.
- 14. The home
- Moving in, building it, the first guests: the story of a place.
- 15. A night at a photo booth
- The strips and the photos from a party with a booth, guests and all.
What makes a photobook idea work
- One clear subject: one person, one event, one season or one year.
- A natural order: by time, by place or by person.
- Enough good photos: about 40 to 60 for 26 pages, 80 to 120 for 50, as a rule of thumb.
- A few photos strong enough for a full page.
- Original files, not WhatsApp-forwarded copies.
Photobook ideas: questions
What is a good first photobook to make?
One recent event or trip: the photos are fresh, the order is obvious and 26 pages is usually enough.
What is a good photobook gift idea?
The family through the years for a parent, the grandchildren for grandparents, or the first year of marriage for a couple.
Can I make a photobook of a baby’s first year?
Yes: month by month from your own photos is one of the easiest books to organise.
How many photos do I need?
As a rule of thumb, about 40 to 60 photos for 26 pages and 80 to 120 for 50 pages.
Tell us about the night.
Send your date and venue. We reply on WhatsApp with availability, booth options and a quote.