I think it is safe to say that the big boom of digital photography has really wreaked havoc on photo album collections around the world. I, for one, am no exception… During my school days, I was the one who brought my point and shoot film camera to school every day. My collection of albums from days past are still piled high at my parents house, but it is not hard to estimate when I received my first digital camera. It was sandwiched somewhere between my trip to France and my first year of University. Since then, I am ashamed to say, I have not hopped on the digital album train. Instead, my pictures sit idol on my computer, which now reminds me daily that I am running out of space.
My real photography story started about 3 years ago. It was around that time when I also found a love for baking, something that wasn’t very present in my life up until then. I eventually discovered my minimalist-white-style and my Instagram gallery began to flourish. I have thousands of food photos stockpiled on my computer, each telling a story of the baking process with my children. As I flip through my folders, I can recall so many memories of these days, of teaching my children how to measure, mix, and portion. Really though, what good are digital photos when I am the only one who really has access to look through projects past? There is something special about being able to hold a hardcover book, flipping your fingers through the thick pages, pointing out all the little features that make each photo real. In my head, digital albums took forever to plan and design, which was time I didn’t have to budget even though I yearned to hold a physical copy of my hard work.
Enter, Blurb Books.
I was approached by Blurb Books to make an portfolio of my food photography. It was the question I had been waiting for, an excuse to make time to create a portfolio of my work. After very little thought, I set to work, choosing my most favourite photos from the past 3 years. I downloaded Blurb’s bookmaking tool “BookWright” and literally, within 30 minutes, I had designed and ordered a simple 55 page portfolio. As my daughter would say “Bing, Bang, Boom”, you’re all done!
Blurb Books and their bookmaking tool BookWright take hassle out of designing your album. Nestled in the tool are over a hundred premade templates that allow you to drag and drop your photos or type your text. You can search the templates by the number of photos or text you wish to feature on each page, or you also have to option to start with a clean slate and design your own layout. In addition to BookWright, design experts can also use Blurb’s Adobe In Design plug-in or Lightroom integration for even more creative control over your final book design.
Blurb Books steps it up another notch by offering a swatch kit of their paper options to look through before ordering your book for a small fee of $7.95. When you receive your swatch kit in the mail, you are given a promo code to use toward your book which applies that small fee of $7.95 right back on your book order… So really, that swatch kit is free and so worth it! They have so many drool-worthy paper options. In my opinion, the thicker, the better!
When my favourite UPS man drove in my long driveway, it felt like Christmas morning! He couldn’t get to my door fast enough. I was excited, but oddly nervous, to see the quality of my printed photos. Because I opted for Large Landscape book (13″ x 11″), I was praying my images wouldn’t turn out blurry. I carefully opened the box, and unwrapped my hardcover book. When I saw the high quality print of one of my favourite images (my Mint Julep pie) on the front cover, I knew it was going to be a spectacular book. I slowly flipped through the thick pages, running my hands over the images, and smiling every time I saw a chubby little hand reaching for a taste. I forgot the nostalgic feeling of looking through a photo album. It truly is magical.
I think I can easily say that I am converted. Blurb Books makes creating an album so simple and effortless. I think that hardest part is picking your photos. The high quality of their final product has made me feel more professional as I show off my food photography portfolio!
Lets hear it for Blurb Books!
This post was created in partnership with Blurb Books! You can make your own photography book or magazine by clicking the link here. My book features a hardcover image wrap with thick proline uncoated paper & light grey proline end sheets. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep me doing what I love!!
