Photo book tips from the guru (2024)

FAQs

How many pictures should be in a picture book? ›

Of course, the answer depends on the kind of book being produced and its purpose. There's no set number; extreme lengths for books vary between as few as 12 to more than 300 images. There are number of things to keep in mind when making a photo book. Most photo books contain between 50 and 100 images.

Square Format

This versatile format can accommodate both landscape and portrait orientations, making it a flexible choice for all different types of photos. Square photo books are great for creative layouts, showcasing a mix of photo orientations and achieving a balanced and cohesive design.

For example, organize your photos into months, seasons, photos of your children, family events, trips, and hobbies. Choose categories that are important to you and your loved ones. When you've created these smaller groups of photos, it's much easier to find what you're looking for when you're creating your photo book.

Simple yet meaningful stories

Children's picture books should have simple, easy-to-understand stories that resonate with young readers. Your storytelling should be age appropriate and cater to the developmental stage of your target audience. The plot should be straightforward, with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

These are books in which the sophistication (in style or content) of the pictures, text, theme, humour and/or their interplay appeals to readers older than the traditional picture book audience. In some instances the resource may exclusively suit older readers, while in others it may also appeal to younger children.

Standard Portrait Sizes

Portrait orientations tend to have a professional look and feel which makes them ideal for graduation photo albums, yearbooks or when you have a lot of photos in unique or up close angles. Popular sizes include 11×8, 16×12 and 14×11.

How long is a picture book? Story-based or fiction picture books are usually 32 pages long and vary between 500 to 1000 words.

Assuming you're designing your book for yourselves, you're safe with about 30 to 40 pages. It's not too much to get through the book in one sitting and it's not too little to miss certain moments or memories. When you're looking at other special events, you're safe with around 20-30 pages.

Key points in the book can include occasions like holidays, trips, birthdays, and events. Then, fill in the rest with candids and everyday moments that paint a real picture of what was experienced throughout the weeks.

What makes a picture book engaging? ›

illustrations that are engaging, varied, and colourful, while adding to the storyline. strong characters that are identifiable and evoke emotion. humour. a story that teaches a concept or value.

So, a good way to make sure your photos look professional is to do some degree of editing on them. It doesn't need to be fancy, just a check of the white balance and exposure, noise reduction and sharpening, and adding a little contrast and saturation can do wonders for an image, particularly if you shoot in RAW.