| Get Your Photographs: | | | | have to do with autumn, have some friends or family |
| When your goal is to put a photo book together, | | | | members contribute some thoughts about the |
| your fist goal should be, of course, to gather a lot of | | | | photos they are in, or simply stick to captions and |
| photographs together. Try to get in the habit of | | | | short explanations. |
| taking your camera with you wherever you go, | | | | Arranging and Design: |
| because you never know when a quintessential fall | | | | If you do not have Photoshop, take a look around |
| moment will appear. Those ragamuffins selling | | | | for a similar program so you can do at least some |
| pumpkins in from of the store, squinting in the crisp | | | | basic photo editing. You can do a lot of great things |
| autumn sun? The tree at the park whose leaves | | | | with photos with such simple tricks as cropping and |
| have suddenly exploded into bright orange? Those | | | | adjusting the brightness and contrast. Of course, the |
| crazy Halloween costumes that you want to | | | | better you are at these type of programs the more |
| remember forever? These are the moments that | | | | you can do. It might be worth your while to look |
| you want to be prepared for. You will find that the | | | | around online for a tutorial if you have the time and |
| more you have your camera on you and at the | | | | inclination. |
| ready, the more you begin to have the mindset of a | | | | As far as layout, there are free templates available |
| photographer. In other words, the more you look, | | | | online if you don't have access to programs like |
| the more you'll see. | | | | PageMaker or Indesign. Whichever route you choose |
| When you are taking your photos, don't simply take | | | | to go, give some consideration to the flow of your |
| one and move on. The advent of digital photography | | | | book. Do you want it to be chronological or more |
| has enabled all of us to snap away without fear that | | | | thematic? Let your creativity be your guide, and be |
| we are wasting any film. The more shots you take | | | | sure to use some blocks of text to keep things |
| the better chance you have of getting a great one | | | | flowing along and to provide context if necessary. |
| where the subject, the lighting, and the composition | | | | Printing and Binding: |
| all come together. | | | | Use the best color printing method that you can get |
| Get Some Words Too: | | | | your hands on. When it comes to binding, you will |
| Just as you take your camera with you everywhere, | | | | either want to see what your local print shop has to |
| you should also get in the habit of keeping a small | | | | offer as far as hardcover options, send it all away |
| notebook in your pocket. Photo books work great | | | | somewhere, or pick up your own binding machine. |
| with bits of text interspersed, whether they come in | | | | These machines can be had for remarkably little |
| the form of captions or in small essays or quotes. If | | | | money, are dead simple to use, and offer the speed |
| you are a writer at all you will relish this part of the | | | | and flexibility to make whatever books you want to |
| project. If not, you can look around for quotes that | | | | make whenever you want to make them. |