Life is constantly changing. Kids are growing up, siblings are moving out of state, and families are in a constant state of flux.
It can be very stressful for kids and adults alike. But studies show that looking at photographs of family memories, not only can it strengthens our memory, but it can help us cope with times of stress.
And no, digital photos on your smartphone don’t count. The benefits occur when looking through physical photographs and turning pages of actual albums. Turns out your grandma was right when she was making giant, bulky photo albums.
Today, there are numerous ways to assemble photos in a physical album to preserve them for decades to come. Keep reading below to see some of the most popular methods of making memories last a long, long time.
Traditional Photobook
Yes, traditional photobooks are still in style. These are the kind with slots for your 4×6 photos. The good news is that today, you can find albums like this in modern styles that don’t feel like great-grandma’s house.
Many families will use 1 photobook per child. Others will document their entire year in a single book, making it easy to look back one year at a time.
These definitely get the job done, but they tend to be messy and bulky. They aren’t the most aesthetically pleasing photo albums, so millennials are always searching for better options.
Printed Photobooks
Printed photo books are those that are designed online, printed on demand, and then shipped to you. You don’t need to print and process individual photos anymore, simplifying the process.
This is much easier in the digital age, where all of our photos are already digital. You can simply upload them to the photobook website, arrange them on the pages with a drag-and-drop editor and pre-existing templates, and add text wherever you feel is necessary.
Then, finalize your book, place your order, and wait for it to arrive. These are much more aesthetically pleasing and are photo books you’ll want to leave out in the open for all to see.
They can be a bit expensive, costing around $30 to $40 for smaller photobooks. But since you aren’t also having to process and print photos individually, it likely isn’t costing anymore than a traditional photobook.
Plus, with printed photo books, you can design it once and print multiple copies, making it easy to give these out as gifts to grandparents and other friends or relatives.
You can choose magazine-style books, coffee table books, or even baby board books, making them much more customizable than traditional photobooks. And if you ever lose one, you can likely reorder it from the same website, as they save your files from previous orders.
Scrapbooks
Scrapbooks are also an older style of photobook, but they still maintain their charm in the modern age. That’s because they also include souvenirs, trinkets, and other things to go along with photos.
They help to capture more of a story and can be more engaging to flip through. Of course, they take more time to assemble, and they are bulkier. But if you enjoy being crafty and keeping mementos and keepsakes, then this strategy is a great one as well.
It’s especially great for kids as they age, as they get to look back on so many important things from their childhood.
Tips for Filling Photo Albums
Having the right photo album only helps if you have enough photos to fill them with. For most people, that isn’t a problem, thanks to smartphones with high-quality cameras.
Most people have hundreds, if not thousands of photos on their phones right now. The tricky part is getting them printed so you can store them in your photobooks.
There are numerous websites and smartphone apps that make this simple. You can upload photos directly from your phone, order prints, and get them received directly to your door in a matter of days.
It can be overwhelming to do this if you have thousands of photos to sift through, so it’s best if you remember to do it every year.
It’s also a good idea to hire a photographer every once in a while. When they take your photos and send you an online gallery, you often have the option to print photos directly from the gallery. They’ll get shipped to you without any extra work.
You can order some larger sizes for the walls and some smaller ones for the albums.
Make Your Memories Last Forever
Aging is hard for everyone. But preserving memories and revisiting them often helps. Being able to flip through photo albums can be comforting, relaxing, and stress-relieving. It can help you feel grateful for the experiences that you and your family have had.
And later on, it will allow your kids and grandkids to remember you and keep your legacy strong, even after you’re gone.
So take the time to invest in some photo albums. They really are that important.
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