How to create a photo book

Making your first photo book or photo zine is an important step in the creative process of a photographer. It is a way to immortalize one's work and to present it artistically to the public. Recently, I designed my first photo zine entitled "30 days in Mexico". Here's what I learned in creating it, and how you can make one, too!

The first step is to find your subject. The good thing about a photo zine, as opposed to a photo book, is that it is usually smaller and contains fewer pages. Often, a photo zine is a short-term project, while a photo book is a long-term project.

The choice of the subject is specific to each one. For example, my photo zine "30 days in Mexico" contains film photographs that I took during my recent trip to Mexico. I quickly fell in love with these images and had a strong desire to do something bigger than just publishing them on the web.

After selecting and retouching the photographs, it is time to proceed with the layout. Again, this is the time to let your creativity run free. The goal is to avoid being repetitive. It is also important to let the images breathe.

To do so, I printed them all in 5x7. Then I pasted each one on my wall, placing them in pairs, in order to find a logical sequence. Colours, locations and emotions are all criteria to keep in mind when establishing the sequence of images for your photo book.

When your sequence is determined, you can test it by ordering a copy of the photo book on the Gosselin Photo Video's website. On their online platform, you will also be able to choose a canvas for each page. You could alternatively do this step at one of the workstations at your disposal in each of their stores, to benefit from the assistance of their advisors.

For the design of the book, you can do it yourself using an online platform like Gosselin Photo Video's, do it in a software like Adobe InDesign, or have it done by a graphic designer. I worked with a designer who helped me find a colour scheme and style for my cover.

Since I had already decided on the order of the images, done the layout, and made a first impression thanks to the Gosselin Photo Video platform, I was able to save money on the services of the graphic designer. I advise you to do as much as possible by yourself to minimize costs.

When the design of the book is complete and you have a final version, it is time to move on to printing. You have many choices in terms of materials, qualities, papers, etc. I recommend that you do business with a local printer such as Gosselin Photo Video, because it will be possible for you to visit them and benefit from a personalized service. It's important to see and touch the product to make sure that the result will suit you – so it's an advantage to work closely with a printing advisor and adjust certain elements, if necessary, before the final printing.

Making a photo zine is a creative process where you decide on many elements - which can be scary. My advice is to find photo books you like and base your own on them. Look at the size, layout, design, paper type, etc. The more you look at, the more you'll know what you want!

Enjoy creating your photo book!