The Revival of Photo Books
Memories Occupying Physical Space
Written by: Alyna Hildenbrand, Staff Writer
Visuals by: Sabrina Woo
Stacks of aged leather books filled the shelves of my childhood basement. One atop the next, they contained photos of every big event, friend from college or trip taken. Some are labeled neatly, and others are an assortment of many years, people and places.
On my last trip home, I found myself in the basement, curiously flipping through the memories of my mom. I called her over to the room they were in, interested in learning more. I scanned the pages, seeing faces I’d never seen before, hearing stories I’d never known. My mom brought the photos to life, pointing and remembering each moment staring back at us. As I held the books full of captured moments, I wondered why I wasn’t creating these same records.
Today, much of people's everyday lives has become digitized. With digital photo albums like Google Photos and social media platforms, people are still keeping track of and organizing moments, just in different ways. This social media takeover has allowed memories to be shared with more people than could even be imagined. Constant updates about everyone's lives get jumbled and missed. Having such easy access to so much of everyone's lives can make you feel like you are keeping up with your friends and family, even during times when you aren’t. This can lead to letting memories slip away and relationships fade.
We take millions of photos, sometimes never to look at them again. These images can get lost in the sea of digital content of our own lives, and the memories we made can end up missing. Disconnecting from technology is something most people agree is beneficial, so why are we keeping all of our most valuable memories locked up within that very vault? Having photos physically on hand opens the door to revisiting our lives, and creating photo books helps us to organize these memories, making it even easier to take these trips back in time.
When I think of sitting down to share a trip, a special day or moment with my family and friends, my mind first jumps to connecting my phone to the TV and scrolling through my photos there. While it gives the ease of showing a high volume of photos quickly, there is something so distant and impersonal about this. Taking the time to sort and organize your photos, print them out and share them with the people you love is an intentional act. It’s important to dedicate time to good memories, letting them occupy a physical space and giving yourself the ability to stay grounded with life's experiences.
Creating a photo book can also be a social activity. Getting together with a group of people you went on a trip with, roommates or close friends to create photo books together is a great way to cherish old memories while creating new ones. It's important to carve out time for the people you care about. Planning activities like this can help make the time you spend together more grounding.
Since my last visit home, I’ve started going back into my camera roll and printing out as many memories as I can to create my own series of photo books. Seeing the trove of memories hold a physical space in my family's life inspired me to restart the tradition.
Being able to create a physical record in photos is a great way to slow down and reconnect with yourself and the people around you. It allows time and space for your own journeys, accomplishments, relationships and even creates space for the most simple moments that may otherwise have been forgotten. Creating a tactile record of your life is a practice you and the people you love can follow for years to come.