Written partly with AI assistance, partly by Paul Mosley, Founder of Inkifi
Overview
- Millions of photos are taken on summer holidays each year — but most are left forgotten on phones.
- A travel photo book turns scattered snapshots into one story your family can revisit for years.
- The process is easier than most think: curate, edit, and upload — technology handles the rest.
- The favourites folder on your phone is a friend, use it for photo curation.
The Scene: Mallorca Airport
I’m writing this from Palma de Mallorca airport. Around me, hundreds of tanned families are queuing, juggling beach bags and boarding passes, heading back to the UK before school starts. Each of them has hundereds of photos saved on their phones from their trips — photos that, without some action now, will likely never be seen again.
That’s why I make it a ritual to start my travel photo book while still in the airport or on the plane home. It’s the perfect time: the holiday mood is still alive, the flight hours stretch ahead, and the photos are fresh in mind.
Stats: We’re Drowning in Photos
- 5.3 billion photos are taken worldwide every day.
- Instagram users share roughly 95 million photos and videos each day.
Why it matters: most of those holiday shots get buried in camera rolls. Printing your highlights preserves the memories.
Why Make a Travel Photo Book?
- Tangible memories: a book you can pull off the shelf and relive anytime.
- A story, not a scatter: photos grouped by days, locations, or experiences.
- Family keepsake: kids love flipping through pages, pointing to “their” moments.
- Outlasts technology: unlike a phone upgrade or deleted folder, print endures.
- Creative satisfaction: a project that turns a digital dump into a curated story.
My 15-Minute Method for Curating Holiday Photos
- Go through your photos at the airport or on the plane home.
It’s built-in downtime and you’re still in the holiday mood. - Use the heart icon in the Apple Photos app.
Tap the heart on your favourites — this automatically collects them into the Favourites folder. - Edit quickly.
A fast crop, brighten, or straighten makes a big difference. - Let technology handle the layout.
Upload your favourites into the Inkifi Smart Book. Our system automatically groups photos, builds layouts, and creates a book that looks professionally designed.
All you need to do is upload via the QR code on our site — the book designs itself.
Creative Travel Photo Book Ideas
If you want your travel book to feel even more special, try one of these ideas:
- Day-by-Day Journal: Arrange your photos in chronological order, adding captions with highlights from each day.
- By Location: Separate sections for beaches, cities, hikes, and cultural experiences.
- Kids’ Perspective: Let children pick their favourite shots and even add their own captions or drawings scanned into the book.
- Map & Journey Pages: Add a map at the front with pins showing each destination.
- Mix Social Media: Include a few Instagram posts or Stories screenshots alongside your camera photos.
- Themed Collections: “Best Sunsets,” “Funny Faces,” or “Meals We Loved” can make quirky mini-chapters.
- Add Words Where It Matters: For extra context, the Travel Photo Book lets you add captions and text, such as place names, dates, and one-line stories.
What Size Should You Choose?
Two balanced, coffee-table-friendly choices are 8.5 × 8.5 inches and 10 × 10 inches. Square formats handle a mix of landscape and portrait shots gracefully and deliver strong visual impact without being unwieldy.
A Smarter Way to Make Photo Books
The reason this works so well is that the hardest part — designing — is taken care of. People put off photo books because they imagine hours dragging photos around. With Smart Book, you just upload your curated selection, and within minutes you have a draft book ready to order. It’s the fastest way to transform your camera roll into something lasting.
Travel Photo Book FAQs
- How do I make a travel photo book quickly?
- Focus on curating your top 40–80 images using the “favourites” feature in your photo app, then upload them to a service like Inkifi Smart Book that automatically creates layouts.
- How many photos should I include in a holiday photo book?
- A good range is 40–80 photos — enough to tell the story without overwhelming the book.
- What size is best for a travel photo book?
- Two balanced choices are 8.5 × 8.5 inches and 10 × 10 inches. Both square formats work well for mixed orientations and look great on a coffee table.
- Can I make a travel photo book directly from my phone?
- Yes. With Inkifi Smart Book you can upload directly from your phone using a QR code — no desktop needed.
- Can I add text or captions to my travel photo book?
- Yes. The Travel Photo Book allows captions and text alongside your images, so you can include place names, dates, and one-line stories for context.
Final Thoughts
The truth is, most holiday photos will never be looked at again once the school term begins and life gets busy. But turning them into a travel photo book means your adventures aren’t just another folder lost in the cloud.
So while you’re waiting for your gate to be called, or while the kids settle into their plane seats, try my method:
- Tap the heart on your favourites,
- Do a quick edit,
- Upload to Inkifi,
- And land home with your photo book already taking shape.
Your summer deserves more than a camera roll. It deserves to live in print.