How I Captured the World I Love in a Personalized Photo Album

A few years ago, my family and I moved from northeastern California to Michigan. I love my new state and all the beautiful landscapes I've seen here — but I miss my old stomping grounds sometimes too. I have plenty of family photo books with pictures taken out West, but the location is just a backdrop in those photos

When I missed the American West, I'd get out my phone and scroll through my photos to look at a few nature shots. I've always enjoyed taking pictures. Landscapes in particular speak to me. They show the breadth and beauty of a place. I find being in nature is like medicine, and a great nature photo is much the same. When it's winter in Michigan, a photo can transport me to the Sierra Nevada in summer.

Looking at photos on my phone worked in a pinch, but I wanted to be able to show my friends photos too. Gathering around a small phone screen to squint at pictures didn't cut it. That's when I realized I needed to make a photo book for all my favorite images of Northern California. I've made photo books in the past and love the format because it makes sharing pictures so easy. I knew I could make a striking booking of Western landscapes through Mixbook.

My World in Photos

I've had the good fortune to travel to some amazing places. When I get home from a special trip, I always put together a photo album. It helps me remember the highlights of the adventure and gives me something concrete to show my friends and family. When I look back at my albums, like the scrapbook I made after I visited Cairo, I'm filled with joy.

But I have the same problem whenever I try to assemble a photo book. I know my theme and my purpose. I know my budget. It's harder to know which photos I should include in each book. I love taking photos and have hundreds of options to sort through. If I don't have a strategy, I get lost browsing through old photos.

For this book, I decided to pick shots taken in three areas of Northern California that are dear to my heart. When I look at these photos, I feel a flood of positive memories. Some of my favorite shots were taken along California's Lost Coast. It's an iconic and stunning place — so amazing that Steven Spielberg chose it as a primary shooting location for Jurassic Park.

View from the southern end of Patrick's Point State Park, Trinidad, California

I also featured landscapes in and near my hometown in Lassen County, California. I took the photo below on a seven-mile bike ride with my dad down the historic Bizz Johnson Trail. My dad, an avid photographer, pointed out the cool natural frame provided by the trees. I sense my father's presence in many of the photos I took in this area because he taught me the basics of shooting nature.

Looking north from the Bizz Johnson Trail towards US-36 outside Susanville, California

As I was browsing Mixbook's everyday photo books, the Single Photo Layout popped out. The design spoke to me. I wanted this photo book to be something I could show visitors with pride. Keeping it simple but striking meant I needed to leverage some basic graphic design knowledge. A few  design tips served me well as I created my book:

• Keep it simple.
• Leave space between photos so that each one stands out.
• Use alignment tools to create order and structure.
• Finesse your design, but don't perfect it.
• Take a break and step away from your screen.

That last tip might be tough if you're anything like me. I don't want to step away from something I'm in the process of creating. Sometimes, though, resting my eyes helps me see design possibilities and flaws that I hadn't before. No matter why you're making a photo book, don't rush.

I created my book one day, then came back to it the next. Even a day away from my project helped me see what I needed to tweak. And tweaks are easy on Mixbook — with the click of a few buttons, I could change up backgrounds and layouts to craft a perfect book.

Fish ponds at Honey Lake Wildlife Area in Lassen County, California

The Big Day: My Photo Book Arrives!

I might be in my forties, but I still get excited about mail. My kids are no different. When my Somewhere in the West photo book arrived, my eight-year-old rushed down the stairs yelling, "There's a package outside!" To be honest, I wanted to scream too because I was so excited to see my new, personalized photo book.

My 8-year-old looks at a photo of birds in flight after my photo book arrives

My son insisted he would be the first to look through "our" new photo book. I could tell that he remembered many of the places captured in it. He pointed to this photo of birds flying over a reservoir where we'd kayaked. "I remember these birds! I drove my kayak by myself on this trip!" It was the best reaction that I could ask for.

Yes, I started out making this photo book for myself. I might have even been a bit selfish about it — we all need time to sit down and reflect on meaningful experiences, and I knew this book would help me do that. I even included a closing quote to encourage reflection and wonder.

The final page in my book includes a quote from American author Edward Abbey: "May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountain rise into and above the clouds."

I love how the geometric backgrounds I added with the Mixbook editor came out in my book. They gave pages structure and added a contrasting element that draws the eye. Mixbook's convenient background options and easy-to-adjust layouts allowed me to create a clean, modern design that I know my no-frills Dad would love.

Extraordinary personalized photo books stand out from boring old albums because of one thing: Exceptional design. I love that Mixbook empowers me to become a photo album designer. I created a completely unique book that my family will enjoy flipping through — and it looks darn good on the table in my breakfast nook too.

Embracing everyday life and everyday scenery brings me joy. I bet you can think of photographs of places or people you love that haven't made it into a photo book yet. Now's the time to fix that and put them all in a striking photo book from Mixbook.