A traditional book club—regular group gatherings to discuss an agreed-upon book title—is a wonderful way to connect with friends old and new. The book discussion often becomes secondary to the pleasures of socializing, laughing, and sharing refreshments. Take this as your cue to play around with the basic concept of a book club and customize it around a new niche. May we suggest a monthly photo book club?
With more than six million Mixbookers out there, we know there’s a lot of love for making photo books. So, why not share that love with members of a new club? Monthly meetings will become a meaningful way to share your stories through your custom photo books. You can challenge each other to try new photography techniques or book design ideas, brainstorm creative book concepts, and enjoy a regularly scheduled social activity.
Tip: Sign up for Mixbook’s email list and check out the latest deals to share with other photo book club members.
Photo book club concept
A photo book club follows the same time-tested format as a traditional book club. Only, instead of everyone reading the same book before gathering to chat about it, you create your own photo books around an agreed-upon idea, then gather to share your creations. Just like a regular book club, the schedule and details are totally flexible and should be customized to suit your group.
As a group, you’ll brainstorm ideas for photo books for upcoming months. You could let each member take a turn choosing the theme, or all submit keywords to pull out of a hat. Photo book ideas might align with holidays or seasons. It’s helpful to create a spreadsheet, calendar, or group chat to manage the schedule.
Consider these variations of a photo book club setup:
- Create individual photo books: Between meetings, each club member creates their own personal photo book based upon the month’s concept. At the club meetings, you’ll show each other your books, tell your stories, and discuss the project.
- Collaborate on a shared book project: Use Mixbook’s collaboration features to all work on individual pages or spreads within a single book. This works best for groups with a common interest in photography, artistic storytelling challenges, or group memory projects. You can each purchase your own copy or order a single book to share among the group.
- Flexible photo book club: Switch up the format for your photo book club each month to suit the project idea. For example, maybe you all collaborate on a holiday cookie recipe book in December but work on your own personal books for other months.
Photo book club project ideas
The potential ideas for photo book club projects are truly endless! When you’re agreeing upon a schedule for upcoming monthly projects, aim for a balance of different types of storytelling. One month might have a sentimental theme, followed by a silly one, then an artistic idea, and something nostalgic etc. All club members should have equal input into the chosen ideas.
Here are some suggestions to spark your own brainstorming sessions:
Daily highlights
Each day of the month, capture a photo that represents the highlight of that day. This encourages club members to get creative, be mindful, and embrace new ideas for photo compositions. It’s also a broad concept, with photo ops ranging from capturing your morning coffee to a beautiful view to playtime with the kids.
Pets only
If all or most of your photo book club members are pet parents, this is a great idea for a photo challenge. You’ll discover just how many different ways there are to take photos of your animal companions. (Mixbook’s collection of pet themes is perfect for this photo book idea.)
Explore Pet Themes:
Related: Dog photo ideas & pet photography tips to capture the love of your four-legged BFF
Things that made me laugh
For this super-cheerful photo book concept, club members take photos of all the many and varied things that amused them that month. You could also browse existing photo collections for all the favorite old pics that put a big smile on your face.
Best recipes
Use one of Mixbook’s awesome cookbook themes to create your own individual recipe books or a collaborative group cookbook. Keep it broad with any favorite recipes, or narrow it down to a niche such as desserts, cocktails, or the best appetizers you’ve shared during book club gatherings.
Explore Cookbook Themes:
Our home town
Club members can take new photos and search through old favorites for pics that represent your shared home town or region. Older photos might show locations that don’t exist anymore or have significantly changed, which could inspire “then and now” photo spreads. It will be fascinating to share all your different photo books and see familiar places through the eyes (or lens) of others.
Trends of a lifetime
Even the youngest book club members will have plenty of photos from their younger days showing off fashions or trends of the past. It happens to us all! For this photo book idea, gather all those pics of bell bottoms, scrunchies and blue eyeshadow, grungy plaid, sleek emo hair, or the lowest of low-rise pants. How about adding photos of old cars, super-ugly wallpaper and couches, landline phones, big-box TVs, and unbelievably low price stickers?
Photography challenges
It makes sense to embrace photography challenges as photo book club ideas. This is especially true if your group came together over a shared interest in the art of photography or a desire to improve photo-taking skills. Here are some suggestions:
- Colors of the rainbow: Each club member can pick a favorite color to be the focus of their photos for the month. Collaborate on a photo book that shifts through all the colors of the rainbow.
- Black and white: Focus on the beauty and creativity of black and white photography as a monthly challenge. Choose photos from your archives to edit in black and white as well.
- Geometry: Look for geometric shapes and patterns to photograph and compile into a unique photo book.
- Nature: Spend a month focusing on nature photography, whether it’s landscapes, animals, weather, or botanical subjects.
- Portraits: Challenge each other to work on your portrait skills, then gather to discuss what you’ve learned and the different portrait subjects and compositions you discovered.
- Shadows: Once you start looking, you’ll see—and snap—shadows all around. This is a fun and creative challenge that’s perfect for a monthly photo book club.
We have even more ideas for you here: 30-day photo challenge and 16 Fun & Inspiring Photo Challenge Ideas
Start your own photo book club with Mixbook
If you can think of just a few friends or family members who would love to make and share monthly photo books, you have the beginnings of a photo book club! Invite others to join you in this fun, easy, and emotionally rewarding idea.
For even more photo book ideas, browse Mixbook’s inspiration pages.
