A photo diary is two objects joined together: a short printed book, and a blank one.
The printed part is yours. The blank part is theirs, and it is most of the object — a 60-sheet diary is 120 pages, and the printed spreads are a small fraction at the front.
The mistake is filling it
The instinct is to use every printed page available, because photographs are the part you can control.
It is the wrong instinct. A diary crammed with printed spreads is a book with lined paper stapled to the back, and the recipient reads it once and then does not write in it, because the object already looks finished.
Leave it obviously unfinished. That is what invites the pen.
What the printed front should be
| Include | Why |
|---|---|
| Where they are now | The starting point. One spread |
| The people | So the blank pages have a cast |
| A few good photographs, large | Not a survey. Six or eight images |
| One page of writing from you | The instruction, effectively — it shows what the object is for |
| A blank first line | Deliberately. Somebody has to go first, and it should be you |
What not to include: a retrospective. A diary opening with ten years of history is a memorial, and it points backwards at an object whose whole purpose is forwards.
How many photographs
Fewer than you think. About four fill a page, and the printed section wants to be a prologue rather than a first act.
Twenty to thirty photographs is plenty for any diary length. The rest of the object is not yours.
The page of writing
The single highest-value thing in a photo diary, and the part most people skip.
One page, at the front, in your own words: what this is, why you are giving it, what you hope they put in it. That page is what converts a nice object into one that gets used, because it tells them there is a job.
What to write in a photo diary →
What it costs
| Size | Pages | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 60 sheets | 120 | ₹699 |
| 80 sheets | 160 | ₹899 |
| 100 sheets | 200 | ₹1,099 |
| 120 sheets | 240 | ₹1,299 |
Flat ₹70 delivery anywhere in India. It lies flat when open, which is why it is writable rather than just displayable. Photo Diary →
Frequently asked
How many photos should go in a photo diary? Twenty to thirty. The printed section is a prologue; most of the object is blank on purpose.
Should the printed part be at the front? Yes. It sets up the blank pages, and a diary that is printed throughout stops being a diary.
Can I include writing as well as photographs? Yes, and one page of it from you is the most valuable thing in the object — it tells the recipient what the diary is for.
Should it be a retrospective? No. A diary is a beginning. A retrospective points backwards and stops the pen.
How long is a photo diary? 60 to 120 sheets, which is 120 to 240 pages, at ₹699 to ₹1,299.
Part of our guide to photo diaries and card decks. See also: photo diary sizes and page counts and who a photo diary suits.
Start one: Photo Diary from ₹699 · All 11 keepsakes