How to turn your favourite pet images into a photo book

Almost every pet parent I’ve met has an overflowing camera roll of everyday and meaningful moments of their pet. In an increasingly digital, fast-snap world, it’s easy for these moments to be buried and forgotten about. That’s why I think choosing your best pet photos and bringing them to life in print is more important than ever. Here are my tips to organise your photos and create a Popsa Photo Book devoted to your pet. 

Choosing and organising your favourite photos

Make a shortlist folder

The thought of scrolling through 20k+ photos (yup that’s how many are clogging my camera roll right now) and narrowing them down to just a handful of favourites, can feel daunting to say the least. I suggest making a brew, making sure you have an hour to yourself and take the first step – a shortlist folder. No overthinking, just a collection of photos that immediately stand out and mean the most to you.

Do a quality check

Now you can see your top picks in one place, it’s time to get a little more strict and do another cull. Are there any blurry, low-light or under-exposed shots that won’t stand out very well when printed? Are there any images you can get rid of that are really similar or do the same job? As a rule of thumb, it’s good to gather a mix such as close‑ups, wide-angle shots, significant details and candid interactions. And if you get really stuck, go for the images that really resonate with you. Maybe they help build a story and take you back to a perfect day with your pet, sparking that extra little bit of emotion.  

Keep it chronological

Now it’s time to start building the pages. When I was making my own book about my 8-year-old dog Alan, I found myself naturally sequencing collections of images by big and memorable life moments. From puppyhood to days out and milestone moments such as Christmas and birthdays, these were the images I had to keep, so it made sense to structure the images chronologically. By arranging the photos in this way, it unintentionally created an-unbusy Alan-centric colour-palette for each page too, which I love.

Key layout considerations

White space

Sometimes less is more and just as you would mount a physical framed photo, adding white space draws your eye to a solo image or minimal collection of images. This helps to guide the story telling with the turn of every page.

A balance of shots

Choose a mix of shots that add to the overall story of a collection of images. For example, I chose to include a photo of some seaweed during a memorable trip to the beach, as part of a trio of images. The colours and the light pair perfectly with Alan and it just reminds me of all the smells, sounds and sights of that perfect day. I also made sure I chose as many varied photos as possible that summarise Alan’s personality. These included photos of him snoozing, paddling, cuddling, zoomies and just being a generally perfect poser in portrait-style shots.

Be clever with colour

I love to include some black-and-white photos, too. It’s a great way to exaggerate moody moments and can lend an editorial style to the pages. It also subtly places focus on any extra special shots or moments. I enjoyed playing around with colour on the pages, too. I spent quite a while thinking about which colours to use and in the end I settled on a mossy green shade, which I thought complimented and symbolised our outdoor adventures. When picking colours, think about what best reflects the personality of you and your pet? Especially for the front cover, what will complement your home interior when your book is sitting on a shelf or coffee table? We have a lot of powder blues at home, and I just love the contrast of calming light blue against earthy green.

Final thoughts

Be careful not to over-edit your photos with heavy filters or dramatic presets. While they may feel on-trend now, they can quickly feel dated and distract from the natural emotion of your images. Aim to use original, high-resolution files rather than screenshots from social media, as these are compressed and can result in poor print quality.

I now have my finished book at home and all of my cherished memories of Alan in one place. What a treat it was to receive on a cosy, rainy Sunday afternoon and take time to enjoy the book together. As I flicked through the pages, chapter by chapter, I saw Alan grow up before my eyes and it made me realise how quickly the past 8 years have flown by. I promise you won’t regret making an album of your own. Good things take time and it makes the finished book all the more special. You’ve got this! And don’t forget to tag Popsa when you’ve finished your pet book.