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365 Photos: Creating a Photo-a-Day Book

365 Photos: Creating a Photo-a-Day Book


Do you remember what you were doing on July 2nd, 2016? Probably not, but you could if you kept a daily photo compilation. Photo journaling is the perfect way for photography lovers to document their lives. It not only helps you remember every single day of the year, but it’s also a fun way to improve your photography skills.

Starting a photo-a-day challenge can be quite daunting, but there are a few ways to stay motivated. Seeing your speedy progression is extremely rewarding, but if that’s not enough for you, then we recommend sharing your work with others. You can change your Facebook profile picture daily, create a group with family and friends where everyone participates in the challenge, upload your daily work to Instagram, and more. There are even platforms dedicated to this kind of challenge, such as 365project, where everyone shares their daily photos.

365 Photos: creating a photo-a-day book

After taking every picture, you should definitely save them in a photo book – daily photographs make the perfect annual photo book, after all. However, there are a few factors you should consider from day one:

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Organize pictures on a weekly or monthly basis

365 photos is a lot! So, we highly recommend organizing them on a weekly or monthly basis. This way, you won’t spend hours arranging everything by the end of the challenge. Instead, it will take just a few minutes, making the process far more enjoyable – especially if you’re taking several pictures a day and only want to display the best ones. Moreover, it’s the perfect way to recap your week or month.

Plan the photo book layout right away

There are various ways to layout your photo book. You can display either one or several photos on each page, and even leave space to add your thoughts. These are just a few examples, but it’s essential to plan your layout in advance, as this will substantially change the number of pages required.

If you decide to have one photo per page, you’ll end up with a lengthy photo book with 365 pages. You can reduce that by putting several pictures on each page. For example, three pictures on each side drops the page number down to 122. While you should use the style you prefer, we recommend going for a mix of a few pictures per page with a small space to write your thoughts. A good balance is to place seven pictures over two pages – leaving you room to write your weekly reflections.

Optimal format, cover, and paper for lengthy photo books

The format, cover, and paper type will depend on the layout you want, as the photo book’s size will change significantly. We don’t recommend getting a softcover, though. This type of cover is easy to crease, which is far from ideal for bulkier books. Instead, get a hardcover as it’s durable yet affordable. You can also get a leather cover – it’s more expensive, but it’s also the most robust option.

 

The same applies to the photo book’s size, where getting a small one is not advised. Not only will your pictures look too cramped, but the book’s spine will crease for sure. We don’t recommend going for a big 12×12 photo book either. Can you imagine what a monster it would be? You’d need to go to the gym just to be able to lift it up! Instead, go for anything medium-sized (around 10×10) and select the aspect ratio that benefits your layout the best.

Finally, use a thin type of paper. While thicker paper is best for durability, your photo book is already going to be big enough – it doesn’t need to become even bulkier by increasing its page thickness.

Best deals for large photo books

Printing a 365-page photo book is expensive, and only a few companies provide such a lengthy photo album. This means it’s extremely important to go for a photo book builder that provides the best prices.

By charging you with $123.24 for a 10×8 365-page photo book with a hardcover, Blurb comes out as the most affordable photo book builder for your photo-a-day challenge. The company charges $0.25 per page, which means this price can be even lower if you include various pictures on each page. Along the same lines, My Social Book offers photo books with the same parameters for $124.56 and charges $0.27 per extra page.

While Photobook America doesn’t offer the 10×8 option, you can get an 11×11 365-page photo book with a hardcover for $187.69. Bear in mind that this price includes using PhotoBook America’s recurrent coupons that can go up to 65%. Without them, the price jumps to $288.75. Unlike the other two, Photobook America charges $0.75 per extra picture, so the number of pages doesn’t affect the price.


Best photo book builders of 2025

Editors' choice

Mixbook

Editor's rating:
Easy to use
Create a truly unique book
Huge number of themes
Balanced design and durability
Quality

Printique

Editor's rating:
Highly customizable
Keep all photos in one place
Intuitive
Speeds up the creation process
Fast delivery

Shutterfly

Editor's rating:
Flexible creative control
Numerous photo book themes
Android and iOS apps
Expert help at no cost
Value

Photobook America

Editor's rating:
Edit anytime, anywhere
Quick and stylish designs
Fully personalized products
High quality, low cost
Selling

Gelato

Editor's rating:
User-friendly design tools
Extensive integration options
Global print-on-demand network
Versatile product offerings
Customization

Snapfish Photo Books

Editor's rating:
Easy for all users
Personalize every detail
Quick delivery turnaround
Affordable and transparent
On a budget

Walmart Photo Books

Editor's rating:
Budget-friendly
Get orders quickly
Help when you need it
Saves money on delivery
Beginners
Blurb Photo Books logo

Blurb Photo Books

Editor's rating:
Easy to create online
Greater creative control
Share digitally with ease
Monetize your creations

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