Even before the baby is born, you can begin to plan your photo book project. Gather information from a variety of sources, including family members and friends of the family. Include information on the planning that is going on in the family before baby arrives—the preparation of the nursery, for example.
After the baby is born, you will have much more material to work with for your photo book project! In addition to the photographs of the baby him or herself, the photo book can also include photos and information on the baby’s environment: the nursery, play areas inside and outside the house or apartment, special outings, and favourite toys or objects.
Going even further, you can consider researching current events or newsworthy items that occurred on the day the baby was born; check for news items across the globe, or focus on local news by checking the archives of a local newspaper. Most libraries will be a good place to start for this sort of information. You may also want to check online—some companies specialize in doing this kind of research for you. Some may be able to give you information on the background of the baby’s name; others may be able to provide you with detailed information on the zodiac sign, birthstone, and so on.
This kind of research could also be a particularly fun project if the online photo book is being created some time after the baby’s birth—many people decide to create a photo book celebrating the baby years and then tracking the highlights of a child’s life through to the end of high school. Photo books such as this, while not officially baby books, are a beautiful gift for a son or daughter, grandchild, or godchild, for example. A photo book from the eighties or nineties could also include, for example, a variety of other images giving the context of the times: rock shows attended, for example, or pictures showing the kinds of fashion, hairstyles, movies, or foods particularly popular at that time.
If the mother-to-be had photos taken while she was pregnant, ask for a digital or print copy of these photos to scan, copy, or upload for your photo book. Some people also like to include ultrasound images in their baby books. Photographs from baby showers or other special events leading up to the birth are also possible inclusions in the online photo book.
Consider organizing a photo shoot with baby and other members of the family. This is also a fun way to show off some of the clothing the newborn is likely to have received from friends and family soon after the birth! Make sure to plan this ahead of time with the parent(s) and to check back on the day itself so that everyone involved is well rested, fed, and otherwise content before the photo shoot for the photo book begins. Be flexible about this, since no one knows better than a new parent how difficult it can be to find a time in the day when everyone is wakeful, smiling, and eager for company!
Since family and friends are so important, consider dedicating several pages of the photo book to photos of special people in baby’s life. One nice idea would be take photographs—or ask a parent to take photographs—of baby at several times in the day so that you can create “a day in the life of….” layout in the photo book featuring mealtime, playtime, nap time, and bath-time. If you are able to collect photographs from members of the baby’s family for the photo book, you could also include a page or two of images from when they were young. Be sure to include a note somewhere in the photo book (in a journaling box, or at the end of the photo book), identifying who each baby is.
