Every Paperleaf book passes through a lot of hands before it reaches yours. We are often asked what happens in between, so this is a look at one small part of the process.
Here are the photos that made it into the book. Tap any of them to see it larger.
3 photos
Select a photo to see it larger. Use the arrow keys to move between photos.
What to look for
We have changed this step more than once. Each change came from a reader telling us something was not quite right.
It would be quicker to skip this. We think the result is worth the extra time.
- Leave the cover for last
- Hand the camera to someone else
- Keep one photo per day at most
Make it a habit
Watch the light at different times of day in your own home. Most houses have one window that is lovely for an hour every afternoon.
When a month has a big event in it, such as a wedding or a first day at school, let it take over. There is no rule that says every week needs equal space. The book should feel like the month felt.
I thought I needed a better camera. I needed a better window.
Tom Okafor, Paperleaf
What we got wrong
Look back at last year’s book before you start this month’s. It reminds you what you enjoyed seeing again and what you skipped past, which makes this month’s choices quicker and kinder.
Hand the phone to someone else at least once a month. It is the only way the photographer gets into the book.
Quick tip: star photos on your phone as you take them. Picking takes half the time at the end of the month.
When to stop
Do not forget the in-between moments: the car park before the party, the coats piled on a chair, the walk home in the dark. They are the parts of a day that nobody photographs on purpose and everybody recognises straight away.
Try to include everyone. It is easy to end up with a book full of the children and none of the person holding the camera.
- Hand the camera to someone else
- Star photos as you take them
- Pick a fixed day each month
A few small rules
Ask someone else to look at your shortlist. They will spot the photo you were about to drop and the one you only kept out of habit.
If a month feels thin, look again at the photos you took without thinking. The best ones are often hiding there.
Picking is a skill. Like any skill, it gets faster.
Priya Nair, Paperleaf print room
Try it this month
A good caption answers the question someone will ask in twenty years. Who is that? Where were we? Why is everyone wet? Write the answer while you still know it, even if it feels too obvious to bother with today.
Make a cup of tea, sit somewhere comfortable and put the phone on do-not-disturb. The job goes faster when it does not compete with messages.
Before you start: make sure your phone is backed up. Deleting is easier when nothing can be lost.
Keep it simple
Faces matter, but so do places. Include at least one picture of the room, the street or the view where the month happened.
Try not to edit every photo. A little brightening is fine, but heavy filters date quickly and make a year of books look uneven when they sit together on a shelf. Let the light of the day show.
- Leave the cover for last
- Hand the camera to someone else
- Pick a fixed day each month
Start with what you already have
Share the book when it arrives. Leaving it on the kitchen table for a day is often enough for everyone to have a look.
Set aside a fixed time for it. The last Sunday of the month works for a lot of readers because the week is quiet and the month is complete.
I thought I needed a better camera. I needed a better window.
Tom Okafor, Paperleaf
One more thing
Most people find the first month the hardest. You are learning what you like, and every photo feels important. By the third month you will notice yourself moving faster, trusting your first reaction and spending your time on the handful of close calls instead of on every single picture.
We tried the one-photo-per-day rule last month and it made picking so much easier. Thank you!
The bit about writing names on the back hit home. We have a box of strangers in our loft.
Lovely post. The bit about keeping the blurry photos made me go back and rescue a few.
Try giving them the phone for a day. Worked with my teenager.
Thank you for not telling me to buy a new camera.
I never thought about the light from the window. Moved the high chair and the difference is huge.
This is exactly the nudge I needed. My camera roll has four thousand photos from this year alone.
Thank you for not telling me to buy a new camera.
My grandmother cried when she got the book. That is all I wanted to say.