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How to Create a Graduation Scrapbook

Author: The Printique Team

HCC Public Information Office/flickr

HCC Public Information Office/flickr

Your child’s graduation is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you’ll never want to forget. Select the best photos of your favorite moments to create a memorable scrapbook!
So the ceremony is finished, the degree has finally been handed over, and you’ve taken a whole bunch of photos of your child’s graduation. As you upload them to your computer, you may find yourself suddenly staring at hundreds of photos and feeling a little overwhelmed.
Here’s how you can pick the best ones to compile in a photo book that truly commemorates the celebration.

Capture the Key Moments

The first thing you want to do is identify the most important moments of the day. A graduation ceremony isn’t simply one event — rather, it’s a collection of many celebrations. Let’s get into all the heartfelt moments that should be documented to capture this “event of a lifetime.”

Pre-Ceremony

Pick a few moments leading up to graduation day in order to set the tone, such as pictures of the invitations or of siblings trying on the graduation cap at home. What personal belongings trigger the best memories for the graduate?
Look for any photos of a decorated locker or the worn-out backpack they’ve been using for years. You’ll want to represent the school and campus in order to show the setting, so try taking pictures of the school’s name, building, or some of the graduate’s other favorite places.

Ceremony

Thompson Rivers University/flickr

Thompson Rivers University/flickr

It’s the graduate’s big day, so make him or her the star of the show. Pick photos that focus on the graduate and capture every wide grin and heartwarming tear. Of course, make sure to capture the ceremony itself — sprinkle in both formal and spontaneous moments, from receiving the diploma to selfies with the principal.
Finally, your graduate didn’t make this journey on their own — include photos of the people who played a huge part in the graduate’s school life.

Post-Ceremony

Now that all the formalities are over with, it’s time to let loose and run wild. No scrapbook is complete without a few pictures of the graduates holding their diplomas and standing with their proud parents. Capture the momentous joy — this only happens once!

Select the Best Photos

By now you’ve identified the iconic moments of your son or daughter’s graduation. But what happens if you have multiple shots that document the same event? There’s an art to choosing the specific photos to put in your book.
Paperclipping recommends picking your favorite photos before anything else. Or, as Debbie Hodge on Get It Scrapped suggests, simply pick the photos “that you just plain like.” Then, identify which of those would work as focal-point photos and which could be cropped to save space. But that begs the question: what exactly are focal-point photos?
Hodge defines them as pictures that highlight the event and give the scrapbook a narrative. Focal-point photos can “make your page clear and appealing” by giving “the viewer’s eye a place to start.” Use these as starting points, then select other complementary photos that provide a fuller picture of the particular event or moment.

David Chau/flickr

David Chau/flickr

Select the photos that best tell the story. Paperclipping lists several characteristics to look for in a focal-point shot:

  • Which ones make you pause for a second just to appreciate the beauty of a snapshot?
  • Which ones capture genuine emotion or a personality quirk?
  • Pick posed photos that make a statement, and kinetic ones that capture energetic action and movement.

Finally, Hodge suggests removing duplicates, photos of poor quality, or ones that don’t add to the story. Be wise and pick only the best!
Printique is here to serve your every photo printing and arrangement need. With our superior print quality, professional photo books, and excellent service, we can help you create a graduation photo book that will bring a smile to your family’s faces for years to come.
We even have a specific graduation-themed photo book available in various sizes! Include both photos and words to create the perfect gift for parents, grandparents, or the graduates themselves.
So what are you waiting for? Making memories has never been this easy — or this fun.