This summer my family and I took an epic trip to Europe. When I returned, my SD cards were full of thousands of images—landscapes, street corners, canals and candid moments—sat safely backed up on a hard drive.
While on the trip and even before we left I had it in my head that I was going to create an impactful photo album from images I captured on our journey. Being a professional photographer on a family trip can be challenging, especially in a such a unique, historic and beautiful place. However, it is possible to capture amazing images and also be present for my family and capture them as well. The trick, getting up early, really early.
Whether I was catching the first ferry out for a day long hike along the cliffs of Manerba, jogging to catch a glowing sunrise in Desenzano, setting the alarm for 4:30am in Venice to be the first person at the Rialto Bridge on a hot summer morning, or hopping on the first train through mountains to reach the Sphinx Observatory in Switzerland – the common theme to these unique moments was chasing the light.
To me, nothing compares to holding my travels in my hands, bound in a professional photo album that feels as permanent as the memories themselves.
Printing my photography isn’t just about preservation; it’s about honoring the experiences I’ve had. I’ve tried a lot of printers and personally I have found that printique.com does it the best. I have used their services for years and the albums I printed long ago look as amazing today as they did when they first came off the press.
Printique’s quality and variety of print materials made making the album fun. The online album builder makes the layout and design pretty easy so you can concentrate on the images and focus on telling a story.
Here’s what I think printing matters for travel photography:
1. Tangibility brings memories to life
There’s something powerful about touch. When I flip through the thick pages of a well-made photo album, I’m not just looking – I’m feeling.
The texture of the paper, the weight of the book, the way the spine creaks just slightly as I open it – all of it makes the experience of reliving a trip more real. Digital galleries can’t give me that.
On a screen, an image is fleeting; and in my opinion doesn’t have the same impact. On a printed page, the photograph lingers. It has presence.
The act of turning each page slows me down, encouraging me and those who see it to live the memory rather than swipe past it. My albums have become as much a part of the memory as the photographs themselves.
2. A professional album preserves quality in a way digital doesn’t
Hard drives fail. Phones get lost. Cloud accounts disappear when a password is forgotten or a subscription lapses. I’ve had my heart drop at the sight of a corrupted memory card, wondering what priceless moments were gone forever.
A printed album, on the other hand, is built to last. The archival paper resists yellowing, the inks stay vibrant for decades, and the binding keeps everything together.
I’d like to think of my albums as heirlooms – as objects that can be passed down, so my children and grandchildren will see the world through my eyes. A physical album is timeless.
3. Storytelling becomes intentional
When I create an album, I’m forced to choose. Out of thousands of frames, I narrow down to the ones that best tell the story of a trip.
It’s a deliberate process – like curating a personal exhibition. Which photograph deserves to open the album? Which ones sit side by side to create contrast or harmony? How should the journey end?
This editing process is where my travel experiences form a story. I realize what mattered most to me on the trip – not only the postcard views, but also the quiet in-between moments.
Printing makes me more mindful, and the final book feels like a memoir in pictures.
4. An album invites sharing and connection
There’s a special joy in gathering around an album with friends and family. It’s more intimate than sending a link or scrolling through a phone.
People lean in, ask questions, pause on the details. A printed photo sparks conversation in a way a screen rarely does. I’ve noticed that albums that live in shared spaces—coffee tables, bookshelves, guest rooms – they quietly invite people to open them. Every time someone flips through one of my travel books, I get to relive the trip again through their eyes.
The stories flow more naturally, and suddenly the album becomes a bridge between my experiences and their imagination.
5. Printing elevates the art of travel photography
For me, photography isn’t just documentation – it’s an art form. And art deserves to be displayed with care.
Seeing my images printed large and sharp on professional paper gives them a gravity they don’t have on a screen. The colors are richer, the shadows deeper, the textures more pronounced. A well-crafted album frames each photograph as something worth pausing for. It’s the difference between scribbling in a notebook and publishing a novel. Printing transforms snapshots into statements.
It reminds me why I fell in love with photography in the first place – to beautifully capture the world, and share it.
In the end, printing my travel photography is about respect: respect for the places I’ve seen, the people I’ve met, and the fleeting moments I’ve managed to freeze in time. Each book I make is more than an object; it’s a tangible chapter of my life story. And when I pull one off the shelf years from now, I know I’ll be transported—not just to the images I captured, but to the very feeling of being there.
Be intentional, have fun curating and tell your story in print… whether it’s an epic trip, a momentous occasion or a simple photo walk.
Think about what it would be like to hold those moments in your hands. It will make you a better photographer and it will give a chance for others to share in your art.
If you have questions or comments please reach out to me on Instagram @instadurr, via email at [email protected] and you can see more of my work michaeldurr.com
To try them out for your next album, check out Printique.
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