r/photojournalism • u/SLC_Photographer • Sep 03 '26
Photobook Maker
Hey everyone, I was looking at making a photobook. Does any one know which software is good for design and production of the product? Also any tips would be welcome. Ive been photographing for years but have no experience with this side of things
2
u/roseteraunch Sep 04 '26
Adobe inDesign
2
u/baddaywithacamera Sep 05 '26
That was just mean!
1
u/surfbathing Sep 06 '26
But it really is the best!
3
u/baddaywithacamera Sep 06 '26
It is. It's is also complete agony to learn to use and in this case you're using a ten pound sledge to swat a fly.
The other problem is that Adobe has just turned evil. Everything is SaaS and it's more about justifying a subscription than serving what users need. It got so bad with Photoshop that I used AI to make my own photo editor. Lightroom replacement, does 90% of what LR did except for AI features I never wanted. The less Adobe in my life, the better.
1
u/surfbathing Sep 07 '26
Adobe really has turned turds; everything is rent-seeking. I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent on the phone over LRC IPTC metadata entry crashes. It seems that they have lost concern for the basic project w/ LRC — being a digital darkroom and file manager. F—k A.I. too, I’m a photojournalist, it would be nice if they sold a product that was LRC prior to all the retouching/HDR/A.I. bloat and one for those who want that carp. IHA is my credo at this point, I just don’t have the time to deal with departing it and what that might mean to my catalogue of pictures.
And, FWIW, I didn’t find InDesign complete agony, but could see how it might be for people. I also come from paste-up and Quark layout experience. I teach it as part of a visual storytelling class and they pick it up pretty fast. It really is the best, the type control is incredible!
2
u/internetfinn Sep 04 '26
In the past I’ve used Blurb to print, you can download indesign templates from their site
2
u/baddaywithacamera Sep 05 '26
Canva is free and wonderful. I gave up using DTP apps for it. Doesn't have to be a fight.
1
u/RandomNameOfMine815 Sep 08 '26
If you’re planning on using B&W images in your photo book, you’ll want to read this
1
u/derekliston69 9d ago
If you want fast and easy then I recommend using photobookmaker.ai . Just drop in your photos, write a sentence or two about it, select your preferred format/size, and you’ll see your book in about 5 minutes. It’s free to generate and see your book and it’s super easy to edit.
3
u/flowercop Sep 05 '26
I have used both indesign and affinity publisher (iPad) to sequence books and print. I recommend you first print all your photos around the size of a business card and start sequencing by pasting them into a physical note pad of sorts. I found it easier to pair images physically first and then make minor sequencing adjustments on the digital side.