Now that we take most of our photos using smart phones, it can be hard to keep track of them all. Plus, we rarely go through them and enjoy them! With all the extra time we currently have at home, what better time to get them sorted? One easy option is to get them made into special customised photo books. These can be for special celebrations such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, or meaningful gifts for graduations (especially with many ceremonies being cancelled right now!). Or it could just be a sweet present to brighten the day of a loved one or friend.
SHERIN QADIR from Artitude Designs lovingly puts together memory books for all sorts of occasions, from birthdays and graduations to anniversaries and farewells. Best of all, all you’ll need to do is send her the photos and let her work her magic! We ask her how she got started, why she loves it as well as what’s on offer.
When and why did you start making memory books?
For over 10 years, I’d been a creative director in multinational agencies, doing advertising and graphic design. I placed my career on hold to start a family and, when my oldest graduated last year, I decided to start my memory book business.
I had an enormous number of photos of my kids collecting on my computer and I wasn’t enjoying these memories in the way I wanted to. So, the first memory book came to life when I created a book for my youngest daughter’s Grade 3 class in 2011.
Since then, I’ve created many photo books for friends and family and was pleasantly surprised at the amazing response I received! Now that I decided to seriously reboot my career, it seemed only natural to create memory books.
What do you enjoy about it?
It’s exciting to sit at a blank screen with someone’s treasured collection of photos and to be given the opportunity to tell their story using my artistic skills and creative touch. As this is such a passion for me, it’s thrilling to put these memories into a beautiful and long-lasting keepsake. Seeing the finished memory book come together, beautifully laid out and displaying the story of someone’s moments in time, is extremely satisfying. I especially enjoy creating unique embellishments on the pages to highlight the story behind the photos and including personal messages to create a keepsake that will be cherished.
It’s rewarding when a client tells me that I’ve helped to make the process seamless. Most get overwhelmed with the task of gathering and putting together photos from various devices. My clients just need to send me the photos they want to include and leave the rest to me.
What sort of photo books do you make?
Unlike generic photo books with standard templates that can be found elsewhere, my memory books are personalised and designed to bring out the happy moments behind the photos. Each hardcopy book comes with a digital flip-style version that can be shared online. I also offer vouchers for memory books, which can be redeemed within six months.
What are your most popular ones?
I’m finding that the most popular ones are the “School Years”, “Graduation” and “Baby’s First Year” memory books. I also recently did a special book for a client who wanted to leave a memory book of her childhood years from 1947 onwards for her children and grandchildren. It was filled with old treasured photos and memoirs.
Find out more at thememorybooks.com.
This article appeared in the May 2020 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase a copy or subscribe so you never miss an issue!
