An Intro to Photo-journaling

and the good work of making our creativity tangible

As I writer, I’m in my head a lot. It’s a blessing and a curse. I love the ability to think deeply and imaginatively but it can backfire me into mental exhaustion if I’m not careful. One thing that helps is to do tangible things with my physical body: work out, go on walks, care for my houseplants, and recently: photo-journaling. 

I wish I had a fancier name for this creative outlet, but I just call it ‘photo-journaling’ because that’s what it is. I honestly don’t even think I came up with the name. It probably sprang from my subconscious from the hours I’ve spent perusing Pinterest. I’ve Googled the term to try and find an originator with no luck. If anyone finds them, I’ll happily update this post with proper credit.  

I just know I didn’t want to call it ‘scrapbooking’ because, to me, ‘scrapbooking’ is a whole thing. It involves special binders and page protectors and fancy, expensive paper. It's a commitment. An event. I wanted to elevate my regular journaling, but didn’t want the process to be all that involved, ya know?

If the type of scrapbooking I just described is something you enjoy, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. But this isn’t a post about scrapbooking. This post is about its far more simplistic and straightforward cousin: photo-journaling. 

What is photo-journaling?

It is quite literally just journaling while also taping tiny photos on the pages of whatever notebook you’re writing in. That’s it. You can make this as involved and intricate as you want it to be. 

Below you’ll find a list where I’ll describe my photo-journaling supplies individually. Instead of a bunch of links sprinkled throughout the post that you have to scroll up and down to find, I’ve just put a link (that I make absolutely zero commission off of) at the end of the post where all the supplies are compiled in an easily accessible way. The list is just to give you a jumping off point, if you want more or less or to go a completely different direction with your photo-journaling, PLEASE DO. There are no rules here. 

In fact, you may not need to purchase anything new at all. Raid your craft drawers and supply closets before you ‘add to cart’. Start photo-journaling in the journal you’re already using. The last thing I’d want to do with this post is contribute to consumerism. 

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What do you need for photo-journaling?

Not much. That’s the whole point. And this is just me sharing what I use. By no means is this me saying, “This is the only way to do this!”. Sometimes it helps to see how someone else does a creative activity as jumping off point so you can take it and make it your own. 

The first item(s) you need are your photos. I’ve found the 3.3in x 2.2.in size are perfect for my photo-journaling goals. Again, it’s up to you how you want to go about this. You can use prints you already have. You can order new ones from Walgreens. You can use my personal favorite place to print phone pictures: Social Print Studio (affordable, fast shipping, accurate color quality). 

Or—and this is undeniably the most expensive route—you can invest in a bluetooth printer. I have one from Instax which turns your phone pictures into polaroids. Full disclosure: mine was a gift bought during a Black Friday sale a few years back. That being said, I’ve put it to such good use that I’d argue it’s worth the investment. 

Pros: 

• stating the obvious here: the convenience! There’s nothing like being able to take a picture with your phone and immediately print it for photo-journaling. I find that picking out photos from my phone, uploading them to a site, ordering them and waiting for them to arrive means I’m less likely to do regular photo-journaling. Being able to take a picture and print it on the spot makes all the difference for me.  

Cons:

• If you go the Instax route, your pictures aren’t going to come out from the Instax printer exactly the way they look on your phone. They won’t be as sharp. The colors (to me anyway) skew a bit blue. The Instax printer isn’t printing phone pictures, it’s taking your phone pictures and turning them into polaroids. If that’s not your style, you’ll need to find a different mode of photo printing. 

• You’ll need to buy film as well and that can get pricey. I have the film on my list and price watch it so I can stock up when it goes on sale.

  Side note: If you decide to go the bluetooth printer route, I highly suggest also grabbing a travel case like the one pictured above for it. I found one for around $13 and it was well worth that to be able to travel with (and store) my printer safely. 

These are mini-prints I ordered from Social Print Studio. Please note the color is much more accurate to how the pictures appear on a phone. Very different from the Instax printer polaroids. I love both styles for different reasons.

The next item you need is obviously a good notebook. As stated above, use what you have already, but if you don’t have one yet, may I suggest a Standard Issue Notebook No.12?

Pros:

• Affordable

• Spiral bound so it lays flat (best option for photo-journaling) 

• Compact

• Has dates but you just circle/highlight the day you’re journaling so don’t have to feel guilty about missing days. 

Cons:

• The paper is thin. But not too thin. If you want sturdy paper that is typically used for scrapbooking, this book probably isn’t for you. 

• It has lined paper. I personally prefer blank pages when journaling, but I like everything else about this little notebook so I give it a pass. This brand also makes a grid paper version, but it’s double the price. 

Linked at the end of this post, I also included the listing for another spiral bound, undated (affordable) notebook with grid paper that works really well for photo journaling. I’ve used those before and really like them! 

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Other random supplies: 

I love these soft gel, pastel highlighters to color in the dates on my Standard Issue No. 12 notebook. They work perfectly. No smudging or “oily” feeling. No bleeding through onto the next page. They’re great!

I cannot recommend washi tape enough for photo-journaling. Some people are able to embellish their pages with dainty doodles and beautiful, hand drawn artwork. Alas, I am not one of them! That’s why washi tape is the perfect solution for me to pretty up my pages with my limited artistic ability. 

Washi tape adds just the right amount of color and pattern with the absolute least amount of effort. I’ve collected a lot here and there over the years and recently found a giant back for 50% off at a craft store and have an official washi tape drawer in my office. I’m all set for a year or two at least. 

That’s it! 

I tried to warn you about how simple photo-journaling is. You just need a notebook, some tiny prints and washi tape. Anything you want to add for your enjoyment is welcome, but those are the basics! 

Finally, here’s the list of everything I use compiled into one place. You can find these items in other places. This was just the best way I could link them all in one place.

Here’s the link to Social Print Studio where I order our prints

And just for good measure: a link to a photo-journaling Pinterest Board to get you inspired.

(again, I make zero commission from you using these links)

IMPORTANT NOTE: if you do end up ordering from the Amazon list above, please make sure you double check the shipping address to make sure what your order is going to your house and not mine. I didn’t link our address but since I created the list, I’m not sure if Amazon has some sort of default setting that would send items to us. I want to make sure you get your stuff, ha!

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The point of this creative outlet is for it to be imperfect, messy and casual. Color outside the lines! Write with a permanent pen, scribble out your mistakes and keep going! Make it pretty in the way you want it to, not pretty in the way that you feel like an imaginary audience peering over your shoulder would like it.

Here’s to making beautiful things for your eyes only. Here’s to taking the words and memories in your head and honoring them enough to make them tangible. Here’s to slowing down and running your hands over your work. Here’s to keeping creativity simple, straightforward and fun. 

Happy photo-journaling!