I have been taking photos for as long as I can remember.

Aside from often “borrowing” my Mom’s camera when I was young, I saved up babysitting money and purchased my very own analog film camera when I was 11 years old, and took that thing with me everywhere.

Not just on camping trips or special events–that camera came with me to friends houses, wandering around town, and even to school. I started a photo album/collage book at that point, and continued adding to it with my film camera until the age of 17.

That photo book was the one item of my own I had that I considered to be the most valuable–the one thing I would save in a fire, and the one thing that I treated as a priceless possession.

There was nothing better than the excitement of finally getting your developed film back, and getting to see the photos for the first time since looking through that tiny viewfinder.

Each film roll was like Christmas to me.

 

Then, came my first digital camera.

It was some low-tech chunky Kodak thing, which at this point in time wouldn’t even compare to a camera phone. But, to me it was perfect. I could essentially take as many photos as I wanted (or as many as my SD card would fit), and pick and choose my favourite shots to keep, right there on the screen.

It was a whole new game.

It was also at this time that I started to plan my first ever trip abroad, and couldn’t wait to bring my new camera along for the ride. I would be spending my summer in Italy.

Thus began my journey into travel photography.

The digital camera became an attachment of myself. I never left home without it, and took photos with it every single day–practising and learning.

I tried to keep up with continuing to print photos, creating a scrapbook of my trip to Italy, and the odd print of every day life, and even started a 365 day photo project while in University.

But, eventually I stopped printing photos.

That makes me sad.

 

I’ve been through several camera since then, from starter point-and-shoots to professional full frame DSLRs, along with GoPros and DJI drones.

I took my camera on more travels, and even worked as a wedding photographer for many years.

But still–I never printed photos any more.

 

Over the last 8 years, I began to get more serious with travel photography, starting this blog, and always upgrading my equipment.

I’ve taken my camera to more countries than I can count on my fingers and toes, and have taken more photos than I can even begin to estimate.

As much as I have loved this travel photography journey, the sad reality is that my photographs basically only exist in a digital world, where they could technically just disappear one day.

This scares me.

 

I have spent the last 13 years snapping photos that could potentially be only memories, unless I do something to physically make them real.

 

And, that’s exactly what I have done. 

 

I finally felt that true joy of waiting for my photos to become prints.

To receive the package and excitedly wait to open it.

To relish the moment of going through them.

To hold them in my hands.

To look at them.

To feel them.

Truly.

 

I printed 212 of my photos into a professionally bound photography book by MILK Books, and I couldn’t be happier.

I personally designed and created a 144 page Premium Large Landscape Photo Book.

It contains all of the images that I either believe to be the my most visually pleasing, or hold the most meaning to me.

You can view my full Photo Book online here.

Although I hope that if you know me in real life, you’ll let me show you the book in person. Otherwise you might not understand strange views of camera men, or little girls holding Hubba Bubba.

Seriously though, there is a story behind every photo, so don’t click that link if you’re going to see me in the next month or two 

There is something immensely satisfying to holding a stitch bound fabric covered book in your hand, and to feel the substantial board pages flipping through your fingers.

And, to see your own name on the cover is no less than gratifying.

Every inch of the book is fully customizable, and completely designed by yourself through the MILK Books intuitive Design Studio–from size, format, cover fabric, cover design, title, page layouts, and image displays down to size & shape.

The MILK Design Studio has hundreds of features designed to make creating books simple and quick. There is drag and drop, background image uploading, a photo library with unlimited photo storage and thousands of internal design templates–just to name a few.

Everything has been laid out and composed with a logical and simple user experience in mind.

So basically, making your own book has never been easier.

 

MILK sent over a few interview questions after I received my book:

Q: What are the reasons for your travels?

A: As I mentioned above, Italy was the first place that I ever travelled abroad (aside from Canada and the US), and I was hooked after that trip. Of course, it’s mainly photography that continues my drive to travel.

 

Q: What compelled you to take the images in your book?

A: I take photos of everything, but tend to travel to specific places to take my own photographs there. And, there is a separate reason behind each image.

 

Q: What is your favourite image in the book and why?

A: This might be impossible to choose, but I particularly love the photo of the leopard in Kenya, and basically all of the Morocco images because of the deep warm tones. I also love looking at any of the underwater photos, especially from Tahiti and Philippines. And, it’s nice to look through some of the images from home at the end.

 

Q: What is your favourite story behind a single shot in the book?

A: The image of the leopard in Kenya that I mentioned above is pretty memorable, I wrote a post about it for G adventures here (actually, you should probably read this too–it’s a pretty good story), but in short–while the entire safari group was looking one way, I happened to climb up through the roof and my eye caught a movement directly below me, and basically made eye contact with a leopard. Not only are they my favourite animal, but they are super rare to see, and I felt incredibly lucky to have that experience.

I even have it tattooed on my arm.

But, in reality, almost every image has a story just as exciting as that–some even more.

MILK Books combines traditional book making techniques, the finest materials and the latest print technologies, and has reinvented the Photo Book.

My book was given to me by MILK–but to be honest–this is something that I have been wanting to do for a long time, and would have definitely been willing to invest in this on my own.

So, hopefully you realize that this isn’t just a bunch of sponsored BS.

I recommend MILK Books. Hard.

I even made a video about it: