Score Big With the Play Hard Photo Book: Tips for Creating a Successful Book

by Kerri Bradford

I designed the Play Hard photo book because I know that there are a lot of you out there just like me—I have hundreds of photographs of my kids' sports activities. And I wanted to tell their stories-I wanted to share what they've learned and how very proud of their accomplishments I am.

Designed to accommodate a wide variety of sports activities and ages, the Play Hard book is perfect for everything from organized team sports to individual competitions. Whether you're creating this book for a child, teen or an adult, the versatility of the pages will help you capture the thrill of victory-and the agony of defeat!

I've put together a few hints that I've discovered to help you get started telling your own stories:

Variations on How You Can Use the Book:

• Document a single sports season
• Create a special gift for team members and the coach by chronicling the team’s season
• Document your child’s "career" in a specific sport
• Choose a specific length of time—such as the high school timeframe—and share all of the sports experiences of an individual or group

What pictures should you remember to take?

Sure, you've got some great photos of game play, but you'll want to be sure to capture the entire sports experience. Consider planning a few minutes to capture the following photographs:

• Get some shots of the details. For example, uniforms, protective gear (shin guards, mouthpieces, helmets), jersey "number," crowd, cheerleaders, the field, the scoring area (goal posts, net, etc.), and any other sports equipment (golf bag, flag, ball, bat, etc.).
• Capture the interactions with the coach and the team—for example, time outs and pre- and post- game pep talks!
• If the book is based on the sport through the years, include height differences/comparisons all on one page.
• Chronicle Pre-game warm ups and practices.
• Get some close-up "action" shots. For example, crop in on the athlete's feet or hands as your athlete is participating. (A telephoto lens would work great here, or you can "pose" a similar shot.)

What should you remember to write about?

Although your pictures will probably be the stars of your photo book, you’ll want to include a few words to round out the story. Below are some ideas starters to help you fill in the blanks.

• What's involved before the season starts? For example, highlight events such as practice, tryouts, buying uniforms, fees, etc.
• Prepare an overview of the season or time period in the book from the perspective of either the athlete or the parent.
• Capture the coach's thoughts on the athlete.
• Include Stats such as on the right page.
• Share "inside" stories, for example, is there a story behind "the number" they always have to have?
• Scan in newspaper articles or awards. By saving these items in .jpg format, you can put them in place of any photo in the book.
• Document the final scores of each game.
• Highlight the big plays, pivotal changing points, and any other "turning points."
• Share any obstacles that the athlete overcame.

You may also want to check out the following article for more ideas:

Picture Perfect: Photographing Performances and Sporting Events >