8 Ideas of What To Do With Your Vacation Photos

Going on vacation is one of the best opportunities to practice travel photography. But the problem persists that more often than not, those boatloads of vacation photos that you snapped end up going nowhere other than maybe scattered about on Facebook.

Sound familiar? You’re definitely not alone! If you’re looking for ways to actually use your vacation photos, here are 8 ideas to get you started.

1. Make a blog post

One of the best ways to recap your vacation is to make a blog post, combining photos with stories and words to give it more context. Don’t have a blog? No worries! It’s very easy to create a free blog on sites like WordPress. If making a blog sounds like too much, Adobe Express offers a free, very intuitive format for quickly creating a travel blog of words and photos.

Creating a quick, easy, and free “blog” on Adobe Express. This is s snapshot from the one I created for our trip to Italy ad our wedding.

2. Create an online slideshow

If you’d rather not go through the hassle of putting a blog together, an online slideshow is another way to make a digital presentation of your photos. Simply upload your photos to an online slideshow maker such as Pholody, select background music, and share or download the slideshow.

Alternatively, you can also turn your favorite vacation photos into screensaver slideshows or desktop backgrounds for your laptop or cell phone. How to Create a Simple Slideshow in Lightroom is another way to do it.

3. Strategically post to social media for the most traction

This is probably the most obvious use of vacation photos that may not seem worthy of even being mentioned, but hear me out.

If you aspire to have your photos viewed by more than just your current followers, you’ll have to be more strategic in how you post your images. This means adding hashtags and tagging tourism-related businesses that relate to your photos. Think airlines, tourism boards, local Instagram communities…the list goes on.

Research hashtags and businesses ahead of time and keep a list handy in Evernote so you can easily copy and paste them into your Instagram posts.

4. Print a photo book, scrapbook, or photo album

Some photos simply pop and look better when they’re physically printed in book form. Consider putting together your top vacation photos and getting them printed via a service.

I recently used Zno and was impressed with their high-quality printing and the fact that the images lay flat without the book gutter running through them. Another service called ChatBooks is a little more automated and can sync your Instagram or Facebook photos into a book design for printing. If you’re more DIY-inclined, you can also opt for making batch photo prints and sticking them in an album or scrapbook.

See also: How to Create a Simple Blurb Photo Book in Lightroom

A Lay Flat photo book by Zno.

5. Make postcards or thank you cards

More often than not, your vacation will fall between occasions when you might receive gifts from friends or family. This is the perfect opportunity to create unique thank you cards using your own vacation photos. Also, consider creating fun postcards to send to friends and family as a recap of your trip.

If you’re a professional or aspiring photographer, you can even use these postcards as a form of a business card, handing them out to curious passersby who want to know where to find more of your work.

6. Create your own custom postage stamps

Before you send off that custom postcard or thank you card, make sure you include a custom postage stamp. You can use any of your own photos or use a pre-made design. These postage stamps are real and are licensed for use by the United States Postal Service.

7. Transform your photos into wall art

It’s not unusual to capture some of your very best travel photos while on vacation. Whether it’s a great family photo or a stunning landscape, there’s almost always a photo or two in your albums that are print-worthy. So why not turn them into actual photo prints?

Making prints is incredibly easy to do via online ordering. You also have a plethora of print material options including traditional photo prints, canvas, metal prints, and even wood.

For more on printing, see these dPS articles:

• Digital Photography – Is it the Death of Prints?
• How to Size and Export Images from Lightroom for Facebook and Print
• How to Prepare Your Images for Print and Display
• 5 Steps to Creating a Printed Photo Collection as Wall Art
• 5 Tips for Going from Pixels to Print Quality

8. Print your photos on…just about anything!

Thanks to printing companies such as Zazzle, you can print your photos on a wide range of objects. T-shirts, magnets, and mugs might seem like traditional items on which you tend to find custom printed photos. But did you know that your photo can be printed on an iPhone case, blanket, pillow, bath mat, Zippo lighter, playing cards, and even a skateboard?

Over to You

What are some creative ways that you have utilized your vacation photos? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below. And show us the photos!