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Travel Photos: 12 Creative Ways to Actually Share and Display Them

Your plane has landed, you’ve unpacked your bags, and you can finally begin to think past the fog of jet lag. Just because your vacation is over doesn’t mean you forget about the magic of your recent travels.

Whether or not you regularly takes photos of life’s everyday moments, chances are you take travel photos while on vacation .

And what you need are creative ways to share and display your travel photos so you can revisit those special moments… and maybe Instagram captions for travel photos too!

Table of Contents

Discover Creative Ways to Share and Display Your Travel Photos

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When you return from a trip, are you the kind who keeps all of your photos on your phone to scroll through as you wait in line at the drive-thru?

Are you a photographer extraordinaire yet still have over 2000 photos from a recent trip on your SD card and your phone? How about a stash of photos from your previous travels?

My favorite photographer, Audrey Ann at LiveSnapLove.com , shares a few tips on how to upload and organize those photos if you are at a loss or new to travel photography.

PS. She offers some FREE cheat sheets and some pretty great courses too!

• Free Manual Mode Cheat Sheet
• Free Lightroom Starter Kit
• Free Aperture Cheat Sheet
• Free 90-Day Starter Kit
• Launch into Lightroom Course
• Auto to Awesome Course

Read on to be inspired with creative ways to share and display your travel photos and keep the memories of your travel experiences alive.

>>Related: 5 Best Travel Photography Courses for Beginners

1. Create a Look Book or Travel Photo Album

Over the past ten years, I have created travel photo albums specifically focused on a travel destination or a “year in review” that featured family vacations and epic destinations. My girls often pull out these books on a rainy afternoon. They make a perfect memento or gift for kids and grandparents at Christmas too.

TIP * Make books for each of your travel destinations as a way to journal your travels. If you have never made one, I think you would be surprised to find just how quick and easy they are to make.

Online Options:

2. Create Wall Art

Are you wondering how to display travel photos?

My husband surprised me with a Christmas gift one year of one of my favorite prints of all time. I captured the photo in Lourmarin , France as he and I explored the South of France together. The metal print now hangs in a niche in my front entry and regularly receives comments such as, “Wow, what an amazing photo?” or “Where did you get that?”

• Metal Prints
• Framed Prints
• Turn Your Photos Into a Painting

>> Related: 5 Spectacular Days in the South of France

3. Create a Travel Photo Gallery Wall

Sometimes our most favorite photos and memories are nicely catalogued and filed on our computers but could be used to decorate a room or a wall.

The cost of printing your photos is relatively inexpensive and you can often have them in less than an hour.

Create memorable travel moments in your home that inspire you to reminisce or to plan your next trip.

Take Photo Tours

4. upload to a photo sharing site.

There are a variety of sites that will allow you to store and share your photos:

• Amazon Photos
• Google Photo Sharing

5. Create and Send Gifts to Family and Friends

Beyond the photo books, many companies feature additional products that allow you to use your own photos to create works of art or mementos that you use daily. You can have your face immortalized on:

• Drink Coasters
• Travel Photo Mug
• Photo Panels
• Luggage Tags

6. Create Postcards to Send

Send an actual postcard by mail. What? That’s so 1990.

But who doesn’t love to receive a personalized note in the mail ? Better yet, who doesn’t love to receive a personalized letter in the mail with a beautiful picture that YOU took?

Astound your friends (and the delivery person) with your talent.

7. Use Your Photos as Screen Savers

• Stream photos as a Digital Screensaver on your TV – Many TVs come with streaming options and instructions on how to access your photos
• Use your travel photos as your Lock Screen and Home Screen on your phone
• Purchase a Digital Photo Frame for your home or to send photos to grandparents

>> Related: 15+ FREE Gorgeous Photos: Wallpaper for Your iPhone to Inspire Travel

8. Create a Personal Blog to Share Your Travel Photos

You can create a personal, diary-style blog to share your travel photos and everyday snapshots with family and friends. WordPress.com  or  blogger.com make this easy to set up.

I started on Blogger for my personal blog and found it easy as a newbie to use and personalize. Not only do my girls have a written record of their life, but they also have corresponding pictures from the time they were infants.

Tip * My best piece of advice to couples starting a new life together: keep a blog of your life as your family grows. I promise, someday your kids will thank you.

9. Create a Professional Travel Website

If you dream of creating a website dedicated to travel (or parenting or recipes or whatever) these are the steps to begin your journey:

• Step 1: The Best Way to Pick Your Niche and Choose a Domain
• Step 2: The Best Way to Choose a Hosting Plan and a Provider
• Step 3: The Best Way to Create Your Website

A blog is a fantastic medium for journaling travel experiences (or parenting or recipes or whatever), adding your travel photos, and beginning to share itineraries, tips, and practical advice with would-be travelers.

10. Post Your Travel Photos on Social Media

• Upload Photos to YouTube – Upload to your YouTube channel (set to private if you wish), and you have a virtual album of your trip you can watch on the big screen or send to Grandma.
• Create a Travel Instagram Site – Share your pictures with family and friends or work to create a following to grow your brand. Learn some of the Best Selfie Poses for awesome shots.
• Share on Twitter
• Add Photos to your Facebook feed
• Save photos on Pinterest
• Are you TikTok-er?

>> Related: Inspiring Instagram Captions for Travel Photos

Captions for Travel Photos

If you are looking for Instagram captions for travel photos, check out all of the these posts:

• 109 Beach Captions for Instagram
• 101 Best Travel Quotes for Instagram to Inspire Wanderlust
• 103 Romantic Instagram Quotes for Couples Who Love to Travel
• 100 Inspiring Instagram Travel Captions
• 300+ Instagram Content and Travel Caption Ideas for Bloggers

11. Sell Your Travel Photos

I have not had any experience selling my photos to stock photography websites or online marketplaces. You can learn more about that through research or online tutorials.

I do sell my photos on Just Wander More. Contact me if you are interested .

12. Create a Scrapbook Using Your Travel Photos

Are you an avid scrapbooker? I was always too busy blogging to add one more medium to my efforts to journal my travels, but many of my friends love the scrapbooks they have created over the years.

You will want to collect and save memorabilia from your trip such as ticket stubs, vouchers, a napkin, postcards, and receipts. And the hardcopy scrapbooks will give you a great excuse to print your photos and then look back through the pages.

Travel Photography Tips

Whether you are a traveler extraordinaire who hopes to take better travel photos, you want to explore the world of posting on social media, you are a mom who snaps pictures of her family  wherever you go , OR you want to UP your photography game, learning a few of the basics will help to improve the quality of your photographs.

• Plan your shots
• Edit photos and be willing to delete (sometimes that’s the hardest thing to do)
• Avoid visiting popular sites at popular times
• Avoid crowds and tour groups if possible
• Have your camera settings dialed in and act fast
• Have your phone ready to go as a back up
• Stand so people in the background are hidden from view
• Take day trips to lesser known destinations
• Simply ask people to move
• Use the crowd in your shot

>> Related: Tips to Take Better Travel Photos

Permission Granted to Delete Some Travel Photos

<GASP>

Did I really just suggest that you should DELETE some of your travel photos? Yes. Yes, I did.

In case YOU need to hear this today, I am giving you permission to delete some of your photos. Yes! You.

Why? You need to get rid of your photo clutter too.

Pictures to Delete:

• So the burst of pictures you took of the Eiffel Tower? You only need one from that angle
• Blurry or badly composed photos
• Unflattering photos of you or your family members (unless you need them for future blackmail opportunities!)
• Screenshots – Are you snapping a quick pic of your train ticket so you won’t forget your seat number? Delete it
• Selfies – Only keep the ones that are really great
• Reminders – I often take pictures of restaurant names, city names, etc. as I travel. These pics are NOT my best work. They are informational. You don’t need to keep them once you have retrieved the information you need
• Super short video clips
• Memes, recipes, kids’ school work that you sent to grandma. Delete it or create a file for them and download it
• Unintentional Photos or Videos – How many videos or photos did you snap that you didn’t even realize you took? You don’t need that shot of your left leg. Delete it .

Composition Tips

• Consider the light and your light sources
• Use the rule of thirds
• Try to not have objects sprouting out of your subject’s head
• Use natural frames
• Find leading lines as you compose your photo
• Shoot from a creative angle
• Try to capture a reflection
• Focus on the eyes
• Make sure your focus is spot on

And don’t forget to STRAIGHTEN YOUR PHOTOS PEOPLE! This happens to be a pet peeve of mine.

I am insanely talented at taking photos that are not straight, ie., the horizon slants horribly to the right.

When I get home and look at the wonkiness of the horizon or the leaning tower of anything in my travel photos, I wonder how I could have taken such a crooked photo!

If this is you as well, not to worry: photo editing programs allow you to crop and straighten the horizon or buildings or whatever on all of your photos.

I go more in depth on Photography Composition Tips, Taking Vacation Photos, How to Improve Your Photography Skills, Camera Equipment, and Tips for Looking Awesome to Take Better Travel Photos of YOU in my post Tips to Take Better Travel Photos . Check it out!

Photography Travel Gear

I take photos everyday and everywhere. Sometimes I quickly grab my phone before the opportunity is gone, and sometimes I use my DSLR for a well-composed quality shot.

And…sometimes when I travel, I have both my phone and my camera ready to go (I look like such a tourist!)

You may encounter people who are passionate about their brand of camera. There has long been a debate about which camera brand is the best—Sony, Canon, Nikon, etc. The answer?  Whatever camera you have with you !!!

Here are a few ideas for your photography travel gear options:

• Point and Shoot Camera
• Underwater Camera
• Mid-range DSLR
• Canon EF-S 18-135 mm f/3.5-5.6  
• Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens  
• Nifty Fifty

Just remember, you don’t have to travel with ALL of your photography equipment. Pack lightly. Take only the essentials. That may mean your camera body, one or two versatile lenses, and a few accessories.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some more creative ways to share and display your photos.

Photo coasters Shadow box Collage and letterboard frames Coffee table books Cork map bulletin board

Are there photo sharing apps?

Yes. You are probably already using some of them: DropBox, Flickr, Amazon Photos, Facebook, Instagram, eFamily, Google Drive, Google Photos…to name a few.

What does it mean to “upload” a photo?

You “upload” a photo to transfer it from your phone to your computer, your phone, another device, or the internet

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Final Thoughts on Creative Ways To Actually Share and Display Your Travel Photos

Travel and photography go hand in hand.

If you have been wondering what to do with all of your amazing travel photos, I hope you have some ideas now. You DO NOT have to be a professional photographer!

It is such a convenience to snap digital photos as you travel and to take as many as you wish.

So, after you have spent all that time lining up the perfect shot, taking time to find the right angle, and waiting for the best light, find ways to enjoy your photos and relive your travel memories once you return home.

P.S. They make great Christmas gifts too!

You may also enjoy these posts…

• Tips to Take Better Travel Photos (and Look Good in Them Too!)
• 27 Instagram Worthy Insanely Colorful Destinations Around the World
• Amazing Amazon Deals for Travelers on Prime Day
• 65 Awesome Travel Quotes for Instagram
• 5 Best Travel Photography Courses for Beginners

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I’m a Colorado-based travel blogger with a passion for exploring the world, enjoying family time, and taking fantastic photographs. I am also a book writing, creative thinking, detail loving, frequent flying, comfort loving mom of three girls and wife to an amazing guy. Discover More .

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20 comments.

Love all these ideas! Now I just gotta do it!

I love photography. Great tips! And the photos in this post are beautiful.

I love all of these ideas, I love looking at the pictures on the walls they bring back wonderful memories…

Awesome tips! Uploading them to a site like Pinterest is a great tip! I LOVE seeing travel shots on Pinterest and will often re-share.

So many great ways to display travel photos.

Great ideas! It is sooo much better when you actually manage to use your photos! I normally blog and create travel albums… but I love the idea of making postcards! p.s. lol i appreciate the permission to delete some too!

This was so fun! Thank you for these fun ideas, I definitely want to start a trip photo album. Also thank you for the permission to delete some photos! Lord knows I need to do that too!

These are great ideas! I love creating photo albums and photo scrapbooks with my travel photos. I also love sharing them on social media. Thanks for all the additional tips!

You listed some of my favorite camera gear – and the lenses last forever too. Great article!

Your Lourmarin, France is gorgeous! It has never occurred to me to make postcards. That is a fantastic idea. Getting snail mail that isn’t junk mail is a special treat. I share most of my stuff on facebook but I do have special family and friends that aren’t on facebook. SOMEDAY I’ll have time to scrapbook…I hope!

Thank you so much for giving me permission to delete some of my travel photos! ?I so needed to hear that! Great ideas on how to display travel photos…I do all of them.

Fantastic article, I love taking photos all around the world and I am motivated to do better and better! Reading this was inspiring!

I love all these tips. I try to make a photo book each year that has all my pictures so I can look back and easily see the pictures!

Love all these ideas! I always make a scrapbook for each of my big trips, which is fun. I love the postcard idea though too, I’ll need to try that!

This is such a helpful post, I have so many travel photos at this point that I don’t know what to do with them! Deleting them would probably be the best idea for me 😀

These are great tips! I find it difficult to keep up with all the photos and organize them. They get dumped into a folder by location and date. I’m sure there is a lot of wasted space and I should delete before moving them from my camera. Thanks for all the ideas!

Thanks for your great post. Especially I love your permission to delete some of my photos! So far I just add more of hard disc space and delete just really bad unusable photos. I definitely have to use your permission much more often.

Great ideas for share travel photos! I’ve been thinking of printing a few for the walls, but selecting the right ones is difficult.

Great suggestions! I usually scrapbook, but I have been a bit too busy lately!

We have created photo books for gifts and they were always hugely appreciated. But I must admit we don’t have any of our great photos as art on the walls. I always have an online photo gallery when we travel and share it with friends and family to travel with us. And we stream our photos to our Apple TV and enjoy them over and over again. But I sure which my hubby would get better at deleting photos so he can get his to me quicker for the blog so it is not just my photos.

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10 Tips for Displaying Your Travel Photos Back Home

Traveling opens doors to new experiences, cultures, and breathtaking views captured in photos. But what’s next after returning home with bags full of enchanting memories clicked as pictures?

It’s important to display these snapshots of your adventures so they can be remembered and shared with others. Fortunately, there are many creative ways to showcase your photos. 

From classic options like photo albums to fridge magnets or artsy alternatives, you have a plethora of methods to make your travel stories come alive in your living space.

10 Options for Displaying Your Travel Photos at Home

Journeying to far-off places creates unforgettable experiences and beautiful photos. Wondering what to do with those precious images? Let’s explore 10 creative ways to display your photos.

1. Make a Custom Painting

An eye-catching way to display your travel photos is by turning them into custom paintings. This approach allows you to depict the story behind the picture, adding an artistic flair that stands out in any room. It’s a timeless piece of decor that will remind you of your travel adventures.

2. Create a Custom Photo Book 

One of the best ways to showcase your travel experiences is to create a custom photo book . This option allows you to narrate your experiences through beautiful images and personal notes, providing an intimate journey down memory lane anytime you flip through its pages.

3. Upload to a Photo Sharing Site

Putting your travel photos on a photo-sharing site can be a fantastic option for easy access and virtual display. Sites like Flickr or Instagram let you create galleries where others can appreciate your travel experiences. It’s also a way to keep digital backups of your precious memories.

4. Build a Shadow Box

Shadow boxes are another great way to display your photos. You can add tickets, postcards, or small souvenirs from your trip alongside the photos. It gives each picture context and turns them into three-dimensional stories, capturing the essence of your adventures in one stylish display.

5. Create Postcards to Send

An interesting twist on displaying your travel photos is to turn them into personalized postcards. Send these to family and friends! It’s a different way to share your journey with others while creating special keepsakes. You’ll also be spreading joy through the classic charm of snail mail.

6. Have a Changeable Corkboard

Having a changeable corkboard at home can add dynamism to your travel photo display. Swap them around, pin something new, or put back a favorite old one whenever you like. It will keep your memory wall fresh and exciting while allowing you to relive various travel experiences.

7. Build a Professional Travel Website

Building a professional travel website could be your ultimate canvas for photo display. You have the freedom to design galleries, blogs with attached photos , and much more. In addition to sharing your adventures more broadly, you’ll be inspiring others to embark on their own travels.

8. Use Your Photos as Screen Savers

Utilizing your travel photos as screen savers or wallpapers takes a unique approach. Every time you unlock your device or return to your desktop, you’re greeted with reminders of wonderful times and fabulous places you visited. It’s an effective method to keep those memories alive.

9. Put Them Inside a Scrapbook

One of the most nostalgic ways to display your travel photos is to put them inside a scrapbook. This allows you to pair your images with notes about the trip, mementos, or any other relevant memories. This fun project makes for a highly personal keepsake of your adventures.

10. Hang Photos on a Closeline

For a rustic and homey touch, hang your travel photos on a clothesline. You can use miniature clothespins to hold the pictures on the line. This creates an easily changeable, charming display that adds personality to any room. It’s certainly an appealing way to showcase your travel tales!

In Conclusion… 

Displaying your adventurous moments shouldn’t be a struggle. It should be a journey full of delight, just like the travels themselves!

With so many options available, each one telling its own unique story, why not try something new? Whether it’s hanging them on a clothesline or making your own Instagram wall at home, make these memories visible and engaging.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I'll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure here.

10 Great Ways To Share and Display Your Travel Photos

Looking for creative ways to display your travel photos?

How many photos have you accumulated from your travels that are just sitting on your computer, hard drives, or even worse, just on your phone?

Who ever sees them?

Do you even ever look at them?

It can be such a shame.

You take all these vivid snapshots of your amazing travels, and then your photos never see the light of day.

It’s a sure way for your trips to soon become a long distant memory.

I’m sure if you had your treasured memories displayed somewhere, they would give you many happy feelings.

So, let’s stop hiding these treasures and display them loud and proud.

You may just want to see them yourself to remind you of your adventures. Or you may want to share them with family, friends and beyond.

These ideas have been compiled to give you some creative ways to display your travel photos in various ways. 

Get them off your computer and into your home – and beyond …

Looking to improve your photography? Check out my FREE Photography Resources Bundle to give you a head start.

Pre-Share – Cull and organise

Before we dive into the myriad ways to showcase your travel photos, it’s crucial to get them organised. After all, you can’t display what you can’t find!

Having an efficient photography workflow, as detailed on my blog ( Developing a Photography Workflow ), is key to ensuring your photos are safe, organised, and easily accessible.

It’s a good idea to organise your travel photos as you go. Returning home from a grand adventure only to face the daunting task of sorting through a mountain of photos can be overwhelming. It’s far simpler to do a bit of culling at the end of each day.

After your day’s exploration, settle down with your favourite drink and start uploading your photos. This is the perfect time to sift through them, deleting any duplicates and those not-quite-right shots. We’ve all been there, snapping away at the same scene, hoping one turns out just perfect – it’s okay to let some of those go.

And remember, backing up your photos daily is just as important.

Now that you’re organised, it’s time to bring those amazing travel photos to life in ways you might not have imagined.

Yes, you read that right. I’m actually suggesting you should DELETE some of your travel photos. 

And today, I’m giving you the green light to do just that.

Why, you ask? 

Well, it’s all about decluttering your digital photo collection. Just like we occasionally need to declutter our homes, the same goes for our photo libraries.

Photos to Consider Deleting:

• The Photo Burst : Remember that series of shots you took of the Sydney Opera House from the same angle? Chances are, one great photo is enough to capture the memory.
• Blurry or Poorly Composed Shots : If it doesn’t add to your story or it’s just not up to par, it’s okay to let it go.
• Unflattering People Photos : We all have those less-than-perfect shots of ourselves or family and friends. Unless they’re earmarked for a bit of light-hearted future blackmail, you might want to consider letting them go.
• Screenshots and Reminders: Snapped a quick photo of your ticket or a restaurant name for reference? Once it’s served its purpose, feel free to delete it.
• Selective Selfies : Keep only the selfies that truly shine. If it doesn’t make you smile, it’s not worth the space.
• Informational Snaps : Photos taken for information rather than aesthetics don’t need a permanent home in your gallery.
• The Oops Moments: We all have them – the accidental photo of your foot or a blurry shot of the ground. These are easy deletions.

Remember, it’s about quality, not quantity. By being selective with your photos, you’re not only freeing up space but also ensuring that your photo collection truly reflects the beauty and joy of your travels.

Wall Prints

Whether it’s a dedicated photography tour or your own adventures, I’m sure you come home with some stunning images. At least a couple of these should end up being displayed – and why not go BIG!

So, have some printed and proudly display them on your walls. This could be at home or your work if allowed.

There are so many options available, whether that’s at a local printer or online.

One thing to consider is if you would like to change them up regularly?

To do this, I recommend buying quality frames and having your photos printed to fit. This way, you can change them without it being super expensive.

Struggling to know which travel photos to choose?

There really isn’t a right or wrong way to choose art for your home. I have a post to help you choose the right photos for your space ( Choosing the Right Art for Your Space ).

It all comes down to style, size, number of prints, type of framing, and above all – you must love what you choose.

It really is lovely to look around your home and see your travel photos displayed. This is definitely my number one recommendation of what to do with your travel photos.

Photo Books: Compact and Creative Displays

While I absolutely recommend printing your travel photos for your walls, you might find yourself limited by space. That’s where photo books or albums come in as a fantastic alternative.

Consider creating an ongoing series of books to chronicle your adventures. These books are not only easy to make but also a cost-effective way to showcase your travel memories.

If you’ve been organising your photos during your travels, compiling a photo book becomes a breeze. For a more traditional approach, simply print your photos, select a charming album, and voilà – you’ll soon have a tangible series of your travel tales.

Why not elevate your photo album experience by creating an online photo book? These are just as easy to craft, won’t break the bank, and offer a delightful way to permanently capture your journeys.

For those in Australia, there are several online companies that print and ship locally. Here are three I recommend:

• Photobookshop

The convenience of these services is remarkable – you can upload photos directly from your phone, Google Photos, Dropbox, and even social media.

Displaying these photo books on your coffee table is not only a stylish choice but also a great conversation starter, allowing you to share your travels in a fun and interactive way.

Photography is the art of making memories tangible ~ Destin Sparks (Australian Landscape Photographer)

Create a Scrapbook

If you’re someone who enjoys getting crafty, creating a scrapbook adventure journal for your travel photos can be a delightful project.

Start with a blank book as your canvas, and let your creativity flow. 

This isn’t just about photos; it’s a chance to weave in souvenirs like tickets, stickers, and any little mementos you’ve collected along your journey. 

Your imagination is the only limit here.

While I’ve been more focused on blogging, I know many who find joy in scrapbooking their travels. 

It’s a wonderful way to physically preserve memories, giving you a tangible connection to your experiences.

In your scrapbook, don’t hesitate to include a variety of memorabilia from your trips – think ticket stubs, postcards, even a charming napkin or receipts. These items add texture and depth to your story.

This adventure scrapbook becomes a unique anthology of your travels, a personal compilation of diverse experiences. 

Each page is a blank slate, inviting you to create layouts that reflect the essence of your journeys. 

It’s more than a photo album; it’s a narrative of your adventures, with each souvenir adding its own chapter to your travel tales.

Calendars: A Year-Round Showcase of Your Travels

Creating calendars is a fantastic way to sort through your photos of a particular year or locations, and they make excellent gifts.

There are numerous companies where you can order online at a reasonable price, and calendars are always a hit. I’ve even known people who later cut out their favourite images to frame them, making these calendars a gift that keeps on giving.

These can also be a brilliant fundraising tool if you’re involved in any community groups. Think schools, sports teams, dance groups – the possibilities are endless. What’s more, it’s cost-effective as you can take pre-orders with a deposit, which helps manage and reduce your out-of-pocket expenses.

When it comes to themes, consider showcasing photos of your local area, members of the groups, or the sporting clubs you’re supporting. Themes like flowers, birds, or landscapes offer endless creative possibilities.

Here’s a tip : Start planning a theme early in the year for your calendar. This can also serve as a fantastic photography project, especially if you find yourself in a creative rut.

Creating truly personal calendar gifts is straightforward with the plethora of online options available. 

Keep an eye out for sales, choose your size and design, and you’re all set.

Remember, there’s often a discount for bulk purchases, making these calendars a great option for Christmas gifts too!

You can choose from wall calendars, desk calendars, and even diaries – the variety is impressive with so many sites offering these options.

Greeting Cards: Personal Touches from Your Travels

Greeting cards are another fantastic and cost-effective way to share your travel photos.

Much like calendars, purchasing them in bulk means you’ll always have a unique card on hand for any occasion.

This is the perfect opportunity to unleash your creativity with your own unique designs.

Most companies that print calendars also offer greeting cards in a variety of styles, making it easy to find something that suits your taste.

For those running a small business, why not consider using your travel photos on your business cards? It’s a great way to add a personal touch and stand out.

Gifts and Home Decor: Turning Photos into Everyday Treasures

When it comes to photo gifts, the possibilities truly are endless – puzzles, cushions, towels, and so much more.

One creative idea I’ve come across is to create a collage of your travel photos and print it in A3 size. Imagine using this as unique wrapping paper – I’m definitely excited to try this out!

The ease of creating these items is remarkable, thanks to the plethora of online printing companies available.

In addition to the ones I’ve mentioned before, don’t overlook Zazzle, and even Big W and Vistaprint. They offer some great options.

Using your travel photos in this way is not just creative; it’s about bringing a piece of your journey into everyday life.

Here are some more ideas to transform your photos into functional art:

• Drink Bottles
• Coffee Mugs
• Towels and Tea Towels
• Mouse Mats and Laptop Sleeves
• Phone Covers
• T-Shirts or any other clothing item you can imagine.

The list is becoming endless …

Digital Photo Frames: A Dynamic Display of Memories

Embrace the modern approach to photo display with a digital photo frame. These ingenious devices allow you to effortlessly send your photos directly from your phone or digital camera to the frame.

With a digital photo frame, there’s no need to painstakingly select your favourite photos from your last trip – you can showcase them all! The frame will rotate through your collection, displaying each memory for a set amount of time. This way, every photo gets its moment in the spotlight.

It’s a fantastic way to keep your travel memories alive and continuously refreshed, adding a dynamic touch to your home decor.

Screensavers: Your Personal Gallery on Display

Why not turn your favourite vacation photo into your phone’s screensaver or your computer’s desktop background? 

There’s something truly uplifting about seeing a stunning photo you’ve taken yourself, rather than the standard screensavers on mobiles and laptops. 

Plus, it often becomes a great conversation starter when others notice it.

Consider streaming your travel photos as a digital screensaver on your TV. Many modern TVs come with streaming capabilities, allowing you to bring your travel memories to life on a larger scale.

On Your Phone : Use your travel photos as both the Lock Screen and Home Screen. It’s a small change that brings a personal touch every time you use your phone.

Smart TV Screensavers : Most smart TVs enable you to upload custom images as screensavers. Imagine cycling through your travel photos on your living room TV, creating a dynamic display of your adventures. It’s a wonderful way to relive those memories without being confined to a single image.

This approach is not only free but also incredibly easy to set up. It transforms your everyday screens into a gallery of your personal travel stories, constantly reminding you of the beautiful places you’ve visited.

Want a deep dive into exposure? I wanted to share a special freebie for you if you’re also new to photography. It’s my FREE Exposure Quick Start Guide designed to get you started in your journey by learning the elements of exposure and start taking better photos – Fast! The Exposure Triangle : Understand the foundation of great photography. ISO : Learn how to master light sensitivity to enhance your shots. Aperture : Explore the world of depth and focus. Shutter Speed : Capture life’s moments with precision. On-The-Go Cheatsheet : Your handy companion for quick reference in the field. This FREE  instant PDF Download will set you up for great photos, so grab it now.

Social Media: Sharing Your Journeys with the World

It might seem obvious to many, but it’s quite surprising how often people hesitate to share their travel photos.

I understand this sentiment – that was me when I started. 

But I’ve learned that if I appreciate a photo, chances are, someone else will too. 

If you’re a bit hesitant, start with sharing just a few photos and gradually build up your confidence.

Beyond just sharing with friends, consider joining photography groups. These communities are fantastic for connecting with like-minded individuals, gaining inspiration from others’ work, and receiving constructive feedback.

Another avenue to explore is creating a dedicated Facebook page or Instagram account for your photography. This not only serves as a platform to showcase your work but also chronicles your photographic journey.

Don’t overlook online platforms like Flickr or SmugMug. 

These sites offer more than just a space to share; they provide secure storage for your photos. The pro version of Flickr, for instance, is an excellent tool for backing up your best travel shots, offering an additional layer of security for your precious memories. 

Plus, these platforms make it easy to share your photos with friends and family.

Start a Blog: Your Personal Travel Chronicle

Starting a blog can be as private or as public as you wish. It’s quite simple to create a blog or website and control who gets access. 

Whether it’s just for family and/or selected friends – with a password – or for your eyes only, the choice is entirely up to you. 

You can even opt to email it to those who might be interested, or keep it to yourself.

I personally treasure a collection of old school notebooks, handwritten accounts of every overseas trip I took with my late husband. 

Each day, I would sit down (with a beer, of course) and write a summary of our day. These notebooks are precious to me, bringing both laughter and tears whenever I revisit them.

There are numerous free blogging platforms to start with, or it can be as straightforward as maintaining a Word document. 

I often use Google Docs for drafting my blog posts – it’s what I used for this article too. 

Then, I simply copy and paste into my blog. This method also ensures I always have a backup for future reference.

In wrapping up, these ten great ways to display your travel photos offer a world of possibilities to share and relive your cherished memories. 

Whether it’s through a beautifully crafted photo book, a personalised calendar, or a digital showcase, each method brings your adventures closer to you and your loved ones. 

Remember, every photo tells a story, and it’s these stories that connect us, inspire us, and remind us of the beauty we’ve encountered on our journeys. 

So, delve into your collection, choose your favourite way to display, and keep those memories alive and vivid.

That’s it for now – Keep clicking and sipping 📷 ☕ 🍷

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Other Helpful Articles:

• Developing A Photography Workflow
• Choosing The Right Art For Your Space
• Travel Photography Tips: 40+ Essential Tips For Great Photos
• 80+ Great Travel Photography Quotes To Inspire Your Wanderlust

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Sam is the creator of cameracoffeeandcabernet.net, a website dedicated to photography and solo travel. Based in Australia, Sam combines her passion for photography and travel to bring you tips, insights and experiences to help you plan, pack, and make the most of your photography while on the road.

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9 Creative Ways To Display Your Travel Photos

Searching for unique and creative ideas to display your travel photos? Traveling is an amazing experience that allows you to explore new cultures, meet new people, and create unforgettable memories. So why not relive those moments by displaying your travel photos? These creative travel photo display ideas add a personal touch to your home decor and also serve as a daily reminder of your incredible adventures. Here are the best unique and inspiring ideas for displaying your favorite travel memories.

Creative Ways to Display Holiday Photos

1) make a travel gallery wall .

Create a fun travel gallery wall display highlighting your best travel photos. Mix and match different sizes and mediums to create a unique space with your top travel images. Select a theme like beaches, your favorite dive spots, or scenic sunset views from all around the world. .

2) Design a Calendar

Why buy a generic calendar when you can make a beautiful travel wall calendar with your travel photos? It’s also a good reminder to plan a trip soon!

3) Create a Coffee Table Photo Book

Share your favorite memories in a photo book that will last forever. You can add custom details to make it your own or use a template.

4) Make a Scrapbook

Save your airplane tickets and anything that reminds you of your trip and add it to a fun scrapbook to remember your best holidays. Write down the top things to do and where to eat so you can remember it for next time.

5) Use Reclaimed Materials To Display Photos

Get creative and find unique things to use to hang your photos like mini clothespins . Make a beautiful frame by gluing small pieces of driftwood to a frame you already have. You can also use twine or rustic string to wrap around a rod or piece of driftwood and create a photo display to hang travel photos.

6) Design a Unique Gift  

Whether you’re looking for a gift for Mother’s Day , Father’s Day , a birthday or a celebration, give them a unique gift with a travel photo on it. Design a cute tote, mugs, magnets, puzzles, and ornaments for the holidays.

7) Make a Custom Map

Design a custom map with photos of your top adventures. This is a great gift idea and one of our favorite creative travel photo display ideas.

8) Save your Travel Photos in a Journal

Whenever you get the travel bug, reach for your travel journal or keepsake box to remind you of your fondest travel memories. For some extra encouragement, add testimonials and kind words to your journal that you can look at when you need an extra confidence boost.

9) Make Save the Dates or Holiday Cards

Create one-of-a-kind greeting cards, stationery or holiday cards with your travel photos.

Conclusion: How to Display Travel Photos at Home

We hope these travel photo display ideas inspire you to create something beautiful with your vacation photos. Whether you create a wall gallery or use a digital photo frame , there are so many great ways to display your top travel moments.

What are favorite travel photo display ideas?

You may also like:

THE BEST TRAVEL PHOTO APPS TO EDIT ON YOUR PHONE

How to Display Your Travel Photos at Home

Posted on Published:

Table of Contents

Travel photos often hold cherished memories of beautiful places, interesting people, and unique experiences. Displaying these photos in your home allows you to revisit these special moments and share them with others. Plus, they add personality and a global feel to your home décor. Here are some tips for displaying your travel photos in creative and stylish ways.

Create a Dedicated Gallery Wall

A gallery wall is an ideal solution for showcasing a collection of travel photos. This could be a montage of your favorite moments or a series of shots from a single memorable trip. You can bring your photos to life with high-quality photo prints from Hello Canvas . For a cohesive look, consider using frames of the same color and style. Alternatively, mix and match frames for an eclectic, collected-over-time look.

Mix Sizes and Formats

Displaying your travel photos in various sizes and formats can make your display more visually interesting. You could combine larger, framed prints with smaller, unframed prints. You might also consider displaying photos in different formats, such as traditional prints, canvas prints, or even printed on metal or wood. This variety can make your display more dynamic and engaging.

Incorporate Other Travel Mementos

Your travel photos can be combined with other mementos from your trips to create a multi-dimensional display. Postcards , tickets, maps, and other small keepsakes can be displayed alongside your photos to add context and interest. These items can be framed individually, or arranged together in a shadow box or display case.

Theme Your Displays

The theming of your displays can add an extra layer of meaning to your travel photos. You could group photos by location, organizing separate displays for each country or city you’ve visited. Alternatively, you could theme your displays around specific experiences, such as wildlife encounters, architectural marvels, or local cuisine.

Experiment with Layouts

Don’t be afraid to get creative with the layout of your travel photo display. Instead of simply aligning your photos in a straight line, try arranging them in a grid pattern, overlapping frames for a layered effect, or even creating a unique shape, such as a heart or a map outline. Play around with different arrangements before committing to a final design. You can even use removable adhesive strips or hooks to easily reposition the frames if you change your mind.

Consider Lighting

Proper lighting can significantly enhance the impact of your travel photo display. If possible, position your gallery wall or display in an area with natural light, such as near a window. Natural light can bring out the colors and details in your photos and create a warm and inviting atmosphere. If natural light is limited, you can use accent lighting, such as spotlights or picture lights, to highlight specific photos or add a soft glow to the entire display.

Do some DIY

DIY projects offer a wonderful opportunity to infuse your own personal touch into the display of your travel photos. Not only do they allow you to showcase your creativity, but they can also be cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Whether you choose to create a clothespin and string display, design a unique photo collage, or repurpose vintage items like suitcases or window frames, the possibilities are endless. DIY displays add an extra layer of sentimentality and craftsmanship to your home, making your travel photos even more special and meaningful.

Display Moments Digitally

We love using digital picture frames to display our favorite moments. We can control what images get displayed via mobile phones.

We love the luxury digital frames by Aura which also come with their own App. You can also find more affordable digital frames on Amazon .

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Planes, Trains, & Monorails

Family travel tips from across town to around the world!

How to Display Your Travel Photos

November 27, 2020 Leave a Comment

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Any links in this post to a merchant may contain an affiliate link, which means that if you click on that link and then buy something, I may earn a commission from it.  However, all opinions in this link are 100% mine and 100% honest.  If I didn't believe in a particular product, I wouldn't recommend it to you.

Do you take tons of photos when you travel? When you get back home, do you just leave them on your phone or camera? I know I have a tendency to do this. If you do too, here are some easy ways to display your travel photos so you can share them with your friends and family!

#1: Put them in a scrapbook.

My favorite way to display your travel photos is to put them in a scrapbook.

Print out your favorite pictures and buy a scrapbook you like. If you are crafty, glue your photos to scrapbook paper with some cute embellishments. If you aren’t a crafty person, then buy photo sleeves that have spots for multiple photos on each page.

Then you can store your scrapbooks on a bookshelf. This will allow you to take them out easily to enjoy or share with friends and family.

#2: Make a photo book.

A wonderful (and easy) alternative to scrapbooks is to make photo books with your travel photos. Upload your photos to a service like Shutterfly . Create your book and order. It’s as simple as that!

I have used Shutterfly many times to make photo books and have always been happy. They do a great job. You can completely customize your books and print them in a variety of sizes. You can also choose soft or hard cover books.

As a bonus, many times you will find photo books on sale at Shutterfly! So you can save money while also displaying your travel photos!

#3: Put them in a digital photo frame.

If you really aren’t feeling creative and want to just dump your photos into a useable format, then a digital photo frame may be the solution for you.

Get yourself a digital frame you love and download your travel photos onto it. Then put it in a spot at home or in your office where you can easily see it and enjoy reliving your trips everyday.

#4: Make a slide show for your screen saver.

If you spend a lot of time on your computer, then another option to display your travel photos so you can enjoy them is to make a slide show for your screen saver.

This option will allow you to relive all those fantastic trips even when you are up to your eyeballs in work. It will also help remind you that it’s time for another vacation!

#5: Blow them up and frame them (or put them on a canvas).

Another one of my favorite ways to display your travel photos is to blow up the best one and frame it. I really like buying a frame while we are on a trip and then putting a picture from that trip into it.

Alternatively, you could blow up one of your best pictures and have it printed on canvas.

Regardless of whether you choose a frame or canvas, this idea will allow you to display your travel photos throughout your home. This will surround you with your favorite memories and make your home feel warm and interesting to guests.

#6: Make a puzzle, mug, or mousepad from a favorite photo.

If you prefer a more practical method to display your travel photos, then this one is for you! Pick out a cherished photo and have it printed on a puzzle, mug, or mousepad. You can choose any of these items (and many more) at Shutterfly.

You could also have your photos printed onto Christmas ornaments to give your tree a collection of favorite memories. This is also a great idea for giving the gift of travel memories to your loved ones!

It’s very easy for all of us to take a bunch of photos while we are on vacation and then forget about them when we come home. And before we know it, our travels are just sitting there on our phones and/or camera for months and years.

To fully enjoy your photos, get them off the camera and into a format where you and your family can enjoy them on a regular basis. These ideas are all easy ways to display your travel photos that you can start using today!

For more practical travel tips, see how to save for vacation , how to plan an epic family trip , how to take amazing vacations on any budget , and why you need a bucket list . Happy travels!

P.S. Are you ready to take that trip you’ve been dreaming about for years? Our FREE worksheet “How to Turn Your Dream Trip Into A Reality” can help you get there! Grab your copy in the box below and start planning today!

Plus, as a bonus, you’ll receive our weekly email newsletter full of trip ideas and travel tips to make your family travel easier than ever!

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Family Photography How To

7 tips on how to display photos in a home or gallery so they look gorgeous.

( Editor’s Note: Jan-Ole Schmidt is an avid photographer and a Product Manager at WhiteWall.com , a professional online photo lab.)

Everyone has at least one folder of images labeled “my best shots,” or something to that effect, on their computers. The images run the gamut from stunning landscapes and sunsets to great family portraits, travel images from your last vacation, amazing street scenes, work from client assignments, and so much more.

But for many photographers, these great photos all share a common theme: they are all stuck in a folder on your computer and none of them ever get to grace the walls of your home or office. Oftentimes this is due to confusion – and fear – about properly reproducing your images so they look gorgeous on your walls. What type of substrate should I use and how do I properly display photos to create a great gallery wall or match the décor of a room?

Producing great prints for display also takes time, which is something many of us don’t have, and another reason why some of your best photos never make it to the wall. Creating the prints, determining the matting and framing, and designing the overall layout of a gallery wall all seems a bit daunting, and thus gets pushed off for another time that never seems to arrive.

But have no fear! Here are my 7 tips to help you select, print, and hang your best photos so they look gorgeous.

Tip 1: Create an “Assignment” for Yourself and Make it Fun
 Creating a gallery of your photos takes time and it’s easy to delay the process, especially when work, family and life in general, get in the way. To get the process started, give yourself an assignment to create your gallery, complete with deadlines. Getting your photos physically on the wall requires several stages of planning. Working through those stages one by one with achievable deadlines for each will go a long way toward reaching your goal. Above all else, have fun with the process.

Tip 2: ICC Profiles and Paper Selection 
 Most photographers have experienced situations where image previews on their monitor do not exactly match the output from their printers. This may be caused by the monitor being too bright, not having the correct calibration or profile, or insufficient hardware. Calibration tools from companies such as Datacolor and Xrite can rectify this. If you are using an online lab to make your prints, many labs provide ICC profiles to create precise calibration for each paper surface they offer, including WhiteWall. Precise profiles can be achieved by downloading ICC profiles for specific papers and calibrating the photos you want to print, in Photoshop.  In addition, different substrates such as acrylic glass and metal can effect the ICC profile, which is why WhiteWall’s ICC profiles take these substrates into consideration when creating profiles for its papers.

Tip 3: Think Outside the Design Box By nature we think in terms of perfect symmetry. Exact sizes, even numbers of items, and identical shapes often prevent us from looking at specific walls or gallery spaces and seeing the true potential for utilizing that space.  The secret is to trust your instincts and let your imagination take over.

Tip 4: The Right Print 
 If you’re a newcomer to the world of photo printing and gallery hanging, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the large selection of materials you can print your images on — acrylic glass, aluminum, canvas, traditional wood frames, or something entirely different.  Now that you have decided on the overall layout of your gallery wall using your paper templates, you should look at each photo individually and consider what materials or finish would make each photo look its best. If you want your wall art to still look amazing years down the road, it’s worth it to invest in really high-quality prints. Prints on different materials will have different auras about them, which can significantly affect the overall result. With the right choices, you can create your own personal work of art that will ideally continue to bring you joy for many years.

Tip 5: Have a Theme
 Like any good picture story there are certain photos that are integral to telling a complete story. It draws attention to what’s important. Telling a story with art on your wall should follow the same general rule. Having a consistent theme throughout your display gives it a sense of harmony and what you display says a lot about you as a person, and a photographer. Don’t underestimate the importance of picking the right pictures.

Tip 6: Make Connections 
It is especially “atmospheric” when a particular hue, its complementary color, or a certain material can be found in multiple furnishings and pictures throughout the room. Pay attention to detail and let your pictures mirror the patterns and materials found in other furnishings. For example, WhiteWall offers a wide array of mattes in various shades and colors so you can always find the right color for your picture and the environment where they will be hung. In addition, select a picture frame with a color or material that recurs in other furnishings. Consider how the frame becomes a part of the picture, ultimately influencing how the photo itself is perceived.

Tip 7: Optimal Arrangement To get a better idea of how your gallery wall will look, we suggest you take sheets of paper and cut them into the sizes and shapes you want your photos to be on your wall.  Tape sheets of paper together to create a template for the larger images and mark the face of each shape with a brief description of the photo you are thinking to use for that specific shape. Gently tack them to the wall using small pieces of putty and feel free to move them around until you like the overall pattern of shapes and sizes.

As soon as your images arrive you can also get an impression of your hanging by laying the pictures out on the floor to get a feel for how they look together. You can easily move them around until you find the best arrangement for your wall. Once you like the layout, take a photo with your camera or phone and use it as a guide when it comes time to actually hanging the art.

Remember, larger photos at eye-level get noticed first and smaller pictures help provide additional details about the story you want to tell with your gallery of photos. Choosing the optimal ‘eye-level’ depends on whether you’ll mainly be viewing the pictures while standing or seated. Squares, rectangles, and ovals can all play nicely together and determining which photo gets certain treatment is completely up to you.  The idea here is to not be afraid to mix it up.  If you would like to hang a group of pictures together, you should put the best photos near the middle or position slightly higher in the grouping to draw stronger attention to these images first.

These are just a few tips to help get you started toward creating an amazing print gallery of your best photos. The important thing to remember is to trust your creative instincts and have fun with the entire process. In the end, you will have a beautiful collection of images you can be proud of every time you (and others) enter the room.

About WhiteWall 
 WhiteWall is a professional online photo lab based in Berlin, Germany.  Their unique blend of custom photo processes and finishing services have provided photographers and consumers alike with gallery quality products since 2007.  Best known for its photos under acrylic glass, brilliant HD Metal and aluminum prints, and hand-crafted frames, the award-winning online photo lab offers over 1,000 different product variations.

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Want to take better photos? Here’s how to practice at home

A Nat Geo pro gives tips on using your smartphone or tablet to solve common photography problems.

Some tricky photography scenarios can be addressed with a simple tool you already have—a smartphone or tablet. Now’s the time to practice, before you take off on a post-pandemic trip.

I’ve been photographing the same three people—my family—for the past eight months. After the pandemic grounded travelers in March, our planned trip came and went, while we remained at home in a seemingly shrinking world.

As a photographer, I’m inclined to look outward, to people and locations beyond my immediate orbit. Home isn’t usually where I find inspiration. But these days, like most people, I’ve had to make the ordinary interesting, to keep myself sane and to prepare for what I’ll do when I am out and about in the world again.

( Related: These destinations are on the rise for 2021 .)

One project I’ve been focusing on is the use of unconventional light sources in ways that I hadn’t considered before. To my surprise, it turns out that a helpful photographic tool happened to be in my pocket all along, and so I experimented with photographing my family over the course of a day using my smartphone or tablet as a light source for my DSLR camera. ( Learn some tips for taking the perfect family selfie .)

As I was shooting, I thought about how my approaches could solve problems that commonly arise when traveling.

Hatching a bright idea

For National Geographic, I normally take photos in a studio, where I have a multitude of flashes, softboxes, and light modifiers. Without easy access to my usual equipment—or interesting places to take it—I’ve gotten creative.

In my experiments, I discovered a number of challenging photographic scenarios that can be solved with the light from a tablet or smartphone. While these tools won’t do the trick every time, they can be quite handy as long as you keep a few pointers in mind.

Tablet and smartphone screens will never be brighter than daylight, so consider where and when you’re photographing. For my testing, I was able to control the ambient light or shoot at a time of day when I could maximize the impact of the screen lighting. And I used a camera that allowed me to adjust the exposure manually.

The images in this article were shot in my house and neighborhood, without any subsequent Photoshopping or other significant editing. I always used the highest screen brightness and a white screen background to eliminate any color cast. (An app such as MyLight—Flashlight can be helpful.)

Here are four photo problems that tablet or smartphone illumination can help solve. Practice at home—and you’ll be ready for your next big trip!

( Related: Here are the best compact cameras for 2021 .)

Problem: Losing your subject in a busy background

Tablet light was practically made for challenges such as a restaurant or a hotel with an overzealous decorator. By bringing an illuminated iPad close to the subject’s face, and exposing for that light, the background will go dark, giving you a soft but dramatic look.

Photographer Rebecca Hale asked her son to hold an illuminated tablet near his face, and she set the camera exposure for that light.

With this technique, Hale created a portrait eliminating the background and putting a pleasing light on the subject’s face.

Since a tablet can’t outshine daylight, a dimly lit space gives the best results. I photographed my son in a busy room in our house, exposed for the light on his face, and was able to eliminate everything else from the scene, achieving a studio feel with one simple tool.

Hold the tablet near the person and experiment with moving it around to see how the light and shadows shift. Shooting these sorts of intimate portraits are a great way to understand how light behaves.

( Related: See the top travel photos of 2020 .)

Problem: Bright lights botching your exposure

We’ve all been there, trying to photograph someone against the neon lights of a night market or the rows of candles in a cathedral. The camera auto-exposes for the scene, and everything is blown out. Or the lights look great, but your subject becomes a silhouette.

Hale’s son shines the light from a tablet onto her daughter, posing in front of the family Christmas tree.

In the resulting image, both her daughter and the tree lights are nicely exposed.

You can solve this with a flash, of course, but a tablet or smartphone light works, too. With this in mind, I positioned my daughter in front of our Christmas tree. My son held a tablet, set on maximum brightness, above and slightly in front of her face, just out of the frame.

By moving the tablet forward just a few inches, I was able to capture a little catchlight (a gleam of reflected light) in her eye and preserve the soft mood of the scene.

Problem: Not enough ambient light for a still life

Perhaps you’re in an artisan’s workshop, and you want to photograph the handmade creations. But you’re faced with too little daylight or too much unattractive overhead light.

If you have a tripod to steady your camera, you can use a longer manual exposure, with the tablet as a really effective light source. Propping the tablet on its side will give you a nice raking effect. Even if you don’t have a tripod, you can still pull this off, but the key is to minimize the ambient light, so your tablet is the primary source. You can practice this at home by setting up a display of your favorite travel souvenirs .

Pro tip: Turn off the overhead lights or pull the blinds, so you don’t have conflicting color temperatures in your shot.

( Related: Learn more travel photography tips .)

Problem: Sunset turning your subject into a silhouette

Like the bright lights scenario, this is a situation where you need to outsmart your camera. If the camera is left on automatic exposure, it will likely wash out a setting sun or make your travel companion a black blob.

For a portrait of her son taken at dusk, Hale positioned her tablet on a tripod.

The tablet light prevented the subject from turning into a featureless silhouette.

One fix is to crank up the brightness on your tablet, bring it close to your subject, and expose for that light. The background will remain darkly radiant, and a soft light will fall on the subject.

Timing is obviously key here. If you’re trying to photograph at dusk, be prepared well ahead. I often start shooting before the light is right and continue shooting as it changes. You don’t want to be fiddling with your setup when the perfect illumination strikes. It’ll be there before you know it.

Related Topics

• PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS
• TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY

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How to display travel souvenirs – 50+ creative ways

Yes, it’s true guys, there might be affiliate links in this awesome, free post. This means that if you decide to buy something that you find here, and you use one of my links to do so, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I plan to use this money on ice cream, chocolate, and to travel more so I can write these useful guides for you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Traveling is one of the most exciting and enriching experiences we can have. Exploring new places, meeting new people, and trying new foods are just some of the things that make traveling so special. And of course, bringing back souvenirs is a great way to remember those experiences and keep them close to our hearts.

But what do you do with all those souvenirs once you’re back home? It’s easy to let them collect dust on a shelf or get lost in a drawer, but there are so many creative ways to display them and keep those memories alive. From classic options like framing postcards and photos to more unconventional ideas like turning travel maps into wallpaper, there are endless possibilities for showcasing your souvenirs in a way that reflects your personality and style.

In this article, we’ve compiled more than 50 of the most creative ways to display travel souvenirs. Whether you’re a minimalist or a maximalist, a DIY enthusiast, or a fan of store-bought solutions, there’s something here for everyone. So, dust off those souvenirs and get ready to turn them into meaningful works of art that will inspire you every day.

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Shelf displays for travel souvenirs.

Shelves are a great way to display your travel souvenirs, and there are many creative ways to do so. When arranging your souvenirs on shelves, keep in mind the overall aesthetic of the room. Choose a color scheme and style that complements the way you decorate your space with travel souvenirs. Don’t overcrowd the shelves – leave some space to allow the items to breathe. And don’t be afraid to switch things up from time to time to keep your display fresh and interesting. Here are a few tips to make your souvenir display look amazing:

• Use floating shelves to create a minimalist display. Arrange your souvenirs in a way that creates balance and visual interest. Don’t be afraid to experiment with various sizes until you feel the balance looks just how you like.
• Group items by color or theme. For example, if you have a collection of pottery from different countries, group them on a shelf.
• Use a mix of items, such as small figurines, postcards, and photographs, to create a layered display. Vary the heights of the items to add depth.
• Display your souvenirs in shadow boxes or on small easels. This will give them a more formal, museum-like feel.
• If you have a large collection of travel mementos to display, consider creating a gallery wall. Use a mix of shelves, frames, and other display items to create a visually stunning display. Who knows, maybe you’ll open up your house for visitors at one point.
• Hang items from a kitchen utensil holder or a hanging jewelry display, if you need. You have plenty of options online to make them look great and match your desired aesthetic, so check out these options as well.

And here are a few ideas on how and what types of souvenirs you can combine on various shelves. Feel free to mix and match by using shelves, tables, or small parts of your room.

• Make up a corner with your related items per country (an Indian corner, a Chinese corner, a French corner, etc.). Combine things like books, tea sets, and various other items to give the full feeling of the destination.
• Display all of your travel guides (from Lonely Planet or independent travelers, like mine ) on a bookshelf. Who doesn’t want to see a wall full of books, am I right?
• Make decorative arrangements with sand and shells in IKEA glass containers (or their Amazon version ). The same can be done for other types of souvenirs like sand from the desert, rock collections, or other natural items you are allowed to take. That last part is not negotiable: you shouldn’t take anything from the environment if the rules forbid you to.
• Create handpainted Christmas tree decorations with each destination. If you’re more artistic, you can paint each destination on a simple Christmas tree globe, or you can buy some already-made ones from Etsy . In the end, most souvenirs are not sourced locally anyway, so you can choose to be creative with this.
• Create personalized decoration items like pillowcases, embroidered pillows, or throw blankets. These will make your house look warm and cozy and will make you dream of traveling every time you see them. Don’t overdo it though because it stops being funny and starts being in-your-face instead. Check out this example from Etsy.
• Get a travel keepsake box for each destination and add all of your related items to it. Then, display them in a corner of your living room or bedroom after labeling (or use some personalized boxes if you can), so you create a nice overview of your accomplishments. You get bonus points if this memory box is in the shape of a suitcase , and it’s even better if you can find sets of them in assorted colors. This is also a great gift for a traveling couple , for example.
• Create a shadowbox for each destination, including maps, ticket stubs, postcards, etc., or even 3D items like shells, rocks, or small figurines. Arrange them in a grid for a modern and minimalist display, or just put them randomly throughout the house for a more relaxed feeling.
• Make a collage of your boarding passes, luggage tags, entry tickets, public transportation tickets, etc. from a destination and display them on a shelf. You can also hang these on a wall and make a huge piece of wall art with it. It’s a nice way to reuse these items that will otherwise be thrown away.
• Make resin or epoxy art to remember your trips like these amazing rings on Etsy . You can either make nice standing pieces of art to display, or you can even make rings and pendants to wear all the time. I’ve even seen epoxy decorations made out of coins from various countries, so the sky is the limit when it comes to resin art.
• Display all airplane models you have flown on a shelf. This is more for aviation passionate people, but there are more like us than you think. You can either buy the models straight from the airlines so they have the correct logos as well, or you can buy generic ones from Amazon. If you want to be even fancier, you can make 3D puzzles with them and you get to double your fun.
• Make coasters with photocopied versions of your passport stamps. You can either use them as day-to-day coasters, or you can add them as a collection to each destination’s shelf or corner. They’re a conversation starter for sure as any guest will see them for sure.

• Make an embroidery of your travel itinerary , especially for road trips. You can use a map to do so, and old maps look particularly great for this. Then, use embroidery floss and needles to stitch the route you have used, and you can even choose the colors in a way that matches the map’s colors. You can then display these on a special shelf.
• Create a travel binder . You can use a journal bought from each destination to hold the items, making the binder part of the fun, and you can add all sorts of items to it. Include printed photos, postcards, maps, notes from your journaling throughout the trip, entry tickets, transportation tickets, stamps, and everything else you can think of.
• Make origami-specific items and display them on a string, as a mobile for babies, or together on a shelf. You can do virtually anything with origami items, as you can make them of any size and color, and it’s a great way to spend your time as well.
• Have small 3d puzzles with the places you have been to and display them on a shelf. There are great small ones with most of the important buildings in the world, and some can be bought from museum souvenir shops as well. This will recreate a mini-version of the world over time, and it’s cool to see them all.
• Make a tabletop with resin with your coins or keep them in a nice jar. If you’re not the type to collect currency for the sake of it, but always have random coins left over after every trip, this idea is for you. Gather all of them in a huge jar and either use it as a centerpiece or make a tabletop containing all of these coins nicely displayed next to each other. The color palette is nice and warm and the finished item will be unique.
• Add sewing pins to a globe with places you have been to. This is the easiest option you can do if you have very limited space, but still want to show off where you have been. You can buy a big or small globe, depending on your available space, and add pins to it to show the places you have already visited. You can even use tiny flags for this, matching every country, and at one point it will look really cool and colorful like this.

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Wall displays you can create with your souvenirs.

One of the most popular ways to display travel souvenirs is on the wall. There are endless possibilities when it comes to wall displays for travel souvenirs. The key is to choose items that have meaning to you and arrange them in a way that tells a story about your adventures. Here are a few creative ideas to get you started:

• Create a gallery wall with framed photos, postcards, and other mementos from your travels. Mix and match frames for a fun and eclectic look. This option is really nice as you can always add to it, so it will always be growing and changing, keeping your home looking fresh.
• Hang a world map and use push pins or string to mark the places you’ve visited. You can also add photos or small souvenirs from each location, and you can use a painted wall map instead. Maps are great centerpieces anyway and adding your souvenirs will make them personal as well.
• Hang a large tapestry or rug from your travels as a statement piece. You can also use smaller textiles as wall hangings. Especially if you travel often to oriental destinations, you can find amazing pieces of tapestries that you can make some wall displays with.
• Frame free city maps and make a wall art arrangement from them. This way they don’t go to waste and you get a nice piece of wall art. These maps can be used for other ideas as well, so read the whole post before deciding what to do with them.
• Make a piece of wall art with your coins and bills from each country. You can either make a collage with all of them or create separate areas for each destination and keep them more organized.
• Make wall art with your postcards . Better yet, send them to yourself so you also have a stamp and postal stamp on each of them to make them even more special.
• Get these very small frames and put the pages with the stamps from your old passports in them. They look great on long walls like on hallways or staircases or can be combined with different-sized frames for a more vivid look.
• Make an embroidery with flag patches and display it on a wall, or sew all of them on your backpack and see how fast it gets covered. The downside to the last option is that once you change your backpack, it’ll all be out as well, so keep this in mind when deciding.
• Print out your bucket list and check the ones you did already done. You can frame it by continent or area and add pictures to the ones that you already covered. Even better, make the bucket list a central piece on your wall and connect framed pictures with a string from all the places you have been to. It’ll make a nice star-shaped wall art that will evolve over time.
• Add your souvenirs on a corkboard . This way, you can even change them often, once you get bored, or you can use them as well to plan and dream about your next trip.

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Travel collections you can display.

Most souvenirs are already collections in themselves, but I would like to focus more on people that make it a purpose to collect various things from every place they have been to. So, no matter if you collect cups, currency, or teaspoons, here’s your time to shine.

• Organize your wine bottle collection on a display shelf. If you want to drink the wine (which you should, this is what it’s made for), you should keep only the bottles or fill them up with something else. There are special shelves you can use for this or you can just display them on a classic shelf on a wall.
• Organize your spices in spice racks . If you’re a passionate cook, spices are probably the best thing for you to collect. Spice racks are perfect for this purpose, and you can even keep a tiny bit of each condiment in each container and use the rest for your meals.
• Have multiple tea boxes . Collecting tea from all parts of the world can be an amazing way to display your souvenirs. Collect them in specific (or labeled) tea boxes and display the boxes even after the tea in them is long gone, or use the boxes to refill your stash over time.
• Have a shelf for all your mugs . I have recently seen a nice story about a woman that remarried, and the first thing her new husband did was to build her a shelf for her mug collection. I don’t know about you, but this sounds like the perfect love story for me.
• Make a collage with napkins from different airlines/restaurants. This is an interesting collection to have, but also a cheap one. Collect napkins from all the restaurants and airlines you use and make a nice collage out of them. It’s a nice reminder of the places you have been to.
• Have a dedicated shelf with cooking books like this one from around the world . If you’re a passionate cook, or just collect the books in the hope of ever getting to use them, display these cooking books somewhere in your living room or kitchen area, if there’s room. I usually try to get a stamp from the library where I bought it from as well, as a means of authenticity for where the book is coming from.

• Get a specialized album for your coin or currency collection. This goes without saying, but currency should usually be kept in special albums for collectors, as it keeps them safe and nice looking over time. Also, a pro tip: keep two pieces of each item next to each other, to be able to see both sides at the same time. You can leave this as an inheritance to your offspring, as it will be more and more valuable over time.
• Have a special souvenir spoon holder . For those of you collecting teaspoons, there are special holders you can use to display your collection nicely. I had no idea people collected tea spoons as travel souvenirs until I met my mother-in-law, so I’m very happy to be able to share this idea with you as well. I recommend one with a glass door so you don’t have to do the dusting too often.
• Show your toiletries collection . You know the toiletries you get in complimentary baskets at the hotels or the small, special ones you buy in handmade souvenir shops while away? A nice way to display them is by labeling them and putting them in a nice basket in your guest bathroom. It makes the place look cozy and can be used by guests as well.
• Organize your scarves from around the world . If you collect scarves from around the world, try to find a scarf organizer and see if you can display them nicely. I also like to order personalized scarves that are hand-painted like these ones from Etsy ; they look nice and make me feel really good about wearing something unique.
• Show off your rock collection . If geology is your passion, there’s nothing like a shelf full of rocks, geodes, or gems from all around the world. You can even buy a special case to show off your collection and I wouldn’t blame you if you choose one.
• Display rubber ducks from each destination around your bathtub. I know, I know, who collects rubber ducks? Well, some people with children might, and I know a few without children that are doing this. It’s a cool way to display your souvenirs and it’s not so obvious since they’re not taking over the living room, so why not?

Ideas to share your travel knowledge

While most people buy some sort of physical items as souvenirs, some of us decide to go for something less tangible. I’m better with words than I am with anything else (hence you’re reading this post), and some people are better with video, music, or other forms of art. These too can be seen as souvenirs from around the world, so let’s see some ideas on how to display them properly.

• Make a blog and display your stories . This is probably obvious, as this is the path I have chosen. My blog started as a place for me to tell my stories and has evolved into the animal you can see now. You can do the same, it’s easier than it sounds, and it can be a nice hobby if you like writing.
• Create a YouTube video with helpful information . More and more people do this, it seems like everyone with a GoPro has a Youtube channel nowadays. It’s a nice way to share your knowledge and show the good, the bad, and the ugly of traveling, so feel free to do this if you are so inclined.
• Create collections of maps on Google MyMaps . I truly like this as I get to share them after I return. I have done this for so long and shared them with so many people, I started to offer them as products as I see people love them so much! It’s a nice way to feel useful and share information, so check it out if you rely on GoogleMaps. And check out my favorite free travel apps , you’d be surprised how much you can do for free these days!

• Save a playlist with music from each destination (or about each destination). This idea came to mind when, right before taking off to Japan, one of our friends was singing “Big in Japan” to us, on repeat. If I were more musical, I’d totally save a playlist for each destination, containing music from or about the destination where I’m headed, just to get me in the mood. Then, I’d listen to it when back so I can keep on dreaming.
• Learn the language of each destination you have been to. Now, this is for the people inclined to learn languages, I’ve heard there are some in this world. You can use a tool like Babbel for this and learn at least a few phrases in each language you have been exposed to. It’s an awesome way to be reminded of your trips!
• Publish a book with your stories and pictures . I know, I know, who reads books these days? I can assure you that some people still do, including myself. Even people that don’t buy physical books but only read eBooks still can get to read about your trips and adventures. You can write stories, describe your heritage journey with the help of MyHeritage , make a photo album, or write a children’s book. Let your imagination float and see what comes of it!
• Make a book with international food recipes you have collected. This is similar to the idea above, but hear me out. If you collect recipes and cooking classes from all over the world, you can do so much with them. You can create cooking books, you can create subscription boxes where each week you receive a recipe and the ingredients to cook it, or you can create a travel&cooking blog or YouTube channel. Find a way to share this information and you’ll learn so much in the process.

Creative ways to display your travel photos

I know, I know, who prints photos these days anyway? Well, I think pictures make for fabulous souvenirs, and these creative ways to display them have multiple advantages. Using pictures as souvenirs is cost-effective, highly personal, and can look really nice in your home, if displayed properly. Check out some of the options below!

• Make a photo album . There are multiple ways to do this, from buying a cheap photo album from a store or even a few sets from Amazon , and you can have an album for each trip. If you feel fancy, you can even label them accordingly or combine this with some other ideas as well, like including tickets and other keepsakes.
• Make a coffee table book . If you’re more artistic kind, you can print a nice coffee table book with your pictures. If you’re also a bit business-inclined, you can even sell them to your friends or on marketplaces like Etsy. People pay a lot of money for these things and if you love doing them, why not?
• Make a personalized collage of your photos . There are plenty of frames that can keep up to 8-10 pictures, and you can make a nice collage out of your photos like this. You can even buy just a few and change the pictures from time to time, just to make your house look different with very little effort.
• Have a map on the wall and add your pictures there . I have seen this once in a friend’s house and LOVED the idea. You can stick a huge map on your wall like this one , and add pictures of you at the places where you have been. It looks great and makes for a nice road on Memory Avenue.
• Make a giant accent wall with all your photos . This option doesn’t work for everyone but hear me out. By using your personal photos, you can create a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork that showcases your adventures and memories. Not only does it serve as a conversation starter for guests, but it also allows you to relive your favorite travel moments every time you walk by it.
• Make an accent canvas print for your home . Especially if your travel photos are more artistic, you can use them to print a nice canvas print. You need very high-quality pictures though, but if you have them, you can use the horizontal ones for the wall above your bed in your bedroom, for example.
• Use some Christmas lights . Another idea I saw in a friend’s house and I loved it! Get a string of Christmas lights and some rope, spread them alongside a long wall, and use clothespins to display your instant photos. It’s a cool way to decorate an otherwise useless wall like in the hallway or up the stairs, and it doesn’t require too much DIY talent to implement.
• Use your pictures to create everyday use objects . Nowadays, with the solutions you can find online or at every printing shop around, you can make mugs, keychains, T-shirts, Christmas tree decorations, and mouse pads with your pictures, and God knows what else. I’m not saying you should do ALL of them, as that might be a bit overkill, but sprinkling some of these in your daily life might be a nice, creative way to display travel souvenirs
• Make magnets with your travel photos . I know I know, this is a bit tacky, but you can keep them on a board or on the fridge, so it doesn’t have to be so in-your-face. What’s the difference between a $3 magnet made in China and one made by you with pictures you have taken?
• Get an electronic photo frame . These are nice to keep on your desk, either at home or at work, as you can change the pictures often so they’re not boring, and you can add things like calendars and to-do lists to the display rotation as well. There’s nothing like being bored in a meeting that could have been an email and looking at pictures with some palm trees from The Maldives, believe me.
• Make yourself a personalized wall or desk calendar . Especially if you have pictures from all seasons, you can pair them with the corresponding months, and make it look really professional even. Hell, you can even gift them or sell some around, especially at the beginning of the year when everyone can use a calendar.

FAQ – creative ways to display travel souvenirs

How do you organize travel keepsakes.

There are many ways to display your travel keepsakes, but the easiest ones would be to: 1. Use a shadow box to keep them organized by destination 2. Use a box in the shape of a suitcase 3. Get a memory box for your souvenirs 4. Make a DIY album with your keepsakes 5. Build a piece of wall art.

How do you display art from travels?

Collecting pieces of art from your trips is a great souvenir, and you can display them like this: 1. Organize a “destination corner” in your house 2. Build a dedicated shelf for your pieces of art 3. Publish a photo book with your pictures.

How can you organize travel souvenirs?

Keeping your souvenirs in order is a great idea, and you can keep them organized like this: 1. Get an album for your coin or currency collections 2. Have a dedicated box for your rock collections 3. Keep all the related ones in a shadowbox

How can you pack souvenirs?

One way to safely pack souvenirs to be sure they make it home is to wrap them in bubble wrap and pack them between your clothes or in your shoes. Another good way is to wrap them in a piece of clothing and put them in your shoes, so they’ll be safe while flying.

Creative ways to display travel souvenirs – the takeaway

In conclusion, displaying your travel souvenirs in creative ways is a fun and exciting way to add a personal touch to your home decor. From creating a gallery wall with your favorite photos to using unique items as decorative accents, there are endless possibilities for showcasing your adventures.

Not only does this type of decor allow you to relive your favorite travel moments, but it also serves as a reminder of the incredible experiences you’ve had. So, whether you’re a seasoned traveler or just starting out, don’t be afraid to get creative with your souvenirs and turn them into beautiful decor pieces that you can enjoy for years to come. Happy decorating!

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How to organize your travel photos in four steps

Apr 7, 2020 • 6 min read

Travel photographer Laura Watilo Blake knows a thing or to about good digital hygiene, and keeping track of all the shots she takes on each trip. She shared her top tips for wrangling your own collection of travel photos before your next adventure.

As a professional travel photographer, it’s been a necessity to keep my image archives in order so when a client calls looking for a photo of Argentine grilling or a panoramic shot of Colombia’s famed wax palms in the Cocora Valley, I can quickly and easily access the photos no matter where I am in the world.

There have been a few hiccups over the course of my career, including a few corrupt SD cards and failed hard drives, but over time, I’ve developed strategies for naming my files, adding pertinent information about the destination and backing up the images on multiple hard drives and a cloud-based storage service. 

Don’t just take my word for it. I have sought out the helpful advice of Lisa Griffis, a personal photo organizer and certified member of the Association of Personal Photo Organizers . After spending 35 years in photojournalism and design for the newspaper industry, Griffis launched Rescue Your Photos to help people preserve their own visual legacies. She curates and organizes both print and digital photos for clients. These are our tips for wrangling your travel memories.

1. Back up the chaos.

Before tinkering with files on a computer, save everything to an external hard drive “in case anything gets deleted by accident,” Griffis says.

What size hard drive you need depends on how much data you need to back up. Consider the amount of data already on your computer's internal drive, as well as any data backed up to the cloud. If you have photos on your smartphone worth backing up, add that data to your calculations as well.

External hard drives range from $70 for two-terabyte portable hard drive to hundreds of dollars for expandable RAID systems. The acronym “RAID” stands for "redundant array of independent disks," in which a bunch of hard drives act like one big superdrive. Not only can a RAID system expand as your photo collection grows, but it also can be configured for automatic dual back-ups to keep data safer should one drive fail.

If you need suggestions for various types of RAID systems, B&H Photo & Electronics in New York City has a roundup of options here . I have a five-bay Drobo at home with more than 24 terabytes, plus several portable LaCie Rugged drives that go with me on my travels.

Once you’ve decided on the hard drive that fits your needs, you can automate backups using your computer’s operating system, with software that comes with the drive or a third-party app or service.

 2. Start sorting and organizing your digital images into folders.

With everything backed up, you can start collecting images from the smartphone and online locations and place them in a “holding tank,” says Griffis. “Your ‘to-be-organized’ folder is the dumping ground for all the images you bring from devices, camera cards, the scanner, etc.”

As you bring each set of digital images into this folder, try to keep events or months together instead of dumping a gazillion images from your camera roll. Use your smartphone’s built-in app to identify groupings like months, events or collections.

Once you have a group of photos in the folder, review the images quickly and get rid of anything that isn’t a keeper. Next, create or rename a folder and give it a name that represents the group of photos that will go into it. 

I have my folders organized and named by year, followed by folders listed sequentially by year, month, day and the place, event or theme. For example, inside my 2018 folder, you’ll see “20181012_cinqueterre.” The numeric sequence represents October 12, 2018, while the text after the underscore indicates the photos were taken in Cinque Terre, Italy . Subsequent folders show the raw files straight from the camera and the final images that are ready for archiving, uploading and printing.

“Starting with the date makes sense because the computer does the filing for you,” Griffis says, “but you can sort things in a way that suits them, whether it’s chronological or by name, person or event. I tell them to start by closing their eyes and imagining how they would have files organized in an actual file drawer.”

3. Rename digital photos to add context.

Just as you organize everything into folders, it’s important to add detailed information about the individual photos in the actual file names. After all, the story behind the image is just as important as the picture itself. You’ll want to include who, what and where,” says Griffis.

In the example above, I’ve organized my images starting with the place where it was taken and what’s happening in the photo (ex. ohio-hocking-hills-hike-conkles-hollow-0324.jpg).  At the end, I always include the original number assigned to the image straight out of the camera in case I need to go back and find the original raw file for further editing.

If it seems daunting to rename all of your files one by one, then download Adobe Bridge , a free media management program that helps manage and organize images and other files. The batch rename features allows you to quickly rename multiple files in one fell swoop.

The robust program does a lot more as well, including editing, sorting, adding metatags and publishing photos. You can also apply a star rating to the images you love the most, which will help when it comes time to find your favorite images that you want to share and display.

If you’re doing your file naming manually, be sure to save a copy of your best images in a separate folder labeled “Favorites.”

4. Develop a photo archiving strategy using the 3-2-1 backup rule

Now that you have your files in order, it’s important to not only maintain the file-naming practices going forward, but also establish a frequent back-up schedule using the 3-2-1 method.

The “3” stands for three copies of your files saved in three distinct places. The “2” means that two copies of your data should be in two separate places, such as your computer and a hard drive, or on two hard drives if your archive is too large to fit on your computer. The “1” indicates one set of data should exist at a separate location in case of some unforeseen natural disaster, fire, flood or theft. 

“Most people don’t have anything backed up,” says Griffis. “But it’s important to get systems in place, especially in uncertain times. I don’t care if it’s in the cloud, on an extra hard drive in a lockbox at the bank, or at your mom’s house 100 miles away.” 

Griffis uses a cloud-based back-up service called Backblaze to securely back up the contents on her computer and all attached hard drives once a day. When it comes to archiving photos, Dropbox , Google Photos , Amazon Prime Photos , Apple iCloud and Flickr are the most popular. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, so do your research first.

“If you use the cloud to back up materials,” Griffis says, “make sure that the website doesn't compress images. Many do and it will affect the file size of the image.”

Of the services listed above, Google Photos will back up unlimited photos and videos for free up to 16 megapixels and 1080p video resolution, but it downsizes files that are higher quality. It does have a setting that preserves the original quality of the photos and videos, but there is an additional fee for storing the files.

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The best ways to display travel photos at home

If you’re looking for creative and stylish ways to showcase your travel photos, this blog is for you.

Travel photos capture precious memories of the adventures, experiences, and places we’ve visited. Displaying these photos in our homes allows us to relive those moments and share our stories with friends and family. If you’re looking for creative and stylish ways to showcase your travel photos, this blog is for you. We’ll explore some of the best ways to display travel photos at home, transforming your cherished memories into beautiful and inspiring wall art.

Create a gallery wall A gallery wall is an excellent way to display a collection of travel photos and create a stunning visual impact. To achieve this look, choose a variety of frames in different sizes, shapes, and colours, and arrange them in a visually pleasing layout on your wall. Alternatively, you can opt for sleek canvas prints that allow you to display your photos without the need for frames. When designing your gallery wall, consider incorporating other travel-related items, such as postcards, maps, or souvenirs, to add an extra layer of interest and personalisation.

Use a large-format print If you have a particularly striking travel photo that you want to showcase, consider having it printed in a large format. This could be a breathtaking landscape, a captivating portrait, or a vibrant city scene. A large-format print will create a bold statement on your wall and draw the eye, making it a focal point in your room. You can choose to have your photo printed on canvas, acrylic, or even metal for a more contemporary look.

Design a photo collage A photo collage is a creative way to display multiple travel photos in a single, cohesive piece of wall art. You can either create a physical collage by cutting out photos and arranging them on a board or poster or design a digital collage using photo editing software. Once your collage is complete, have it printed on high-quality paper, canvas, or another material of your choice and display it in a frame or as a standalone piece.

Hang a photo ledge or shelf If you prefer a more flexible and easily changeable display option, consider installing a photo ledge or shelf on your wall. This allows you to arrange your framed travel photos, postcards, and other small items in a casual and relaxed manner. The beauty of a photo ledge is that you can easily switch out photos, rearrange your display, or add new items as your travel adventures continue.

Create a travel photo book If you have a large collection of travel photos, creating a travel photo book can be an excellent way to display and enjoy them. You can design your photo book using an online service or create your own using scrapbooking materials . Organise your photos by trip, theme, or chronology, and include captions, maps, or journal entries to help tell the story of your travels. Display your travel photo book on a coffee table or bookshelf where you and your guests can easily flip through its pages and reminisce about your adventures.

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9 low-pressure tips to organize vacation photos, travel memories + souvenirs

If you do any googling or searching on Pinterest, you’ll find loads of ways to organize vacation photos and preserve memories from your travels. Look a little closer, though, and you’ll realize you have to be an artist and have hours of time on your hands to recreate what you find. Read on, though, for easy ways to family pictures from your trips—and all the other goodies you collect to hold onto vacation memories.

Any other busy folks out there? I’m raising my hand, too. (Even during quarantine, most parents aren’t brainstorming ways to fill their time. We’re plenty busy now, too.)

Truth is, you don’t need tons of time or art talent to create gorgeous ways to preserve your travel memories. You can organize your vacation photos, display souvenirs and remember what you did on that trip—just with a few minutes of time and, sometimes, a little planning.

That’s why I wrote this post on 8 ways to use all those ticket stubs, city maps and chocolate wrappers you stuck in your purse while you were on vacation. You know, all that stuff you told yourself you’d make into a scrapbook “someday.”

Well, someday has arrived, because you don’t need a ton of time to pull together these easy projects for vacation photo organization, souvenir display and more!

Here’s how to organize your vacation photos, display travel souvenirs and ensure you never forget the special moments of your trip.

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What to collect for your travel journal: ephemera

“Ephemera” is the fancy travel journal word for all the small pieces of paper and whatnot that collect in your pockets and purse while you’re out of town. Instead of throwing all this stuff away, save it! Ephemera make a phenomenal addition to these projects to organize vacation photos and travel memories.

Not sure what to keep and what to toss? As a general rule, I look for things that are visually interesting. Color, pictures, interesting fonts, anything with a cool logo on it, unusual shapes—these are all factors for ephemera that will add to your travel journal or other vacation memories project.

Here are things I typically collect for my travel journal and other projects:

• ticket stubs
• boarding passes
• food labels or wrappers (clean, without any food on them, of course)
• to-go coffee sleeves
• pages from a local newspaper
• pictures from local tourism magazines

Remember, too, that once you’re ready to put travel ephemera into your project, you don’t have to use the whole thing. So if you have a trifold brochure from the museum, consider cutting pieces of it for your travel memories project. If you saved the bag from the baguette shop, you might want to just rip off the logo stamped onto the paper.

There is no right or wrong with travel journals and other projects to keep your travel photos and memories. So no pressure—just fun!

Easy projects to organize vacation photos + more

1. vacation smash book.

Smash books are like the busy person’s scrapbook; vacation smash books are a way to corral all the stuff you pick up on vacation without putting in the time of a scrapbooker. No need to have fancy scissors, die-cut punches or a trillion kinds of decorative paper! That’s right: You don’t need any special supplies—or hours of free time—to make a vacation smash book.

Simply glue or tape all the bits and bobs (also called “ephemera,” if you want to get fancy) into a notebook. When you get home, print some images to add in.

One of my favorite, super-easy smash book techniques is to take a map and glue it to the whole page. (Most places that see tourists have plenty of spots to pick up free maps.) Then you have a visually interesting background to glue onto.

Level 10 travel tip: Bring along an envelope or one of those coupon organizers to keep all the little papers and stuff tidy. If all the ephemera you want to use is in one place—instead of scattered between your carry-on, suitcase and purse—it’ll be easy to pull it out and make a travel smash book when you get home.

2. Vacation photo books

When you get home from a trip, make a photo book of all your vacation pictures. It’s like a highlight reel of the best parts of your vacation.

I do this with Shutterfly. This photo book company gives you credits for one free 6×6 photo book per month. (You can get a free 8×8 photo book with this link , too!)

The important thing here is to get photos off your phone and computer. When your vacation pictures are in a photo book, you can actually look at them with your family. My kids love looking at our vacation photo books!

Level 10 travel tip: Don’t wait until you get back home to make a vacation photo book. On the last day of your stay, or while waiting for your plane home in the airport, pull up an app or bust out your computer and make one! That way, you’ve created a vacation picture book before you get caught up in the busyness of life after your return. Plus, that reminder of your vacation will arrive just a few days after you get back—beating the post-vacation blahs.

3. Planner vacation collage

When I go on a trip, those days in my planner used to stay blank. After all, I didn’t have work to-do lists or meetings filling my days when I’m on vacation! (Thank goodness.) So I started filling those spots in my planner with a vacation collage, made of all the things I’d collected on my trip.

(I use a Happy Planner similar to this one . I love how it lays flat, the grid format and all the cute stickers you can get to fancy it up!)

I usually take about 45 minutes one night after my trip to stick in the museum ticket stubs, maps, brochures, tea bag labels and everything else I squirreled away during my vacation. Don’t they turn out wonderful?

Making a vacation collage in my planner gives me a handy way to look back on those memories when I most need them: When I’m busy bulldozing through my work to-dos. Remembering my trip gives me an extra boost of energy and happiness I channel into my work, earning more money for our next vacation!

Finally, I love that making a planner vacation collage reflects the fullness of my vacation days.

4. Send yourself a post card

Remember how I’m a huge, huge fan of sending post cards ? Sending yourself a post card is a wonderful way to record memories from your vacation.

Buy a handful of post cards when you’re out and about. Then take 5 minutes to write yourself one. This can be while you’re waiting for your food at a restaurant, while you’re lounging by the pool or during my favorite time to write post cards—on the plane ride home.

My kids are getting into writing post cards too! They dictate to me what they’d like to write, and as you know, they love getting snail mail.

Not sure what to write? Here are some ideas:

• Your highs and lows
• What you hope to remember forever and ever
• Something that surprised you
• Something that challenged you
• A list of what you did one day
• A quick sketch or drawing of what you see while you’re writing a post card

5. Make a travel art journal

When I travel, I love bringing along a small art journal and a travel art journal kit. I feel most inspired when I travel, which isn’t a big surprise, since research shows travel makes you more creative .

So I take 30-45 minutes a few times on a vacation to work on a travel art journal. I use pieces of tickets, maps, labels and such from my trip and combine them with magazine pages, paint and even string. I love looking back on my travel journal pages. They bring me right back to the moment when I created them.

Level 10 travel tip: When you’re exploring, stop at a used book shop. Buy a small used book with a pretty cover. It doesn’t matter if you can, or want, to read it. Use it as your travel journal notebook instead!

6. Vacation shadow box

What if some of the things you collected are big or bulky? They won’t fit in a vacation smash book—so create a vacation shadow box instead.

For around $10 at craft stores or here on Amazon , you can buy a shadow box—like a picture frame except with the space to display thick items.

Print out some of your vacation photos and display them at the back of the shadow box. Then put in everything else—a seashell, a carving you bought at a souvenir stand, a paper fan, anything that reminds you of your vacation!

I love this because it displays your vacation like a piece of art. Instead of sticking that piece of driftwood or a jar of sand in some drawer, you put it out for everyone to see.

7. Kids vacation memory book

This one requires a tiny bit of forethought but otherwise it’s super easy. Just bring along cardstock or other sturdy paper cut in 4×6 rectangles. Most craft stores have these papers pre-cut.

Then, when you’re on vacation, ask your kids questions. Write down their answers on one side of the paper.

Finally, when you’re home, print a bunch of photos from your trip. Using craft glue, secure the photos to the backs of the papers with your kids’ memories written on them.

Your kids might also want to make drawings about the trip on some of the papers.

Your last step is to bring the stack of pages to a Kinko’s or other office supply store. For a few bucks, they’ll bind it into a book! Your kids will love that their faces and words appear in an actual book.

8. Family travel journal time

Want to encourage the whole family to record travel memories? Buy everyone in the family their very own travel journal. This doesn’t have to be fancy! I love these blank kraft paper notebooks because you can buy them in a bunch (so everyone gets the same one), the covers are easily customizable and there are only 30 sheets in each one. That means no one feels pressured to fill it with pages and pages and pages.

Then take 15 minutes every day to work in your travel journals as a family. Even if your kids can’t read and write yet, they can draw or collage in their book. Ask them if they want you to write for them or label what they’ve created.

You can even have a travel journal prompt to spark everyone’s creativity. Ask if there was something they learned, or show everyone an art technique. For example, they could draw what they see out a window, or sketch something without lifting their pencil from the paper.

Level 10 travel tip: Make kids their own travel journal kit. Ideas of things to include: Washi tape , scissors, glue stick, markers, watercolor paints.

Bring the travel journals on all of your trips together. When they’re full, you’ll have a gorgeous record of all your family vacations!

Minimal work travel scrapbooks

I’m not about to spend three hours on a single page of a travel scrapbook, but I  do love handwriting and actual, physical photos. I found a way to make a physical scrapbook without a time commitment with Project Life scrapbooks .

This system has clear plastic sleeves and perfectly sized, pretty papers where you can add a bit of pizzaz to the pages and write down memories. Then you add photos—and have a scrapbook page in minutes.

I use the Wander Edition Core Kit , which is all about travel (naturally). Another thing I like about the Project Life scrapbooks is that these little cards are small—therefore portable. So I bring them on family vacations and jot down notes, what we did on a given day, funny things Max and Edie said, anything.

Throughout the trip, I “favorite” some of the best photos I take on my phone. Then on the last day of a trip, I print these favorite-d photos on Amazon Photos. They arrive in my mailbox a few days later.

That’s how I take vacation photos and memories and organize them into a scrapbook we love to look at.

Get out there and record your memories!

I’m not a big gambler—casinos seem like a giant waste of money to me—but I’d wager you’re feeling inspired by these tips to make travel journals and other easy ways to organize vacation photos! Not only do you have ideas on how to use up the pictures, souvenirs, ticket stubs and other things you collect on vacation; you also feel like these travel journal ideas are doable .

After all, you don’t need a ton of time to pull these together. You just need some paper, a little glue and a little creativity—and your vacation photos, of course. I know you have those!

I can’t wait to see what you create. Snap a picture of your travel journals or the way you display vacation photos, then tag me on Instagram . Let the creativity flow, friends!

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Why travel is the best way to bond with kids (+ vacation family activities)

My go to is normally a photo book but the smash book and shadow box sounds like so much fun!

I love that the shadow box is displayed, not tucked away in a bookshelf, so you can see it often and relive your trip.

This is amazing! I never really thought about a way to save all this stuff and lately I’ve been thinking about throwing it away. My kids are still young so we have so many opportunities to save more things in the future.

I definitely go through purge cycles, too, especially with all the accumulated stuff from having kids!! I do love to look back on travel-related papers—there’s something about them that puts me back in time on the trip.

I love using my planner, but I think it would make me anxious to add so many mementos to it.

That’s so interesting! Isn’t it funny how we all use similar tools so differently.

The idea of sending yourself a postcard is great. I will definitely this.

And it’s so fun to get them in the mail when you’re home!

Love this! Now is the time to organize this stuff!

Oh my gosh yes! Also it’s nice to look back on it during a time we’re not able to travel.

I have so many things from trips that o saved because I knew I wanted to do something with them but never knew quite what. This is perfect!

Honestly I’m similar Christa. I still have things saved from vacations from years ago and haven’t made them into scrapbooks or journals yet. Now’s the time!

Oh wow. I love these ideas!! I love scrapbooking so this would be a fun travel addition.

Oh, I think travel and scrapbooking are the perfect combination! I’d love to see some of your creations.

These are great ideas on how to organize vacation photos. This would be a great homeschool project as well. Thanks for sharing.

Ooh, I LOVE the idea of using this as a homeschool project!!

I really liked all of your ideas! Thank you for sharing. The travel & scrapbook were my favorites!

Thanks Nadine, glad you liked them!

An inspirational and creative post, thank you. You have made putting something beautiful together accessible and achievable. I sometimes send myself postcards from different places and I have been going through these recently, while in lock down. It is a lovely way to remember trips we have made.

So glad you found the post inspiring, Carol. I love looking over old postcards, too. I keep them in clear sleeves in a binder so it’s easy to flip through them. 🙂

I learnt a new term – “Ephemera”. What a lovely word for the waste paper that collects at the bottom of handbags. My personal favourite option is a nice clean photo book, but I also just enjoyed the term smash book (it sounds fun). You obviously enjoy scrapbooking as yours look so visually appealing, I’m not sure I’d have the skill or patience to make one look as good 🙂

Haha – I love the word “ephemera” too but I get kind of self-conscious using it, like I’m highfalutin! 😉 I think the main point of travel scrapbooks is that you enjoy them, not that they look picture-perfect.

What lovely ideas. Now I actually have time on my hand I should do this. I used to keep a travel scrapbook as a kid and loved it. Ok, if I can stay awake, I have a project for this afternoon

Yay!!! Our lives may look very different these days, but many of us are finding more time to do projects we never could before. Did you end up making your travel scrapbook?

I love these ideas for travel journals. I’m with you and I’m not into fancy, time consuming, expensive scrapbooks. However, I take tons of photos and we travel a lot, so it’s great to have a place for them. Plus, all the papers we collect. I will have to try out one of your ideas on our next trip. Some of the books I have are just notebooks with photos on card stock and then I write a little blurb about the photo. Nothing fancy, but a good way to remember. My kids have looked through those books so many time. Great ideas here.

Yes! You don’t have to get fancy with scrapbooking to create a book to save travel mementos. Let me know how your next travel journal turns out!

There are some fabulous ideas here on how to display your travel memories in a journal. My walls would be full if I kept all of my tickets and menus in journals. I like the idea of a book though for photo memories, would be great gifts. The only time I’ve sent myself a postcard was from Port Lockroy in Antarctica as it’s the most southern postbox in the world, it is a nice keepsake!

How cool! How long did it take your post card to arrive from Antarctica?! I sent my family a post card from Nazca, Peru and it arrived a year later—no joke!

Wow, so many creative ideas and being a creative person, I would really incorporate some of them. I do photo journalling but good to know about “Ephemera”thing. Never knew about creating a such type of fancy travel journal in which small pieces of paper and many other collectibles from our purse can be combined together. I would now surely do this Ephemera thing. Creating artistic type of travel journal is also a good idea.

Oh I’d love to see some of your travel journals. And one of the things I like about including ephemera is it’s a physical, tangible part of your trip. There’s something about it that makes me feel like I’m back in the destination traveling.

What a wonderful set of ideas to quickly organize travel treasures!! It reminds of my days of scrapbooking when I spent tons of time and money and space putting together amazing scrapbooks. Your methods are so much more manageable and sustainable. I’d love to adopt some of your ideas when we can start traveling again

I always admired serious scrapbookers… but could never fully get into it. These ideas of making travel scrapbooks were my way of sort of doing it, I suppose! 🙂

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TO & FRO FAM

This family travel blog is written for you—a mom who wants quality time and memorable vacations with her kids. I’m one of those moms, so I get that you want to leave your stress at home. I crafted (and tested!) these travel hacks and destination ideas to help the whole crew make the most of your time together. xo, Catherine

Drop me a line if you want to collaborate, connect or simply say hello.

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Family Travel Checklist

• Midwest USA
• East Coast USA
• South America
• Getting there
• Hotel & rental travel hacks
• Ultimately fun activities
• Delicious travel tips
• Travel gear

To & Fro Fam

• Gorgeous Pacific City, Oregon: Things to do, restaurants + more
• Charming Long Beach + Seaview, Washington: 9 fun things to do
• Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden: Best things to do in Hilo, HI
• Quirky Sou’wester Lodge: Glamping trailers + unique places to stay
• Goblin Valley State Park, Utah Guide: Hikes, hoodoos, camping + more
• 5 Best Hotels for Kids in Vegas, plus family-friendly casinos
• Ogden Dinosaur Park: Life-size dinos, paleontology museum + more in Utah
• Stunning Dead Horse Point State Park near Moab: Alternative to Arches
• 38 Unique Girls Trip Destination Ideas for 2022: Serious Inspiration!
• Kraft Boulders and Kraft Mountain Loop: Kid-friendly hiking near Las Vegas

How To Organize and Store Your Travel Photos

S o many of us have photos that we cherish stuck inside our phones for no one to see, so let's talk about How To Organize and Store Your Travel Photos .

The problem of organizing photographs used to be an issue around storage and display. Now it’s an issue of “how far do I scroll before I find it”.

How To Organize & Store Your Photographs

Today, we want to remove both issues once and for all. Get yourself a beautiful leather bound photo album and sit down for an evening of planning and organization.

Gather All Of Your Photos

The first step in this task is to find all of your photos, both physical and digital. Get them all onto one drive, memory stick, or location, while at the same time place all of your physical photos on the table ready to be searched through.

This step should be easy, but here are some reminders about where your photos might be. You could have them stored on a social media platform, they could be locked onto your old phones, and they could be tucked away inside disposable or forgotten digital cameras.

Take your time to find them all!

Separate Them Into Categories

Now that all your photos have been gathered, you need to separate them into categories. First, separate them into digital and physical formats. That step should be easy.

Now consider the elements of your life and how you want to remember them. Do you want to remember them in date order keeping a log of every special event within a year? Do you want to remember every event that's similar to each other in one location - for example, a folder that contains every journey to your family’s holiday destination year after year?

Figure out the theme you want to follow and then start to move your photos into folders (both physical and digital) which represent these times in your life.

This process will take a long time, but have fun looking through the memories. 

We suggest taking one concept and then breaking it down into other ideas too. For example, you could have a folder for all of your 2022 photos, and inside that folder could have more folders for every event you had in that year. 

Scan Them Into A Digital Format

As you go through your photos you’ll notice that some should fit perfectly in your digital collection and others should be hung up on your walls. 

We suggest scanning all of your physical photos into digital form. This will allow you to organize them easily into the categories you have already created and you can reprint them should the originals fade or become damaged.

Create A Reusable Structure

Now that you have your categories created and all of your physical photos have been digitized, you can add the folders to their physical and digital collections.

At this point, you need to ensure the names you have given are understandable without content. This way you can understand them as the years go on.

For example, if you have a folder for all the photos that you take while on your family vacation, first create a folder that separates the years. Then, inside the year category, separate them into events. You could allow them to sit freely inside the folder, but this could lead to confusion when searching later.

Whatever structure you create, it needs to be repeatable so you can do the same thing in the years to come. 

As new events pop up, you want to reuse the same categorizing technique so everything is streamlined.

Name And Date Your Photos

Every photo, both physical and digital, needs to be named and dated. This way you can jog your memory when you look at images from the past.

This will also help you find your digital copies faster, as you can type into the search bar “Mom’s Birthday” and find all of the images from that event.

Ideally, you should follow this labeling pattern - 2022.01.30 or Year.Month.Day. Then follow the date with an identifiable label such as “Mom’s Birthday Meal At Zizzi.” Written in this format, your photos will automatically be organized in date order making it easy to navigate.

Create a Photo Book from your Travels

Now let's talk about Mixbook Photo Books .  Mixbook photo books are a swoon-worthy keepsake to fill with special memories that will keep everyone smiling all year.

So, why Mixbook over the other companies? Mixbook offers the largest selection of on-trend themes you can make your own, including popular designers like Martha Stewart, Hallmark and Oh Joy! Their photo books are actually fun to create! 

Whether you’re looking for a non-cheesy gift for a new love interest, the perfect anniversary gift for your partner of two decades or even a platonic friend who needs a little extra TLC, visit Mixbook.com   - there are tons of design templates to get you started, and cue the heart eyes! 

A few of our favorite books (softcover books start from $10 up to premium lay flat albums starting at $89.99):

• 10 Reasons Why I Love You
• My Sweet Love
• The Story of Us
• My Valentine

Repeat After Every Event

Now that your photos have been organized you need to keep on top of your system after every event. It will be easier now that the bulk has been added to your system.

How To Organize and Store Your Photographs

Keeping your photos organized will help you find these precious memories when you’re feeling nostalgic. Once you have your system setup, keeping on top of your organization will be easy.

The post How To Organize and Store Your Travel Photos appeared first on The Rebel Chick .