Guide · November 2026

How to catch up on years of photo books

You aren't too late. The photos from those years are still in your library, and each year can become its own book whenever you get to it.

Go one year at a time

Don't plan one giant book for everything unless you want a single volume. Separate years are easier to finish, easier to check, and they line up on a shelf.

Which year to do first

The most recent year, while you still remember the details.
The year with the fewest photos on paper, often a second child's first years.
A year someone is about to ask for, such as a milestone birthday or a grandparent's visit.

Find the old photos first

Google Photos can export everything through Google Takeout.
Old phones and computers often hold copies nothing else has.
Forwarded and scanned photos often lose their dates, so expect to place some by hand.

How long it really takes by hand

It depends on how many photos you have and how careful you are. In one real year there were 12,667 photos to go through. That's many evenings for one year, so plan for the time or plan to hand it over.

What catching up costs with LifeChapters

Your first book is free. Printed copies are coming soon. See pricing.

Your first book is free

LifeChapters (lifechapters.ai) makes a photo book of your child's year from the photos you already have. No card.

Get your free book