Recently Kolo’s CEO was in Tokyo checking out Ito-Ya, the famous stationery store, when he came across this sample photo album. This Kolo Luxury Cortina photo album, filled with captivating photos of a beloved pet, was set out as part of Ito-Ya’s Kolo album display.

Charmed, he asked around to find out who had made this album.

He learned that it was not a professional photographer, nor a designer by trade. The woman who had made this album was a young sales associate at Ito-Ya named Yasuko Saruta. She sells Kolo photo albums. She obviously has creative talent, too.

Here are his thoughts about this project:

It’s a treasure. This little album is a great example of what a strong impact a photo album can make… how it can bring images to life. The tactile nature of it, the photo, the print on the page, the crop... and the roughness of it.

That’s the magic of taking photos that are meaningful to you, making prints, putting them down on a page, and telling a visual story. You end up with a one-of-a-kind treasure like this.

You can’t get the same effect any other way, not from a digital album, framed photos, a printed book or a magazine. This little book is not perfect and it’s not slick. It’s special. It's personal.

I love the simple execution of this photo album – the white space, the restraint, the placement of the photos on the page, the interesting close-ups and crops. Her photos capture her love for this little cat. You can feel that as you turn the pages of this book she made.

Creating something compelling and beautiful does not need to be difficult or complicated. So often, keeping it simple is the answer.

- Ugo