Get Your Photos Off Your Computer & Into A Scrapbook

Picture taking has never been easier!  We have our digital cameras, I-phones, and I-pads!  The ability to digitally capture a moment or memory is available at our fingertips 24/7.  I looked in my iPhoto program and I have over 6,000 photos!  Wow - I really had no idea that I've had that many.  Can you imagine what 6,000 printed photos would look like??

It would truly be overwhelming.  Decluttering our photo program is another topic for another time, and I want to focus today on preserving the memories from your best photos.  So, where do you start?  Here are 3 tips from Rebecca Ludens, Scrapbook Expert:

1.  Choose Only the Best

Choose only the best. You do not need every photo on your scrapbook pages. Think about looking at this album 10 years from now. Which photos will remind you of the moment or event. Select only clear photos that tell the story or show the emotion. Look for photos that include close-ups, that do not have distracting background images, and that tell the story from a unique angle.  You may find that you have just one special photo that you want to highlight on a scrapbook page.

My First Half-Marathon

2.  Pick a Focal Point Photo

Pick a focal point. Once you have selected the group of photos that you will be using for your scrapbook page layout, select one photo that will be the focal point of the scrapbook page.  If you have a clear focal point photo, your scrapbook page will feel anchored. It will have a place for the reader’s eye to rest as she takes in the full story of the layout.

Notice the top photo is off center to draw attention

3.  Print Your Selections

Print your selections.  Now it is time to print your photos. Consider these two ideas:
1) If the paper that you have selected to go with your theme is overpowering or busy, you may want to print your photos in black and white.

2) You may want to print your focal point photo larger than the rest of the photographs to make sure that it is clear where the focal point is on the page. I frequently print my focal point photo as a 4x6 inch print and then print the rest of the photos a 2x3 inch prints (two per 4x6 inch page). You may also consider cropping some of the photos to be smaller in size.

If your photos are only on your phone or on your computer, when will your family and friends get to see and enjoy them? Also, when will you add that all important journaling to go with the photos. Print out some of your favorite pictures and scrapbook them today.

Happy Scrapping!

And if you need some supplies, visit my newly established E-bay store:  Create and Scrap.  New supplies added daily!