There are many times when I look at someone else’s scrapbook page and think, “Wow! That’s gorgeous!!” Then, I take a second look, and start analyzing (like I so often do) what exactly makes the page look so beautiful. Many times, I realize it is not necessarily the skills of the scrapper, or the great materials they used, but it is simply a great picture. I sometimes feel jealous that I don’t have a better camera. I imagine how magnificent my pages could be if I had a $1500 camera that took perfect pictures no matter how bad the photographer (me) is.
Do your pages have to suffer just because you have a less expensive camera? I say no. What got me thinking about all this was the fact that I recently purchased a new camera. While it is not a camera that is top of the line, it is definitely a step up for me. I have no idea how to use it yet, and still have a lot to learn, but I’m excited to start snapping photos, and maybe improve the quality of my scrapbook pages at the same time. However, there have been many pages that I have done in the past that have been some of my best work, even without having the best photo. Here are some ideas to help you scrapbook your not so perfect photos, but still have an almost perfect layout.
*Embrace the dark photo. Many times, we take a picture and it is too dark, and we think that it isn’t scrapbook worthy. But, if it is an important photo, this seems frustrating. Scrap it anyway! Take those dark pictures, and brighten them up with bright accents and papers. That way, you will still have the brightness you want, but you don’t have to sacrifice that photo.
*If it’s blurry, pick a title to make it a happy coincidence. For example, how about “Almost” Picture Perfect. You could put the “almost” in smaller letters so that it is not immediately apparent to the viewer, but when they do see it, they will know it is a play on words.
*Use photo editing software. I do not know how to use photoshop except in its most basic form. I wish I did. But, you can do very simple things like lighten the photo, reduce red-eye, change the contrast, or straighten a photo in the most basic editing programs that come with any computer.
*Ignore the imperfections. Sometimes this is the hardest thing to do. But, if a photo is really important to you, in years to come, you’ll be glad you scrapped it. So, ignore the imperfections, and do your best work despite not having the best photo!
Of course, the ideal is to run out and purchase a perfect camera, but even with the best of cameras, you can have less than perfect photos. So, I say, embrace the bad photos, and scrap them anyway!
Related Articles:
Scrapping the Funny Things Your Kids Say
Project Life-A Different Way to Scrapbook