Now is the time to stock up on Halloween scrapbooking supplies. Typically, I don’t purchase holiday-related items until after the 31st, so I can take advantage of post-holiday sales. However, this year, I’ve seen several major retailers (including Michaels and Hobby Lobby) offering up to 50 percent savings on Halloween-themed scrapbook elements before some kids even have their costumes picked out. Not that I am complaining.
Still, if you are planning to purchase materials for your Halloween memory book prior to the holiday, there are some factors to consider. For starters, if your children haven’t already selected their costumes, stick with generic embellishments. You don’t want to buy a bunch of bat and witch-shaped stickers or die cuts if your daughter is going to end up dressing as a princess. Rather, you are better off choosing elements that feature pumpkins, leaves, or candy. Another option is to stock up on stickers or stamps that spell out, “Happy Halloween,” “BOO!” or “Trick-or-Treat.”
If you don’t have any young trick-or-treaters at home, look for other ways to spice up your Halloween-themed layouts. For example, instead of turning the spotlight on costumed kids, focus on your holiday decor. After all, if you spend hours carving a prize-winning jack-o-lantern, you’ll want to document it in a memory album. The trick to making this type of page design pop is to snap the gourd in the best possible light.
To capture a stellar shot of your pumpkin turn off your camera’s flash. That may seem like an odd tip, but the problem with most cameras is that the flash pops automatically, especially if it’s dark. Since the tone of the flash is cold compared to the warm glow from a jack-o-lantern, the photo doesn’t typically turn out very well. To avoid having your jack-o-lantern look like a blurry blob, turn off your flash, raise the ISO to 400 or 800, and reduce the shutter speed.
Another way to avoid bad shots when shooting in low light conditions is to use a tripod or place your camera on a sturdy table before snapping the photo. Once you have a bunch of super shots, you can flex your creative muscle to design a whimsical or spooky layout featuring your jack-o-lanterns on parade.
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