photo credit: devinlynnx

Have you ever wondered why you would want to learn black and white photography tips in a world of color? In spite of the incredible popularity of digital color photography, there will always be room for black and white photography.

The elegance and timelessness of black and white photography insures its continual popularity. The fact is that more and more people are becoming interested in black and white photography for many reasons…

When used correctly, black and white photographs:

• Heighten the emotional impact
• Produce a clean, crisp look
• Transforms a dingy or overcast look into a striking photo evoking emotion
• Accentuate the depth of the photograph
• Have a tendency to make photos look more like works of art

Emotional Scenes

Very powerful, emotional, or moving photographs often look better as black and white pictures than in color. For example, here is a candid taken at the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. from 100 feet away.

Like most digital photographs, this one was first viewed as a color image. However, the emotional impact was not evident. By processing the same exact photo in black and white, the desired effect was achieved.

Keep in mind that when you have a highly emotional or poignant subject, try to also view it in black and white.

Relationship Portraits

Probably the most popular application for black and white photographs is with a single subject. Here is a photographic paradox: On the one hand, “Photography” per say, has very few absolute rules.

For example, there is not a specific “category” of pictures that looks better in black and white. However, black and white photographs of babies and children often look quite provoking.

Although there is a “formal/big occasion” aura surrounding black and white photography, there’s no reason to ignore it when taking everyday photos. If you are unsure, take the photo in color AND black and white; then you be the judge.

Everyday Magic!

As the commercial says – Never leave home without it. Why? Because you never know what or where photo opportunities will exist. (It’s that photographic Murphy’s Law thing.) In fact, sometimes you won’t even realize that a photograph is really good until after you download it and start to play with the photograph.

Here’s an example of how to transform and crop an average color photograph into a emotive black and white image.

By cropping most photos, you can more precisely determine where your viewer’s focus will go. That may not be as important when taking portraits of single subjects; however, it’s true power can be seen in group photographs and landscapes.

Once cropping becomes second nature to you, it might seem like the ultimate panacea. Unfortunately, there is one potential pitfall with cropping. Read about that pitfall here, as well as how to use a photographic technique that guarantees your cropped images will turn out perfectly.

Scrapbooking provides a means to beautifully preserve our memories. Rather than tossing our treasured photos into a shoebox or randomly storing them in a photo album, scrapbooking gives a way to display them with the beauty true treasures deserve. There’s no time like the present to try something new if you have never tried scrapbooking.

Start simple with a memory page. It’s a page with a specific theme, such as a family reunion, a sport that your child participated in, the prom or any other special event. Memory pages are often framed, but they can also be added to a scrapbook. The basic elements of a memory page are pretty simple:

Title – A title should be somewhat descriptive so someone who hasn’t seen it before will have an idea what it is all about. It’s usually best to keep it short and to the point.

Photos – The photographs, of course, are a very important element for a memory page. It’s like the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words! Choose one favorite picture and make it the focus of the page. This can be done by making it larger than the rest, or use special matting, embellishments, or a unique shape to make it stand out a bit. The photos can be of people, but it’s also good to include shots of objects that are relevant to the theme as accents. This helps to tell the story. But photos aren’t the only way to tell a story. In fact, scrappers sometimes create pages with no photos at all, opting to use objects instead.

Objects – Include objects such as ticket stubs, newspaper clippings, or dried flowers from the occasion thus adding a nostalgic touch to your memory page.

Journaling – Journaling is a great aspect to memory pages. Journalizing is notes written by you or someone who is featured on the page or it can be a cut out from cards that you’ve received for the occasion featured. It isn’t vital that you journaling be handwritten it can be typed, but it is vital that it always be extremely relevant to the photos and any other objects on the page.

Embellishments – Remember, embellisments are accents to your photos, objects and journaling, don’t allow them to take over your page. Just a few items you may want to try as embellishments are ribbons, tags, stickers or lace.

Memory pages are wonderful to give as gifts, include in scrapbooks, or frame and put on the wall. By combining these basic elements, you can create beautiful memory pages that will be treasured for years to come.

A quick online search for “scrapbooking scissors” will give you a picture of how many different types of scissors and cutting tools there are for scrapbookers. Knowing the basics of these tools will help you know which scissors are the best choice for your needs. This can help you save time by not struggling with the wrong scissors, and save you money because you won’t buy anything you won’t use.

Exacto knife. Sure exacto knives aren’t exactly scissors, but they can be helpful when it comes to setting up your layouts. Exacto knives are useful for cutting thicker materials with more precision than scissors and getting sharp corners for shapes and lettering. Just be sure you have a cutting pad to protect your surfaces.

Edgers. We’ve all seen pinking shears and know they can add a fun touch to your scrapbooks, but now edgers do so much more. You can make waves, scallops, and zigzags. There are even special edgers made just for corners.

Be careful not to go overboard though. While that 30 piece edging set might seem great at the time, it’s a lot of money to spend when you can make patterns yourself by tracing. If you really must have all the different patterns, why not ask several friends to split the cost with you and share the scissors? This works even better if you live near each other or have scrapbooking parties.

Circle cutters. These are just what they sound like; they can cut a perfect circle every time. While many people prefer to just find something circular in their house and trace, these can save you time. Plus, depending on your cutting skills, you may have problems getting that circle looking just right. It may also be a challenge to find an object that’s the size you’re looking for. Circle cutters are an easy way to save you time and energy.

Trimmers. If you’re like me, you can’t cut a straight line to save your life. That’s why you need to get some kind of trimmer with a straight edge on it. They’re usually pretty easy to use, and once you get going, you’ll be able to precisely cut a straight edge every time.

Scissors. With all the fancy products out there, you will still be glad you have your good old regular scissors. No matter what great products you have, nothing will ever replace them. You should be sure to buy some quality scissors to keep only for scrapbooking. Other uses could damage or dull the scissors and ruin your results. It’s also best to buy specific scissors for paper and sewing scissors if you use fabrics. These will make sure you get the perfect cut every time.

If you aren’t really sure what scissors you want or need, just start small. Start with several good pairs of scissors, and a trimmer. Work your way up as you learn more and gain skill.

You have parties for birthdays, anniversaries, or even to check out the latest jewelry or other products. Why not get your friends together for a scrapbooking party? Besides having an excuse to have a party, there are some real benefits to having scrapbooking get-togethers with your friends.

New ideas. No matter how many sample layouts you look at or books you read, sometimes you just hit a wall and can’t come up with anything else. Having a scrapbooking party with your friends will let you see their ideas, and they can see what you’re working on and give you pointers. Sometimes a fresh perspective is enough to get you out of that slump and get you moving again.

New products. Let’s face it, as much as you would love to spend all your time online or at store checking out or testing new products, you’re just too busy. Having a scrapping get together is a great way to learn about, get opinions on, and even try out new supplies and tools. It not only saves you time, it can also save you money because you’ll end up not buying a product that doesn’t work well or that you just won’t use.

Sharing supplies. There are a lot of useful tools for scrapbookers that can produce great results but often aren’t worth the price for how often you use them. You can always trade tools with your friends, but it’s a lot easier when you have time to get together. If you get together with three friends, that’s four times the number of tools at your disposal. If 4 people are going to use it, it might make those novelty edgers, stamps, and punches worth the money.

Swapping extras. One of the biggest weaknesses in scrapbooking is buying more than you need. Stepping into a scrapbooking store is a great feeling, but it usually means you buy too much of something, or something that seems great at the time, but you never end up using. Plus, you always end up having extra scraps left over from layouts. If everyone brings their extras their not going to use, you can trade. They way you get new and different materials and you’re reducing waste at the same time.

Meeting new people. If you know a few people who scrapbook, but want to expand your circle, encourage each person to bring someone who doesn’t scrapbook to your next get together. You can share your assembled books, have them help you with layouts, and you might just convince them to start their own hobby.

Pure fun. Everyone needs time to unwind and relax with friends. You can just hang out while you’re scrapbooking, or have a bit more organized fun with design challenges and scrappbooking related games. The bonus is, if you’re all having fun, you’ll probably get the creative juices flowing and come up with some fantastic new ideas.

So what are you waiting for? Call your friends and start arranging your next great gathering.

There are some great scrapbooking books on the market that can help you get started. You can also learn a lot from online articles and message boards, but words and pictures can only do so much. Trying to learn how to scrapbook from looking at pictures of completed layouts is like trying to learn to paint by going to an art gallery.

If you’re serious about getting started in scrapbooking, there are some great DVDs out there to give you the boost you need. By actually watching someone put a layout together, you can learn subtle arts and techniques you need to be a successful scrapbooker.

The Art of Scrapbooking: If my husband can scrapbook …so can you!! is a great example of exactly what scrapbooking DVDs should be about: technique. This instructional DVD is for beginners and teaches you how to use a variety of different products. It doesn’t focus on creativity and layout design; that you can learn from books and articles. It teaches you the stuff you really need to see to understand and it makes it easy for people who are just getting started.

A DVD doesn’t really need to be about scrapbooking specifically to help you perfect your layouts. An Altered Journey with Tim Holtz is an instructional video on various inking and stamping techniques that can be used in scrapbooking and other art projects. Even though the DVD’s main focus isn’t scrapbooking, it gives you some amazing techniques you can use and might just help you out with your non-scrapbooking related projects are well. And if you like it, he has several other instructional videos to continue your learning process.

If you really want to learn techniques, and DVDs seem to work for you, then you should look into buying a series. There are sets that have instructional DVDs on all sorts of topics. That way you’re always learning and getting better. A great way to speed up the learning curve even more is by watching with your friends. You can have regular get-togethers to watch DVDs, practice techniques, and help each other out if someone isn’t catching on as fast.

The best part of DVDs is that they’re always there. They usually have clear titles and menus so you’re not flipping a pile of books or searching the internet to get a refresher course on a technique. You just pop in the DVD and fast forward directly to what you’re looking for.

You should remember that DVDs aren’t going to make you a master scrapbooker. You need to continue to read books, research online, and constantly search for new ideas and inspiration. Although they can’t make you and expert, DVDs can give you that extra push onto the right path.

photo credit: Rejane.r

So, you’re bought all your scrapbooking gear, set up a space, researched scrapbooking techniques and now you’re ready to get started. Before you can start putting your first layout, you have to actually choose one. This seems like a simple task, but there are so many styles and options it’s hard to know where to start. Here are some great ways to find possible layouts for your scrapbooks.

If you’re looking for possible layouts, the first place you should look is online. There are hundreds of scrapbooking websites, many with free layouts and how to’s on how to make them. Simple to complex, budget to expensive; there are ideas for every person and every occasion.

You can also find inspiration from scrapbooking layout sites and message boards. People can submit pictures of their layouts, and they do so on a regular basis. This means there’s a constant supply of new layout ideas one pretty much every topic (and every budget) you can think of. Plus people are usually nice enough to give you tips and tricks about how they put it together.

Books are a great place to get started while choosing a layout. With just a little searching, you can find books with hundreds of sample layouts. But there’s so much more you can gather from books than just layouts to copy. Many books help get you started on creating your own layouts by sharing scrapbooking philosophies and ways to spark your own imagination. You may even find inspiration from a book that has nothing to do with scrapbooking, like a beautiful picture, poem, or quote.

If you want more original ideas without pulling them straight from a book, why not have a get together with friends and family who scrapbook? You can get ideas from their work, or they can give you tips on a layout you’re already working on. You never know, you may just get inspiration from a random conversation, story, or shared memory.

Sometimes the best layouts don’t come from friends or web pages; they come from you. Scrapbooks are supposed to showcase your life and interests, so why shouldn’t they come from your very own inspiration. If you feel like you can’t seem to come up with ideas, just get out your supplies and start playing. Soon you’ll find yourself with too many ideas for you to make.

Once you start working on layouts, be sure not to get carried away. You don’t need to have every idea all slammed into a few layouts. You can start simple with a picture, journal, and a small embellishment, then work your way up as you buy more tools and gain more skill. Remember that scrapping is an art, and sometime simple is better.

Scrap swapping with your friends is also a great way to keep yourself from overbuying supplies.  Maybe you need a touch of pink in a layout but don’t want to buy an entire package of cardstock or ribbon.  Trading with your friends is an easy way to get that small touch you’re looking for without a big pricetag.

Every good party needs games, right?  Why not turn scrap swapping into a game?  You can create challenges to put together layouts from various scraps that everyone brings with them.  You can have everyone chip in money and get scrapping supplies for the winner or let them have first choice at what scraps they take home.  Even if you don’t want to use the specific layouts you come up with, you or one of your friends might come up with a great idea you can use.

You might worry that if you all share materials, your scrapbooks will all start to look alike.  But if you’re creative enough you can use the exact same things for totally different effects.  It’s like two different artist sharing the same paint.

Scrap swap meets are a great place to trade extras, but you can also use them as a place to share supplies.  The price tag or some reusable items like edgers, stamps. and punches isn’t so bad if you’re all share what you buy.

So what if you really want to have a scrap swap meet, but you don’t have any friends who scrapbook.  Here are some great ways to meet people who share your passion and start swapping today.

Online.  There are tons of great online forums on in the internet where you can meet people that share your passion.  If you look hard enough, you’re sure to find people in your area.  If you’re worried about the people you meet online, you can arrange to have your swap meets at a neutral location like a library or local coffee shop.

Scrapbooking stores.  If you’re apprehensive about meeting people on the internet, why not try your local scrapbooking store?  You can ask employees if they know anyone who would be interested in scrapbooking swap meets or ask to post an add on a bulletin board or at a register.  If that’s too much effort, you can just strike up a conversation with a fellow scrapper while browsing the store.

Convert your current friends.  If you can’t find anyone who loves scrapbooking, convert people who haven’t discovered this fantastic hobby.  If a friend admires your scrapbooks, invite them to help you make some pages or offer to help them start their own.  If you loan them supplies and advice, you’re likely to get them hooked too.

Having scrap swapping parties can help you save money, come up with great ideas, and decrease the amount of trash you put into the environment, but these aren’t the best reasons to have them.  Scrapping parties are a great way to spend time with your friends, share memories, and just have a great time.

SHARE SOME GREAT LAYOUTS WITH YOUR FRIENDS, IT MAY NOT BE ONE THAT YOU COULD USE BUT MAYBE ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS CAN FIND A USE FOR IT.

photo credit: melc24

When you finally make the decision to start making scrapbooks, you’re very likely to go out and buy all the materials you think you need.  This will probably lead to some buyer’s remorse when you realize you have a bunch of stuff you don’t need or can’t afford.

It’s easy to make a scrapbook on a budget with a lot of stuff you already have, you just need to know where to look.  Here are some things you probably already have that can help get you started

Clothes.  If you have clothes that are too worn out or stained to make good hand me downs or donations, why not add pieces of them to your layouts.  Not only will you be saving money and making less trash, you’ll also be reminded of great memories of your loved ones even if you didn’t manage to get a picture.

Jewelry.  Have an earring that’s missing it’s mate?  A necklace with a broken clasp?  What about a bracelet your child has outgrown?  Instead of getting rid of them or just filling up space in a box, why not use them to add a little sparkle to your scrapbooks?

Gift decorations.  Think about all the birthday, Christmas, baby, wedding, and any other gifts you’ve ever given or received.  Now think about all the money you spend on wrapping paper, bags, bows, ribbons, and other decorations.  Sometimes old decorations can be reused, but often they just get shoved in a closet or thrown away.  Using them in your scrapbooks can make beautiful layouts and bring you back to the special occasion where you got them.  Just watch out, some of these products can have high acid content.

Trash.  Yes, some trash belongs in a trash can (or a compost heap), some might just make for a creative new layout.  Next time you go to throw something away, take a good hard look at it first.  It might just make a great background, border, or embellishment.

Souvenirs and Memories.  Pictures aren’t the only way to spark your memories.  Add to pictures of your ski trip by using your lift ticket or trail map in your scrap book.  If your son won the science fair, use his blue ribbon to add a special touch.  Remember good times with friends by scrapping the tickets stubs from a movie you saw together or a matchbook from the restaurant you always eat at can make your scrapbooks even more memorable.

Storage.  You can not only use things you already have to put in your scrapbook, you can also store your supplies in items that may be taking up closet (or trash) space.  Old jars and cups work great for storing ribbons and other embellishments.  Did your husband get a new tackle box and hasn’t gotten rid of the old one?  All those little spaces are great for organizing buttons are even different adhesives.

Creativity.  The only limit you have when you scrap is your own imagination.  There are all kinds of things you can use in a scrapbook that aren’t found at a scrapbooking store; you just need to teach yourself to recognize them.

So get up, look around your house, and start scrapping.

Making a wedding scrapbook is fun, and it allows you to organize your photos in an attractive and original way.  Here are some tips that you could apply to your wedding scrapbook.

* Use only the best photos in your scrapbook, especially if you have a lot of them.  There’s no need to include every single shot.  It’s likely that you have many similar pictures, and including them all will only detract from your scrapbook.  Going through the photos as a couple will ensure that both husband and wife’s favorites are included.

* Include lots of candid photos.  Portraits are more polished looking, but candid shots do more to tell the story of your wedding day.  Using some of each will give your album a good balance.

* Add in plenty of journaling.  The couple can write their thoughts about the wedding day, certain photos, or their love for one another.  You could also ask family members or guests to do some of the journaling if you would like to include some outside perspectives.

* Consider including notes from cards you’ve received in connection with your wedding.  These often contain sentiments that are too precious to end up packed in a box somewhere.  Cutting them out and incorporating them into your pages makes a wonderful addition to your wedding scrapbook.

* Press some flowers from your bouquet, the groom’s boutonniere, and other floral arrangements from the ceremony and reception.  They make lovely adornments for your scrapbook pages.  Putting them between pieces of transparency plastic or laminating them will ensure that they retain their beauty through the years.  You could also affix some to the scrapbook’s cover with Modge Podge if you like.

* Incorporate your wedding vows into your scrapbook.  This is especially nice if you wrote your own vows.  You could use them as you would journaling, or you could include a line or two on each page throughout the book.  This could also be done with the lyrics from one of your special wedding songs.

* Add some special keepsakes from your wedding day.  These could include things such as personalized napkins, place cards, notes, and more.  And don’t forget to include one of your wedding invitations!

* Choose embellishments carefully.  There are lots of pretty things you can use to accent the pictures in your scrapbook, but be careful not to get too carried away.  The photos themselves are the stars of the show, not the embellishments.

photo credit: karine*imagine

Scrapbooking is a great way to spend your time while preserving your memories. If you’re not careful, it’s also an easy way to spend a lot of money. If you’re thinking about starting scrapbooking, but are afraid you’ll rack up too big a bill, or if you’ve been scrapbooking for a while and just want to cut costs, there are some great places to find products without spending a lot of cash.

Thrift stores. These are great places for all kinds of finds. You could find fabric, buttons, silk flowers, ribbon. The only thing limiting what you find is your own imagination and creativity. You may even get lucky and find scrapbooking supplies that someone didn’t think they wanted to use or keep around.

Discount department stores. While stores like Wal-mart and Target are probably not the best place to find the products you’re looking for in a high quality (paper, sheet protectors, adhesive), you can probably find great embellishments and decorations to spice up your layouts. Wrapping paper, ribbons, flowers, even discount greeting cards. Just like thrifts stores, the only limit to what you’ll find there is you.

Fabric stores. When it comes to ribbons, bows, buttons, and even tools, you may be able to find what you’re looking for cheaper at a fabric store (or fabric section of a department store) a whole lot cheaper than at a scrapbooking store. Plus, they have a variety to fit every style.

Your own home. Finding great stuff for your scrapbooks doesn’t always mean going to the store. Old clothes, broken jewelry, spare buttons, old birthday cards, kids arts and crafts projects, even trash can be used in your scrapbooks.

Online. While you don’t need to spend a lot of money on many things in scrapbooking, there are other materials you don’t want to cut corners with. These include quality acid-free paper, glue, cardstock, and sheet protectors. Cutting corners in these areas will likely cause damage to your photos and leave you upset. The good news is, the internet is a great place to find quality products at a discount.

There are thousands of places to find scrapbooking tools and supplies online. It’s not hard to find what you’re looking for, the challenge is finding what you’re looking for in good quality at a decent price. Do some research on scrapbooking websites and message boards. You’ll find there are a lot of people who have done the legwork for you and are willing to help you out, you just have to ask.

The biggest concern with finding supplies online is that, when they show up, they might not be exactly what you’re looking for. The best way to remedy this is to find items you want at your local store, and then check online for discount prices. That way you’ll have no surprises when the box arrives.

With a little time and searching, you can get your scrapbooks started for pennies a day.