:ARTICLE: Top 5 Time-saving Tips for Faster Scrapbooking

Not too long ago, I hosted a giveaway that in order to enter readers had to leave a comment telling me your favorite time-saving tip when it comes to scrapbooking.

While there were about a dozen different answers in total from the commenters, there were 5 that clearly stood out as the TOP choices to scrap faster and I wanted to discuss those five options in a little greater detail.

#1 - SKETCHES
This was the number one tip among respondents!

Teresa Jaye said:
My favorite time saving tip is to use sketches! There are so many fabulous sketch artists out there - so there's no point in me sitting at my desk, staring at my photo's and supplies when some one has already come up with a fantabulous idea for me to use!

Well said...and how true!

I won't go into too much detail on this one because as I expressed in a post earlier this year, sketches are a favorite time-saving tip of mine as well. Please visit that previous post for a list of my five favorite online sources for great sketches!

I also include a couple sketches in my :BE INSPIRED: Creativity Prompts each month, so be sure to check those out as well!

#2 - ORGANIZATION
Organization was second to using sketches (but not by much)! Of course, this tip took many different forms as everyone has their own definition and style of organization, but it was a stand-out tip just the same.

Elizabeth D. said:
My favorite time saving technique for scrapbooking is how I organize my projects. After an event I put all of the stuff in one file - pictures, postcards, brochures, etc, anything from that event. That way when I'm ready to scrap the event I'm not looking all over for my stuff, it's all in one convenient place.

Personally, I would LOVE (and dream about) having a dedicated scrapbooking room. Unfortunately, I don't believe that it's in the cards any time soon. However, I know that I MUST have a dedicated 'space' for maximum productivity so that I can leave my supplies out where I can see them (and therefore be more likely to use them) and leave in-progress projects out for whenever the creative mood might strike.

For now, this consists of two tables set up in the shape of an 'L' in our basement (in a room that serves about 4 other functions as well!). I organize my papers by manufacturer in a hanging file system and most of my stickers, rub ons and small embellishments are stored on a two-tier Clip It Up (this and this). I also love baskets, bins, drawers and fishing tackle boxes to store other various items.

Here's a couple other great online sources of information that I found online for staying organized:
Get Organized for Scrapbooking by Aby Garvey
Organization & Storage articles at Scrapbook.com

#3 - CUSTOM KITS
There are several reasons that scrapbooking kits are great way to scrap faster.

They can save you stress. Some scrappers are simply overwhelmed by the amount of product available and by being a member of a kit club, it takes the guess work out of putting together great-looking layouts.

They can save you money. By having kits that are customized to coordinate, you won't end up buying a whole bunch of product that doesn't really 'go' and ultimately won't use.

And, of course, they can save you time. Shopping for supplies takes time. Traveling to and from your LSS (or not-so-local S) takes time - and money. Often, custom kits are quick and easy to order and are delivered right to your doorstep!!

Here's a couple of my favorite kit clubs:
MemoryWorks Express Kits - Okay, yes...I am totally biased on this one, but I think you'll agree that they are beautiful.
Studio Calico
The Scarlet Lime
Little Red Scrapbook
Mosh Posh

#4 - FINDING/STORING INSPIRATION
Many of you really enjoy searching out inspiration online and in magazines to spur your creativity and avoid scrapper's block!

Melinda Wilson said:
When I am blog hopping, I see some wonderful layouts and I will copy and paste them into a word document. I keep adding to this document and over time will have several pages that I will print to take with me to a crop so I can scraplift some of the layouts and makes things move faster.

A great way to find FREE inspiration is to visit online galleries such as the one at Two Peas which is chock full of eye candy. Another great idea is to follow the blogs of the manufacturers you tend to buy a lot of or the kit clubs that you subscribe to as they are more likely to feature projects using the products that you already own in your stash!! I am an avid follower of the Fancy Pants, Pink Paislee and October Afternoon blogs just to name a few.

As for storing it, you can do anything from keeping an inspiration folder on your computer to creating a custom made inspiration binder like this one.

#5 - SCRAPLIFT
Last, but not least, scraplifting was also a popular time-saving tip. Even Melissa mentioned it in conjunction with finding inspiration in her comment above.

According to an article written for Scrapjazz.com by Andrea Steed, scraplifting is defined as follows:
The act of copying ideas and designs from another person’s scrapbook page to use in your own pages. Designs or ideas can be copied in whole or in part and is largely subjective.

While similar to using sketches when used to inspire the 'design' of the layout, scraplifting can also involve the 'lifting' of particular color schemes, titles/title treatments, products/product combinations and much more.

While a viable option for faster scrapbooking, there are certain things that you should consider when scraplifting someone else's layout such as giving credit where credit is due if you should happen to post the layout in an online gallery or on your blog. You should certainly disclose where you found your inspiration for the project. Also, under no circumstances should you submit the layout for publication or a contest...it simply isn't kosher.

Well, there you have it - five of the best time-saving tips for faster scrapbooking!

Now get to it...you've got no scrapping time to waste! :-)

READER RESPONSE:
Do you know of any additional online resources that you find especially useful and/or helpful in relation to the 5 points above? Share a link!

:ARTICLE: Top 5 Ways to be a More Eco-Friendly Scrapper

As you most likely already know, today is Earth Day. This may or may not have you thinking about how to be a 'greener' scrapbooker. If so, here's a few ideas.

Reduce.
Less is more. You’ve heard it before, right. It’s often true for scrapbooking, too. Do you really need layer upon layer of papers and embellishments on a single layout to tell your story? Probably not. In fact, the story you are working so hard to record might just be getting lost in all the excess. Try simplifying your crafting to photos, words and just a few decorative extras.

Reuse.
Don’t brush those scraps into the garbage. Use them! That skinny strip of patterned paper might be just the ticket for a cute decorative border to add a little flair to your next layout. Scraps are often the perfect size for creating adorable cards for friends and loved ones. Also, look a little more creatively at the packaging that your scrap supplies come in. Can the negative of a chipboard element be used as a mask? Can some clear plastic packaging be used for some chic punched accents? Also, are there household items that could find new life in your next creative project? Consider using items such as old clothing, cereal boxes, corrugated cardboard and even junk mail in inspired new ways.

Recycle.
So you’re not a fan of using your scraps? It’s okay…it’s likely that a local school, daycare, or church would love to take them off your hands. You might also consider listing unwanted supplies or tools you no longer use on Freecycle for a fellow craft enthusiast who may not have the budget to buy new.

Buy Local.
If you’re lucky enough to have a local scrapbooking store, support it. Not only are you helping to support business in your community, but you’re also reducing the many hidden costs of having products delivered to your door.

Buy Green.
Encourage more companies to ‘go green’ or at least offer greener options by supporting those that already do. Die Cuts With View offers an earth-friendly collection called The Eco Stack that comes with 24 designs, all printed on 70 percent post-consumer recycled paper that is also acid and lignin free. Or check out a company like Creatively Green that offers 100% recycled textured cardstock and more.

READER RESPONSE:
What tips or techniques do you have for being a more earth-friendly crafter?

:ARTICLE: How to Take Great Fireworks Photos with a Point & Shoot

PLEASE NOTE:
This article was originally published on this blog on July 1, 2008, so if it seems familiar, that would be why. :-) However, there are many new readers here since last summer and since the information is still quite useful and certainly timely, I decided it was worth a repost.

You can see many additional fireworks photos that I have captured using these very tips here and here.

Enjoy!

-------------------------------------------------

Getting great fireworks photos has to be hard, right?

Not necessarily. The pros want us to believe this, I think, but scrapbookers and photography hobbyists can still get great results without loads of equipment and studying aspects of aperture, shutter speed, focal length and such for hours before the event or spending the entire show trying to get your settings just right.

All of the photos in this post were taken by me last year with my Canon S3 IS and I'll give you my 5 basic steps to how I got my results.

1) Scope out your location.
Try to arrive on site while it's still light out so that you can make sure that you get a good position for shooting. Try to avoid areas where trees or other obstructions may hinder your shooting. You want to have a clear view of the area of sky where the bursts will appear.

2) Use a tripod.
Okay, so you will need this one other piece of equipment to get good shots. With fireworks, it is an absolute must considering the length of time that your camera's shutter must be open to capture the brilliance of fireworks. The camera must be PERFECTLY still during that entire length of time in order to get a good shot. But it doesn't have to be anything too fancy. The one I use is actually one my husband picked up at an auction for around $5.

3) Use your self-timer.
Articles of this type will generally suggest that you use your remote release to trigger the camera to avoid camera shake when pushing the shutter release. Although some P&S cameras have a remote release option, most do not. The easy way around this is to use the self-timer. My camera has a 2 or 10 second option, so I set mine on 2 seconds and will generally hit the shutter release when I hear or see the firework trajectory leave the ground. It's not full proof. Some fireworks take longer than others to burst, but it works enough of the time to get some great shots.

4) Frame your shot.
Take a variety of shots. Use your zoom to get some shots that will zero in on the burst itself and zoom out to get some that take in some of the scenery as well, such as the shot below where you can see a bit of reflection of the firework on the water. If you're attending a show within a city, you may actually want to include part of the cityscape in your photos to give them a greater sense of place. Also, don't assume that if you don't get the entire burst within your frame that it's one for the recycle bin. Some of my favorite shots are those that only show part of the burst against black sky which actually makes for a very interesting photo in terms of composition.

5) Use the fireworks setting.
Yup. It's allowed. That's why it's there. Camera manufacturers didn't create all those settings so that you could feel guilty about using them. They created them so that more people could enjoy the art of photography! I used the fireworks setting for every picture in this post, so no time was wasted trying to figure out the perfect settings.

PLUS 3 more little tips:

1) Take a flashlight. Always good to have when trying to take photos in the dark.

2) Charge your batteries. You'll be taking lots of shots to get your keepers in this type of shoot. Make sure your camera doesn't die on you half way through the show.

3) Empty your memory card. Again, lots of photos, so you'll want to have as much room available on your memory card as possible.

I hope that these hints and tips are helpful to you as your venture out for fireworks later this week! I would love to hear from you if you have any other fireworks photography hints and tips to share.

:ARTICLE: 8 Steps to Organizing Your Digital Photos

Obviously our photos are important to us or we wouldn’t be scrapbookers. If you have an organized and established routine, the more likely you are to transform your photos into precious layouts and other projects.

In this article, I’d like to share my personal system for digital photo organization.

You'll notice that I reference Picasa and Shutterfly, which happen to be the programs/services that I prefer to use. I do also sometimes use Photoshop Elements when I want to do more advanced editing. There are many others to choose from, but these basic steps are generally very similar regardless of which programs/services you use.

1) Create Folders
Before you upload any more pictures, creating a folder system is key.

Personally, I tend to think in chronological order, so I have a folder for each year in my photos folder on my computer. Within that folder, I have subfolders for each group of photos that I take. For example, the folder containing the pictures from my daughter’s birthday party this year would be titled ‘2008_06_09 - Kaitlin’s Birthday Party’.

ALWAYS put your dates first and use the year_month_day format. That way your computer will always be able to automatically put them in chronological order for you.

This step will probably take some time, but you will thank yourself later. Trust me. Once you have your folder system set up, simply be sure to upload your pictures to the correct folder, name appropriately and you’ll never have a jumbled mess of pictures to sort out again!

2) Purge
This is a tough one for a lot of people, but it is necessary. Why keep 124 photos from an event if you know that only 20 of them are necessary to preserve your memories. I often take my daughter out for a shoot and only keep a dozen or less out of 50 or more shots.

The first ones to go aren’t so hard…the blurry, the cut-off head, the finger in the viewfinder…but it does get a little harder. You have to look at your photos objectively and use a critical eye to chose the best.

However, I do have to put a bit of a disclaimer here. There may be some situations where none of your photos are particularly good. This happens to me sometimes when there are lighting issues beyond my control. There are times when ‘bad’ photos are better than no photos, so while you need to purge, don’t purge so quickly that you delete every photo that you have of an event you wish to have a record of.

3) Tag/Keywords
Tagging (or adding keywords) is an important step. It is especially helpful if you want to find a collection of photos that would come from multiple folders to create a theme albums or layout spanning a period of time.

Tags don’t have to be complicated. I commonly tag my photos with the name of each person in them. Other common tags include events, holidays, seasons, activities, locations, etc., but you can obviously use whatever tags you think will be useful to you.

Then, if I want to create a mini-album of my daughter’s Halloween costumes over the years, I simply do a search for Kaitlin and Halloween and I come up with a group of photos with those two tags. This is MUCH easier than trying to sort through years of folders.


4) Edit
My editing workflow is an article in itself (stay tuned...), but as you all know, even the best out-of-camera shots can be improved with a little editing such as increasing the contrast, cropping for better composition, warming up skin tones, converting to black and white, etc.

There are two processes which I include in my editing workflow that also help me with my digital photo organization. Once I have my photos edited as desired, I do two things using:

a) I select all the edited pics in the folder and then export FULL-SIZE versions into a subfolder of the original folder called ‘Edits’. To achieve this, I choose 'Use Original Size' under 'Image Size Options' and 'Automatic' under 'Image Quality'.

b) I select all the edited pics in the folder and then export WEB-SIZED versions into a subfolder of the original folder called ‘Web’. To achieve this, I choose 'Resize To:' (I do 480 pixels) under 'Image Size Options' and 'Normal' under 'Image Quality'. I also like to add the watermark option for photos which may end up on the web.

By exporting the photos, I preserve the original photos and have a set ready for upload to my favorite photo printing site and another ready for web use, either on my blog or in online galleries.


5) Rate
Rating is another important step. In Picasa, a system is used where you can ‘star’ favorites. So, even if I take 50 photos in a shoot and keep 10, there are probably still only 1-3 that are what I like to call my stand-outs - the ones that really speak to me or capture the spirit of my subject or event. Once I have my Edits folder, I then star those 1-3 photos.

What good is this, you might ask. Well, at the end of each year I often create photo books and other gifts for family members highlighting my daughter’s or my family’s year. All I do is then is select my starred photos folder and all the BEST pictures from the year are all in one place and ready to be made into compilation CD’s and other gifts!

6) Upload & Order
Now it’s time to upload to your favorite online photo printing service. Personally, I prefer Shutterfly and I can upload the photos from my Edits folder directly from their software. Simple! I do sometimes wait until I have a large batch of photos before ordering (or until I get a free shipping email from Shutterfly).

7) Share
Isn’t one of the best parts of taking all these photos is sharing them. These days, you can easily do so even before you have the prints in hand. You can upload your now exported web-sized versions to your blog or favorite online gallery.

You can also create your own photo sharing website through many online photo printing service without further uploading. Shutterfly offers new share sites that have some amazing capabilities!

8) Backup
No digital photo organization article would be complete without a reminder to backup. We’ve all heard the horror stories of months or years of lost photos and the devastation that affords for their owners. Don’t let it happen to you!

If you upload to an online photo printing site like Shutterfly, your photos are already somewhat protected, but retrieval of your full-sized images can sometimes be somewhat limited or expensive if you lose your copies. So, developing your own CD or DVD backup plan is still important.

In Picasa, it actually tracks for you which photos have been backed up and which have not, so there’s no guessing (and no chance of missing an important folder). It’s a good idea to make two copies - one to keep in your home and one in another location (your parent’s house, safe deposit box, etc.)

So that’s digital photo organization in 8 steps! Although I personally use Picasa (a free software offered by Google) for the processes above, most photo software out there has similar capabilities.

I hope that you’ll take this information to gain a whole new level of photo organization in 2009!

5 Resources to Help You Get Your Photos Organized:
1) Adobe Photoshop Elements & Premiere Elements 7
2) The Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)
3) ACDSee Photo Manager 2009
4) Paint Shop Pro Photo X2
5) Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 for Photographers

____________________________________________________________

Come put all your pictures into our photo books now. Undecided? Then come take a look at these photo book samples here. Making custom photo books with us is very easy.

:ARTICLE: 10 Tips for Photographing Children

Since my daughter is my main photo subject, I've come up with a few general rules for photographing kids over the years. I hope you find a few that will help you get the shot you're looking for.

#1 - No cheese, please!
Avoid simply telling a child to smile or using the overused “say cheese.” Generally, all you’ll get are fake, awkward grins. It’s much better to find other avenues for getting the expressions you’re looking for. Ask them about their favorite cartoon characters. Tell them a story or a silly knock-knock joke. And remember, smiles are not necessary at all sometimes. Some of my favorite shots of my daughter are ones in which she’s sporting a serious or thoughtful expression. Strive to capture various expressions. Even silly or unhappy faces can have a certain charm and can tell volumes about a child’s true personality. Case in point below...yes, she is a goofball!



#2 - Let them take the lead.
Kids have a ton of energy and trust me, you’ll sap every ounce of yours and then some, trying to get them to pose ‘just so’. It’s much easier to give very general directions like “Why don’t you go smell those purple flowers? I bet they smell like candy.” Then, just follow and snap away. Believe it or not, all I told my daughter in the photo below is that it looked like a great rock to climb on and she did the rest!


#3 - Be quick.
They move fast, so you must also. I suggest leaving the tripod at home when shooting children. You’ll only because frustrated by toting around extra equipment and probably end up missing some great shots. In addition, it’s important to know your camera. Know what settings you plan to use for the shoot and have it set before it even gets started. Kids can quickly loose their interest in getting their picture taken and you don’t want to waste valuable time fiddling with camera settings.

#4 - Be patient.
You may go into the shoot knowing what you want, but with children you often must take what you can get. Sometimes what they’ll give you if you let them do it naturally is better than what you had in mind anyway. I often joke about my 50:1 ratio, but it actually rings true for most photographers. It generally take a lot of shots (50) to get 1 great photo. That’s just the way it is no matter how good you are. Have you ever seen a professional photographer take five pictures and call it a day? I highly doubt it.

#5 - Vary your distance and angle.
Since children are generally shorter than the photographer, it is important to get down on their level to avoid distortions. However, that being said, it can also be fun and often lead to some very interesting results by shooting from various levels. So, get your eye-level photos, but then also shoot some from above and below as well. Shoot close-ups and full-length. Adding variety to your shots can ensure that you don’t miss any important details in their expressions, outfit or surroundings.


#6 - Use props.
The use of props can be a great idea when photographing children for several reasons. For one, it can sometimes help the child to focus their attention and give you a few extra moments to get that ‘perfect’ shot. They can also enhance the photo by telling a story. For example, using a pumpkin is a great photo for a fall photo shoot or a book would be a great way to show a child’s love of reading.


#7 - Avoid clutter.
Now, I know I just told you it can be a good idea to bring items into your photos, but don’t overdo it. One pumpkin can have the same thematic effect as five and often less is more. This can also sometimes translate to their outfit as well. You don’t want their outfit to be to busy or it can actually compete or clash with your subjects surroundings and take attention away from their face or the story you’re trying to tell.

#8 - Focus on the eyes..usually.
There is nothing quite like the eyes of a child. Therefore, you generally want to make sure that your focus in on them in most photos you shoot. However, there may be times when it makes sense to place the focus elsewhere such as when your subject is not looking at the camera or a prop is being used. Perhaps the prop is their favorite book and the book is important to the story you are trying to tell in the photograph. In this instance, you might actually want to bring the front of the book into focus while leaving the child reading the book in the background out of focus.

#9 - Location is key.
I am always on the lookout for new photo shoot locations. Even in my small community, there are tons of places that lend themselves to great backdrops for photos - a metal fire escape in a downtown alley, the uniquely carved front doors of a church, or beautiful flowering bushes in a local park. Making your photo subject to these places can also be fun for them because it gives them a new place to ‘explore’ while you capture the perfect shot.


#10 - Keep it fun!
Include the child in what you’re doing. If you are using a digital camera with an LCD screen, let them view some of the photos on the screen and give them compliments about how wonderful they look. You might even want to let them take a shot or two. By making it fun and making them feel special, they are likely to feel more comfortable and be more cooperative during the shoot.

5 Great Books to Help You Enhance Your Skills:
1) The Art of Children's Portrait Photography
2) Photographing Children Photo Workshop: Develop Your Digital Photography Talent
3) Photographing Children and Babies: How to Take Great Pictures
4) Expressions: Your Behind the Camera Guide to Taking Extraordinary Photos of Ordinary Life
5) Studio Portrait Photography of Children and Babies

:ARTICLE: How to Take Great Fireworks Photos with a Point & Shoot

Getting great fireworks photos has to be hard, right?

Not necessarily. The pros want us to believe this, I think, but scrapbookers and photography hobbyists can still get great results without loads of equipment and studying aspects of aperture, shutter speed, focal length and such for hours before the event or spending the entire show trying to get your settings just right.

All of the photos in this post were taken by me last year with my Canon S3 IS and I'll give you my 5 basic steps to how I got my results.

1) Scope out your location.

Try to arrive on site while it's still light out so that you can make sure that you get a good position for shooting. Try to avoid areas where trees or other obstructions may hinder your shooting. You want to have a clear view of the area of sky where the bursts will appear.

2) Use a tripod.

Okay, so you will need this one other piece of equipment to get good shots. With fireworks, it is an absolute must considering the length of time that your camera's shutter must be open to capture the brilliance of fireworks. The camera must be PERFECTLY still during that entire length of time in order to get a good shot. But it doesn't have to be anything too fancy. The one I use is actually one my husband picked up at an auction for around $5.

3) Use your self-timer.

Articles of this type will generally suggest that you use your remote release to trigger the camera to avoid camera shake when pushing the shutter release. Although some P&S cameras have a remote release option, most do not. The easy way around this is to use the self-timer. My camera has a 2 or 10 second option, so I set mine on 2 seconds and will generally hit the shutter release when I hear or see the firework trajectory leave the ground. It's not full proof. Some fireworks take longer than others to burst, but it works enough of the time to get some great shots.

4) Frame your shot.

Take a variety of shots. Use your zoom to get some shots that will zero in on the burst itself and zoom out to get some that take in some of the scenery as well, such as the shot below where you can see a bit of reflection of the firework on the water. If you're attending a show within a city, you may actually want to include part of the cityscape in your photos to give them a greater sense of place. Also, don't assume that if you don't get the entire burst within your frame that it's one for the recycle bin. Some of my favorite shots are those that only show part of the burst against black sky which actually makes for a very interesting photo in terms of composition.

5) Use the fireworks setting.

Yup. It's allowed. That's why it's there. Camera manufacturers didn't create all those settings so that you could feel guilty about using them. They created them so that more people could enjoy the art of photography! I used the fireworks setting for every picture in this post, so no time was wasted trying to figure out the perfect settings.

PLUS 3 more little tips:

1) Take a flashlight. Always good to have when trying to take photos in the dark.

2) Charge your batteries. You'll be taking lots of shots to get your keepers in this type of shoot. Make sure your camera doesn't die on you half way through the show.

3) Empty your memory card. Again, lots of photos, so you'll want to have as much room available on your memory card as possible.

I hope that these hints and tips are helpful to you as your venture out for fireworks later this week! I would love to hear from you if you have any other fireworks photography hints and tips to share.

:ARTICLE: Get Your Light Right

I have another photography related article published over at WeScrap. It was part of the June newsletter, but you view other great WeScrap articles and tutorials here.

Get Your Light Right

You don’t need to have a studio full of professional lights to get great photos of your loved ones. Many of us simply don’t have the space or budget to set up an indoor photography studio at home. Does that mean we shouldn’t be able to get quality results without have to spend an arm and a leg for a professional? Absolutely not! Over the years, the great outdoors has become my favorite studio. Backdrops are in endless supply and all you need is a few good tips to get some great lighting.

#1 - Get natural: Natural light is actually the most flattering type of light for photos. So get outside and start shooting. Don’t be afraid of weather either. Foggy and rainy days can actually create great mood for more creative shots.

You can also take advantage of natural light indoors. Turn off the indoor lighting and position your subject near a large, bright window or set up a makeshift studio beside your open garage door. Position your subject so that the light hits them from the side and use a reflector opposite the window to bounce even more light onto your subject. The photo below was taken indoors with my daughter lying on the floor several feet to the right of our living room window. I left the sheers closed to soften the light hitting her face, essentially acting as a diffuser.

#2 - Get Shady: While natural light is ideal, direct light is not. Contrary to popular belief, sunny days are not always best for taking photos. Direct light can cast harsh shadows on faces and cause squinting which is never flattering. Cloudy days can actually be better for taking photos. If you can’t avoid a sunny day, look for open shade such as on the side of a tall building (like I did in the shot below) or a lush tree to get better results.

#3 - Get Golden: The hour after sunrise and before sunset are known as the Golden Hours to photographers. These are the absolute BEST times of the day to take photos as the light is generally very soft and warm as a result of the sun being so close to the horizon and therefore causes colors to be at their most vibrant.

#4 - Get Flashy (but not when you think): Flash indoors, no flash outdoors, right? Not necessarily. While using flash indoors is sometimes necessary in low light indoors situations, don’t flip up that flash out of habit. Open the curtains and let there be light. The colors will be more natural and warm. Then, when you can’t avoid direct sunlight outdoors, make sure that the subject’s back is to the sun to help avoid squinting and use your flash. It can actually help to fill in some of those nasty shadows.


Let me know what you think of this article on lighting...basic, I know, but that was the idea. Are there other basic lighting tips that you live by to help improve your natural light photography?

5 Books to Help You Enhance Your Skills:
1) Rick Sammon's Exploring the Light: Making the Very Best In-Camera Exposures
2) Professional Secrets of Natural Light Portrait Photography
3) Exposure and Lighting for Digital Photographers Only (For Only)
4) Night and Low-Light Photography: Professional Techniques from Experts for Artistic and Commercial Success
5) Lighting Photo Workshop

:ARTICLE: 8 Tips to Better Photo Composition

The International Scrapbooking Association May Newsletter issue went was published today. Like last month, I contributed a photography article to the newsletter.

8 Tips to Better Photo Composition
A huge part of creating a successful scrapbook layout is the photos you choose to use on that page. That’s why photography has become a secondary hobby to most scrapbookers. Last month, I shared with you several tips to improve your photography skills by simply getting to know your camera. This month, we’ll focus on improving your shots through eight composition tricks.

#1 - Use the Rule of Thirds
You’ve probably heard of this principle in reference to designing a scrapbook page (and it’s a great one to follow), but the concept actually began with photography. Imagine a grid, like the one below, dividing your photo. The idea is to have the key elements of your photo off-center and on the lines or, even better, on the intersecting points of the grid…it makes for a much more visually appealing picture.


#2 - Use Leading Lines
You can use many things to create leading lines in your photographs - a road, fence, river…even an airplane wing. If used correctly, these lines help to draw the viewer into the picture and toward the subject. They can also help to create depth in a photo and are often most effective if the leading line begins in a corner of your photo.

#3 - Watch Your Background
We’ve all taken them…the shots of a loved one with a light post sticking out of their head or where the beloved subject is overwhelmed by the clutter of your untidy living room (or maybe that’s just my problem). Try to be always aware of the background when taking photos as these types of problems can generally be easily solved by moving your subject or changing your angle (see #8).

#4 - Fill the Frame
AKA - Get Close…no closer! Whether you do this by physically moving closer to your subject or utilizing a zoom lens, filling the entire frame with your subject can have a stunning effect and allow you to pick up details that would be missed in a full-length shot. Although much of my daughter’s witch costume is not visible in this shot, it is still my favorite from the shoot. There’s enough to get the idea…and just look at those lashes!!

#5 - Frame Your Subject
A fun way to draw attention to your subject is to frame them in a window, doorway, or even elements in nature. In the shot below, my daughter is framed by the overhanging trees. Since I was going for somewhat whimsical, distant look in this photo, she is rather small, so I also used the rule of thirds to help draw the viewer’s eye to her in the photograph.

#6 - Don’t Amputate
When going for a full-length shot, don’t cut someone off at the ankle (or worse yet, the neck)! Always be aware of what you are ‘cutting off’ in your photos and where. Of course, when taken a closer photo, you have to cut of something, right? Of course. The general rule of thumb is to not cut your subject off at a joint, which makes them look unnatural (as if they’ve been amputated). It’s generally best to crop between joints.

#7 - Vary your angle
Any angle can get a little boring if you use it all the time…switch things up a bit by varying the angle from which you take your photos. Try taking shots from above your subject, while lying on the ground, at eye level, or from the side. I shot this picture of my daughter from above and not only is it an interesting angle, but also allowed me to highlight her beautiful dress in a way that no other angle would have. This can also mean varying the angle of your camera itself and giving your photo a tilted effect as in the second example below.


#8 - Go vertical
Just because your camera is built in a horizontal orientation doesn’t mean you can put it on its side and go vertical. Vertical shots can work very well when taking portraits and can really add interest to a shot of something that is generally viewed in a horizontal nature, such as this picture of a quilted American flag that I took at the Air & Space museum in Ashland, NE.



5 Books to Help Enhance Your Skills:
1) The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos
2) Composition Photo Workshop
3) Learning to See Creatively: Design, Color & Composition in Photography
4) Mastering Composition with your Digital SLR
5) Basics Photography: Composition (Basics Photography (Numbered))