Memories Deserve More Than A Shoebox ^TM

I'm No Pro

by Andrea Steed

Let's face it. Scrapbook magazines and web sites are full of layouts featuring fantastic photos with perfect composition, smiling children, and precision sharpness. You'd think that all scrapbookers were professional photographers too. The truth is, while some scrapbookers have the gift of a photographer's eye, the vast majority of us are just regular people who want to capture our lives in pictures as best we can.

It's true that with some practice and a few lessons, anyone can improve their photography, and if that's important to you, then by all means-do it! But I'm here to tell you that you don't have to have perfect photos to scrapbook your memories.

Capture the moments. Forget about getting the perfect picture, and just take a few! Even if they don't turn out, you can't relive the moments of your life, so you'll want to have something to trigger your memories. Even a blurry, dark photograph can bring you back to the moment, clear as day.

Write what you can't see. Let your words paint a picture. Journal about what's missing in the photograph and what was happening at the time. In the quest to create "cute" layouts, many scrapbookers often forget to tell the story of why these photos are important in their lives.

Embrace the digital darkroom. So what if the photo isn't quite right? You can improve it in the digital darkroom with photo editing software. Change the coloring, crop out a distracting background, or apply an artistic effect to tell your story.

Resist comparisons. Yes, we all look to scrapbooking web sites and magazines for ideas and inspiration. But resist the temptation to compare your photos and layouts to those you see elsewhere. Scrapbooking is not a competition-it's a personal story book for you and your family.

While we all may dream of having albums full of professional quality pictures, most of us probably won't, and that's okay. It's all of our imperfections and quirks that make us unique. And ultimately-that's what we're trying to remember, isn't it?