Scrapbook Photos

 In last weeks post, I wrote about some of the reasons you may be reluctant to scrapbook and the answers to those concerns. If you are reading this, I  suspect I have convinced you of the value and enjoyment of scrapbooking. Welcome aboard fellow Scrapbooker!
One of the main things you need to have to create a scrapbook is Photos. I would suspect like most people, they are on your cameras or phones at the moment. Lets bread this down into some doable steps and get those photos off our devices.

Upload, Download and Unload

•  For Cameras, upload photos to a computer using a cable or the photo card.
•  For Phones, install an app, (I use Dropbox) on your phone and computer to access your        photos.
• (Optional)  Photo Editing Software- Install a program to crop, adjust colors, red eye, text on photos. Open up the program, and go through photos. ( I use Picassa as it's free and simple. After I save the editing I have done, I can share on Google +, or upload to a web album, print, upload to my photos or email) 
• Upload to a photo processing center or if making a digital scrapbook,upload to that site. Here is a link to  Studio J Online  Scrapbooking  It is a superb program that lets you create high quality and custom printed layouts.

Sorting your photos

• Sort your photos, into groups, chronological, events, holidays, seasons  or whichever way you will want  to organize your photo albums.
• Take out duplicates,poor quality, or unnecessary photos. Use only the best photos, leave the rest. (It you want to save your discarded photos try  memory protector pocket pages for safe keeping)
• Count how many pictures you have for each category, ie, 10 Christmas, 5 birthday, etc.
• Label your photos with a sticky note or make a master list. List how many photos you have in each group. (This will help later on when you are picking out layouts ideas and designing your pages)
  
  To crop or not to crop (cut down pictures)

• Crop -  anything that takes away or distracts from the main thing and is unimportant. Stay with common sizes like 3x5, 2x4 for rectangles, for squares, 5x5, 4x4, 3x3, 2x2. Photos can also be cut into oval and circles shapes, but they look a little dated these days. Use them sparingly, if at all.
• Do not Crop - background clues to age or dates of photos and people who are no longer "in the  family"(they are still a part of the history of that person or event and their decedents ) Think Genealogy here.  Cutting tools like a trimmer or scissors will be needed to prep your pictures.

Final word - Be frugal in your cropping!

Next week, I will write about the scrapbook layout and your photos.