Gone Walkabout 2: Photo Album

Showing posts with label Photo Album. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Dealing With Photographs

2018... the year I'm finally going to get my photos dealt with!

For my photo prints I am using a method called "speed scrapbooking".

You start with a standard pocket photo album. I get mine at TJ Maxx/Home Goods. This type holds 500 photos in 4x6 pockets and only cost about $15.

My first album was for my mission trip to Mexico in 2006.

In speed scrapbooking you cut your memorabilia (or a color copy of it) to fit in the 4x6 pockets. On the right side is an 8.5x11 piece of paper.

Photos and memorabilia fit in... just make sure you leave space to journal too!

Having a page about where you eat is fun. The bottom right is a wrapper/label from a soda I really enjoyed. It spans across 2 pockets.

(Oh, the journaling is done on paper from the "Kid Zone" at the medical clinic we set up.)

Kid Zone

Some of the better drawings the kids made.

You can get all sorts of shapes to fit with a bit of trimming.

This is a fast and inexpensive way to get your photos into an album. No more traditional scrapbooking for me.

For my digital photos I am using a self publishing book service called "Blurb". You download the free program that you can use to make several types of books. The templates make it very easy to use. There is the option of soft cover or hard cover. Best part... it is pretty inexpensive. WAY cheaper than the other photo book purveyors and traditional scrapbooking.

One major trick with Blurb... wait until they offer a 40% off coupon!

I've done quite a few books with Blurb and have been very satisfied with their service.

The first photo book for 2018... our trip to Scotland in 2011.

Memorabilia can be scanned so you can include it.

There are many different layouts for the pages.

The full pages photos come out beautifully. The program checks you resolution and lets you know if it is too low for the size.

You can have pages with just writing so to tell a story.

One of our B&B lodgings.

While the book is in chronological order, I broke out several stories I wanted to tell.

Pages about things that are the same are good too. Here is one of the fun signs we encountered.

So, this is what I'll be doing all year with my photos. I'll be able to finish the digital photos by the end of the year. However the prints will continue to be worked on into 2019.

But I have started and that is the big thing.

Monday, April 11, 2016

Become a Photo Journalist

I have always liked the idea of journaling. But I am really miserable at keeping any sort of daily diary or doing one of those 'photo a day' challenges.

Oh well.

But then an idea came to me as I was working on a 'speed photo-scrapbook' of one of our trips.

I use these lovely albums from Home Goods for my travel albums. They hold 500 photos... which comes out to 48 double page spreads. Hmmm... there are 52 weeks in a year. And I usually don't completely fill an album and have extra blank pages.

Eureka!

I could do a WEEKLY photo journal!

I keep the top left vertical pocket for my very simple journaling. The other nine photo slots are for whatever I want to remember from that week. I print my own photos but it would be easy to do a weekly download to your favorite photo lab.

The 4X6 pockets are also good for holding small memorabilia such as my number from my 5K and the blessed water cup from the half way point. Just remember it can't be bulky because that will tear up the album so you might have to do some trimming or just use part of something. I have included tickets, church bulletins, take-away menu sections, and so on.

I have plenty of extra blank pages so I can do 52 double page spreads. You could also buy an extra album to use as a 'donor' for extra pages.

It is working very well for me. I started my first one in January 2015 and made it all the way thru the year (which is a record for me). Now in '16 it has become an easy habit.

If you aren't a steady journaler, this might be a good option for you. (It would be a great idea to do for your kids!)

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Travel Theme: Off Center

I have found a lovely travel blog that hosts a monthly photo theme challenge. What a great way to share some of my travel photos! This month's theme was to show photos that the subject is off center. I thought this would be an easy on for me to find, but I've discovered I like to take photos that fill the space.

This (pretty?) boy was strutting his stuff somewhere along the Natchez Trace. I think we were in Alabama. Himself and I pulled over and watched the competition; there were about 15 tom turkeys in the field. They were still going at it strong when we pulled out.

I took this shot at "The Shack-Up Inn" in Clarksdale, MS. Himself and I spent several nights at this awesome get-away. The artfull vibe of this place is incredible. We'd wake each morning to blues and jazz musicians jamming in the 'front yard'. I can't wait to go back someday and spend more time.

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Shiloh National Military Park: Tennessee.

A monument in the park.

Somewhere in Mississippi.

Some of the most beautiful and meanest looking thistles I have ever seen!

Budapest, Hungary: Gellert Hill

Himself looking at the city. We were in Budapest for almost two weeks, exploring a different area each day.

Alaska

Adak, Alaska

A Bering Sea fishing boat.

Masai Mara, Kenya

A fuzzy little zebra colt we saw on our safari. I didn't know that the stripes on a zebra foal are brown and as he gets older they shed into the dark stripes of their parents.

Everglades, Florida

Masai Mara, Kenya

One of the three balloons in our group. We flew over wildebeests and zebra starting The Great Migration to Tanzania. After a nice long ride, we set down for a brunch on the Mara.