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.