Photography Tip: Take Extreme Close-ups through Macro Photography

Sometimes, in our scrapbooking adventures, we want to take extreme close-ups, especially of smaller items, plants, flowers, or insects.  Macro photography has an artistic feel to it, and gives your pages that intense focus and visual interest.

So, how to do it?

First, take a look at your camera.  Most higher-end point-and-shoots will have the macro setting, which is indicated by a small flower symbol, similar to this:

If you see this on your camera, you have the macro setting, which enables you to take those extreme close-ups, as it adjusts the lens to take clear images of items only inches away from the lens.  My digital can be an inch away from something, which makes for some interesting shots.  Plus, with digital, you can play around and take as many as you want!

Here is an example of a pic I took of a bee crawling into the centre of a flower:

I was close to the bee, but it wasn’t bothered one bit.  I took over twenty shots, some of which worked well, some of which I wasn’t too happy with, but, again, the magic of digital! 

- Tanya

Save Money While Scrapbooking

Having both Scottish and Ukrainian blood flowing through my veins, I have become a bit of a “frugal” person.  While I am completely willing to spend the money on my hobby, I am also compelled to ensure that I am getting the most out of spending my hard-earned cash, and I am sure that you are too!  Nothing is more frustrating and upsetting than seeing new scrapbookers being ‘roped’ into paying ludicrous prices for items that they can find elsewhere for cheaper, or create the items themselves for far less.

Often, though, people pay for convenience.

Consider 600ml bottles of any name-brand soda.  They are often anywhere from $0.99-$1.69, depending on where you buy them, yet a 2L of the same soda can retail for the same price, if not less!  CRAZY!  I am the first to admit that I am guilty of this atrocity.  I pay for the convenience of having a cold drink, rather than waiting for it to chill, or until I get home.  In my shopping and scrapbooking adventures, I see the same thing happening with scrapbooking supplies.  How many times have you visited your local store and purchased something because you are there, and didn’t consider ways to cut the cost of the items?  Happens more than you realize, I bet!

Being the seasoned scrapbooker and…let’s face it…cheapo…that I am, I want to share ways that you can get the items you want, but save your money so that you can get MORE of them.  As Mae West (who, incidentally, is one of my guilty-secret-heroes) once said, “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful!“

Stay tuned in the coming days for money-saving tips and tricks!

- Tanya

Trouble with Photos? Try Black and White!

We’ve all been there.  We’ve all had this great photo that we really love, but the colours of the clothing, background, or the lighting is just strange, making the photo one that we struggle to scrapbook.

Try converting it to black and white!

B&W photos are much more forgiving and flexible, as you can use any colour on the layout, and the picture will still look great.  As well, B&W allows you to ‘hide’ some flaws with the photo that are apparent when it is in colour.

I use Wal-Mart’s online photo centre to upload and print my photos from the comfort of my computer, and it gives me the option to change any photo into B&W automatically when I am ordering.  Sepia is also an option (converts the photos into brown tones, making it like those old-style photos from the early 1900’s).

Most photo editing programs also have a B&W option, as do many digital cameras.  Taking the photo in B&W does give a bit more dimension to it, as the camera lens is adjusting to the light and converting it immediately into B&W, while changing it afterwards will have a slightly different outcome, but later conversions still give you the opportunity to have colour as well.  There is nothing more frustrating than having a great shot in B&W, only to realize that you would have loved to have it in colour too!

- Tanya

Photography Tip of the Week: Cropping Polariods

Many of us have heritage pictures that are in the Polaroid format, back from when our parent were “groovy” and decided to have the “latest technology”.  How far we have come! 

When scrapbooking these photos, never cut the photo – it will cause the chemicals to leak out, which will damage your page and the photo itself.  To cover the white band at the bottom, use fiber, ribbon, or stamp images using Staz-on ink.  Brads and Eyelets will also allow the chemicals to leak, so avoid them as well.