Welcome back to Spring Cross-Training! Did you enjoy your break yesterday? I hope so because today we're getting back to work flexing our creative muscles. I'll be hosting the blog for the next three days and I have more exercises, layouts and coupon codes to share with you.
Let's get started!
Today's training video, led by photography coach Kelly Willette, is all about "Finding the Light." Of course, once you find that light and take a great photo you'll want to scrapbook it. So our exercise for today is to
Scrapbook Your Best Photos
As scrapbookers we all take lots and lots of photographs, but every now and then you get a photo that you love. The lighting is great, the composition is just so, and looking at this perfect photo makes you happy. If you are anything like me though, you might get a bit stuck when it comes time to actually scrapbooking this great picture. Here are a few examples and tips for making your own layouts that will do your best photos justice.
I asked fellow collective member Celeste to share a layout featuring a photo that she considered to be one of her best. Here is what she sent to me:
In her own words, Celeste commented, "I don't consider myself a great photographer at all. I'm a mom with a really nice camera! This is a recent favorite photo, probably one of my better photos. When I scrap a photo I really love, there are a few strategies I use to really make the photo stand on it's own. I tend to scrap the photo by itself - no other photos on the page. Journaling tends to be short and sweet - to the point as I want the reader to really look at the photo. I keep the design fairly clean and simple - the photo is the star. As well I try to add an element or a bit of bright paper near the photo so the the reader's eye is drawn to the photo."
Next up I'm sharing a layout I made recently using a photo that I took the same day that our coach Kelly was featured here at WCS during Photo Philosophy Week. Do you remember that? In that post Kelly shared her photo philosophy and that very day I was inspired to snap a few photos of my boys. Here is a layout I made featuring one of those images:
Whenever I'm scrapbooking a photo I love I almost always enlarge it to 5 x 7 inches. I also try to keep the overall design of my page very clean. And while I don't necessarily limit my embellishments any more than usual, I tend to be more selective about them and their placement. An example would be the arrow sticker that I used above to direct your eye to the most important part of my photo, Nathan's two cowlicks. Yes, he has two!
Finally, I also asked fellow Ella Friend Jenni Hufford to join our cross-training efforts and take up the challenge of scrapbooking a photo you love. She sent me this gorgeous page of her husband and daughter:
Jenni said, "I took this photo of my daughter and husband last fall. There are so many things I love about the photo, but most of all when I looked at my husbands hand around our daughter, I immediately thought about how she looked safe and secure. I decided to use that concept as the topic for this layout.
While creating the layout, I kept the design very simple so that the focus was entirely on the photo. I highlighted the concept of SAFE by using it as my title, and by placing it on my husband's hand. It created a wonderful connection between the photo and journaling. I included the journaling around the photo, and wrote a note to our daughter explaining she is always safe in the arms of her father."
WORKOUT REWARD
Now then, what would a good workout be without a reward? You've worked hard to capture the perfect image and you made a scrapbook page to boot. Well done! Wipe the sweat from your brow, take a deep breath or two, and head on over to the Ella store and drop this eBook in your cart.
Use the code SPRPICTPERFECTfor $1.00 off the Ella Publishing eBook Picture Perfect by Becky Novaceck, Elisha Snow and Kelly Noel. Code expires May 15, 2011.
Remember that everyone can participate in the daily challenges and giveaways which are featured on The Daily Trumpet through May 7th. You don't have to be registered in the class to be eligible for the prizes!
Thank you for joining me today as we kick-off week two of our Spring Training. I'll be back tomorrow with more cross-training exercises. See you then!
