Archive for October, 2009

Cricut Design Studio: 7 Things Every Beginner Needs to Know

Saturday, October 31st, 2009
Brandi Gore asked:




You finally purchased the  Cricut Design Studio software. Most likely your next question is, “Now what do I do?” Here are seven things you need to know  to jump start your learning of the program.

You can design with all of the cartridges, but you can only cut with the ones you have. Cricut Design Studio has every available cartridge loaded into the program. You can create all kinds of cutting files with any cartridge they offer. While that is fun for experimenting, just remember that when you go to cut the Cricut will ask you to load the specific cartridge used.

You can use more than one cartridge in a cutting. The options are endless. Bring letters and images from any cartridge into the cutting you are designing. When you are ready to cut, the Cricut will ask you to load each cartridge you used.

Connecting letters together to form one cutting is reffered to as welding. In order to weld letters together it is important to remember to check the welding box for each individual letter or image. Another interesting tidbit about welding is that it removes any scorelines on the image.

You can use other people’s cut  files. If you are low on creativity or time, your best solution is to use a file designed by someone else. There are Cricut Design Studio users that freely share their designs and ideas. The best starting point would be the Cricut.com message boards. There you will find links you can follow to cut  files all over the web. Simply download the file to your computer and the open it in the Design Studio.

You need to get updates to the Cricut Design Studio at Cricut.com. The updates not only fix any bugs in the program, they also add the latest cartridge releases for you to design  with.

When previewing a cut, if it is welded together, the cutting lines will be in a bold line. If an image previews as a solid color then it is not welded. It is easy to miss checking the welding box on a letter as you are creating, and this is a sure-fire way to make sure that none of them are missing.

You can use several layers when creating a design.  For example, If you are creating a shadow for an image you need to open a new layer just for the shadow. Otherwise, when you go to cut it will cut the image and the shadow at the same time using the same paper. When previewing, the user has the option as to whether or not other layers show through to the one they are working on.

 

Uk Asian Wedding Photographers

Monday, October 26th, 2009
omes to Asian weddings, such important events should not be left in the hands of amateur photographers! Even if your cousin or your aunt takes excellent photographs, a wedding is just too important to ask someone you know and love to take pictures for you. It is very necessary to turn to the services of a qualified, trained, and professional asain wedding photographer if a soon to be married couple wants any assurance that the wedding photos will be nothing short of excellent. Friends and family should be enjoying the wedding, not taking photos of the ceremony and events. You don’t want one or two people left out of your wedding pictures because those one or two people were taking photos the entire course of the wedding and reception! UK asain wedding photographers offer superlative services for couples who intend to wed in the near future. When it comes time to locate one or more UK wedding photographers, the couple needs to examine the credentials of the photographers, the years of experience that the photographers have, the UK wedding photographers’ photographic portfolios, the packages supplied by the photographers, and the overall level of professionalism that the photographers exude. While it is only necessary to choose one photographer or one team of photographers out of all the UK wedding photographers considered, the weighted significance on a couple’s selection cannot be over emphasized. Since a wedding is a once in a lifetime experience which will be cherished for many years to come, the couple will want to hire the best of the best when it comes time to choose one of many UK wedding photographers. UK wedding photographers are certainly in abundance but that does not mean that every single photographer delivers the types of services a couple might expect. The bride and groom will need to clearly locate UK wedding photographers that are intimately familiar with the type of traditions one will maintain in a wedding and reception so that such traditions and moments of incredible importance can be properly captured in beautiful photographs. Here the style used by the UK wedding photographers will need to be thoroughly examined and questioned; a couple will want to know what type of photographic approach that the UK wedding photographers utilise when taking photographs at the wedding and reception. Understanding the significance behind tradition and familial values is part of being a good wedding photographer. For example, if the couple is having an Indian wedding ceremony, the photographer will need to be able to recognize some of the typical traditions and events that occur in Indian weddings worthy of photographic attention. Thus attention to the type of wedding ceremony being held is crucial for the photographer, and the couple will want to question the photographer’s experience when it comes to various wedding traditions and ceremonies. UK wedding photographers will vary in terms of the packages offered to couples, so what is included in packages will need to be carefully reviewed. In addition to formal photographs of the bride, groom, the in-laws and the wedding party, the couple might also have an interest in outdoor photos, photos of the wedding location, and the reception area, and of friends and family enjoying the ceremony and reception. Posed photos are sometimes desired by couples in addition to spontaneous or candid captures of the wedding. The UK wedding photographers’ portfolios will reveal the exact style that a photographer or studio leans toward and the couple can even suggest that they would like similar poses or captures identified in the portfolios they view. Couples may want to spend a bit of time on the Internet browsing different UK wedding photographers websites too. The web presence established by professional UK wedding photographers makes it truly convenient for couples to seek out qualified wedding photographers while relaxing in the home environment. This step should, however, not exclude the act of making sure you go to visit the studio of a photographer; a meeting should be had with the photographer in person so that portfolios can be viewed, packaging options can be discussed, and so the photographer can provide the couple with information about his or her services. At this meeting, the couple can then determine if the UK wedding photographer has the type of personality that is conducive to the wedding: one that will come across as warm, professional, friendly, and approachable. The couple will have a chance to review the images captured by the UK wedding photographers hired and to choose the images that are most appealing. Some UK wedding photographers offer wedding album compilations services as well; the images are all placed into a pre-selected wedding book for the bride and groom. This saves the bride and groom an extra step after the wedding of having to place all of the photographic captures into a protective wedding album. It also ensures that the photos will be in an album suitable to photographs: one that will look after the longevity of the images captured on the couple’s wedding day.

By: Mandy Chagger

About the Author:

For Wedding Photographers UK or call 020 8759 5277 or for your London Venues call 0800 158 44 00

Compressed Digital Photo File Formats – Storing Digital Photos

Monday, October 26th, 2009
Chris Marshall asked:




Digital photos are stored as files on memory cards and computer hard disks. They can be stored in different file formats (each format has a unique file extension). Most of the formats are compressed to save space and each has its own pros and cons.

The need for standard file formats

Digital photos are saved as digital files on electronic media. These digital photo files are a collection of bytes. If each manufacturer and camera would have used a proprietary file format then you would have needed proprietary software that could read, print and display those formats. Using a standard format allows any camera to save photos while any other software can read, display and print them.

What is compression and why it is needed

A digital photo is a collection of pixels each pixel is stored as a value that represents its color and intensity. Usually each pixel is represented by an RGB value (three numbers one byte each with values 0 to 255 representing the intensity of Red, Green and Blue that combined together create the pixel’s color). An RGB value occupies 3 bytes. So how big is a digital photo file? It depends on the number of pixels in the photo. For example if you shoot a photo using an 8 mega pixels digital camera the photo will have 8000000 pixels each one occupying 3 bytes. The total file size would be 8000000*3=24000000 or 24Mbytes. This is a very big file. Big files are harder to manipulate they take a long time to send by email, they occupy large storage space and they take longer to load.

In any digital photo there is data that is either redundant or that if removed the viewer would not be able to notice the difference. In addition representing pixels as RGB values is not efficient in terms of storage space. The process of compression takes advantage of these facts. When you compress a digital photo the compression software represents pixels in a more efficient way, removes redundant data and removes data that is “not important”. The result is a significantly smaller file. For example the above 24Mbytes file could easily be compressed to about 3Mbytes with hardly any noticeable quality degradation.

Before compressed digital photo files can be viewed or printed they need to be decompressed. Decompression is the reverse process of compression – a compressed file is converted to its original format usually a simple RGB pixel file. Using standard compression file formats allows one software to compress a digital photo file and another software to decompress it and process it.

Lossy or Lossless compression?

There are two main types of compression software: lossy and lossless. Here are the differences:

Lossless compression: Lossless compression means that if you take a file compress it and then decompress it the decompressed file would be the exact copy of the original file. With lossless compression no data is lost in the compression process the compression software uses better representation of the data in the file but it does not remove any data from it.

Lossy compression: Lossy compression means that if you take a file, compress it and then decompress it the decompressed file would be slightly different than the original one. The compression software not only represents the file’s data more efficiently but it also removes data that it considers minor or not important. Such data can be removed without hardly any noticeable degradation in the file quality. The differences between the original file and the decompressed file are minor and should be negligible to the user.

Lossless compression is usually applied to text and other data where all data is equally important. For example when compressing the text in this article and later on decompressing it you would want to get the exact original article without any words or sentences dropped by the compression software that decided they were not important.

Lossy compression is usually applied to digital photos and graphic files. Such files include data that the viewer would not be able to notice if removed. For example small changes to color in a photo might not be noticeable. The decompressed file is not exactly the same as the original one but when viewing both the original and decompressed photos side by side the viewer can not tell the difference. Lossy compression software can be set to different compression levels based on how much data is allowed to be lost. At some point losing too much data is noticeable and degrades the digital photo quality. Many digital cameras allow you to set the level of compression from low to high where high compression means smaller files but less quality and low compression means bigger files but no noticeable quality degradation.

Common digital photo file formats

You can know what a digital photo file format is by checking its extension. Usually the extension is three letters representing a specific format. Here is a list of the common extensions and formats:

BMP Windows Bitmap: this is a basic raw format. The photo is stored as a pixel raster and is not compressed. While this format is very easy to use and is supported by practically all software it is not efficient as there is no compression applied.

GIF Graphics Interchange Format: An old file format initiated by CompuServe. It uses a lossless LZW compression and is thus more efficient than BMP files. GIF files are very efficient for storing basic graphics (that include lines, circles and other graphical shapes) and also efficient for storing small digital photos but are rarely used to store large digital photos as there are more efficient formats for that purpose. GIF files can also include multiple “frames” and support basic animation.

PNG Portable Network Graphics: This relatively new format was designed to be used in online applications such as web pages. It uses a lossless compression. The original goal of the PNG format was to replace GIF (due to some licensing complications associated with the GIF format). PNG is commonly used now by online web sites to represent small digital photos or graphics replacing the GIF format.

JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group: Also known as JPG this file format was designed by a special industry group and became an ISO standard. The design goal of the format was the efficient storage of digital photographic files. Although JPG files can support lossless compression they are almost always used in lossy compression mode. JPG files are very efficient in compressing digital photos. The JPG compression software can be set to different compression levels with higher compression levels the photo files can get very small but they can also get distorted. JPG files are the most common ones used by digital cameras to store compressed digital photos on memory cards and computer hard disks as they result in small file sizes and hardly any noticeable photo quality degradation.

Printing your Photos at Home – Useful Tips and Hints for Best Quality

Sunday, October 25th, 2009
Ziv Haparnas asked:




Digital photography revolutionized the way in which we take, view and share photos and also the way in which we print them. Many digital photos never get printed but there are still many of us who prefer tangible paper prints. Photos can be printed using a professional service (in-store or online) or at home. In this article we will give you tips for getting quality prints at home.

A few years ago getting high quality prints at home was an expensive task that was only suitable for semi-professionals who could afford it and who had the know-how. Today low cost printers can generate amazing quality prints and sophisticated software can do most of the processing work behind the scenes. The result is that even amateur photographers can generate very high quality prints by pressing a single Print button.

There are a few simple tips to follow that can help in getting higher quality prints:

Edit your photos: make sure that you print exactly the photo that you want printed. Using simple photo editing tools (such as Photoshop or even Windows built-in Paint application) you can crop a photo to include just the area you are interested in or crop out parts which you do not want in the print. For example you took a photo of a group of friends but on the left corner of the photo there is a bystander that just happened to be there. You can crop the photo to include only your friends and thus effectively eliminate the unwanted object from the print.

When cropping photos always remember aspect-ratio – depending on the paper and the printer you’re using sometimes you’re limited to a certain photo size. For example if you print on a special 4X6 photo paper any source photo that is not in a 4X6 aspect ratio will have to be either stretched, cropped or parts of the print will be left blank. Make sure that you crop your photo to fit a specific aspect ratio if you’re printing on a specific aspect-ratio paper.

More photo processing can be done in order to enhance your prints. It can include red-eye removal (many software packages will do it for you automatically) contrast enhancement and more. For example if a portion of the photo that is important to you is a bit dark – you can “stretch” the color palette in a way that this section will look more lit and detailed. This will usually be on the expense of “overexposing” other portions of the photo that you care less about.

Always remember photo resolution: Every photo is built out of pixels. The more pixels in a photo the higher the photo resolution is. We will not get into details here about the correlation between mega pixels and print quality but a general rule of thumb is that to get good print quality you need 300 pixels per inch or more. This means for example that the biggest paper size a 2 mega pixels photo can be printed on is 4X6 while an 8 mega pixels photo can be printed on an 8X10.

Pick the right printer and paper: there are many different printing each with its advantages and disadvantages. They range in quality and cost. To get the best print quality you should use photo paper in conjunction with a printer that supports such paper. Photo paper and photo printers are more expensive than document oriented A4 Inkjet printers. Choose the printer by evaluating how many prints you will make and how important quality is to you. If you print occasionally for fun an Inkjet printer with normal or photo paper is probably good enough for you. If you print a lot and quality is very important photo paper with a photo printer is the way to go. As a rule of thumb glossy photo paper provides the best quality for color photo prints while matte photo paper provides the best quality for black and white prints.

Printer ink and maintenance: printers need to be setup and maintained. It is extremely important to follow the instructions and to use compatible ink cartridges. High quality compatible ink can make the difference between low and high quality prints. It is usually recommended to buy ink from the same brand as the printer. Some calibration is usually needed when replacing ink and sometimes every few months of use. Follow the instructions for such procedures carefully as a calibrated printer results in much better quality prints than a printer that is not aligned and is poorly maintained.

In conclusion it is very easy to print your photos at home. Just buying a mid-range printer and hitting the “Print” button in your photo viewing software will probably result in good prints that are satisfactory for most consumers. Following some simple tips can enhance those prints to professional quality. As technology advances and prices go down experimenting at home with various photo processing tools, paper sizes, paper types and inks becomes affordable and is probably the best way to find what combination yields the best print quality for you.

Money From The Experience Of the Photographers Life

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
Humberto Cortes asked:




During your next store trip head over to the periodicals. Observe as you approach the immediate thing that leaps out is not the bold titles or the properly fronted article highlights but the bright and vivid photos. All the wording and catchy titles become hidden behind the power and focus of a well taken photo. The art of photography does not come from years of schooling and experience but from being the right person in the right place at the right time.

Visual imagery is the new universal language as countries and individuals move towards the global market. A photograph can display a product, capture a moment in time or entice the imaginations of the viewers without a need for translation or explanation. The new global market offers a fantastic opportunity for any photographer, experienced or inexperienced. Photographers looking to improve their skills without years of educational expenses can take advantage of photography workshops where they can pick up new skills and various photo tips such as landscape photography tips.

Following simple guidelines can improve any photographer, increasing their odds of capturing the perfect shot they desire. The idea of using a tripod for photography may seem outdated, however, a tripod can provide a sturdy structure to assist in maximizing the opportunity to take a clear and detailed photo with minimal to no image distortion. If you are taking landscape photographs remember to include a focal point in your photo. A photo without a focal point will leave the observer lost in a photograph where as a point of focus can draw in the viewers focus and assist them in appreciating the smaller features within the big picture. While these tips primarily relate to landscape photography tips, they can increase any photographer’s skills regardless of their desired photos effect.

Many people see the photographers life as a never ending adventure visiting far off lands and exciting venues. The fact is, it’s true. When a photographer becomes well established they are commissioned by the entertainment community, travel industry, news industry and many more. While this may seem out of reach, every photographer has had a beginning where they took their own photographs and marketed them to the world. The illusion that the opportunity of the photography Cashcow is outside your grasp is just that, an illusion. Any individual with the desire to make money and the skill of taking a photo can prosper from the photography market.

The first step to taking advantage of photography is to make an honest assessment of your skills by studying your previously taken photos. Joining photography workshops and giving samples of your photos can allow yourself and others in the field to critique your photographs and identify your areas of improvement. With your new skills you can begin to make your move towards the photographers life and take advantage of the photography cashcow.

Proud Photography – How To Find A Qualified Photography School

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
Alex W.K. asked:




This article focuses on choosing a qualified photography school. One way to learn about photography is go to school. There are quite a few photography schools around the country that offering quality lesson. Some ranges from low to very expensive. But you need to ask yourself what is the photography skill that you want to learn. Obviously, you need to begin with the basic of photography before moving up or if you are experienced photographer you can learn new tips and tricks. But how can you find a qualified photography school that meet up to the standard?

A professional photography with a course that designed by a real photographer. You might want to consider how the mentors contribute to their students, will you receive much support after enrollment? You have to ask some several questions to the course owner before you decide to enroll.

The other way is to check out their forum or blog to see what other students are talking about the course? As for an online class, there is no faculty to attend. Online courses usually are done interactively through a home computer. Online courses are usually offer lower fee compare to a physical school.

As mentioned above, check out the course outlined, subjects and creator to make sure the photography school is offering a quality course and more importantly has a refund policy. It is not hard to find these information, you can do the research online. Nowadays, not many photography schools are offering high quality courses, some are run by photography amateur only know a few things about photography, then trying to rip some money from innocent users.

Canvas Photo Printing: the Right Canvas Print Services

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009
Firoj Khan asked:

Canvas photo printing is just a picture on a canvas based on a traditional photo print, digital image photography or scanned image. By taking a photo and printing on canvas you allow yourself to see the original photo in much greater detail the way a really special photo is meant to be seen. If you have photos that you want to highlight and showcase, turning them into pieces of art instead of burying in a photo album, printing on canvas is the best option.

canvas photo printing is the material of choice for artists since it will last for decades – think about all the famous paintings on canvas that have been done for centuries that you have seen in any big museum. Printing your canvas photo could give your photos lasting quality to share with future generations. There is no need to go out and buy fancy and expensive wall art, you already own the best art and that has a more personal connection to you. Imagine, a 36×48 master piece of your own photo printed on canvas to enjoy for many years to come. Your special canvas photo.

Using a digital camera that is 3 mega pixel or higher with the picture taken at the highest setting will give the best results for canvas printing. For printing a canvas photo, there are many sizes to choose from and framing techniques. You can have your canvas photo printed on canvas in many style choices and techniques like Sepia or Light Brush strokes – so whether you like the modern or the classic look, it’s up to you to decide how your photos are printed on canvas. Older images can even be restored or touched up before they are put on canvas to help restore them to their original quality.

Here are some special occasions that canvas photos would make a great gift for

The new baby or other family member canvas photo

A family reunion or family tree canvas photo

Weddings or Wedding anniversary canvas photo

That unforgettable trip canvas photo

Sporting events canvas photo

Beloved pet or pets canvas photo

Graduations or dedication ceremonies canvas photo

Any other memory that you want to live on canvas photo

How Do I Get Started In Photography

Sunday, October 18th, 2009
MiNeeds asked:

Author: Nathan Deremer

Article Source: MiNeeds.com, where consumers get competitive bids from Photographers. Read reviews, compare offers & save. It’s free!

Article Link: http://www.mineeds.com/Jacksonville/Deremer-Studios/Articles/How-do-I-get-started-in-Photography

Tags: How do I start a business , photography business , getting started , Facebook , free advertising , cheap advertising

More than once, I’ve met with someone looking to start a photography business. Often, I hear questions like:

How much equipment should I invest in?

How much should I charge for my services?

How do I go about getting the best deal on Advertising?

Where do I advertise?

What about Facebook?

Here’s my best answers to those questions. They have worked wonders for us, and I hope they do the same for you!

How much equipment should I invest in?

We started pretty small. And, as time and finances allowed, we began to build on our collection. As they say, they didn’t build Rome in a day.

Here are the basic things you’ll need to do a respectable job:

1. SLR Camera – it doesn’t have to be fancy, or top of the line – even a good used SLR will take wonderful shots in most scenarios.

2. A good flash – spending the extra money to buy a good plash will do more for your photos than spending that same amount of extra money on a better camera – if you can afford it, purchase one that allows you to adjust the position / zoom of the flash

3. Redundant batteries and cards – make sure you always have an extra battery (or two) on hand. The same goes for memory – they are pretty cheap, but not having one when you need it could make for a very bad day.

How much should I charge for my services?

As I saw in another article, that really all depends. In general, start cheap and, as you build your portfolio and skill work your way up to the price range you feel comfortable with.

What is cheap? Well, check out what other local photographers are charging, see what other’s just getting started are charging, and put yourself somwhere at the low end of that.

How do I go about getting the best deal on Advertising?

As your building your portfolio, don’t worry too much about spending your well-earned money quite yet. Begin by developing a website – there are many places online where you can host a website for free. From there, look for any and all directories where you can post a link to your services. The more, the better. As search engines begin to find these links, you’ll get a higher rating, and there will be more places to find you.

As you’re getting started, don’t forget, if people are on a tight budget – they’ll come looking for you.

Where do I advertise?

Here are some great (and cheap) ways to start getting your name out:

1. Create a Facebook page for your business (not a group or a screen name). By making a Facebook page in particular, you can drive traffic to your site. And while there are pay-per-click advertising available, the free site works quite well when you’re starting out.

2. Create a Google Local listing – this is a great way to show your business, and, under many city-specific searches, find yourself at the top of the Google listing.

3. Directories – there are all sorts of directories out there – invest the time in finding them, and adding your business to them.

What about Facebook?

Facebook is a great tool when starting your business. Starting a Facebook page is free and can be a great way to drive traffic to your site. Here’s what I recommend.

1. Start out by making a Facebook page (this is separate from your screen name and is different than just a group)

2. Send fan requests to all your friends – in turn, their friends will see this, and get some momentum going

3. Keep the public updated – a few times a week (not too many, or you’ll scare fans away) post a photo, or a comment, or a thank you. A little goes a long way

4. Direct people from your website to your Facebook site

5. Keep it professional – be careful, it’s easy to fall into the trap of making your Facebook page to personal. This page is about your business, not about you.

Well, that’s about all the advice I have to offer for today – best of luck starting your own business!

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How Do I Get Started In Photography

Learn Digital Photography – Getting the Best Out of Your Shot

Sunday, October 18th, 2009
michael wong asked:




When it comes to photography, everyone wishes to get the perfect shot for their picture. However, things often go beyond what you want. Luckily with the presence of digital photography, you have more control over your picture. At least now you can look at your picture immediately on the LCD screen to see whether you are satisfied with your shot.

Indoor and outdoor

Imagine that you are taking picture of a birthday girl blowing the candle. Often the candles are your only light source. When this happens, you will want to increase the ISO setting and slow down the shutter speed (if you are using a compact digital camera, this will be done automatically) of your camera so that more light can be pass into the camera.

However, when you slow down the shutter speed, your camera is more sensitive to movement and there will be high chances that your pictures will appear ‘shaken’. To avoid that, you can either turn on the flash or mount your camera on a tripod. And if your camera comes with the anti-handshake feature, remember to turn that on when you are shooting under low light condition.

When you are taking picture outdoor in a bright sunny day, you can keep the setting as normal and your picture will still look good. The only thing you need to remember is to never shoot your picture with the sun in front of you as that will make your subject looks dark.

Glare

Beside that, your picture will be very glaring when you put the sun in front of your camera. It is like looking into a big spotlight.

Sometimes you can also see this glaring problem when your subject reflects off the flash. Imagine that you flashed on a recently polished silver spoon. The flash will bounce back from the silver surface creating glare in your picture. What you can do is to either disperse your flash or step further from your subject and zoom in to it.

Framing

Framing is how you make the composition for your shot. When you are framing your picture, work your way without chopping any part of your subject. When you see that you can’t fit your subject into the frame, just take a few steps back or simply use a wide angle lens.

And when you are shooting with background that you can’t exclude, you can remove it later with software for photo editing or you can create shallow depth of field and blurred the background.

How to Create Photo Books Online

Sunday, October 18th, 2009
MJ Johnston asked:




By now, you probably have been taking digital photographs exclusively for quite some time. Not many people, except the most stalwart of professional photographers, still shoot their pictures on film these days. Chances are you have your photos all stored on a hard drive or a photo gallery website, if they’re digital, or in a shoebox if they’re paper. Chances are all those precious memories are being ignored. If you would like a convenient way to share your memories, and generate interest in them, consider creating photo books. With digital photographs, it’s easy to create permanent, hardbound photo books online. If you shot film, and your photos are still paper or slides, it’s till pretty easy and affordable to digitize them and create photo books from them.

If you want to create photo books online, the first thing you need to do is assemble the photos you intend to but in the book. Choose them and decide what order they will be arranged into. Once you’ve done that, you need to think about any captions or other things you may want to write to accompany the photos. If you are old school and you have prints on paper of photos that you shot on film, you can still create photo books online. The first thing you need to do is scan the photos. Scanning is pretty easy and a decent quality flatbed scanner can be had very cheaply. There might be a learning curve. Don’t be intimidated, learning curves are stressful when you’re in the middle of them but once you’re up to speed you quickly forget the pain of learning the task. If you don’t want to scan the photos or slides yourself, its’ easy and affordable to send them out to a service bureau who will scan them for you and give you digital photos back.

Once the photos are scanned, play around with arranging them on the page to arrive at the most pleasing arrangement possible. Don’t just think about arrangements that look good. Instead, try to arrange the pictures to tell a story. This will guarantee that they’ll look good together, as they have a built in relationship between them determined by the narrative. Once you have arrived at the storyline and arrangement of the photo book you’re about to create, you should write any text that will accompany the photos. This can be as simple as notating the who, what and when of the photo, or you can write elaborate diary entries. It is up to you, and depends entirely on whom you want to read the book and what your personal preferences are.

The last step in the process is to upload the scans or photos to a photo gallery website that will print photo books for you. Once the photos are uploaded, the site will most likely have simple wizards to guide you through the process. Lastly, you just order the book to be printed and specify how many copies.

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