[pieces]: 13 Ways to Better Photos...Day 12 {shoot. edit. ACTION}

No, no. Not those kind of actions (although I’ve been dreaming of them for quite some time now!). I’m talking about doing something with all those photos. Since I waved goodbye (for the most part) to scrapbooking, I’ve had to entirely re-think WHY I’m taking pictures. And the truth is that my motivation behind the lens hasn’t changed much.

I take pictures to tell my story. I take pictures to capture moments, memories, & mishaps. And I take pictures to show that I was there, that I did that, that I experienced it. Because sometimes I’m the one that needs the most reminding.

The options are truly endless. I’m a paper-and-pen girl, a black-and-white girl, a girl who likes to tangibly hold things & hug things. So the idea of putting all my photos on a DVD just doesn’t appeal to me. Not right now…& probably never will (unless for some specific purpose). And perhaps that is the reason I’ve stuck with photos & haven’t yet ventured into the world of video—I want something to hold, to look at, to pick up & ponder. A DVD just doesn’t do the trick.

At the end of last summer, I made an executive decision: I would start making photo books. Digital photo books. We’d tried a few different websites before…& when those gems came happily packaged from Blurb, I knew that they weren’t joking around. THE BOOKS WERE AMAZING.

I ordered three photo books: yearly collections of our favorite photos from 2006, 2007, & 2008. They are full of smiling people, happy faces, birthday, autumn leaves, flowers, & travels. In the same way Project 365 showcases everyday of life for one year, these little “mini books” showcase the highlights of our lives. I purposely ordered them small—tiny enough to sit on a coffee table & be thumbed through by us, our guests, & the dust-mites I can never seem to stay on top of.

I’ve also picked sizes for our travels & yet another size for our “everyday-let’s-tell-our-story-this-way-instead-of-scrapbooks” photobooks. AND I AM SO EXCITED about making more of them! {hint! Christmas present idea! Mom…are you paying attention??}

We’ve got a LOT of catching up to do for BOTH of our 25 years of life captured by photographs, BUT having these books (especially the “Favorite Photos”) in a small, handle-able size makes them much more friendly to look at without flipping through those giant scrapbooks.

What will I do with all the memorabilia? The coasters & ticket stubs & programs & pins & other paraphernalia? Well…I haven’t quite figured that out yet. And it will be a work-in-progress. [suggestions are welcome!] Most likely, I’ll take photos of what I can—I don’t need to keep a ticket stub if I can take a photo of it & include it in my photo book. And all the artwork that our mom’s carefully preserved from our childhoods will also be photographed & made into little books just like these. But I’ll keep a few of my favorite scrapbooks around (along with my army of supplies) to save those things that can’t quite be captured in a photograph.

So…DO SOMETHING [like her!] with those photos you’ve already invested so much in! Whether it is in digital photo books, in framed (edited!) photos, or in photographs taped to your walls, the memories are meant to be seen, remembered. Give yourself the pleasure of re-experiencing your days.

Online Photobook Resources:
Blurb (my favorite offer from Blurb is their matte wrapped covers—no chance for ripped dustjackets here!)
MyPublisher
Photoworks
Shutterfly
Picaboo

Inspiration:
Ali Edwards
"Get Creative with Photos"
"A Family's Treasure"

In your home: