|
Going Digital
Digital
technology makes taking photos
and editing them fun and easy.
If you don't own a digital
camera you can convert your
prints into digital format to
take advantage of photo
enhancement software and online
programs to create photo gifts
and personalized keepsakes.
There are two
easy ways to convert your prints
into digital format: you can
scan and save them in digital
format on a home scanner and
computer or visit your local
print processing shop and have
them scan and save them in
digital format for you.
You
can mail your film in to three
of the four online photo
galleries (Kodak EasyShare
Gallery, Snapfish, and
Shutterfly - more information on
these in "Sharing Your Photos"),
but you'll need to have an
account with them.
It's very easy to
go overboard on digital
equipment, but you really only
need basic equipment. There are
good deals on "bundles" that
will give you everything you
need to get started in the
digital world.
Organizing and Storing Photos
and Keepsakes
Although baby
photo projects are fun, they can
be overwhelming. These projects
tend to come together over time;
you'll save time and be able to
work on your projects in small,
manageable steps if you organize
your materials by date or event
as you get them.
Digital Files
There are three
steps that are very important
for organizing your digital
files: downloading, renaming,
and storing. Be sure to make a
backup of your photo files often
and store your backup on a CD.
Downloading
your files is important for two
reasons: 1) to keep space
available on your memory card so
you don't miss great photo
opportunities, and 2) your photo
files will be saved in a safer
place (your computer and/or on a
CD).
Renaming
your files as you download them
to your computer will make
organizing and photo retrieval
much easier. Digital cameras
name each photo with numbers
and/or letters; you should
rename each photo and include
the main subject, month, and
year in the name of each file.
Store
your photos on your computer in
folders named by month and year;
it's a good idea to make
separate folders for holidays
and birthdays since these photos
are usually the ones that make
it into the scrapbook.
Printed Photos
Store printed
photos and negatives in a photo
box, using tabs to separate your
photos by event or date. These
boxes come in many different
styles, colors and sizes so you
can incorporate them into your
décor and have easy access to
them. Be sure to store photos
separately from newspaper
clippings and other paper
memorabilia to avoid damaging
your photos.
You'll probably
need just a few standard storage
boxes, which usually hold 4 x 6
photos. If you've got lots of
photos, you may want a more
serious storage system. It's
also a good idea to get a large
flat box for portraits.
Keepsakes
You'll have a lot
of sentimental items from your
baby's first year that will
certainly become treasured
keepsakes: baby's first cap and
booties, gowns and accessories
from religious ceremonies, and
special gifts.
Baby calendars
and growth charts with fill-in
blanks and stickers for
important dates and thoughts are
great for keeping track of
milestones and both items become
charming keepsakes. If you don't
have these items on hand you can
use a notebook to record this
information and transfer them to
a scrapbook or album later.
Keepsake boxes
are a beautiful way to store
these mementos and they are
available in many styles, colors
and sizes.
Share Your Digital Photos
There are lots of
fun ways to share your digital
photos. You can e-mail them,
create online and print photo
albums and books, family
websites, and charming photo
gifts and keepsakes that your
family and friends are sure to
love.
Emailing Your
Photos
E-mailing is the
easiest and most basic way to
share your photos. Make sure
your photo files aren't too big
or the message may not go
through. You can resize them
with photo editing software such
as Adobe Photoshop or you can
use an online photo gallery that
also offers many other services.
Online Photo
Galleries
The four best
websites offering online photo
services are outlined below; the
first three offer a wide range
of services and products, the
fourth specializes in photo
books and cards..
Kodak EasyShare
Gallery
is a great website with
virtually every service, feature
and product that you would need
for online photo services. They
also offer a project inspiration
center, gifts ideas by recipient
and by theme, seasonal and
holiday products, plus free
Kodak photo editing software
that you download and use on
your home computer.
What's Special
about Kodak EasyShare Gallery
Free Framing
Service
- you purchase the frame and
print, they frame it for free.
PhotoShow DVD
- create a themed photo DVD with
up to 150 images, music and
effects; perfect as gifts to
remember special occasions.
Convenient Print
Pick-Up
- order your prints from Kodak
EasyShare Gallery and pick up
your prints in about an hour
from your local Target or CVS
(prices are set by the
retailer).
Kodak Direct Mail
Photo Cards
High-quality
photo cards professionally
printed and mailed directly to
your family and friends; a great
time saver that's perfect for
birth announcements, invitations
and holidays.
Snapfish
has an easy to navigate website
with gifts ideas and products
for holidays and seasons. They
also offer their own photo
editing software free of charge
that you download and use on
your home computer.
What's Special
about Snapfish
9¢ Prints
- for 4 x 6 mail order prints
(8¢ with pre-paid plan).
Film to Digital
Service
- send in a roll of film and for
$2.99 plus shipping they'll
develop your film, convert and
upload digital photo files to
your Snapfish account and send
you a full set of prints and
negatives, plus they provide
free film mailers or shipping
labels.
Family Chat
- create a group room to
privately share photos, post
comments, and create projects
with friends and family.
Snapfish FlipBook
Photo Book
- at only $4.99 with 25% off
duplicates, this little book
packs a big punch! It holds up
to 45 pages, has a heavyweight
translucent cover with
high-quality photo paper pages
and comes in 9 styles.
Shutterfly
offers free unlimited photo
storage, instant online sharing,
lots of photo projects, and an
expansive project idea center.
They also offer a free software
download so you can add and edit
your photos on your home
computer.
What's Special
about Shutterfly
Adventure Books
encourage your child's love of
reading by featuring their photo
in a book along side Dora the
Explorer or the Sesame Street
characters.
Recipe Books
- create a beautiful, customized
keepsake with a book full of
your favorite recipes and
photos.
Savings Plans
- choose from three plans that
offer lower print prices,
discounts of up to 40% on
collages, portraits, and
wallets, and a free photo book.
Digital
Scrapbooking
- create, print and e-mail
individual 8 x 8" or 12 x 12"
digital scrapbook pages; they
also offer digital scrapbooking
ideas and a scrapbooking blog.
Picaboo
specializes in photo books and
photo cards only. There is no
online service, so you have to
download their software to
create projects with them, but
their photo books are head and
shoulders above the others in
terms of features and options,
in addition to very reasonable
pricing.
Great for
beginners and advanced users:
choose your photos and the
software auto-populates your
book in seconds, create your own
from scratch, or choose from 15
themes.
The website
offers an idea center with
samples, tips, tricks and more;
they also have a background
community for more options; once
your project is complete you can
share it with family and friends
online and print it in different
sizes.
What's Special
about Picaboo
Photo Covers
- you can customize the front,
back and spine of your book with
your photos.
Real-Time Editing
- see changes to your photos
right on the pages of your book.
"Story Flow"
- helps you
create a logical sequence for
your book.
Expansive
Customization Options
- they offer a very large
selection of layouts, styles,
themes and backgrounds to make
your book truly your own.
Creating a Family
Website
You can connect
and socialize with loved ones
close by and far away with a
family website. A great website
to check out is The Family Post.
They offer monthly and annual
hosting plans that range from
$4.95 to $11.95; the monthly
plan has a two-week free trial
and the annual plan has a free
trial plus one-month free.
In addition to storing and
sharing photos and video clips,
you can:
•
Keep track of birthdays,
anniversaries, events, and more
with your family calendar.
•
Set a mood with
different designs and music.
•
Keep family
members up to date with a Family
News page and newsletter
complete with photos.
•
Outline your
family history and list family
member bios.
•
Let the kids get
in on the fun with a Kids and
Pets page.
•
Protect your
privacy with
password-protection.
Display Your Photos
Enjoy your
favorite baby photos everyday in
frames, collages, albums, baby
books, photo books and
scrapbooks. All are fun and
functional; your choice depends
on how much time you have to
devote to each project.
Frames and
Collages
There are styles,
materials and colors to match
every décor and personality. You
can showcase one special photo
or an event or theme with a
frame collage or a framed photo
collage.
Digital frames
are also a great way to showcase
your favorite photos without
having to use a computer or
print them. Most frames use a
memory card and display photos
in a slideshow with an
adjustable time interval.
Digital frame
technology ranges from basic to
advanced, such as built-in
memory, multimedia content
including movie clips, MPEG
video files and MP3 audio files.
Certain frames can import files
from the internet and by e-mail.
Albums, Baby
Books, and Scrapbooks
In this section
we'll talk about creating
albums, baby books, and
scrapbooks by hand.
Digital scrapbooking is
discussed in the next section.
One important
thing to remember: take the time
to think about what you want to
say, write it out before hand,
and proof-read it because if you
make a mistake, it'll be a real
pain trying to disguise it.
It's also a good
idea to carry a small, plain
notebook (or you can use your
day planner, if you have one) in
your purse or diaper bag so you
can jot down cute little
happenings or more remarkable
events, such as your little
one's first word.
Albums: The Easy
Way
Just slip in your
photos, jot down dates or
special thoughts and you're
ready to go! Albums come in a
variety of sizes; smaller ones
are often called "Brag Books"
and usually hold 20+ 4 x 6"
photos.
Baby Books: A
Little More Work
With pre-defined
pages for your photos, special
dates and thoughts, these books
make this project a lot easier.
There are many styles, colors
and themes to choose, including
traditional, modern, adoptions,
twins and multiples, single moms
and alternative family.
Scrapbooks: A
Blank Slate
There are
actually two ways to go about
non-digital scrapbooking: you
can design your pages by hand
with scissors, glue and
textured, printed and colored
papers, or use a scrapbook kit
that is based on a style or
color theme and comes with
everything except the glue!
Scrapbooking can
be a little intimidating and you
can spend a lot of money very
quickly, so it's good to start
by looking at scrapbook websites
and books for inspiration and to
learn about choosing materials,
layouts, and tools.
You could also
look into taking a scrapbooking
class; they're typically offered
in beginner, intermediate and
advanced lessons and are a great
way to learn tips and tricks
that will make this project fun
and exciting.
Digital
Scrapbooking
Although it is
similar, digital scrapbooking
differs from digital albums and
photo books in that you create
the pages on a computer, print
them out and then store them in
a scrapbook.
Although some of
the online photo galleries
suggest that a photo book is the
same as a scrapbook, there is an
important difference: you create
the photo book in one shot,
whereas you work on a scrapbook,
whether traditional or digital,
over time. So the photo book
works great for a book of baby's
first year, but either form of
scrapbooking works better when
you're saving memories over a
long period of time.
There are a
number of websites to check out
that offer really good digital
scrapbook resources:
•
Shutterfly offers
digital scrapbooking in 8 x 8 “
and 12 x 12" size pages, plus
ideas, tips and
scrapbooking
blog.
•
Scrapbook.com has
a large selection of digital
scrapbook "kits" that you
download after you've
purchased
them. They also have a great
website that offers tons of
information on all aspects of
scrapbooking.
•
ComputerScrapbook.com offers
digital and printable
scrapbooking files, plus a
gallery and forum.
•
A Cherry on Top,
Scrapbooking Shoppe offers
digital and traditional
scrapbooking, plus tutorials,
articles and a gallery for
inspiration.
We hope we were able to help you
get started on these fun and
important projects. Please feel
free to
contact us
with comments, suggestions,
or to share stories about your
photo project.
|
