5 posts tagged “digital scrapbook”

I love projects that can easily and successfully combine digital and paper scrapbook techniques. While my recipe cards are all being designed digitally, I have decided to package them in a nice paper scrapping medium, and am creating recipe boxes. It's been challenging trying to work on them with a sick toddler in the house, but Beckett went back to school today, so I'm FREE... to create, that is.

If you're trying to add new dimension to your digital scrapbooks, one of the fastest and easiest ways to create complex effects is to take advantage of the hundreds of Photoshop Actions that are available for download on the web.

I used The Big Picture Action from PanosFX to create this photo collage effect for a quick 15 minute layout.


Click to Enlarge

How to Do It:

1. Visit www.panosfx.com, and click Free Downloads.

2. Download The Big Picture Action, and save it to your computer.

3. Extract the ZIP file, and make a note of where the Action file is on your computer.

4. Open Photoshop. Click Window, and open your Actions Window.

5. Click the small right arrow on the far upper right corner of the Actions Window, and click Load Actions.

6. Browse your computer and install The Big Picture Action you just downloaded.

7. Open the photo you want to apply the action to in Photoshop. From the Actions window, run the action by clicking The Big Picture action directly underneath the PanosFX copyright information.

8. Once you have clicked The Big Picture action, click the RUN button to execute the action. The run button looks like the play button on your DVD player or remote control. It is circled in orange in this example.

The Big Picture action will automatically take your picture and create a 25 photo collage, and create individual layers that you can manipulate to futher customize the effect. The layout I created used the action straight out of the box with no alteration.

Once you have run the action, you can drag the Layer Group onto your digital scrapbook layout. I added a black layer underneath to make the photos pop. I then added some inked edges to my paper, a nice fat Circus Ornate type treated title, and a simple pair of angel wings (another Photoshop brush I downloaded from the Internet somewhere along the way!), and the year 2005.

I think this would make a nice title page to a scrapbook full of Beckett's 2005 memories.

I hope you found this digital scrapbook technique to be helpful and informative. If you use The Big Picture action in your layouts, send a link! I'd love to see your work!

Tags: digital scrapbook techniques, digital scrapbook idea, digital scrapbook layouts, digital scrapbooks, Photoshop Actions

When I am shooting pictures at a birthday party I try to think ahead about the creation of a future digital scrapbook layout. I use the following easy to remember formula to make sure I get all of the shots I'll need to create a compelling double page spread that documents the celebration.

It's as easy as spelling B I R T H D A Y

B- Birthday Child
I like to take a few individual shots of the birthday child, and always use these as the central photos in the birthday party layouts.

I- Ice Cream & Cake
Include a picture of the cake, and if you can capture it, it's always nice to have a shot of the birthday child blowing out the candles.

R- Recreation
While the kids are playing party games, or jumping in the inflatable jump castle, walk around and shoot action shots! Even if some of them turn out blurry or slightly out of focus, you're bound to capture a handful of great shots.

T- Theme
Focus on the theme of the party. If it is a cowboy themed party, make sure you take pictures of all of the guests in their cowboy hats, or take pictures of the cowboy hankerchief goodie bags. Take a few shots that help document the theme of the party.

H- Happy Kids!
Don't be afraid to ask groups of kids to gather together and say CHEESE! Most of the time, the kids love to ham it up in front of the camera (especially if you let them see the photos on your camera screen after you take the shot!). So, round them up in small groups and get some close ups of their happy smiling party faces.

D- Dad & Mom
Try to get a picture of dad and mom together. And if you can manage to get one of Dad, mom, and the birthday child...even better! Often mom and dad are running around the party and when they get the photos back from the party, you'd never know they were even there! The child will appreciate the scrapbook later in life even more if mom and dad are included in the layout.

A- Attendees
When the kids sit down to eat cake, go around the table and ask each one of them to smile while you take their picture. I try to include a picture of every child at the party in all of my birthday party layouts. Using different conventions, such as a photo contact sheet or a stacked polaroid effect can pack a lot of pictures into a small space on a layout.

Y- Yourself
Don't forget to have someone at the party take a picture of YOU to include in the layout. So often, we find ourselves behind the camera, and it's nice to see the artist make a cameo appearance in their own scrapbook every now and then.