Taking Photos for Digital Scrapbooking

Digital scrapbooking is all about photos. In order to create a beautiful layout digitally, the photos must be fabulous. Here are some tips on how to take better photographs for your scrapbooks:

Lighting is the most important part of taking a good digital photograph. Learn what types of light work best. A bright light tends to enhance imperfections, while a soft, subdued light (like the kind you find on a cloudy day) will make things look more pleasing to the eye.

Figure out your flash range. If used correctly, the flash can be valuable in your photo-taking quest. If you take pictures beyond the flash range, the digital photo will appear too dark. Many cameras have a flash range of less than 15 feet. If you can’t find your camera’s flash range a good rule of thumb is not to take pictures more than 10 feet away.

Make sure your subject is a little off center. By placing the focal point of the picture off to the right or left, you can capture the background and create a more unique setting.

Always be aware of your surroundings. When snapping photo, look at the background. Often times we don’t pay attention to the background and focus on our subject, this is where surprises tend to “pop up” when we get our photos developed.

Capture “the moment.” Even if the circumstances are unfavorable, like bad lighting and a cluttered background, nothing can compare to “capturing” a precious moment as it unfolds.