As an enthusiastic scrapper I am always planning ahead for my next layout. Whenever we head out for a day of family fun you can be sure that the children’s attire have been carefully coordinated, every hair on their head is in place and I have already anticipated all possible photo opportunities. The end result of this meticulous planning should be no less than perfect photographs. Unfortunately, life is unpredictable and most of our "Kodak Moments" arrive on bad hair days.
Every scrapbooker has dealt with the dilemma of photos that fall short of our expectations. Whether it is colors that clash or distracting backgrounds, there are two simple tricks you can try that can turn those not so hot photos into a work of art.
The easiest approach for fixing bad photos is to use your photo-editing program on your computer to turn your color photos into black and white. This is a great cure for clashing colors and bright distracting backgrounds.
This portrait of four generations was my Mother’s Day gift to my grandmother and mother. They were so excited until we got to view them. The bright blue background and our pale, blotchy skin were quick to disappoint.
In order to remedy the problem and salvage the photo shoot, I used my computer to turn the photos to black and white. Then an editing tool was used to soften the edges around the photograph. Now these pictures are very sophisticated and have an element of class.
The second fix for less than perfect photos is to crop them down and focus in on the subject. Getting up close and zooming in gives the photo a very artistic appeal. This will block out a competing background and appear as if you had intended it to be this way all along.
I will still continue to dress my children according to the colors of the playground equipment at the park, but I do find comfort in knowing that it is not the end of the world when my photographs turn out less than perfect. It’s quick, easy and you don’t have to be a genius on the computer.
