Best Digital Scrapbook Site

Posted on March 28th, 2009 by .
Categories: My Thoughts, Scrapbook Ad, Site Information.

Kathy,

Just a quick note to say what an amazing offer you have for your members at Princess Crafts.

This is the best website I have found for digital scrapping, the great part about it is access to so many websites under one umbrella site.  It makes everything so easy to find and use. I have been making pages now more than ever before as we have a new addition to the family (baby granddaughter) and your pages make it even faster to complete a page in shorter time. I love the information you send out and appreciate the warm welcome I received when I joined. I know that any problems, questions or concerns will be dealt with quickly with no hassles.

Keep up the great job as I know this is one company I will be recommending to any scrapbookers I know.

Regards

Darlene Covucci

Prince George, BC Canada

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Lil’ Chef Enrichment Class Uses Cookbook4Kids.com

Posted on March 25th, 2009 by admin.
Categories: My Thoughts, Site Information.

Hi Kathy & Wes,

I absolutely love my cookbook 4 kids childrens cookbook!

Although your scrapbooking offers are incredible, I have way too much going right now to start a new scrapbook project too. I wouldn’t know/how/where/ or what….It is on my “bucket list” though…

I will be starting my Lil’ Chef Enrichment Class just after April vacation. And I love that I can refer back to MY bible [www.Cookbook4Kids.com] at any time…

Thanks for holding my hand this far,
keep well,

Adrienne Viola

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Zesty Bean Soup Recipe

Posted on March 21st, 2009 by .
Categories: My Thoughts.

Hi Digital Scrapbooker,

 

It’s cold and rainy here in Washington State today.  That got me thinking of warm comforting food to help warm me up. 

 

We found this Zesty Bean Soup recipe a few months back and have been waiting for just the right day to give it a try… thought that you might like to have a taste too.

 

It’s really quick, no all day cooking for this one, so you can even make it for dinner tonight if you want.

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Zesty Bean Soup

 

1 TBSP olive oil

1 medium chopped onion

3 cups chicken broth

3 cups water

1 15oz can great northern beans

1 15oz can kidney beans

1 15oz can diced tomatoes

1 large diced potato

1 large sliced carrot

1/2 tsp dried oregano

 

Drain beans.  Heat oil in pan and sauté onion for 3 minutes.  Add the other ingredients (tomatoes with juice) and bring to boil.  Simmer on high for 10 minutes until veggies are tender.  Stir occasionally.

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Adobe PhotoShop Secrets… Excerpt

Posted on March 16th, 2009 by wwaddell.
Categories: Scrapbook Articles, Scrapbook Tips, Training.

Hi Digital Scrapbook Friend,

Kathy just put her latest eBook – PhotoShop Secrets: How to Get Great at PhotoShop – onto the internet yesterday.  I thought the I would post an excerpt from one of the chapters here for you so you can see just how really great this book is.

PhotoShop Secrets:

…

Using PhotoShop Selection Techniques

When you use selection techniques, essentially you are setting apart a portion of an image so that you can make changes to it.  Or you may want to include that portion with other images.  That portion is considered a selection. 

 

With the selection, you can still utilize the tools used to edit images and other commands.  The selection portion is protected and is considered a “mask”.  This part of the image is protected in Photoshop.  You will see an outline of the selection on the screen. 

 

Using a selection tool icon, you can make a selection.  Whatever tool you will be using will be in the Options bar.  Use Windows and Options if you don’t see t hem.  You will not see all of the tools right away.  You may have to click on some tools in order to see the ones that are hidden.

 

Use the Ctrl-H function to show and hide the selection outline.  Using Select, then Inverse will make the selection inverted.  If you wish to reverse the selection, choose Select>None.  To save a selection, choose Select, then Save Selection. 

 

If you need to include more on a current selection, use the Shift key.  To remove from a current selection, use the Alt key.  If you need to add more to a current selection because of color, choose Select, then Similar.

 

If you need to move a selection or part of it, use the move tool and drag it to where you want it.

 

If you want to feather a selection, use the Feather checkbox.  Using this will allow your selection to look softer.

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Now, how easy was that to follow?  The eBook is just chocked full of tips like this one and can make learning PhotoShop as easy as step… one… two… three!

Check out the 11 most commont PhotoShop tools and more at:

http://www.princesscrafts.com/photoshop_secrets/

You’ll be learning PhotoShop in no time…

P.S.  Would you like to get PhotoShop Secrets for FREE?

For a very short time, we are including the complete book as part of our PrincessCrafts Platinum Membership.  Not only do you get access to more than 5000 digital scrapbook templates in hundreds of themes, you also get PhotoShop Secrets as a complete part of the package.

OH, YEA… we have also put the Platinum Memberships on sale right now.  So, hurry over to:

www.MyPrincessCrafts.com

and check out the sale and all the details while we still have the recession deal active.  It could be gone tomorrow, so don’t wait.  We don’t want you to miss out on this.

Kathy Waddell

www.MyPrincessCrafts.com and http://www.princesscrafts.com/photoshop_secrets/

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8 Tips for Taking Better Digital Photos

Posted on March 3rd, 2009 by wwaddell.
Categories: Digital Photography, Scrapbook Articles, Training.

Title: 8 Tips for Taking Better Digital Photos

Author: Wes Waddell

Article:

I used to have problems taking good digital photos that I was proud to show off to family and friends… Do you have the same trouble taking good digital photos like I did?

I spent lots of money and spent months of my time taking photo courses only to learn that unless I was going to become a professional photographer, 93% of what I learned had nothing to do with shooting great photos for my walls and scrapbooks.

If you are a lot like me and are looking for just the right information on how to take good digital camera photographs for personal use – If you are looking for the right tips that will keep you from missing or messing up the once-in-a-lifetime photos of family events and vacation travel – then you have come to the right place. 

So, What do you need to know in order for you to begin taking really good digital photos? Well, the first thing you’re going to need to remember is this: It’s you, the photographer that takes beautiful photos, not the camera. You can have the most expensive camera in the world, but if it’s not pointed in the right direction and you don’t click the shutter… you get no photos. Just think about it for a minute. It’s really true… isn’t it? I’ve personally seen some people (myself included) take truly gorgeous photos with a cheap point-and-shoot digital camera, while others take absolutely lousy shots with the most expensive digital SLR.

Fear not my friend! By read these 8 simple tips on shooting good digital photos and applying them the next time you take photos – Before you know it, you’ll be capturing photos that will make a pro proud.  REALLY!

Let’s get started:

1. Read the Instructions

This one should already sound familiar to you. You go out and buy the latest digital camera out there, bring it home, take it out of it’s box and then immediately proceed to work with the knobs and try to take photos with it.

You may briefly flip through the hundred plus page digital camera manual and then probably put it back in the box and never look at it again. I’ve got to tell you… this is NOT a good idea!

If you take the time to buy a good digital camera, you owe it to yourself and to your family, who’s photos you will be taking, to understand all of its ins and outs. Take just a little time to learn how to control it’s manual exposure settings, how to use all of it’s different automatic exposure modes and probably most of all – how to use the flash and how far away it will work. The knowledge you gain about the workings of your digital camera will be invaluable when you’re out with your family taking those special photos.

2. Control the Flash

I know we briefly touched on this one in step one, but it’s so important that I’m taking it to the next level here. One of the most important techniques you need to learn with your digital photography is how to control the flash. Personally, I rarely rely on the automatic flash that comes with most digital cameras. Depending on the individual situation, you will need to sometimes turn off the flash (if for nothing else to conserve on batteries as the flash is one of the biggest users of power) or use the flash as a fill while still capturing the backgrounds that are out of it’s range.

Let’s look at an example: When taking outdoor photos, it is sometimes a good idea to turn on the flash and use it to illuminate the subject (fill flash), especially if your subject is in the shade or has the sun at their back. On the other hand, you may choose to turn off the flash when taking some indoor shots. Sometimes, using the flash indoors can result in a harsh glare or reflection from glass in your photos.

3. Know Your Macro Mode

Almost all of today’s digital cameras come with a macro mode. This setting is meant for taking close up shots of small objects like flowers or figurines. On our Fuji S2000, it’s represented by a flower symbol on the back near the LDC screen. On our Nikon, it’s the same flower but it’s on the thumb wheel setting control. You’ll want to read the instruction in the manual for your exact limits, but when you turn on the macro mode you get as close as 4 to 6 inches. Most of today’s digital cameras will focus in macro mode between 4 inches and 1 or 2 feet. Makes for some great background close-up photos.

4. Keep the Camera Level

The basic rule of you always hear in photography is that you need to hold the camera level. OK, common sense.  But, has anyone ever given you the tips as to how to best make sure this happens?

Since most digital cameras come with a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen, you can use it to properly level your digital photos. Here’s how you do it: The next time you’re taking a photo inside or out, try to look at the LCD screen or in the viewfinder for the horizontal lines to use as guides. What I mean is to make use of lines such as the horizon when you’re taking a photo of a sunset or a window sill or wall corner when you are taking images inside. By lining them up with the edges of the LCD screen or camera viewfinder, you better ensure that your photo will turn out level.

Of course, there are times when you may want to get creative and tip the camera on an odd angle to make a shot more artistic or unique.  that’s fine, but remember that with digital images, you can also do that with your digital/computer scrapbook or photo editing software later and still have the original image for traditional use. So, unless you are going to send the image to someone or post it online without editing first… there just isn’t the need there used to be for odd angles.

5. Keep the Digital Camera Still

I recommend this digital photo tip to all photographers, new and pro alike – carry a camera tripod with you, even just a clamp on one.  Camera tripods are an must have tool in your photography arsenal. Tripods are need a lot more often then they are used.  They are an absolute must if you’re taking shots under low-light conditions without a flash or when trying to capture fast moving objects such as runners and kids on a swing.

I always use a tripod when I’m taking photos at night in the city streets.  The trick is to have one that is small and light enough that you won’t mind carrying it around, yet sturdy enough to hold your digital camera steady while you press the shutter button. The bigger and heavier your camera is, the bigger a tripod you’ll most likely need. For most non digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) cameras, you won’t need a huge one – just a simple light compact one that collapses and is easy to pack.

6. The Right Setting For The Right Speed

I find that the ISO setting in digital cameras confuses most people, especially when you first get started. If you think of it as film speed and that the faster an object moves, the faster or larger the ISO setting you normally need.  The ISO setting of a digital camera essentially controls the sensitivity it has to light. With that in mind, if you’re taking a photo of something like a flower in macro mode, then you should always try to use a low ISO setting of like 50 or 100. This allows the camera to use a longer shutter speed (stay open longer) and produces a cleaner image. On the other hand, if you’re taking digital photos of a moving object, like a child playing on a swing, then a higher ISO setting in the range of 400 or even 800 if the sun isn’t very bright would be better.

The good news…

You don’t need to remember all of this, just so you understand the basics and apply them to your cameras build in auto settings.  Mine has settings for portrait (people pictures), landscape (scenic’s with no people), runners (high speed moving objects) and a few more.  I just need to remember to choose the right auto mode for the conditions I’m taking photos.

For example: I use the normal auto mode for taking candid shots indoors at parties or in hazy light outside.  I use the runner or high speed mode when I’m at a racetrack or soccer game so that I get faster shutter speeds to stop the action and not blur the people or cars.  I then use the portrait mode when I’m taking people pictures with flash in a posed situation.  It’s only one those rare occasions when I’m doing something unusual, like shooting sunset images with people in them that the manual modes come into play.

One last note you need to know: The higher ISO setting you use and the faster the shutter works… the less light gets into the camera sensors. This tends to produce noisier or less sharp photo images. This ties right back to why you need to carry a tripod… so you can use slower shutter speeds and still keep the camera steady enough to get a clear digital image.

7. No Such Thing as Too Much Memory

Just like the days gone by when you needed to make sure you had enough rolls of film for your old traditional film cameras, make sure you always have enough memory capacity or memory cards in your digital camera bag so that you don’t run out of space before you run out of digital photos you want to take. It’s a terrible situation to be in on a holiday while taking great photos and you suddenly hear that alarm beep and realize you’ve just run out of memory space in your camera.

We’ve all been there in the past, so here’s some general digital photo guidelines to help you make sure that your digital camera has enough storage.

• - 2 megapixel or smaller cameras – you’ll need at least a 64MB card
• - 3 megapixel camera – you’ll need at least a 128MB card
• - 4 megapixel camera – you’ll need at least a 256MB card
• - 5 megapixel camera – you’ll need at least a 512MB card
• - 8 to 10 megapixel camera – get at least 2 1GB CARDS OR 1 2GB or larger card

Bottom line, you should be able to take 200 photos or more without running out of memory.  Even at that, I still carry and extra memory card just in case.  You never know when one will go bad or get damaged.  Better safe than sorry as cheap as memory is now.

8. No Power – No Digital Photos

Power or batteries are everything with digital cameras.  When your batteries run out, so does your ability to take photos. Carry a spare set of batteries, two sets if the session will be long or is really important… such as a wedding or 50th anniversary party.

That said, here’s a couple of things that caught me off guard and what you can do to avoid the same problems.

Fresh batteries, but the camera won’t work.  This one happened on vacation and we almost didn’t get any photos.  Did you know that rechargeable batteries come in different voltages?  Turned out that I had mixed a set of 1.2v NiMi’s with a set of 1.1v. Turns out they don’t work when mixed.  Put all the same voltage and type in your digital camera if you want it to work correctly and never mix alkaline with rechargeables… never, never, NEVER!

Last one: Keep your rechargeable batteries charged. Rechargeable batteries loose their charge over time… some in as little as a few days of sitting. Make sure that you have your charger packed and that all your batteries are freshly charged before you head out to take your digital photos. Since my camera will take both alkaline or rechargeables… I also carry a spare set of alkaline batteries as a backup on important digital photo shoots.  If you can, you may want to do that as well since alkalines if not too hot or too cold will hold their power for years.

In Conclusion

Wow. I know, that was a pretty long article crammed with great information. I hope that I’ve been of help to you and that I gave you some good ideas and tips on taking really good digital photos. Just try to remember what I said… while the most expensive digital cameras have some amazing features, you still need a photographer with an eye to take nice pictures. I have no doubt that if you apply the above ideas and tips to your everyday digital photo shooting then you are already a better photographer.

About the author:

Wes Waddell is a Precous Memories Preservation Consultant who, along with his wife, runs a computer hobby site on digital scrapbooking your photos. Get the greatest digital scrapbook gift… ever! The no cost Computer Scrapbooking 101 Course that has everything you need, including no cost software at: www.ComputerScrapbookTraining.com  

You’ll find full access to the entire course complete with all the tips, photo software links, fully illistrated online training and even all the digital scrapbook templates you need for your first small photo scrapbook project. You’ve learned how to take better digital photos… now it’s time to learn how to preserve all those precious memories of a lifetime.

www.ComputerScrapbookTraining.com

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