No Photo Left Behind

[Fortissimo]

On my hard drive, there sits close to 7,725 photos that I’ve taken of my daughter, of my family, of vacations, of flowers, of whatever caught my fancy. With the invention of the digital camera, mothers around the world have been given the freedom to take as many pictures as their memory card can hold, and I take that freedom to the max. Now, out of those 7,725 photos, there are some really great ones. There are some so-so ones, and then there are those that are less than perfect. You know the photos I’m talking about. You’re trying to take a picture of your child, and they lean to the left, and a portion of their head is chopped off or they are looking the wrong way, or their eyes are closed. Yeah, you know the pictures I’m talking about. We all have them. Even the most experienced photographer has these pictures.

Recently, I was looking through my photos, trying to find a photo for a challenge we were having on Pages of the Heart and came across some of those photos. A couple months ago I needed to create a layout for a contest that I was in, and I needed a photo of my daughter appearing like she was in a mug shot. My daughter is a relatively happy child, which simply wouldn’t work for the mug shot image, as I needed her to look forlorn, so we were asking her to give us a sad face. Of course, she thought that was just silly, and had a hard time achieving the desired sad face. I just kept the camera going, hoping that one of them would eventually give me the desired effect that I was looking for. When the photo shoot was done, I did indeed have the perfect forlorn picture I wanted, but I also had 7 more that simply were of no use to me what so ever. So away to the hard drive they went, and there they sat, until that fateful day that I needed a photo for a challenge.

The photos, though at the time were less than desirable, were now perfect! I put them together in my layout, put my caption to them, and ended up with a layout that I simply adored. Putting all the pictures together allowed each individual picture to shine and pictures that were less than perfect, became incredible, and make a fantastic layout.

http://www.gottapixel.net/tutorials/admin/stacy/nplb_000.jpg

Another layout I did featured my daughter in bunny ears. This particular photo shoot I took well over 50 photos, and many of them were less than perfect. The main picture of the layout was pristine and beautiful, one that I thought was incredible, but I needed to fill the rest of the layout with other photos as well. I decided to mingle some of the less than perfect photos with some of the incredible photos and when the layout was finished, I had a collage of photos that told a story, and showed the true character of my daughter.

http://www.gottapixel.net/tutorials/admin/stacy/nplb_001.jpg

I didn't alter any of the photos, they are as they were taken. Magically though, they come together to make a creative and personal layout that tells the story of my daughter.

Life is about perfection and imperfection. I believe that if we only scrap the perfection, we lose sight of the true essence of what is in our life. The things we photograph should be allowed to be imperfect at times, and when we allow them to be imperfect, we create a sense of harmony and in some odd way, morph them into perfection.

So, the next time you have a photo shoot, and you find that your target is out of focus, slightly titled, or not looking at the camera, try including it in a layout with some of the more perfect photos and watch how the layout comes alive with the true personality of the target!

[karen9417]

This is fantastic Stacy and i so understand exactly what you are saying... I have photos that i would normally have dumped at one stage as on there own they are nothing but put together in a LO they are stunning as it shows movement and not just posed shots.
Funny i just took several photos of my son in a batman suit for this very purpose. to place them all in a lo . Wish i had a digtal camera when Ja was a baby, still I have a lot of video footage of him as a baby with his Grandad and that is something i will love to look at some day.

[katt]

This is wonderful to hear - mostly because I am horrible about chopping off bits of people (with the camera of course-LOL). I always saved everything, so I have stacks of photos that I think I will go dig through and see if I can't make something wonderful. Thank you so much.

Katt

[Fortissimo]

You are welcome! :)

[jolene]

What a great way to think of! All those ones in the side box i have on the floor may just find a scrappage home now! Thanks!

[Hilma]

Life is about perfection and imperfection. I believe that if we only scrap the perfection, we lose sight of the true essence of what is in our life. The things we photograph should be allowed to be imperfect at times, and when we allow them to be imperfect, we create a sense of harmony and in some odd way, morph them into perfection.

So, the next time you have a photo shoot, and you find that your target is out of focus, slightly titled, or not looking at the camera, try including it in a layout with some of the more perfect photos and watch how the layout comes alive with the true personality of the target!


HOW TRUE... and Thank you so very much for posting this thread and reminding me that about life in such a perfect way!

[Mreen]

I guess this goes along with the quote, "If life hands you lemons, make lemonade." The layouts are beautiful and relly tell a story. I have always loved pictures of the "no posed" variety and even with print camera (which I still use) I seem to like those the best because they really show the spirit of the person. Thank you for the thoughts and inspiration.

[Mom2AmyandKaycie]

What a wonderful post, and very, very true.

[Cathy S]

Wow great thought, after all I think most of us are trying to preserve our memories of our children and their personallities change so fast it's great to capture their essence in pictures

[sts2000]

Great idea! sometimes the perfectionist gets the best of me...and I delete those photos...probably shouldn't do that.

[Cyndee]

Thanks for this idea. As a new scrapper, I seem to think everything has to be classically perfect to be good scrapping material. That surely eliminates alot of my photos. I will try this.

[scrapnovice]

What a brilliant idea. In this way there are no bad photos! I usually delete the bad ones, but I shall think again after seeing your layout. Well done!

[heartspun]

What a wonderful idea! I just never have the heart to delete even the worst of photos 'just in case' I need them someday.

[firegod44]

Your layouts are just lovely....I'm off to try some of my own...

[janetg]

I was just getting tempted to start weeding out. I guess I will put everything on CD instead. How big is your hard drive and how to you back it all up?? I'm running out of space & I don't have near that many images. Camera Ram images are big!!

[quantumjuj]

I do this too sometimes. Other times I collage everything and use as background.

I have a gazillion photographs too (those I take with my digital cameras - I've gone through 4, currently using 2), not to mention the older photos and negatives I've been scanning (I have an ongoing target of 100 photos/negatives scanned a day, but so far have only managed to average at 84 a day).

I store my digital photographs on an external HD, and my scanned ones in another external HD. Digital kits, elements, background, etc all go in another external HD. I back them all up in DVD and store them in a data tower. The data tower is kept in another house for security purposes.

Yep, there's no doubt about it. I'm obsessed. LOL

[tarawohlford]

I love the Easter Bunny layout!!! I can't wait to try something like it when I get my babies from China. It will be great for those first days when they probably won't smile or pose for me! Check out our website...http://www.wohlfordbabies.chinastork.com.

[Fortissimo]

I was just getting tempted to start weeding out. I guess I will put everything on CD instead. How big is your hard drive and how to you back it all up?? I'm running out of space & I don't have near that many images. Camera Ram images are big!!

I have lots of hard drives ;) I have two installed, and both are 160 GIG each :) However, every month I burn that month's photos to 2 cd's. One stays here at the house, the other goes into a safety deposit box so that way if something happens to my house/computer, I have a backup.

[FireWolf]

Wonderful idea, Stacy!

[tanyatorringa]

Cool idea...except now I have even more pictures to feel guilty about not getting into a scrapbook!

[goofeejules]

Wonderful & inspiring article! Okay - I guess I quit deleting those not so good shots & find some creative way to use them. Thanks for this great inspiration.

[maddiesmama]

This is just so, so true. I'm printing it out to show my husband so he can understand why I really do need that extra 250gig hard drive! HeHe!!

[bunchie]

I have a perfectionist personality and scrapbooking has allowed me to be free and use everything I have. I had some underexposed photos with a brown look....so I used them to punch out bones to use on my chow's albumn. I also have several floral pics that are not so great in some areas but great in others so I have kept them to use later.

[tajicat]

Wow! What can I say but wow again! Wonderful photos! If only my sons were young again! I only have one left at home and he is a moody teen, age 16. I love the layouts! I am glad I kept all the less than perfect, maybe someday I can do something similar, from my old cheapy camera shots. I have a digital camera now though! Even the animals run when I take it out! Thanks for sharing! :)

[bernie-ann]

There is hope yet for some of my many photos! Know when my husnband asks if he can clear some of my photos I can say "No!" they're just waiting for their perfect layout!

[GheckoAZ]

This article was very helpful for a novice Digital picturetaker who takes more 'bad' than good pictures. Thanks

[Handbrake]

I dont delete alot now - Im getting more out of PS now so I always think I can fix them up one way or another - but of course there arent enough hours in a day. Thanks for the article - give a different perspective on perfection.

[posh_tots]

what a great post. But girlfriend get those photos off your hard drive, you just never know what might happen.

[sadiebeth799]

Great article. And I thought I was the only one hanging on to hundreds of "failed" photos. I just can't bear to delete any of them though.

[LemonaideLinda]

Fabulous idea! You made a terrific LO out of those less than ideal shots.
I'd like to try this, but I'll have to change my habit of immediately deleting pics I don't like. I have taken tons of bad shots, but I tend to hit the delete button right away.

[winnie]

Thanks fror sharing. I need to stop deleting the not so perfect shots

[momofgjc]

What a great idea!!!
I LOVE the LO of your DD with the bunny ears on!! What cool pics!

[Carole]

I delete as soon as possible. LOL

[scrappygram]

I knew there was a reason why I keep so many pics on my hard drive. You just never know when you'll need one that's not so perfect. Your LO's turned out really well. Nice job!

[mom2mcl]

I rarely delete photos. Only if they are REALLY blurry or have a major screw up of some kind. But there are plenty that I have saved for the sake of just being unable to part with any pics of my kids... thanks for shedding a new light on this subject... I'll have to "relook" at the pics I "thought" weren't worthy enough for the scrapbook.

[SL144k]

excellent idea for using those photographs

[ceejay]

I had some pics of one of my cats like that. For every good one there were five or six that were trash. With one cat, Jr, I made a LO using just the bad ones. The ones where he just wouldn't look at me. I think it shows his personality so well. You can see it here:
http://www.gottapixel.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/5363/cat/500/ppuser/3730
BTW, this LO was for a font challenge.
I think I'm going to go look for some more of those trash pics and do another LO. You've inspired me!

[Mariecg]

Since I discovered digiscrap I never delete a picture, even when it's far from perfect since you can do a lot digitally with pictures. Your article confirmed to me the importance of keeping these pictures since they're sometimes the best you have to illustrate some particularities of those you love, especially your children and pets (since they're often those who make the funniest pictures :D )

[lisarue]

Thanks. I'm glad to know I not a digital pack rat. I just need to let my creative juices flow and find ways to use these photos.

[demma_b13]

I really like the layouts you show here. I usually take tons of photos to get a few but you've have proven that even the less than perfect can make a great layout.

Deanna

[Cherry]

That really makes me feel better about all those imperfect pictures. I'll use them more!

[jabilga]

What a great idea. Thanks for the inspiration.

[kimberlie]

great idea!

[kimberlyschlehahn]

Well, now I don't feel so bad about using the ones that are blurry or show her with a messy face, etc. It's all part of a kids life I suppose.

[Paula]

This is a great thread! I to have saved hundreds of pics of my DD that are really bad...or so I thought! It's nice to know that imperfect can be perfect in it's time!!! Thanks for the great inspiration!!!!!!!!

[sjford0419]

I have a million pictures too...I think I may have to go back and look at some of the pics I originally overlooked! Thanks for sharing!

[jodys]

Wouldn't it be a tragedy if our ancisters thought only keep the good ones

[sslaught]

What great advice... I wouldn't have thought of using those.. less than perfect... shots on any page... but I could never bring myself to delete them... after looking at the layout of your daugher "with ears".... you've changed my opinion about what is "less than perfect"

[BlueMaige]

That is incredible and gives me hope that eventually those thousands of pictures that I haven't looked at in forever will actually be used eventually.

[sadie123]

another tip for not so perfect pictures.I have a lot of blurry pictures.what i do is i use them as a background or i play with filters and they become a work of art

[Arthea]

I too need to reconsider my pictures that I thought werenot any good. Thank goodness I just save them all to disk so I have them to play with.

[hairycatmd]

I am so glad you posted this and I'm rummaging around in these posts looking for ideas and tips! I had on my to-do list to go through and delete any photo that was less than perfect. It pained me to think of deleting any photos and now you've given me a perfect way to use them. Thank you so much! Ruthie

[melc00]

Thanks for the great idea...

[Cinna]

This is so true! I read somewhere on the net (think it´s Digital Freebies) - "Scrap your Crap" and I think it says it all. It isn´t always the perfect photos that make the best LO!
Thanks for your post - I enjoyed reading it.
Hugs

[lilluvbug]

That is such a great idea for less than desirable photos. I took a few pictures the other day of my daughter, while at work (Mc Donald's). Even tho she kept asking me to stop, I pressed on. I had planned to use those photos in a LO here (which you can find in my gallery). I never thought of delete any photos, they are so precious to me I can't part with anything. My family is already over me and my digital I received for Mother's Day....I will continue despite their feels, they will have to live with the annoyance. Wonderful information and inspiration.

[mdutra]

Very interesting...

[buzybonnie]

have to ditto so many others! Glad to know my photos are in good company with so many other harddrives too! LOL! I think I'll go peruse what I have so I can try some of these fun challenges I'm learning about.

Thanks for the inspiration.

[seacastle70]

When I take pics of my family with my digital camera after a few minutes they give me "the look" of enough is enough. Well with all of these pics from all of my family members I made a sb page and titled it "Don't take my picture" I even have a pic of our dog squatting doing her business. This lo is one of my favorites. My family even likes it because they remember the day or the time I took that pic.

I am on my second round of "Don't take my picture" sb page.

[musicmarth]

Great idea! And when I get this digiscrapping thing figured out a bit more, it will be a great challenge for me...since I have lots and lots of good (and not so good) pictures!

[silvercloud]

This is a very good idea! Thank you!

[Kathy]

This gives me new inspiration, as I am a shutterbug and have lots of so-so pics in between the good ones that could be put to use in this sort of way. Thanks for posting the layouts and ideas!

[angmag55]

we all have those imperfect pictures thanks for this article iot sure has helped.

[freemo]

What a wonderful article! I have so many pics and can't bear to throw out any! I'm on my third digital camera and have tons of photos needing scanned. I just bought a 160 gig hard drive so I have them handy. I backup to CD but after reading your article I had better do it more often and keep spares out of the house. Thanks so much!

[eunitac]

I don't get a chance to come to this site as often as I would like - but what an inspiration! I must go back through all the photos I can't bear to throw out and see what I can do with them. Thank you so much.

[tweetykl]

Thank you for sharing this wonderful idea and those wonderful lo's. For my son's 1st year, I had a photo shoot for every holiday that came along and this would be fun to do a book of holiday photo shoots of him.

[werflour]

great job. I tend to skip right over those photos time and time again. I should go look through what I have.

[zryne]

What a great idea.. and some of those photos, even if they are not perfect are hard to get rid of.... excellent idea.. thank you for sharing this....

[johnscon@hotmail.com]

Thanks for the great ideas!
I love both of your layouts!

[Mary Lynn]

What a great tip, thank you :) Loved both of your lo's done in that syle :)

[lilusmom]

Great post! Love the layouts you made. Really shows all of us "how it's done". I usually use my bad pix in blooper pages, but I am going to have to rethink that. Your page definitely don't look like bloopers.

[s_book]

Thank you.