Just a snapshot?
Thoughts on how context can change everything, and how photobooks and scrapbooking help you convey that.
The Last Cruise Ship, created with the “Finis” Collection
It was such a lovely Autumn evening, we decided to drive to the beach and get fish and chips. Clutching our paper-wrapped dinner, we climbed the sandhills so we could eat with a sunset view. I was at the back and snapped a quick pic of the others.
Not a great photo really.
As we ate, we noticed a cruise ship passing through the heads out of the harbour and got a pic of that too. So far away, it was a pretty unusable photo.
But it was March 2020, and the ship was The Ruby Princess, the last cruise ship to be in New Zealand. A matter of days later, we closed our borders. It was the end of everyday life as we had known it, and the start of a whole new and somewhat bizarre era.
So those simple snapshots come with a whole lot of meaning and are quite powerful to look at as time has passed.
Recording them and noting the details in my monthly-summary photobook (a printed book I create over the course of each year that acts as an alternative to a traditional photo album) as well as in creations like that above, means I can add the context to the photos. Context for me looking back in the future, and for anyone else looking at them.
In the photobooks, that simply means adding text and dates:
When I am playing and creating more arty/ mixed media layouts with the photos, I can use colour, elements, phrase tags etc to convey emotion and mood as well as the sense of place and time.
The concept of endings and beginnings is the theme of the “Finis” collection (do excuse the strange screengrab!)
Again, it’s one of those themes that can mean many different things to many different people. Here’s how some others have interpreted it:
A WEEKEND FOR WHAT?
Yes, there seems to be a special day for everything on the US calendar, and this weekend it is “DigiScrapping Day”. Which actually spreads over the whole weekend, so this is “DSD Weekend”.
That means all creators of digiscrapping/digital mixed media downloads at stores like The Lilypad, Oscraps, The Sweet Shoppe, PickleberryPop and others have special offers on, so it’s a great time to build your stash of assets. Everything of mine is at least 40% off, and I have some new designs plus special DSD offers.
If you don’t want to wait till everything is in store, check your inbox shortly for an email with updates including special early access to the Saturday releases at The Lilypad.
AND FINALLY …
There are some photos that are just a joy to work with (or commemorate the moment, as I often think of it as). Here’s one that is a definite contender for the printed calendar. One of those moments when you look at your own child and go ‘wow’, and even sweeter because it is something you never expected to see.
I used some wonderful digital papers and elements called Art in Simplicity by Rachel Jefferies (of Pixels, Paper and Paint) to make this one.
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The power of documenting and noticing the finer details - what a stunning collection and creations, so flattered you created with my digital art - thank you Lynn!