Capturing photos of my family’s everyday life is something I’m passionate about. And while it isn’t always easy, I promise you that pulling out that camera and taking a moment to photograph the everyday details that make your life unique, beautiful, and special is totally worth the effort. Read more »

May is the time of year that we think about mothers and motherhood—and all the women in our lives that we admire, appreciate, and can’t live without.

It’s also a great time to pay tribute to these women through our photographs, in whatever stage of motherhood they may be in—like the babysitter, who doesn’t think she’s too cool to play with the little ones; or our sisters, aunts, and friends, whether they stay at home to raise children or juggle careers and family; or our wonderful mothers and grandmamas, Read more »

Sometimes all you need to boost your creative energy is a push in the right direction. Introducing our posse of pleasantly pushy 2012 Spring Training Coaches! With useful tips, doable exercises, and fresh perspectives, we'll help you limber up those creative muscles and liberate your scrapbooking mojo.

If you’re a registered “Craft-lete,” you’ll get all of this and much, much more  Read more »

Have you ever wondered which is the best way to convert a photo from color to black-and-white? The answer is: it depends on the look you want! There are several different methods you can try for color to black-and-white conversions using Photoshop Elements, and there are even more ways to tweak those photos after the fact. Really, the results you can achieve will be as unique as your photos are. 

I’ve gathered three different ways to do the initial black-and-white photo conversion, and you can see how the results look yourself. These tips and tutorials are for Photoshop Elements 10, but all versions of Photoshop Elements should work similarly. Read more »

Now that December is in full swing, and the holiday decorating and baking have begun, there also come extra opportunities to practice your photography techniques. To help make your Christmas photos both merry and bright, I’ve gathered my top twelve “countdown to Christmas” photography ideas! With this list, you’ll be ready to take advantage of the festive props and backgrounds, capture your loved ones’ excitement, and preserve precious moments of family togetherness. Read more »

Photo projects and challenges have been circulating around the scrapbooking world for years now, and for good reason. They give you a goal to work toward, a healthy dose of accountability, a chance to develop your photography skills, and enough inspiration and community to keep you motivated.

There’s one photo project in particular that’s wonderful for preserving a “slice of life” look at your everyday existence—and it’s manageable for even the busiest schedule. The idea is to take 12 photos on the 12th day of the month for a period of 12 months. Read more »

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Taking natural, authentic photos of your children doesn't have to be hard! The key is taking photos of kids on their timelines, which might not necessarily be the same as yours, and to try to catch them in their true element. If you photograph your kids doing the things they love to do, their real smiles and cute expressions won't be far behind. Read more »

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"Come on kids, let’s take pictures! It’ll be SO fun!"

How well does that work for you when photographing children? Learn techniques and tricks to help make photo sessions more fun, which leads to pictures of happy, smiling kids. And these smiles are the real deal! Read more »

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Last fall, I went through my in-laws’ spare-room closet looking for old photo albums. I came across a box and carried it home, not knowing the contents until I lifted the lid. My fingers ran across hundreds of sealed envelopes of negatives, some dating as far back as the late 1800s! Read more »

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There’s no doubt about it; scrapbooking is a lifestyle. Once you start preserving the past, you find that memory-keeping has an enormous impact on your present and your future. And I think it’s fair to say that the happiest, most productive, and most involved scrapbookers are Read more »