Scrapbook Projects

Back in Black and White
Black-and-white photography has staged a comeback in popularity, and film companies are responding with more choices for the amateur photographer. So go ahead and experiment, keeping these hints in mind:

• The timeless look of black and white is great for portraits. Get close and fill the frame with your subjects, as in the photo below, to capture expressions. Color photos tend to be more playful and may be better for fun, active subjects, such as children at a birthday party.

• On black-and-white film, colors of the same intensity, such as a medium blue and medium green, will show up as similar shades of gray. Your subjects will stand out best if they are significantly lighter or darker than the background.

• If you’re worried you won’t like your black-and-white pictures, ask for doubles from someone who’s using color film. Or take color and have your favorites developed in black and white.

• Although black-and-white images generally fade more slowly than color, they’re printed on the same resin-coated paper, which deteriorates at the same rate. For maximum longevity, have special black-and-white photos printed on fiber-based paper.

Scrap Speak: “Paper Piecing”
A page embellishment, such as a flower, wedding cake or baby bottle, created by cutting pieces of paper and gluing them together. Patterns, available in many scrapbooking idea books, are especially helpful with paper piecing.

The Year in Pictures
Use your scrapbooking supplies and extra photos to make a meaningful gift your loved one will enjoy all year long: a calendar. Start with a blank calendar from a scrapbooking store, make your own (this one is folded 11×17-inch sheets of paper) or slide finished layouts into page protectors and bind them. You can also create calendar pages with many computer programs or draw them by hand.