It’s actually easy to take great photographs by using the following tips:

1.  When taking photos of people, forget their legs and feet. Look at their face. Unless the purpose of your photo is the outfit itself, concentrate on the shoulders up.

2.   When traveling, capture signs that show where you are. When you begin making your scrapbook, it’s wonderful to have a photo with the name of the building, or the explanation of the statue.

3.  When possible, don’t shoot into the sun. Try to have the sun behind you, if possible.

4.   Look at your subject eye to eye. Photos taken eye to eye come out much nicer than the ones where you shoot from above or below the subject.

5.   Candid pictures are often cherished more than posed pictures. For example, if your child is playing a game, shoot the photo while the child is playing instead of trying to have the child strike a pose.

6.   Take 2 or 3 shots when photographing people. Sometimes people blink or don’t smile just right. If you take multiple shots, one is bound to be great.

7.   You can sometimes avoid the red eye in photos by having people look just a bit left or right instead of right at the lens.

8.  Look at what is in the background. Plain and simple keeps the focus on the subject.

9.   Remember, scrapbooks are stories. Is there a story associated with the photo you are taking? If so, take photos of the other subjects in the story.

10.   When there are family dinners, birthdays, or holidays, take photos of everyone there. Life changes, relationships change and it’s really nice to have photos of everyone.

11.   Take photos both horizontally and vertically. You’ll be amazed at how different the two photos are.

12.   Buy a disposable underwater camera. These photos are a great addition to your scrapbook and show a very different perspective.

13.   If you are on the beach, put the date and location in the sand, then snap the photo.

14.   Do you have four seasons where you live? Snap photos of the same location during all 4 seasons. Show how the grass and trees change as the seasons change.

15.   If you paint your home, look at old photos and take new photos of the same location.

16.  Hand a camera to your children. They see things a bit differently and their pictures are great additions to your scrapbook.

Most of all have fun!! Scrapbooks are an individual and unique creation. Whatever you put into your scrapbook, will be treasured by you and by those around you.