The other day I realized I have less than two years to finish my youngest son’s scrapbook before he graduates high school! Things sure have changed since the days when I started his book. Today, most people use their computers and the Internet to preserve memories.
storing and managing photos
The first thing to consider is where to save your pictures. Those with multiple computers use an external hard drive or a service such as Amazon Prime Photo, Dropbox (dropbox.com), Flickr (flickr.com), Google Drive (drive.google.com), iCloud (icloud.com) or OneDrive (onedrive.live.com). These cloud storage options create a folder on your computer and sync (make a copy of) the photos in your online account.
software to edit pictures
No matter how hard we work to frame a picture, there is always the need to crop so it looks good on your page or collage. Mac and Windows have standard photo editing software, but the best for this purpose continues to be Adobe Photoshop CC. Unless you are a professional photographer or graphic designer, Photoshop Elements is a great option for those who are just starting out with photo editing. Adobe Lighthouse is another version many people use. For those on a budget, check out GIMP. It’s free, open source photo editing software that can do many of the things Photoshop does.
creative software
There are numerous software options available when setting off to create a photo collage or book. Many people use the same software as when editing their photos. Others turn to CraftArtist2, Scrapbook Max, My Memories Suite, Memory Mixer and the Forever Suite software. The Forever Suite has evolved from Artisan and Creative Memories software. My Memories and Memory Mixer are the highest rated to date. For your phone or tablet, you might want to try: iCollages (iPhone/iPad only), Photo Collage Maker, Photo Grid or PicCollage.
printing photo collages and books
Once you spend the time putting together a collage or book, you want to share it. Many of the software options above offer printing services such as forever.com and the ever-popular Shutterfly. They make it easy and projects come out looking beautiful! So take as many pictures as you can this summer, and make a plan to save those memories in a digital scrapbook.
Sheila Burkett is an information technology expert and CEO of Spry Digital, an interactive design agency delivering smart digital solutions. Follow Spry Digital on Twitter (@sprydigital), Facebook (facebook.com/SpryDigital), Instagram (@sprydigital) or LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/spry-digital-llc).
