Is It Just Me?

[pbp908]

There were a few comments about this on another topic, so I thought I'd start a thread for it.

How do you feel about the trend to feature only one picture on a page (which I've been doing with the 365 pages) or the trend to use only one or two tiny pictures and leave the rest of the page mostly blank?

I have to admit that I love the artistry involved with these types of pages - the time and talent involved is incredible - but I wouldn't do one for my paper books unless it was a cover page for an album. It just feels like a waste of resources and time, and heaven knows most of us don't have a whole lot of time. I find it a lot easier to do these types of pages digitally than I do on actual paper, which makes almost no sense. Maybe because I can use the elements over and over again and still have my "real" horde? (Sometimes I can almost see myself in a small dark cave saying "My precious!")

What do you think?

[julierealtor]

Pam, I think it depends on the photo. I love to see 1 great photo on a page by itself. I also think it's beautiful to see 2 or 3 small photos surrounded with a lot of 'white space'. I think usually as SB'ers we are trying to get down a series of photos in a limited amount of space. But if you don't have that need, I think 1 -3 photos on a page lends itself beautifully to elegance, assuming it's a great photo, properly cropped, etc. I don't practice this as often as I would like....doing my GD, always trying to cram in the photos on a spread. Maybe we should just be more selective on the photos we use. I think Neith does this with her LO's beautifully.

[Ruth Ann Landry]

Personally, I think the occasional page that features one perfect photo is neat...however, I would emphasize the word occasional for my use as my purpose in scrapping is to archive what my family has done and that usually involves multiple photos. I guess I don't see my scrapbooks as "art for art's sake"...it's more a chronicle of my family's life and progress. My aim is to create pleasing, well planned pages, but I wouldn't want to obsess about filling a page with "artwork" to showcase one photo...kwim?????

[LadyJaine]

Those 'whitespace' layouts that you are describing are really good at getting a viewer to look at the embellishments. They are being created to sell kits, not to scrapbook a life event. It isn't a trend in scrapping, it's a trend in selling!

[mpizzazz]

It's like everything else, when you first see it, it's clever and new and then it gets contrived looking and done to death! I love the assymetry of that type of page and the focus it puts on the photos if they aren't overwhelmed with virtual product! Your pages have struck a great balance in that regard and what you are doing really suits your theme.

Besides doing the 365 challenge, I like variety in my albums-one layout may have 8 photos on it and the next 1. It's whatever the situation and photos need. I get bored doing a theme album with the same products and style.

It's interesting, Pam, that you don't feel you can do this with paper layouts. After all using up all that product means less in the stash! Then you can buy more!

[Maree]

I am with Ruth Ann.
I scrap to preserve, to add memorabilia if available.
Sure I have the odd page with single photos, large or regular size but that is either to showcase an awesome photo, it is the only photo taken for the event or it tells the story without the need for more.
But given I am so snap happy and still take film photos the vast majority of my pages have more than one or even two photos. Maybe that is why I don't moind the ALSB way of scrapping as they certainly encourage the use of more than one photo at a time.

[LadyJaine]

I will also say that I think a layout like this one which is a single photo with a heap of papers and embellishments, is much more pleasing to my photographer's soul than one like this one. Both actually contain pretty nice photos. But in the second one, you'd much rather have that photo be a lot bigger, and perhaps if there were photos showing how high the tot had actually climbed? You can't tell if mom is lying on her back and the kid is two feet up, or if mom is standing up and the kid is 8 feet in the air. And as young as that kid is, 8 feet is a lot!

But, as Julie showed in the Quick Drop thread, you can take the 'interesting bits' of a whitespace layout and turn it into a layout with a much larger photo.

[julierealtor]

I think we probably all agree that it's ALL about the photos, what enhances them and what diminishes them. Good point Jean about the stellar sales pitch! I'm not much of an embellishment person, so I def don't have a problem with that. Your examples of LO's was excellent. When I started scrappin' both my DD got me a sub to 2 mainstream magazines...which I never used anything out of. Just not my style, and you're right they are all about selling the products.

[ChristyB]

Personally, I think the occasional page that features one perfect photo is neat...however, I would emphasize the word occasional for my use as my purpose in scrapping is to archive what my family has done and that usually involves multiple photos. I guess I don't see my scrapbooks as "art for art's sake"...it's more a chronicle of my family's life and progress. My aim is to create pleasing, well planned pages, but I wouldn't want to obsess about filling a page with "artwork" to showcase one photo...kwim?????

what she said.
I do do the occasional one picture page but usually more because I love the pic than wanting to do a fancy page. I like to get my pages done and move on. I do them for the girls and they like to see as many pictures of themselves as they can

[Holly]

I weigh in here on the side of Jean's thinking. I usually only do a one picture page when my only pic is larger rather than smaller, and/or it is the only one for that subject. For example--my DS had a prom picture taken when he was not with us, so only one. But I wanted to put it in his album, nevertheless, and so I did a one pic LO.

[beargal]

I can certainly appreciate the one picture per page layouts but I very rarely do them for the same reasons Ruth Ann said. Only for me since we don't have kids I am trying to get mostly travel pictures scrapped. I do like odd sizes and if we get a great photo I will use a larger one only but if any of you remember any of my layouts I am more likely to have 9-15 pics per layout of varying sizes.

I am going to have a challenge with the trip I just did with my Mom and sister as I took advantage of a Walgreen's sale and had over 300 pics devleoped! Of course as soon as I hit buy I had second thoughts about some of the pics that I could have done collage style. I use some HP software when I print my own pics and really like how you can set up a collage of all different sizes (don't have to matte each one!!! yeah!) My Mom is having problems with her eyesight so I may use some of these 4x6's in an album for her as she has pretty much stopped scrapping. I do need to get up to Ohio as she keeps saying she is going to have a garage sale and get rid of all her stuff! She actually has some stuff that I never bought that I could use.

Well my pics came yesterday so I am headed off to see what other sizes I need to print so I can do some page setups to take to NC in Oct.
Reb

[jfugina]

I can only echo the sentiments of everyone else. There are certainly times when all I have is one photo, and that sure as heck won't stop me from doing an entire layout. But that photo will be the feature, and it will be the most prominent item on the page. I share Jean's opinion on both of the examples sited. The first one was precious. The second - the photo wasn't much more visible than one of the dots. I would never do a layout like that, at least not without adding another large photo or two in all of that empty space.

Even after more than 10 years of scrapping, one of the most difficult things for me is to limit my photos. That problem can be just as bad sometimes. I have a nasty tendency to want to use as many as possible. When I got the two Becky Higgins books, I flipped straight to the 10-15 section. And honestly, when I look back on some of those, they're just as bad as the layouts that barely feature a single photo. They're just as full of clutter, but the clutter is in the photos as opposed to the embellishments. It's especially bad for occasions like birthdays and holidays where there are lots of people and gifts and wrapping paper and such in every single photo. Those are the occasions where I need to choose one or two really good photos to represent the entire event, and just be happy with that.

I guess I'm still learning. Which is great. That's probably why I've been able to keep the same hobby going strong for so long.

[pbp908]

Marianne - It's not so much using the stash as it is if I sit down with paper it takes me forever to create anything. I'd love to use up my stash as I'm tired of looking at it collecting dust. But! Digi is fast fast fast! And I can use favorite elements over and over again and not have to worry about them becoming extinct. I don't really understand why I can't work with "real" pieces as easily as I can the computer - maybe it's a left brain/right brain thing, or maybe it's because I use a computer constantly and that feels more like a natural medium for me to be creative in. I am trying very hard to get back into paper, because I love the feel, the smell, the look of it. And all those stamps, inks, flowers, glitzy pieces, brads, eyelets, charms, ribbons and fibers! Love them! Maybe the real problem is that I'm just a collecter instead of a creator!

[pbp908]

BTW - I'm absolutely loving the fact that we're all coming to life again here! This give and take and exchange of ideas is what gets my creative juices stirring. You all don't know how much you inspire me!

[LadyJaine]

Julie,

I found that by changing the sizes of my photos, layouts with lots of photos showing different views of the same event were much less chaotic. The 'star' photo was obvious, it was large, and attention grabbing. The 'supporting cast' of photos were smaller and were ones I could ignore. If I was looking at my own pictures, I could take the time and remember each guest at the party. If I was looking at someone else's pictures, I could ooh and aah over the star and skip the strangers.