Creative Photo Cropping for Scrapbooks (Memory Makers) [Paperback]

Memory Makers (Author)

Book Description

Series: Memory Makers | Publication Date: May 1, 2001

Artistic cropping can improve a photo's focus, and a decorative element to a page or even make up for a poorly taken photo. It is one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways for scrapbookers to transform standard, everyday photos and album pages into unique works of art. Step-by-step instruction introduces a whole wealth of distinctive cropping techniques; Takes beginners beyond the initial fear of cropping photos; Shows creative uses for scrapbook cropping tools; Introduces photo slices, segments, rings, silhouettes, weaving and layering for special effects; Teaches how to crop for dynamic mosaics, stained glass, kaleidoscope and quilt photo collages; Artistic photo cropping can make the difference between a plain scrapbook page and a truly great scrapbook page because the photo art speaks for itself. Whichever techniques are used, the results are guaranteed to be a "shear" delight.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Memory Makers; Later Printing edition (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892127113
• ISBN-13: 978-1892127112
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #347,378 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #23 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Darkroom & Processing

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

87 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The first scrapbooking how-to newbies should read, February 18, 2003

By 

A. Ryan "Merribelle" (Westminster, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Creative Photo Cropping for Scrapbooks (Memory Makers) (Paperback)

If you are still new to scrapbooking and have discovered this book, I envy you. There's no telling how much better my early pages would have been if I had read Creative Photo Cropping for Scrapbooks (CPCS) first. I probably would have saved a lot of money also, for example, by learning how to display my photographs in a way that kept them interesting but didn't rely on buying a lot of decorative accents and fancy papers.

After a short section in the beginning about the tools and basics of cropping photographs, the techniques shown quickly lead to more creative ideas. Techniques covered include: cropping frames into the photo, silhouettes, innovative ways to integrate punches into the action, shapes from templates or freehand, twenty-six ways to make letters from photos, using other photographs as mats and borders, photo mosaics and quilts, weaving, and leaded glass effects. It should be emphasized that these are all things that do not take a lot of artistic talent or training; however, when you feel inspired to try for a certain look or two, you may find yourself changing the way you take your pictures from the start.

One great thing about creative photo cropping, IMHO, is that you are not rushing to the scrapbook store every time you decide to try a different technique with your pictures. The most-used tools in your supply box will be scissors, adhesive, a xacto knife, a straightedge metal ruler and a cutting mat. True, some of these layouts ideas call for templates. The book provides three such templates for enlarging with a photocopier, and several cutting patterns as well. The reader may even be inspired to try some freehand pattern drafting. Scrapbooking with the methods in this book is very easy on the wallet.

Basically, I love this book. My layouts are better and cleaner, and I am inspired by CPCS to focus on the real stars of the pages - the photos themselves.

-Andrea, aka Merribelle

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best scrapbook I've ever bought!, June 29, 2004

By 

Brenna McGinnis (Fairfax, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Creative Photo Cropping for Scrapbooks (Memory Makers) (Paperback)

I just received this book a couple days ago and it is absolutely worth the money! I don't have a lot of money to spend on scrapbooking stuff and this book gives so many ideas that dont require expensive tools! (you can use simple scissors for all of the ideas) Each page is full of easy, fun ways to make your pages look absolutely spectacular!! I am so glad that I bought this book and I recommend it to everyone.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some super ideas for using your photos to their best!, April 25, 2005

By 

F.Faulkner "F.F." (Hartford, CT USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Creative Photo Cropping for Scrapbooks (Memory Makers) (Paperback)

This is a great book for ideas. Reading through its pages really gave me some great ideas for using several rolls of film I'd taken of a long weekend trip. The ideas for cropping your pictures are innovative and unique. I found my creative juices really flowing after reading this book. Highly recommended. See also: Memory makers Embellishments!