Scrapping the "blah" photos....

[iJenny]

How do you find the inspiration to scrap the "blah" photos?

I have a few sets of photos that I have to scrap with (xmas morning 2007, for example) and they're just very "blah" photos. Nothing special or inspirational, but something I want to document for the boys' albums, nonetheless.

I've started probably four different layouts with the same photos and each time it just looks awful and I'm losing my patience! So, how do you scrap the "blah" photos? I've tried using templates and kits I love and everything I can think of. But its just that the photos don't really lend themselves to great layouts, ya know?

Any suggestions? Can anyone commisterate with me?

[pewtertm]

Got more than a few of those pics!

I generally end up doing ALOT of journaling on those LOs...the photo might not be so hot, but you'll still capture those memories.

[rochelle789]

I've been deliberately trying to focus more on telling the story, so that means I also find myself using more "blah" photos too, and I've just told myself that it's okay. The story is what matters. With that said, it helps me to convert to B&W to make the picture a little more attractive, and then that opens up my kit choices too. I would recommend using a template, but I use them all the time anyway, so that's nothing new if the picture is bad.

Maybe just plan on doing a lift with your bad pictures???

[jessica31876]

what about combining some of those photos into a year in reveiw type layout? Not specifically focusing on the events in the photos but more like several events throughout the year into one layout?

[jessica31876]

or combining them with photos from the same day that might be a little more inspiring?

[rach3975]

Unfortunately, I probably scrap more blah photos than great ones! I make journaling the focus of the page or use a lot of small blah photos together. A photo collage or a photo strip seems to work better on those pages than a single photo.

This isn't something I've done, but I know some people here create the entire LO and then choose and place pictures. If the photos themselves are making it hard, maybe that's worth a try.

[SeattleSheri]

Sometimes adding fun photo treatments or focusing more on the layout (vs the photos) help.

[lauren grier]

most of my photos are blah.. feel free to browse my gallery for inspiration.. hahahahahah

[Stacey42]

If I have enough photos I'll do a spread with a bunch of little photos & a lot of journaling to compensate. Or try to crop the photos into interesting angles & run a filter or two over them to dress them up.

[emilyscout]

I usually use a template or arrange the photos in an interesting way. Then I usually buy a new kit of something to really light a fire under me.
Another thing that helps when I'm not particularly happy with how a layout is turning out is set it aside and come back to it.

[rach3975]

Another suggestion is just to give yourself permission to have a less than stellar LO, get it done so it can be in the books, and then move on. Every book I make has some LOs I'm just not happy with, but they capture the memories and my family likes them anyway.

[DawnMarch]

I'll do a 2 page layout -- on the first page, I'll use a great photo and really showcase it, then on the second page, I'll use the same paper(s) but I'll use a lot of smaller photos. Often those blah photos look great when they're grouped together and really help give more of the feel for the event.

[pbumbaca]

I tend to do lots of element vomit so the page takes away from the photo if you get my drift? LOL!

[sprauncey1]

Sometimes I just figure out how many pics I'm going to use, use a template with that number of pics spaces and then design the whole thing without the pics in them. Plunk the pics in (change them to B&W or something) and then be done. At least they are done then and you can move on to more "fun" or artistically pleasing pages. And yeah journaling is the best on these pages!!

[alansrock]

I find if you extract and use the photo for something other than what you originally snapped it for you find a way to use it and make a blah photo a WOW photo!

[hhleung]

I'm struggling with this right now. My DD just learned to ride a two-wheeler on Sunday and I have all these blah photos (blurry ones because I was trying to take pictures while running after her or tiny pics of her way in the distance)

At this point, I'm just going to focus on the journaling and getting the page done because when my DD looks back at this page 30 or 40 years from now, I'm pretty sure she'll be more interested in the journaling and photos (no matter how blah they are) rather than how "nice" the layout looks. I'm also using a template which is what I do whenever I'm struggling with a layout.

Helen