With over 200 million users at last check, it’s no secret that Instagram is favorite app for a lot of folks — but snapping the perfect picture and then doing something meaningful with it is about more than picking a filter and letting the comments roll in. For those of us who have loved to scrapbook since way before the birth of the iPhone, photo editing and sharing apps are a great way to pull your life’s moments out of the “cloud” and place them securely in your hands.
In my class, From App to Archive, together, we’ll make meaningful projects, sure to last long after your newsfeed has refreshed.
To show you just how fun this can be, I’ve outlined the process of taking a special photo from your phone to your Instagram to your album below.
Let’s do it to it!
Do not fear the selfie: Selfies may be considered the lowest bar of photography, but they can actually be awesome ways to document your own life as it’s happening instead of always being the one behind the camera.
Still feeling weird about it? Here’s a cool trick: If you have an iPhone, you can use different use different buttons to activate the shutter, including the volume button or even the volume control on the headphones. No more having to fumble for that on-screen button, and this gives you a bit more reach, which helps alleviate the selfie-ness a bit.
Additionally, don’t be afraid to take several. As silly as it may feel, snap a couples of options, exploring several angles—up high, down low, straight on, etc. Odds are, you’ll discover that sweet spot and help make your photo look more like a photograph of yourself and less like, well, what we’d usually consider a “selfie.”
Square off: One of the leading causes of Instagram-related frustration is that it cuts off part of your image, assuming you’re uploading phone-screen sized pictures. To remedy this, you can either select an image accordingly (one that you don’t mind cutting off), or take the photo in a square shape. Your phone’s native camera can do this, or, if you’re using another camera app (like VSCO), you can crop the image afterward, but before uploading it into Instagram. If you’re cropping, be sure to save both the original and the cropped version — one of them may be more appropriate or fitting for your later scrapbooking.
Fix it up: Instagram’s filters have gotten so recognizable, more and more users are switching to different editing apps, and using Instagram just for sharing and keeping photos. Drawn to the warmth of the orange and the striking blue in the sky, I opted for Vintique, which offers a variety of filters designed to enhance such colors. And you can control the saturation of the filters using a basic slider tool. Other photo editing options include Snapseed and Camera+.
Go beyond the ‘Gram: Now, most people would stop at sharing at Instagram — but let’s be honest, the time you spent preparing and sharing your image is worth more than that. More importantly, the memory is worth more than that. Instead, get it off the phone and into your hands by printing them. I love sending mine to Persnickety Prints, where I can easily order Instagram/square prints, with several sizes and styles to choose from.
…Way beyond: This is where those stories take on lasting power. Not only will you love having them, but so will the generations to come. And the We R Memory Keepers Instagram Albums Made Easy are designed with such a goal in mind. Simply drop your print in and select from one of their Albums Made Easy kits to embellish the layout a bit. It’s just that simple! Then, you can do all the fun part of scrapbooking — one way I like to take the comments received and captions added from e-media to the-media is simply to transcribe them using a fun journaling spot like this one.
This process of taking your memories from apped to scrapped is so easy, you can complete multiple spreads in no time, creating a full snapshot of your life. Awesome!
But you know what THE BEST part of all of this is? It’s the pure joy your stories will bring to those you care about for years to come. My sweet girl couldn’t even wait for me to finish photographing my book for you before she was ready to dive in and enjoy the stories of her young life. Now that’s love!
This is just the beginning! Learn all about a variety of apps, increase your printing prowess, and explore several memory-keeping options in App to Archive: Social Media Scrapbooking. Class starts July 23. Hope to see you there!
