I need ideas on how to quickly scrap old photos?

Discussion in 'Scrapping Pad' started by QuiltyMom, Jan 20, 2017.

  1. QuiltyMom

    QuiltyMom I'll never run out of things to do!

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    I have been slowly scanning the negatives of many old photos, some of them 90 years old! Many of the photos are 120 film (square) and others - the oldest - are 4cm x 6-1/2 cm portrait.

    I want to make albums for my me and sisters, but I don't want to take a long time doing so just because I've so many other photos to scrap. I'm thinking just having the photos on a plain white background with no borders or shading, with any journaling directly underneath. I'm open to other ideas, too. What are your thoughts?
     
  2. jenn mccabe

    jenn mccabe She's OUR sunshine!

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    I would go simple too ... let those priceless treasures stand out! It sounds like a huge but worthwhile undertaking. Maybe you can hunt down an album pack in the store that is super clean but allows a lot of photos on each page to unify them all ... and make the process go fast?

    Show us a page if you can!
     
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  3. rchansen

    rchansen in the sweet tooth recovery program

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    With my grandmother's old photos I plan on making a heritage type album. I'm either using black as the background (because that's what they had back in her day) or kraft. I plan on being very minimal with any elements and I'm thinking krafts, browns, and greens and whites or creams.

    I think if you don't have stories to go along with the photos that just using simple pocket style pages would be easy and just fill each pocket with a photo. Maybe you can even find a pocket page similar to one of those albums you could buy at Target or something where it has the pocket for the photo and the strip below for journaling.
     
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  4. AnneofAlamo

    AnneofAlamo Slippers IN sunshine? Even better!

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    I think pocket scrapping would fit so good for you here...almost like filling an old photo album.
    Pockets No.4: The Templates
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    add a little bit more with the
    Pockets No.6: Stitched
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    then look at this wow fun and it is easy, I tried and loved it!
    CU/PU - Pocket Template Maker 2.0
    [​IMG]
    or go to Lynn Grieveson's lots of pockets

    [​IMG]
    oh oh and look at these, new with Sabrina's entrance to the Lily Pad:
    I like the little area for your journaling and the small shapes could be a highlighted face in photo or a pretty flair or color/paper to make the pages more coordinated!
    [​IMG]

     
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  5. bestcee

    bestcee In love with places I've never been to

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  6. keepscrappin

    keepscrappin ScrapWithTheWind

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    I'd go something like this Lynn Greiveson's Life in Pictures No. 3 album. I just love the heritage feel of these and the photo frames and simple borders would unify the pages. You could showcase some of the better photos in the layouts as is. And then you could take the square frames and make your own multi-photo design with the photo in the frame and text under in a more pocket style grid, but still have text under for consistency.

    [​IMG]

    Good luck and let us know what you come up with.
     
  7. QuiltyMom

    QuiltyMom I'll never run out of things to do!

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    Thank you! I already have some of those template sets, but I love the others!

    I've also been finding photos of people who may be family, but I'm not sure. I'm going to have to get these scanned sooner than later while my mom is still able to remember who these people are!
     
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  8. cookingmylife

    cookingmylife Pizza would be my last meal, except ...

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  9. gwtwred

    gwtwred Leaving, on a jet plane ...

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    Templates! Templates, templates, templates. They are a lifesaver. I recommend using the ones that come with some of the elements already pre-filled, as this will save time. Lynn Grieveson's are great.
     
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  10. NancyP

    NancyP All you need is a little bit of pixie dust

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    Jan, I can't stress enough---PLEASE get this done while you still can! I am the last one left and now there is no one to ask questions about photos I have. I should have done it years ago!!! I have photos of people with my mom, dad, husband etc, and will never know who they are. So sad!!
     
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  11. cookingmylife

    cookingmylife Pizza would be my last meal, except ...

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    Me too Nancy! I was an only child (parents died ages ago) and thank goodness my son at 49 has taken an interest in genealogy. His father never knew or cared who his relatives were. I'm the only one who can identify my xh's relatives in photos.
     
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  12. QuiltyMom

    QuiltyMom I'll never run out of things to do!

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    My mom has a hard time with dementia these days, but she does remember her family history. In fact, she knew my Dad's family history better than he did! So yes, I am trying to get this done as fast as I can!
     
  13. NancyP

    NancyP All you need is a little bit of pixie dust

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    Its strange, but for whatever reason, dementia doesn't seem to affect the long term memory. I had my mom with me for 7 years because she had Alzheimers. She couldn't even tell you her name but she could talk about things 60 years past with no problem.
     
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  14. QuiltyMom

    QuiltyMom I'll never run out of things to do!

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    I'm scanning away like crazy! Last night I found and scanned the negs from when I was born, and now I'm scanning the ones of when my older sister was born. This is so much fun!
     
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  15. Sokee

    Sokee What we do in life echoes in eternity

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    What about something like this? The album is already designed for you and you have plenty of room to add journaling if you need too?
    I like your idea of Black/Kraft and I also LOVE photo corners to add that 'older' look
    [​IMG]
    Photo corners like here:
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2017
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  16. QuiltyMom

    QuiltyMom I'll never run out of things to do!

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    @Sokee Oh, those are great! I'll have to check them out.

    Here's my first page! I've been doing this today (scanning/repairing) rather than my MOC, so I'm officially two pages behind now. ;-) I'll most likely fiddle around with different kits, etc., until I find the combo I like, but I had to start somewhere! I used Every Family has a Story templates by Sabrina's Creations & Soco Designs and Stories to Tell by Amber LaBau.

    Oh, and I'm the little squirt - the one in the swim cap and then mowing on the bottom row. This is making me feel real old because these photos were taken almost 50 years ago. Gaah!


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  17. Iowan

    Iowan Is this heaven? No, it's Iowa

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    Jan, another thing that save me time is leaving the flaws in the photos unless there is a lot of facial damage. I figure that the creases, smudges, rips and tears are just part of the history of the photo. Good luck with your project.
     
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  18. cookingmylife

    cookingmylife Pizza would be my last meal, except ...

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    Just like @Iowan I leave a lot of the wear and tear of the years on the scan but usually clean up the faces a bit, i.e. big black or white spots.

    Another tip to quickly lighten some of those dark ones is to duplicate the image above the original and use screen blend down to well under 50%. You could also use a mask with the duplicate if you really want to take the time and maybe only lighten faces etc. I'm mostly too lazy for that. I just want to see faces, good, bad or ugly! :p
     
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  19. turtlebug

    turtlebug Well-Known Member

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    Have you tried Lightroom? I have been scanning in my old photos, too. I can place my photos on pages quickly with LR. I export them to files with plain white backgrounds. I can open them in PS, quickly remove the white background and 'toss' on some elements quickly. I did several pages in an hour. The longest part was the scanning and opening in LR. I saw tutorials in the forum somewhere, but I originally found directions on Google. Y accident.
     
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  20. lizziej

    lizziej Active Member

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    You've gotten lots of wonderful ideas! I need to mark this thread! That first layout is perfect!

    I recently came across a few vintage/semi-vintage photos that my mom gave my siblings and me, probably 2 years ago. She had numbered each one on the back, but I couldn't find the index that identified them! Ugh! Now I have to remember to take them with me next time we visit my parents so that she can identify them. I know a lot of the people, but I need dates. There's a precious one of her and her siblings taken on the day my grandmother was buried. They are all alive, but they haven't all been together since then (1991) and probably won't be again due to health issues.
     
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