Did you ever get the idea to make a “cardboard stand up”, but had no idea how to go about it? Well I have to tell you I did and its not that hard to do. Not only is it fun to do, but the idea’s will never end to what you can do. And the money you save will allow you to have a house full of people, with nobody really being there.
I played a little trick on my sister, who lives in different state than I do. I live in Florida, and she lives in Ohio. Because I live in a state that you can see almost anyone at anytime, its just so easy to get someone to believe you know somebody famous. In reality I do live near Hulk Hogan, and my wife and I did meet him and his family some years ago.
Well, I decided to come up with a “fake” picture of me and our new President of the United States, Obama, and show him with My wife and I in our living room standing next to each other. It was so cool, and I even started to think that it was real. I sent the photo to my sister with a little message saying that I met the president at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino, while he was in disguise. And he was with 4 secret service agents. We invited him back to our house, and we are now friends. Of course I didn’t let the gag go on, but she did believe me and was shocked, till I let her in on the joke.
This is just one of the crazy idea’s that I come up with, and you can create your own gags. But the real great thing is you can keep “cardboard stand up” memories for ever. Maybe you want to remember your grandparents as they were in life, or maybe someone is off to fight for our country overseas. Just having them as they look now, can be very rewarding. Let me give you some tips how you can create these yourself.
First off you use your computer and color printer. You don’t need to buy any 4 feet x 6 feet special paper. You use paper that fits your printer and a software program that you use with your computer. The software prepares your good quality photo to be printed into like a puzzle, that you assemble into a full size poster that you attach to a backing.
Your most important step is to get a good quality photo. You can use a 35 mm camera or any digital camera can be used with atleast 4 mp. Don’t use the zoom when taking the photo. Take the photo as close to the subject as possible, use a tripod to hold the camera still. You want the best photo you can get because it will stay nice and clear when your software creates the enlargement for printing your “cardboard stand up”.
By: Donald Paquin
Archive for the ‘Articles’ category
Photo Book Design Tips – Ideas For Your Layouts
March 7th, 2010
Tips and techniques from the fields of art and design can help you achieve more impact for the pages you create in your photo book projects. The following simple ideas can be used to transform your pages; it is easy to apply the techniques to your current projects.
First, consider how you usually edit and group your photos. Many people group photos in chronological order in their photo books. This can sometimes lead to a sense of discontinuity across both pages of the two-page spread (the pages that face each other when the photo book lies open in front of you).
Instead of grouping photos chronologically, consider grouping your photos by theme, colour, or subject matter, since these will unify the look of your photo book pages. You can use this same tip when deciding which pages should face each other within the book. You may also want to experiment with the photo software on your computer, or with the software provided by the company that manages and prints your online photo books. You may be able to a add colour to each page as a background, or to change your colour photos to sepia or black and white-these can both really transform the look of your pages in your online photo book. An entire spread of black and white or sepia photographs will unify the design; adding one or two colour photos in the mix will really draw the eye to these images, creating a focal point for the page.
Creating one focal point for each page in the photo book is also a great idea. As you select and edit your photos, choose one or two close-ups or simple, crisp images that can serve as a focal point for every two-page spread of your book. As you take your photographs, keep these things in mind, as well. You can begin by taking a series of photos for every special event you attend; if you take between five and eight photos, you will be sure to have enough to choose from when it comes to designing a page or two in your photo book around this particular event. If you tend to take group photos, make sure you zoom in for close-ups of individuals or objects, and zoom out for wider landscape shots. If you tend to focus on landscapes or the environment, consider other subject matter to give your photo book variety: people, pets, or specific objects, for example.
As you design your pages, you can also think of how the reader’s eye moves across the page as she looks at the photo book. Use repetition horizontally across a two-page spread, or else use a layout based on triangular or circular patterns so that the viewer’s eye will be led through the series of images. Some online book programs give you pre-designed pages, and other programs let you set up the page design yourself. Don’t be afraid to use several smaller photographs in your layout: several small images in a row can give the impression of a series of photographs taken in quick succession, or of a small sequential story being told.
Finally, in the art world, collage techniques are known to give interesting results. Collage in photo book design allows you to include a large number of images from various sources, all on the same page, without any need for formal organization. Some ideas might be a collage of favourite people, special events, a “day in the life of” page, or a collage featuring the same person or occasion, captured at different moments throughout the years.
By: David Dobson
