A New Way to Use Old Snapshots

If you're like me, you have hundreds of photographs sitting in envelopes. Pictures from birthday parties, weddings, family gatherings, anniversaries, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas. You have already put the best snapshots into albums and these are leftovers. You don't want to throw them away, but you also don't know what to do with them.

Instead of letting your snapshots take up space and contribute to the clutter in your home, use them to make collages (at a cost of less than $10 each) that you can give as Christmas gifts to family and friends. Here's how:

Assess your collection of pictures. Do you have several dozen of your spouse or significant other? Your parents? Your children? Grandparents? A friend? A beloved pet? Decide which person would like to receive these pictures and divide them into groups accordingly.

Buy a picture frame with glass (either 5x7 or 8x10) for each collage you are going to make. Department stores sometimes have sales on picture frames, and you can often purchase a suitable frame for $5 or less.

Cut a sheet of paper (use cardstock, 24# paper or light cardboard) to match the size of the opening on the picture frame.

Cut out the background of the pictures, leaving just the people (or pets). Cut out enough pictures to cover the sheet of paper.

Arrange the cut-out pictures on the paper. Mix and match and experiment. Try placing the pictures at different angles.

After you have an idea of how you would like to arrange the pictures, glue them to the paper. (Check the label to make sure that you can use the glue with photographs.) Cover the entire sheet of paper with pictures.

When the glue is dry, insert the paper into the frame.

Collages are not only a good way to use your old snapshots, but the recipients also will cherish them for years to come as a special and thoughtful gift.

© 2003 LeAnn R. Ralph

About The Author

LeAnn R. Ralph is a freelance writer in Wisconsin, is the editor of the Wisconsin Regional Writer (the quarterly publication of the Wisconsin Regional Writers' Assoc.) and is the author of the book: Christmas In Dairyland (True Stories From a Wisconsin Farm) (August 2003; trade paperback) http://ruralroute2.com

bigpines@ruralroute2.com

In The News:

---

The Sport of Schutzhund: Dedicated to the Art of Schutzhund ...
SYS-CON Brasil, NJ - 17 hours ago
"Continuing the work in our book, the Sport of Schutzhund website features a photo gallery with some of the best Schutzhund photography available, ...

Examiner.com
Scion’s National Art Tour Installation 5: Self Portraits continues ...
Examiner.com - 1 hour ago
Video art will be included for the first time in the tour’s five-year history, alongside painting and photography. Artists on the tour will include: AJ ...
CHUCK CLOSE and VICTOR MUNIZ: ART BASEL speaks Examiner.com
all 2 news articles

Photography by Barry Klusczyk, David Desmyther, Lead
Hot Rod Magazine - 20 hours ago
When the people at General Motors Performance Parts introduced their LSX block, a heavy-duty cast-iron piece for the LS engine family, they also threw down ...

Family publishes book to share writing, photography by fallen ...
The Coloradoan, CO - 1 hour ago
By Douglas Crowl • Loveland Connection • December 5, 2008 In January, huddled in a tent somewhere on Little Bear Peak in southern Colorado, aspiring writer ...

BFA photography show expresses media neglect
Indiana Daily Student - 9 hours ago
This annual BFA show, opening at the Art Hospital, 102 E. Allen St., on Friday, will exhibit the work of the 13 students in the BFA Photography Honors ...

Cops: LI magician arrested again over secret videos
Newsday, NY - 7 hours ago
Infantino's lawyer, Robert McDonald of Mineola, said the surveillance allegations resulted from one of the magician's photography clients finding and ...
New Peeping Charges For Long Island Magician North Country Gazette
More charges for photog accused of secretly taping girls Newsday
all 13 news articles

Global Kids to Open New Gallery; First Exhibit to Showcase Youth ...
MarketWatch - Dec 3, 2008
The first exhibit at the new gallery, presented by Global Kids (GK) in collaboration with Deviwo Projects, will feature youth photography from the Zongo ...

Edmunds.com/Inside Line
Inside Line Sweeps Motor Press Guild's Audio/Visual and ...
Edmunds.com/Inside Line, CA - 14 hours ago
... Video Producer Glenn McClanan and Senior Photographer Scott Jacobs won MPG's audio/visual and photography awards for work that appeared on Inside Line ...

AsiaOne
Deputy dean had a passion for photography
New Straits Times, Malaysia - 14 hours ago
And he was passionate about photography. He was the patron of the faculty's photography club, which had organised the trip to New Zealand. ...
Student and UiTM deputy dean killed in NZ accident Malaysia Star
Parents' Dreams Dashed Following Uitm Student's Tragic Death Bernama
A homecoming that was not to be New Straits Times
Bernamaall 9 news articles

‘Photography by T. Alan Russell’ exhibit to open
Terre Haute Tribune Star, IN - 13 hours ago
The exhibit showcases both black & white and color photography by Russell, who is a Paris resident. His photographs have been taken locally, ...

photography - Google News

Who Had The Better Brushes Leonardo or Michelangelo?

Ordinary photos of dull subjects do actually sell, but the dramatic shots generally have an unusual element that makes them stand out from the crowd. They are... Read More

Taking Panoramic Landscapes - The Easy Solution

I love panoramas. There's something very appealing about their shape. It's probably because we see the world more in these dimensions than the near square format of... Read More

8 Simple Tips for Taking Great Baby Photos

Taking pictures of your new baby is a great way to preserve life long memories. Baby pictures can also make great postcards, keepsakes, or baby shower gifts.... Read More

Light Meter Readings for Film and Digital

Reflected Light Readings for Film and Digital ImagesIn order to correctly expose your film or digital CCD there are two variables that must be identified: average reflectance... Read More

Digital Camera Reviews and Ratings De-Mystify the Choices

Shopping for a new digital camera can be quite frustrating with the hundreds of choices available. Digital camera reviews clarify this confusion by comparing camera features and... Read More

Photography 101 Part 2

Basic CompositionNow that you are beginning to understand how your camera works you can begin to understand basic composition. I know that many people that I've talked... Read More

Stock Your Kit with Digital Camera Accessories

There are a large number of digital camera accessories available in the market today. Even though you might have invested a few hundred dollars in your digital... Read More

Infrared Photography and Big City Crime

One of the major problems of the larger cities of the word these days is crime. It appears that the larger the city the more-acceptable serious crime... Read More

Digital Photography: The RAW vs JPG Debate

If you use a digital camera (I use a Canon EOS Digital Rebel/300D myself) and that camera is an SLR, then it most likely can record images... Read More

Nikon Digital Cameras - Cool(pix) and Functional

Even though Nikon entered the camera world by 1948, today its digital cameras are well known everywhere. The company started small but always dreamed big. Here is... Read More

Weddings, From a Photographers Point of View

Your wedding day is without a doubt one of the happiest and stressful days of you life. The happy part comes naturally but how can you cut... Read More

Bracketing and How To Use Tt Correctly...

What Is... Exposure BracketingExposure bracketing is a simple technique professional photographers use to ensure they properly expose their pictures, especially in challenging lighting situations.When you expose for... Read More

Getting the Most From Your Digital Camera Memory Card

Imagine taking your new digital camera on a vacation and then realizing that you can barely click 20-30 images at a go. So, what do you do... Read More

The Paradigm: Going Digital

As you might imagine the paradigm shift from traditional film-based photography to digital is rapidly creating new opportunities to learn and grow. The photography industry is moving... Read More

Portrait Photography: Tips and Methods

Portrait is defined as, "A likeness of a person, especially one showing the face, that is created by a painter or photographer, for example." In the area... Read More

Digital Wedding Photography: Myth Vs. Reality

1. Myth: Digital photos are pixilated or fuzzy. Reality: most people that say that have never seen a photo produced by a professional grade digital camera. The... Read More

Safari Wildlife Photography Top Four Tips

I've been practising wildlife photography on safari for over twenty years now in places like the Kruger National Park, Chobe, Okavango Delta, and Hwange game reserves and... Read More

Megapixel Cameras: How Many Megapixels Do You Need?

Knowing which megapixel camera to buy can be intimidating. There are literally hundreds of models of digital cameras out on the market today. How can you know... Read More

Photography Contest - a fun and rewarding experience

Do you like to take photos? Are you always standing by with your camera waiting for that moment that is meant to be captured on camera? You... Read More

Underwater Photography: The Wonders Under the Sea

The world of photography is an amazing one. It's been with us for quite a while now but it is constantly changing. Cameras are changing and improving.... Read More

Removing Spot Scratches in Your Treasured Photos ? 5 Minute Digital Fix

Probably one of the most common problems you will be faced with in doing any type of digital photo restoration work will be to do with spot... Read More

Picture Framing for Photographers - Part 1

Imagine being able to frame all your own photographs just as well as a professional. You can save enough money to easily pay for all the necessary... Read More

How to Take Great Photos of Your Child

Children are naturally photogenic. Ive worked in studios and children are so easy to photograph. What I hear from parents is that they dont think that their... Read More

Tame Those Memories

Family vacations, summer weddings and family reunions are in full swing, and the warm memories and envelopes of photographs are ever growing! You certainly intend to organize... Read More

Is Digital Photography Expensive?

Being such a fascinating device as the digital camera, this technological masterpiece is of course a precious and priced possession. And acquiring it also means that one... Read More

Use A Tripod!

Using a tripod is essential when taking photos - and not just for night shots. To get ultra crisp and sharp pictures, your camera cannot move at... Read More