The photos that go onto everyday life scrapbook pages have a great variety. Figuring out how to organize and scrapbook them requires a different approach from that you might use to scrapbook photos from defined events like parties and holidays.
The challenge in everyday life scrapbooking is to decide how to present photos that can seem almost random in a way that reveals the fabric of your home and life.
Flipping through the stack of photos you wonder:
- Does that photo really merit its own page?
- Why does that one matter?
- How can I showcase this?
- Can I put those photos together?
- Do I need to write much for this one or is it obvious?
- How much context should I keep in the photo?
As an everyday scrapbooker, you are photo diarist, historian, sociologist, and memoir writer all in one seeking to document and make sense of your personal world.
everyday life photos ready to be scrapbooked
The material of everyday life
You may be scrapbooking just yourself or you may have children and loved ones for whom you’re also scrapbooking. For any of your subjects, singly or together, consider these elements of everyday life—elements that correspond to the major elements in any good story.
A layout recording a neighborhood routine on winter mornings last year. This year three of these kids have moved on to middle school and no longer catch the bus here.
character
Who are the people in your “neighborhood?” Everyday life scrapbook pages will include stories about your roommates, your family, your coworkers, your neighbors, those you work with, those who provide you services, your friends, extended family, pets, acquaintances and any other “characters” who are a part of your daily life.
setting
Where are your everyday life stories happening? And what is the “stuff” of your everyday life? Photos and stories about home (inside and outside), workplace, and play spots are materials for everyday life scrapbook pages. Think always about the macro of a setting (i.e., home, work, hometown) and the micro within each macro spot (i.e., kitchen, closet, garden).
A scrapbook page recording how my house looks on a typical messy day.
When you’re taking everyday life photos, be aware of the tools, toys, talismans, decorations, and other items that are relevant, and get them in the photos–perhaps even focusing on them. “Little Messes Everywhere” shows the setting of my daily life — my home, in all of its messy glory.
plot
What are the routine activities of your daily life and what are the special stories—big and small—that you’d like to remember? What is the work that you and those close to you do? What are your hobbies? How do you play? In addition to daily routines, consider your traditions (i.e., routines that repeat seasonally or annually). Which routines are done out of necessity and which are a result of personality or even unquestioned habit? “Did You Say Allen Wrench?” is a layout that records an out-of-the-ordinary and fun story from a “day-in-the-life” of my family.
Getting photos of everyday life for scrapbook pages
A story of an everyday life incident.
While you may already have stacks of everyday photos waiting to be scrapbooked, everyday life isn’t stopping until you get caught up. Here’s a method for ongoing photography and documentation of everyday life.
take it as it comes
Be open mentally to what’s going on around you on a daily basis; take photos, and make notes. Keep your batteries charged, a little notebook in easy reach and your camera handy so that you’re ready to shoot and record when you want to.
plan for it
Make a regular date with yourself to photograph and write about everyday life at regular intervals. Depending on your life, this might be daily, weekly, or even monthly. Use the “materials” list above, as well as the prompts in upcoming classes to get ideas for subjects to scrapbook.
keep it in order
Check out the recommendations in Organizing Everyday Life Photos for tips to get and keep your everyday life photos organized and to make scrapbook pages that celebrate these moments.
