Some of you are wondering why you would journal on a  page. It takes too much time and your handwriting is awful. “Why can’t I just put my photos on a page?”  Well, first it would then be a photo album and second, you don’t have to handwrite. While you may know all the information concerning the photo, others don’t. Besides, 5 years from now you may not remember the event or the people. Sometimes I can’t remember what I did a week ago.  🙂 Also, hopefully you’re journaling not only for your own memories but for future generations.

Different ways to journal:

1. Who, What, When, Where labeling for photos

2. Quick Captions – Expand on the above option with additional details and emotion

Why is Suzie crying/laughing?
Be more descriptive
Mention something that is not apparent by just looking at the photo

3. Bullet – for example, perhaps it’s a photo of your son, list his attributes; things that make him unique or just things you personally love about him

or a graduation photo – you could list the things that are great about the day, the accomplishments, or struggles to get to this day

4. Additional information – for example, when I took a photo of the Iditarod dog teams in Alaska, I added a narrative that explained the race and the route the dogs took so the photo would be more meaningful to those who had never seen or heard of such a thing

Another example, photos of elderly relatives – take time to ask them to share stories about their lives.  This not only makes your scrapbook more interesting, but I find that frequently they appreciate someone caring enough to ask.  It gives them a chance to reminisce and reflect upon their experiences as well.  Some of that interesting data you just can’t find on Ancestry.com

Can you now see how journaling turns a photo album into something to be treasured for many years to come?

By Debra Armstrong
email:  debbi@scrapbookingforanyone.com
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