How Do You Manage To Take Good Pix For Uploading

[craftycuthbert]

how do you lovely lot manage to take pix for uploading... just uploaded 3 pix and they are all garbage... always seems to be something shiny or just not right about them.... i am truly hopeless... help

thanks in advance

Heather
xxx

[Flo]

I tend to scan rather than take pics - but if you are getting bad reflections then make sure you don't use flash or take pics in direct sunlight

[Kihaku]

if i take a picture i put it on a white towel/sheet/page etc... then stand above it and take a picture on macro - in the light preferably so no flash...

[hollybo]

i put all the lights on in the room, put the item on the desk and stand above it

[tinasue]

i scan mine since I got my new scanner, before that I always took them in daylight from above.

[soojay]

I try to take them without a flash and stand above (to get them as square as poss) If i have to use a flash, i angle it slightly andf also try to use matt photos. If there is something really shiney i don't stand over it directly.

[craftycuthbert]

thanx ladies some good ideas... going to take lots more pix later on of the christmas cards i have been doing so will keep in mind all your fab ideas... thank you

take care
heather

[soojay]

If you are doing christmas cards and have a scanner, i would use that. i really want an A3 scanner but they are so expensive at the mo...since i upgraded my pc, my old scanner won't work ( and there are no updated drivers for XP as the company dissolved)

[DawnS]

I always take a piccy first thing in the morning when the sun is streaming in the patio door.
I know my friend takes hers outside and photographs her on her decking
But as much natural daylight as possible and leaning over your page.

[Hils]

I try the natural daylight leaning over bit - and end up with reflections of me in the photos on the LO...... :-(

[cw18]

I notice several of you say you scan them in, and just wondered what scanners you have? Does a 12x12 LO fit on an A3 scanner? I have an all-in-1 printer, but the scanner on that is only A4, so looking at having to use my camera for my LO pics.... and I'm not looking forward to that

[Kel_eh]

No Cheryl, don't worry - most of us on here only have A4 scanners. It means scanning your page in twice and stitching it together (more on that in a mo'). You do lose a little strip of about 1/4 off the bottom or the top, and if your embellishments or photos go right out to the edge, you can scan it in 4 times to avoid that. If you have a look at my gallery, everything in there was done on my a4 scanner.

Basically, you scan one half of your LO, preferably more like 2/3 to allow some overlap to make the stitching easier. Then you scan in the other half, again more like 2/3 if possible. Then you use software to 'stitch' them together. I believe you can download some free, mine came with my scanner, some people use photoshop elements or CS2 to do it. The library has more info and instructions.

HTH
Kel x

[cw18]

I tried that with my one and only (so far) LO, and it looked odd when I tried to match up the parts. I use Paintshop Pro, which I love, but ended up getting out my digicam and having to settle for the best pic of about 6 I took!

[Kel_eh]

The ones I stitch using Arcsoft Panorama which came with my scanner I like - the ones I try on Photoshop Elements have a weird diagonal effect across them, with one half slightly darker. Maybe check out the free ones recommended in the library thread.

Kel x

[cw18]

thanks, and I will do. I had the same problem with shading, but mine was a line where I was trying to join the picures