W. H. Smith’s Selfix Photo Albums have served me well for many years. I have hundreds of them holding prints of various sizes going back to 1942. For the Old Post House Garden display book I found I needed something a bit different.
The problem was that the landscape format 10″ x 8″ prints did not fit into the width of the albums and had to be placed after rotation through 90 degrees. And I can’t stand having to keep tipping up a book to study illustrations.
I therefore engaged in internet research that would impress my sister Elizabeth, and came up with a Walther Premium Extra Large White Traditional Album, which I ordered from Harrison Cameras. It arrived this morning.
I had stopped printing and entering the photos after the Weeping Birch Bed section, so my task today was to transfer those and print and enter the rest.
As the new album is traditional in style, I needed to stick the photographs in individually. This meant a drive to New Milton for some spray mount.
Unfortunately there was a hiccup in the printing process. I mentioned a few days ago, that photos taken directly from my earlier posts could not be enlarged by clicking on them. For the last three or four earlier episodes I have taken them from Photos and worked on them from the desktop. Readers will be aware that my head has been a little muzzy this week. That is probably why, forgetting I had yet to print them, I popped them into the trash to clear space on the desk. Oh, well. Not a problem, I thought. I’ll just take them from the posts and work on those.
Not examining them too closely, I made a batch of about 20 prints. Every one that was larger than 5″ x 7″ was out of focus.
Now, why would that be? Resolution, perhaps? I then resolved to print one of the offending images directly from the photo library. Sure enough, it was nice and sharp. Then it dawned on me. In the process of sending images to WordPress the resolution is reduced. When I get around to it, I will ask them what happens. But for today, repeating the printing was a priority.
I didn’t get very far with my chosen task, especially as mounting the prints is quite a sticky business.
Oh, and I did watch two televised World Cup rugby matches. The first was between Wales and South Africa, and the second between New Zealand and France.
This evening Jackie produced an excellent Experiment Pie, served with boiled potatoes, carrots, and green beans. I have to announce that there is no recipe for this brilliant meal but the pie, I can say, is layered. The base is sage and onion stuffing, followed by pork medallions, followed by chopped apple and onion, then leftover vegetables fried in a tomato sauce, and topped off with short crust pastry. Superb. And you could substitute other ingredients, such as parsley and thyme with chicken. Jackie calls it a lost chord (a creative masterpiece that cannot be repeated). She drank Hoegaarden and I drank Old Crafty Hen.
I love the expression of the ‘lost chord’. That is each of us, I believe 🙂 Wow the work on the album is almost equal to the work on the garden! Why don’t you use a service like Blurb.com?
Thanks, Mary. I like the old fashioned method, and I don’t know how to make photobooks on line
Blurb has templates that you can just drag photos in and fill in the texts. They also have excellent tutorials. You can preview the book as you go. They do own the copyright to the layout though you retain the copyright of author and photographer. I like the old fashion way too but you can only make one copy at a time whereas with online publishing you can print multiple copies for your friends and family or even sell them online or have some to sell at openings. Blurb is only one of many of course.
Thank you, Mary. Maybe I’ll do it one day.
I’ve used Blurb also, and was really pleased with what they produced for me. Maybe give them a trial and see what you think, instead of doing a gigantic album for your first effort.
I’ll have a look at them for my next project. This time I will continue with my traditional methods, given that I have bought all the materials, and love making prints. And am rather phobic about new stuff on computer. Thank you Yvonne, Mary, and Pauline.
I will have a go at this for my next book project, Mary. Thanks
Interesting post regarding post-Post House. One of my sisters has all of Mum’s old and very orderly photo albums – about 10 of them. I’ve been scanning them without any digital editing (because that seems to set their definition in concrete and future technology will improve enhancement procedures) and am going to give each sibling a digital copy – warts and all. From there they can do what they wish with them!
Thanks, Bruce. Good idea
I have to echo Ms Tang about on-line photo books…. I have never made one myself but have been gifted several and they are wonderful. The creators assure me the process is no more difficult than creating a pizap montage – – and even I can do that!!
That dinner sounds intriguing – and it’s good to see you fully back on form Derrick!
Thanks, Pauline. I don’t even know what a pizap montage is
Have a look sometime http://www.pizap.com/
Will do X
Jackie is a Contessa of Casseroles! That combination of sage and onion stuffing, pork, apple with onion, some sort of sauce and topped with pastry sounds heavenly…..
Thank you, Cynthia. It was
That is a brilliant title for Ms. Jackie!
I think I gain a pound everytime I read what scrumptious meals you dine on. I think you’d fair the same if it wasn’t for all that gardening!
Thanks, Oscar
Go the Mighty All Blacks! Sorry Derrick, the rest of your post was lost to me when you mentioned the rugby from this morning! 🙂
Thank you, Danella. The thing about the All Blacks is they don’t bother with mighty. Their play is incredibly beautiful and they make a very tough game look effortless
I am a person who stubbornly insists on doing things my own way, and I sense that you are comfortable with your work as it is. So I will not recommend that you do anything other that what you’re doing. I have made my own photobooks several times and it’s a piece of cake and the finished product is exactly what I wanted. If you or anyone else ever has a question about it, I offer myself as a resource.
Now, on to important topics like cooking. That experiment pie sounds (and looks) scrumptious. I have several “recipes” like that. I call them Leftover casserole, Leftover lasagne, Leftover stew, etc. You get the idea. Start with basic ingredients and use up everything in the fridge that needs to be eaten. HOW blessed I am that these concoctions turned out to be one of Tara’s favourite kind of meals.
Thank you, Crystal. Niece Danni made a very good photobook for her Mum. That’s not quite what I had in mind for the album, and, from what I’ve seen, they lack the tactile qualities of thick paper and handmade prints which seem to go with the theme. Having seen what you take on a hike, I’ll bet your leftover meals are equally as good.
I know exactly what you mean about the tactile qualities! And yes, I like my leftover meals. I’m basically a fan of food.
Bad idea looking at food photos before going to bed haha. I do love photo albums.
Thanks, Alex