Beautiful Baby Memories

When you're taking photos, keep your projects in mind. At family functions be sure to get shots of baby with mom and dad, all the kids together, baby blowing out the candle or with the guest of honor, etcetera; when you're taking everyday photos such as at the park or in the pool, focus on the baby and try to avoid unnecessary background. And Moms, make sure you hand the camera over so you can get in some of the photos!

Digital technology makes taking, editing, and doing fun things with photos easy. But if you're not familiar with the terminology, it's easy to get overwhelmed. The bottom line is you really only need basic equipment and beginner computer skills:

Digital Cameras
There are two types of digital cameras: SLR for serious photographers and Point and Shoot cameras for the rest of us. This lens is about the casual photographer, so we won't go into the features and benefits of SLR cameras.

Point-and-shoot digital cameras are also called compact cameras. They are super-easy to use and range in price from around $100 up to $1,000 depending on the features you want.

There are lots of benefits of digital cameras, the top being the ability to view your photos as you take them and delete ones that you don't like on the spot. This is a big time and money saver and helps you learn to take better photos.

Most digital cameras also take video; you don't always get super quality video on a digital camera, especially in low light, but they're great for grabbing little snippets in time. So you can grab a few minutes of video here and there while you're taking photos and you'll quickly and easily be able to put together adorable movies of your little one without having to bring along a camcorder.



Ranked highly by customers for great picture quality and ease of use, this Canon model is a perfect example of an affordable digital camera that has more features than the average person will ever even learn how to use.




There are good deals on camera "bundles" that will give you everything you need to get started in the digital world.

A great deal for on-the-go photo fun, this affordable digital camera and printer bundlefeatures on-camera picture enhancing, sharing, and favorites, fast 60-second printing, and free Kodak EasyShare software for creating photo cards and more at home.

You can also purchase a refurbished digital camera at a good discount, but be sure to make this purchase from a reputable company to minimize potential problems with warranties and refunds.

Kodak offers refurbished cameras, all-in-one printers, printer docks, digital picture frames, and digital video cameras with the same a 30-day money back guarantee and the same warranty as new products. It's a great way to take advantage of high-quality products at substantial savings.

Memory Card
Your digital camera will come with a small amount of internal memory that will allow you to store some photos on your camera's hard drive. Memory is very important for two reasons:

1. Good quality photos require more memory space; your camera's hard drive probably offers 32MB; this will store around 8 to 10 good quality photos, maybe 20 or 30 crappy ones. The photos will look fine on your camera and on the computer, but the print quality will be bad.

2. When you run out of storage space while using your digital camera you have to delete photos on the spot, put in a new memory card (which you most likely won't have handy), or upload your photos to your computer or a portable storage device. None of these are good options when you're out and about taking photos.


You can buy this Kodak 2 GB high performance memory cardfor $19.95. 2GB is more than enough space for the average person. You'll be able to capture and store hundreds of good quality photos and TV quality video, so it's a good idea to just factor this into the price when you're buying a digital camera.


Photo Printer and Printer Dock
Being able to print photos at home is convenient and and makes it easy to make photo cards and traditional and digital scrapbooks.

Be sure to do a little research when shopping for a photo printer because photo printing supplies - ink and photo paper - can be expensive.

Also, printer cables are often not included, you'll need a cable to connect your printer to your computer.

Film Processing and Digitizing Film Pictures
If you don't own a digital camera you can convert your prints into digital format to take advantage of photo enhancement software and online programs to create photo gifts and personalized keepsakes.

There are two easy ways to convert your prints into digital format: you can scan and save them in digital format on a home scanner and computer or visit your local print processing shop and have them scan and save them in digital format for you.

You can mail your film to an online photo gallery for processing. You've probably heard of at least one of the big online companies that provide this service: Snapfish by HP, Shutterfly, and Kodak EasyShare Gallery.

Snapfish has the lowest price for film processing at $2.99 per roll, but also sends you a full set of prints. Sign-up at Snapfish and get your first roll of film developed for FREE! Plus, your photos are placed online for FREE to share with family & friends.

Although baby photo projects are fun, they can be overwhelming. These projects tend to come together over time; you'll save time and be able to work on your projects in small, manageable steps if you organize your materials by date or event as you get them.

Digital Files
There are three steps that are very important for organizing your digital files: downloading, renaming, and storing. If you take the time to follow these steps often, you'll make it easy to find the photos you're looking for.

Downloading your files is important for two reasons: 1) to keep space available on your memory card so you don't miss great photo opportunities, and 2) your photo files will be saved in a safer place (your computer and/or on a CD or DVD).

Renaming your files as you download them to your computer will make organizing and photo retrieval much easier. Digital cameras name each photo with numbers and/or letters; you should rename each photo and include at least the month, year, and main subject in the name of each file, i.e. "April 2009 - At Grandma's."

Store your photos on your computer in folders named by month and year; it's a good idea to make separate folders for holidays and birthdays since these photos are usually the ones that make it into the scrapbook.

Backup of your photo files often; the safest way to store your digital photo files is on a CD or DVD. You can create one at home if your computer has a CD or DVD burner, or you can buy one through an online photo gallery or your local print processing retailer.

With Shutterfly's archive DVD you'll get full resolution copies of your original photos on a Mac and PC compatible DVD-ROM printed with your personalized title and date. Your DVD will include free Shutterfly Studio photo management software for Windows and iPhoto Export Assistant for Macs.

Printed Photos
Store printed photos and negatives in a photo box, using tabs to separate your photos by event or date. These boxes come in many different styles, colors and sizes so you can incorporate them into your décor and have easy access to them. Be sure to store photos separately from newspaper clippings and other paper memorabilia to avoid damaging your photos.


The thoughtfully designed Memory Dock - Photo Dock storage box holds over 1000 photographs. With numbered stickers and a place for labeling, you'll find your photos in a flash. Sturdy units stack on top of each other and come in additional colors.




It's time to throw away your shoe boxes! The compact Cropper Hopper Photo Case holds up to 864 4"x6" photos and will also accommodate 4"x7" or panoramic size photos. This excellent photo storage case comes with twelve 4"x6" photo / negative protectors.

You'll probably need just a few standard storage boxes, which usually hold 4 x 6 photos. If you've got lots of photos, you may want a more serious storage system. It's also a good idea to get a large flat box for portraits.


Baby Keepsakes
You'll have a lot of sentimental items from your baby's first year that will certainly become treasured keepsakes: baby's first cap and booties, gowns and accessories from religious ceremonies, and special gifts.

Keepsake boxes are a beautiful way to store these mementos and they are available in many styles, colors and sizes.



AimeeJ Baby Keepsake Boxesare perfect for storing baby's first keepsakes. Made from beautiful papers imported from Thailand and covered in a suede/velvet exterior, the box also includes a matching lid with the nameplate/photo window in its center that can be personalized.





These charming, hand-painted wooden baby keepsake boxes are perfect for storing special mementos; covers feature a frame for a favorite photo.


Baby calendars and growth charts with fill-in blanks and stickers for important dates and thoughts are great for keeping track of milestones and both items become charming keepsakes. If you don't have these items on hand you can use a notebook to record this information and transfer them to a scrapbook or album later.



Record every precious moment of your baby's first year with this 13-Month keepsake calendar. Kit includes 13 starter pages, 13 calendar pages, over 55 die-cuts and over 100 special moments stickers to help you build your calendar. Acid and lignin free; also available in pinks and greens for little girls.






Beautifully illustrated, this heavily laminated sunflower growth chart folds up and fits inside a sturdy gift box. Comes with stickers for marking birthdays and other important information.

There are lots of fun ways to share your digital photos. You can e-mail them, create online and print photo albums and books, family websites, and charming photo gifts and keepsakes that your family and friends are sure to love.

Emailing Your Photos
E-mailing is the easiest and most basic way to share your photos. Make sure your photo files aren't too big or the message may not go through. You can resize them with photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop or you can use an online photo gallery that also offers many other services.

Online Photo Galleries
These websites allow you to upload, view, enhance, and share your photos. You can also create cards, photo books, and albums that you can share online and print, and photo gifts like mugs, puzzles, t-shirts, tote bags, blankets, key chains, mouse pads, coasters, stationery and dozens more!
Photo books are popular online creations. Priced from $4.99 for a soft cover Photo Flipbook to $69.99 and up for a hard cover Legacy Photo Book, they're a beautiful way to share your memories.

There are many online companies that offer various photo services and products. Below you'll find a brief overview of the four biggest companies and what's special about them. The first three offer a wide range of services and products, the fourth specializes in photo books and cards.


Kodak EasyShare Gallery is a great website with practically every photo service, feature and product you could want. They also offer a project inspiration center, gifts ideas by recipient and by theme, seasonal and holiday products, plus free Kodak photo editing software that you download and use on your home computer. Register at Kodak and get 20 free prints.


What's Special About Kodak EasyShare Gallery
Free Framing Service - you purchase the frame and print, they frame it for free.

PhotoShow DVD - create a themed photo DVD with up to 150 images, music and effects; perfect as gifts to remember special occasions.

Convenient Print Pick-Up - order your prints from Kodak EasyShare Gallery and pick up your prints in about an hour from your local Target or CVS (prices are set by the retailer).

Direct Mail Photo Cards

High-quality photo cards professionally printed and mailed directly to your family and friends; a great time saver that's perfect for birth announcements, invitations and holidays.



Snapfish has an easy to navigate website with gifts ideas and seasonal products. They also offer their own photo editing software free of charge that you download and use on your home computer. Upload your digital photos and get 50 FREE prints, plus 20% off your choice of photo cards or photo book. This offer is good until May 1.

What's Special About Snapfish
9¢ Prints - for 4 x 6 mail order prints (8¢ with pre-paid plan). Get 50 Free Digital Camera Prints and only 9 cents per print at Snapfish by HP.


Film to Digital Service - send in a roll of film and for $2.99 plus shipping they'll develop your film, convert and upload digital photo files to your Snapfish account and send you a full set of prints and negatives, plus they provide free film mailers or shipping labels. Sign-up and get your first roll of film developed for FREE. Plus, your photos are placed online for FREE to share with family & friends.

Family Chat - create a group room to privately share photos, post comments, and create projects with friends and family.


Photo Flipbook - this little book packs a big punch! At only $4.99 with 25% off duplicates, it makes a great gift for family and friends.




Shutterfly offers free unlimited photo storage, instant online sharing, lots of photo projects, and an expansive project idea center. They also offer a free software download so you can add and edit your photos on your home computer. Give Shutterfly a try today and get your first 25 prints free.

What's Special About Shutterfly
Recipe Books - create a beautiful, customized keepsake with a book full of your favorite recipes and photos.

Savings Plans - choose from three plans that offer lower print prices, discounts of up to 40% on collages, portraits, and wallets, and a free photo book.

Digital Scrapbooking - create, print and e-mail individual 8 x 8" or 12 x 12" digital scrapbook pages; they also offer digital scrapbooking ideas and a scrapbooking blog.


Adventure Books - encourage your child's love of reading by featuring their photo in a book along side the Sesame Street characters, Dora the Explorer, or Diego.


Picaboo specializes in photo books and photo cards only. There is no online service, so you have to download their software to create projects with them, but their photo books are head and shoulders above the others in terms of features and options, in addition to very reasonable pricing.

Great for beginners and advanced users: choose your photos and the software auto-populates your book in seconds, create your own from scratch, or choose from 15 themes.

The website offers an idea center with samples, tips, tricks and more; they also have a background community for more options; once your project is complete you can share it with family and friends online and print it in different sizes. Create a photo book and take advantage of their special buy 1 get 1 free offer.



What's Special About Picaboo
Photo Covers - you can customize the front, back and spine of your book with your photos.

Real-Time Editing - see changes to your photos right on the pages of your book.

"Story Flow" - helps you create a logical sequence for your book.

Expansive Customization Options - they offer a very large selection of layouts, styles, themes and backgrounds to make your book truly your own.

Enjoy your favorite baby photos everyday in frames, collages, albums, baby books, photo books and scrapbooks. All are fun and functional; your choice depends on how much time you have to devote to each project.

Frames and Collages
There are styles, materials and colors to match every décor and personality. You can showcase one special photo or an event or theme with a frame collage or a framed photo collage.


Create a photo collage with your favorite pictures at the Kodak Gallery, choose a frame, use their free framing service, and it will arrive at your door ready for gifting or display!




Digital frames are also a great way to showcase your favorite photos without having to use a computer or print them. Most frames use a memory card and display photos in a slideshow with an adjustable time interval.

Shop for digital frames at Kodak.

Digital frame technology ranges from basic to advanced, such as built-in memory, multimedia content including movie clips, MPEG video files and MP3 audio files. Certain frames can import files from the internet and by e-mail.


Albums, Baby Books, and Scrapbooks
In this section we'll talk about creating albums, baby books, and scrapbooks by hand. Digital scrapbooking is discussed in the next section.

One important thing to remember: take the time to think about what you want to say, write it out before hand, and proof-read it because if you make a mistake, it'll be a real pain trying to disguise it.

It's also a good idea to carry a small, plain notebook (or you can use your day planner, if you have one) in your purse or diaper bag so you can jot down cute little happenings or more remarkable events, such as your little one's first word.


Albums: The Easy Way
Just slip in your photos, jot down dates or special thoughts and you're ready to go! Albums come in a variety of sizes; smaller ones are often called .brag books. This adorable brag book from Baby Vines safety stores 24 photos on acid-free pages.


Baby Books: A Little More Work
With pre-defined pages for your photos, special dates and thoughts, these books make this project a lot easier. There are many styles, colors and themes to choose, including traditional, modern, adoptions, twins and multiples, single moms and alternative family.
This beautiful baby book from Rag and Bone Bindery helps you capture precious memories from baby's first year.





Scrapbooks: A Blank Slate
There are actually two ways to go about non-digital scrapbooking: you can design your pages by hand with scissors, glue and textured, printed and colored papers, or use a scrapbook kit that is based on a style or color theme and comes with everything except the glue!
Showcase your memories in these beautiful post-bound scrapbooks. Includes ten top-loading page protectors to hold 20 layouts.


Scrapbooking can be a little intimidating and you can spend a lot of money very quickly, so it's good to start by looking at scrapbook websites and books for inspiration and to learn about choosing materials, layouts, and tools.

You could also look into taking a scrapbooking class; they're typically offered in beginner, intermediate and advanced lessons and are a great way to learn tips and tricks that will make this project fun and exciting.

Digital Scrapbooking
Although it is similar, digital scrapbooking differs from digital albums and photo books in that you create the pages on a computer, print them out and then store them in a scrapbook.

Although some of the online photo galleries suggest that a photo book is the same as a scrapbook, there is an important difference: you create the photo book in one shot, whereas you work on a scrapbook, whether traditional or digital, over time. So the photo book works great for a book of baby's first year, but either form of scrapbooking works better when you're saving memories over a long period of time.

There are a number of websites to check out that offer really good digital scrapbook resources:

Shutterfly offers digital scrapbooking in 8 x 8" and 12 x 12" size pages, plus ideas, tips and a scrapbooking blog.


Scrapbook.com has a large selection of digital scrapbook "kits" that you download after you've purchased them. They also have a great website that offers tons of information on all aspects of scrapbooking.

ComputerScrapbook.com offers digital and printable scrapbooking files, plus a gallery and forum.

A Cherry On Top, Scrapbooking Shoppe offers digital and traditional scrapbooking, plus tutorials, articles and a gallery for inspiration.