Photo Freedom Giveaway.

My biggest photo struggle is becoming fabulous on the photo editing programs. I am improving, but want to get much better!

Oh Ali....I was just trying to figure out why, for the last couple of weeks, I have gone into my studio and SAT at my desk. Just sat there. I end up reading or browsing the web for inspiration...only to realize hours later that I didn't actually scrap ANYTHING.
My biggest challenge is this(I think):
I have a box of my moms pictures that I have not BEEN ABLE TO TOUCH. Since she died, 5 years ago, I have put that box where I can see it every day. I know I want to scrap them...I have bought some great supplies for it. But I cannot even open the box to organize them. I don't know how to start.
And, because I feel guilty about it, I am not scrapping my kids pics either, and they just keep piling up. I am so overwhelmed.
Where to start?

my biggest struggle is overcoming the learning curve involved with photoshop. I feel like my photos could be improved with photoshop, I just don't have the patience to learn the program.

I think my biggest problem is the organization of my photos. I need to find a better way to do this.
Thanks for doing this, Ali.

I am such a fan of your studio A articles and AEzine/life art newsletter and I have compiled a list of creative actions to take with my photos and my life. One of my biggest problems is actually "taking action" on the list. I have been trying to focus on several of your inspiring mantras - scrapbooking should be FUN, highlight the details, tell all sorts of stories, PLAY, show connections, tell my own story in an album of my own and organize my planning. What I have found is the last - organize my planning - often is the one that derails my creativity, fun and progress.
With the move to digital photography, there are so many photos I've taken that I haven't printed or organized in a way that will help me put my scrapbooking plan into action on a regular basis. It is also so daunting to look at boxes of print photos from 30 years! Where do I find that one photo? How do I pull out those photos that focus on the little things in life? Where do I even start?! Frustration sets in and creativity comes to a halt and I am left with notebooks full of great ideas, intentions and life connections I want to scrap but my system of photo organization (or lack of) holds me back.
I definitely need a new system, one that will allow me to pull out that certain photo that I can use to highlight our life, our personalities, our failures and our time spent having FUN! It is ironic that the major component of scrapbooking - photos - is my stumbling block. I want to be able to showcase them in albums, on the walls and create art from life!

Wow so excited for this book to come out!!! Thanks for the chance Ali!! :)

Hi Ali, I guess my biggest struggle would have to be getting a 15 month old to hold still for long enough to catch a good picture once in awhile. I also seem to struggle with organizing and narrowing down to the few that I want to scrapbook out of the hundreds that I take at one event/occasion.

I would like to be able to remove the background from some pictures, sometimes just the background color, my only other issue I don't think you can't help me with and is to have my son look at the camera, thanks, hugs, Rosa.

My biggest photo struggle is that there are so many of them, they are in huge piles of photo developing envelopes, and they are completely unorganized. Its almost enough to keep me from even scrapbooking, but I just don't know where to begin. Also, I have so many printed that I have not scrapbooked or organized/displayed, that I feel guilty buying prints of more recent pictures. I could really use some motivation to get organized.

I struggle with remembering to take everyday photos, so I end up with piles of pretty outdoor, posed shots, and tons of birthdays and holidays and not much else.

My biggest struggle is getting ME in the photos since I'm almost always the one behind the lens.
When I hand over my DSLR to someone else, I first have to give a briefing on keeping steady hands w/ the flash off, holding down the shutter on burst mode for group pics, and MY FAVORITE: there's no zoom on the 50mm fixed lens so use your feet, aka "sneaker zoom" =) Then my subjects become impatient, roll their eyes and tease, "Just take the picture already!"

My biggest struggle is definitely organizing. How do I organize and tag all of those digital photos? How do I organize to scrap all of the photos from my youth especially since I may not know the exact year the pictures were take?

I love to take pictures all the time, but right now my biggest struggle is learning how to use my new Canon Rebel in manual mode....
Laura P

My biggest struggle...Taking the time to weed out the bad photos. Then finding the time scrapbook the photos. Oh, and organizing the photos...

I would have to say lighting and I don't really know how to use all of the special things on my camera, but I am learning.

wow awesome! My biggest struggle would be organization of them. My biggest taking pic struggle is I take too many and KEEP too many. I need to learn to let go of some of them :(

wow awesome! My biggest struggle would be organization of them. My biggest taking pic struggle is I take too many and KEEP too many. I need to learn to let go of some of them :(

Hmm, where to start. First off, I have so many digital photos (easily 15,000+), but they are scattered here and there on my mac. Secondly, I can't choose which ones need to be scrapped because the number of photos is simply overwhelming. How do you choose which ones to scrap without leaving something out?

Indoor photos!! I am never happy with the color, lighting, etc...

My bigest challenge in photography is composition. Getting the subject right is fine; but the setting is always a struggle.