Week in the Life : Q & A from Thursday's Post

Morning


[ taking off early in the AM today ]


Here's answers to questions from the comments section of this post from earlier today.


Dottedline


Palin Bingo, which was emailed to me by a couple people yesterday, can be found here. There was a Biden version too but we missed that one. All in good fun.


Cindy : What kind of camera do you use?
A : Canon Digital Rebel. I love it. 


Rinda : Any other good ideas for self-portraits?
A : Check out these sites for some great ideas: Self Portrait Challenge, Self Portraits on Flickr, Creative Self Portraits on Flickr, Identity & Self Portraits on Flickr.


Jennifer: I'd love to know where you got the star lights?
A : Ikea last holiday season.


Emily : Do you guys ever get sick of light saber battles?!?
A : YES.


Cory : How do you take pictures of yourself during the day?  Do you have a timer, or someone else who helps?
A : Both. I have used the timer for most of the shots of me this week. Chris works from home when the legislature is not in session and I can often get him to play along as well. Using the timer is so easy! I usually just set my camera on something (like a table, ledge, floor, chest, etc) and hustle back to my place.


Tami : Just wondering the settings you use; your pics always turn out nice and
bright. Mine turn out grainy and yellow. do you have a suggestion?
A : In the past I have always just used the "running person" on the dial of my camera - it is for action shots. It tends to be my favorite because the flash does not automatically pop up. This week, after reading the guest post that my friend Tracey wrote on Tuesday (read it here: The Great Indoors), I have been experimenting with the "P" setting and using a high ISO (this is easily changed on the back of the digital rebel). Mainly I just take a lot of shots ;). You can read more Q&A's with me about photography here.


Lisa : Can you share where you got the solar system over simon's bed?
A : It is an old one from Pottery Barn Kid's that I found on ebay a year or more ago.


Elizabeth : Will this project be put in it's own album or are you going to add it to your other ones?
A : This will go in it's own album. You can read more about the basic supplies I am planning to use here.


Beth : I have to say that you and yours always look so perfect that it intimidates me sometimes! :)
A : We are SO FAR from that Beth :). Just living life.


Jessica : I just NEED to know:  How do you keep your house looking so clean and organized???
A : I like clean and organized...it keeps me sane. We live in a small house (which I love) that is much easier to keep picked up. I regularly go through stuff and purge/reorganize/donate the things we are not using anymore. I also really try to pick up everything before we go to bed so that when I wake up in the morning it is not a disaster with stuff all over the place. I think part of that for me is that I both live and work here...I have a hard time working if it is messy. Also, having one child who is a bit older now makes a difference as well (we shall see with this other little one on the way).


My office is a whole different story.


I asked Chris what he thought and he said I am obsessive about it. He is right :).


Courtney : I was wondering how you are planning on documenting your feelings/the historical greatness of this election in your scrapbooks??
A : Not sure yet Courtney. Most likely I will include some newspapers and such. I have done a couple pages about our two opportunities to meet Obama that are in my books for this year.


Laurel : Will you be printing your own images after you resize them? I saw an
image earlier this week where you had a sheet of images to trim. What
editing program are you using? CS3 or Elements?
A : I am not sure yet - will decide on Sunday or Monday when I actually begin working. I think I may upload to scrapbookpictures.com (the developer I use) just to make it easier since there are so many. I use Photoshop CS3.


Laurel : What brand is your printer? Epson? Is it calabrated to match your Mac?
A : I have used a HP Photosmart D7360 for the last couple of years and love it. I have not done specific color calibration for it.


Laurel : Can you point me in the direction of a tutorial on resizing and placing images on one document to print?
A : Here's what I do (it's likely there are many different ways to do this + easier ways as well - some programs have automated functions for this I think):


1. Open a new document. I usually do 8x10 inches at 300 dpi.
2. Open a photo. Re-size/crop photo to the size you want it - say 4x4 inches at 300 dpi. Use the move tool (the black arrow) to move it onto the larger canvas/document (drag + drop).
3. Repeat with additional images.
4. Print.


Jen : Your photos are always so crisp and life like, how do you do that? Do you edit them with software before posting them?
A : I don't do much editing after taking the shots + uploading (I don't use actions). Sometimes I use Curves to lighten the shot a bit or if they are really orange I will adjust levels or colors. Most of the time I just go with what I got in the camera. I find I could spend way too much time messing with my photos and never get anything else done (like telling the story). I think it is part of the dual blessing/curse of digital photography.


Ashley : I work in a secure facility and cannot take pictures. Most of my day is
spent here (I work 8-5), so I'm not sure what I could put for that part
of the day. I also cannot bring anything home. I am in the Air Force,
so I could put some AF stuff in, but there's not that much to say/add.
Any ideas?
A : In this case I would say that you use this opportunity to document more of your home life/hobbies/etc. and cover some of what you do for work in your journaling (in the telling of the story). You could include shots of your drive to work, the entrance to the base/office, your drive home, etc. And then in your journaling talk about how the place you work is secure, etc.


Heather : On Tuesday's photos you have a pic of your husband working at his
computer. Above hime on the wall is a great photo of him and Simon. I
love the size. Did you take this and if you did where did you get
something like that made? The other question is what is OPB??
A : Love that photo too. It is an enlargement that I ordered from Costco. Not expensive at all. I think at the time I got it for around $24. I love living with our photos. And OPB is Oregon Public Broadcasting - one of the NPR affiliates here.


Heather : What do you define as your week?  Will you continue this through the weekend??

A : I am doing Monday through Sunday.


Dottedline


A complete list of posts related to the week in the life project can be found here.

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25 thoughts

  1. Christina says…
    10/03/2008

    Ali, thank you SO MUCH for sharing your life and your wonderfully creative ideas with us every week. It is totally inspiring and I can't wait to get started on my photos. Loving your designer digitals stuff too-keep it coming! Happy weekend!

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. Molly says…
    10/03/2008

    I LOVE this project and am having a little 'boo hoo' with myself for NOT playing along. There's something exciting about everyone working at the same time ... but I've got my limits and now's just not a good time. I'm experiencing the excitment vicariously. Many thanks, Ali.

    Reply 0 Replies
  3. sally says…
    10/03/2008

    Thank you so much for the answers. I really need to go back and read The Great Indoors, as I really need to get myself straight w/ my Rebel. I was hoping someone would ask about your awesome bedding. I love your duvet and Euro shams and was wondering if you made them yourself.

    Reply 0 Replies
  4. Shelley says…
    10/03/2008

    Miss Ali - I'm so playing along... and though I have hoenstly forgotten photos the last 2-3 days - i will surely make up for it this weekend. i've been making notes and am blogging again tonight. this has been an amazing, uplifting, eye opening project for me. what i'm getting out of it mostly? it is OK. not taking the pics. not doing things because i'm expected to. leaving a mess when i feel like it. because i want to crawl up under a blanket and snooze on the sofa at 6:00pm. it's all.. really... OK. thanks again - for sharing you, simon, and chris and that adorable fur baby of yours - with us.

    Reply 0 Replies
  5. sarah says…
    10/03/2008

    i want to say thanks for encouraging us to do this project :) i have been a scrapbooker for years, but i tend to only scrap the "big events" or holidays and not the everyday. this project has really opened my eyes to how important is to capture our everyday lives! Plus, i think my husband how sees the importance too :) Thanks again!

    Reply 0 Replies
  6. Ali says…
    10/03/2008

    Sally - the euro shams are from pottery barn (last year) and the duvet is from Target (thomas o'brien).

    Reply 0 Replies
  7. dena says…
    10/03/2008

    Hi again...
    Still loving and having so much fun with this project...today I downloaded your everyday overlays, which I absolutely love and can't wait to use. For whatever silly reason, I am not so confident to use them...do you suggest printing them on cardstock, or transparencies...and then adhering them. I am so excited about all the pictures I have so far taken, that portray moments in time, that would probably have gone unoticed. Your suggestion about the overlays would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for this great project.

    Reply 0 Replies
  8. Ali says…
    10/03/2008

    Hey Dena - are you talking about the photo + journaling overlays or the full page overlays?

    Reply 0 Replies
  9. Lindsey says…
    10/03/2008

    Glad to see that I wasn't the only one wondering what OPB stood for! LOL

    Reply 0 Replies
  10. Leea says…
    10/03/2008

    Thanks again for encouraging us to do this project, I took so many pictures to "document" this week..which when I started thought..it would be boring..and to some it still might be ...but to me it was an awesome time...now to put it all together!!! Again Thanks so much !

    Reply 0 Replies
  11. Christine Campbell says…
    10/03/2008

    Ok, you've convinced me. I really want to try this.
    I'm going to try and do this from tomorrow to next saturday.
    Fortunately, I'm going to have a pretty exciting day next friday so I hope to have some pretty cool pics for my friday.
    Not that it's going to be a typical week but it will stand out, that's for sure.

    Reply 0 Replies
  12. Michelle Aguilar says…
    10/03/2008

    Ali,
    Are you going to be in the classes for BPS sometimes this next year? I wish to take a class on line with you. I won the $35 dollar class with Kolette hall come the 9th of Oct. You are with a baby the same time she is, she said, i think at Creative Escape.
    Ok, well take care

    Reply 0 Replies
  13. Rumyana says…
    10/03/2008

    Ali, THANK YOU so much for this wonderful project and the inspiration you give me all the time. I adore the perfect things. I also find them in everything you do.... Thank you!!! How do you feel about sharing your life with so many people you don’t know? All those personal touches in your home, your relationship, personal moments... Do you feel exposed in any way? I know all this is part of the project but yet....

    Reply 0 Replies
  14. Heather says…
    10/04/2008

    Ali, do you know of any other companies that make those divided page protectors like the ones from Scrapworks? I really love the idea, but I only see 12x12 style and they are sold out anyway.

    Reply 0 Replies
  15. Heather says…
    10/04/2008

    Oh, wait.....can they fit in to any other albums?

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. Jerri Wood says…
    10/04/2008

    I just had to tell someone. I took this class last year in Nashville. Loved it! I was inspired, that you was creating another week in the life album. I still had the 150 + pictures I took at CKU. So I decided to use this method. I started last night at a crop. Completed 20 pages. Yeah! It is all in the planning.
    Thanks Ali for the inspiration.

    Reply 0 Replies
  17. Miranda Wedekind says…
    10/04/2008

    Started out great with this project, but after Monday it went wrong. So... I decided to do it a little different. I make an album (8x8)and take once in the month or so, a day to make pics. That pics I scrap in the album, which I shall call "Just a day...".
    So inspired by you, made it my own... Thanks Ali!

    Reply 0 Replies
  18. alexandra says…
    10/04/2008

    Thanks for the 'resizing photos' answer - definitely going to try it!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  19. Mother of 5 in CA. says…
    10/04/2008

    Ali: I'm a long-time fan and am doing the Week in the Life project, too. I have purchased your "Celebrate Everyday Life" Shutterfly book. I love it!
    I am dismayed, though, that you would pass on the "Palin Bingo" game.
    How is this "all in good fun"? It's actually pretty disrespectful. You also mentioned this week that you watch Jon Stewart and took a picture of your computer screen open to The Huffington Post---a blog that right now is running a post ridiculing Sarah Palin's hair-do, of all things.
    I am saddened to see one of my favorite scrapbookers joining in the personal mockery of a candidate.
    I can only imagine the outrage if someone dared mock Michelle Obama's hair style.
    I respect everyone's right to vote for the candidate of their choosing. I enjoy honest debate on the issues. But it saddens me that this election has devolved to relentless personal attacks--on both sides.
    I visit your blog to get away from all that.
    I realize my opinion is very unpopular and that I will be attacked, too, for expressing it.
    But personal attacks don't matter, right?
    So long as it's "all in good fun."
    Still a fan,
    Mother of 5 in CA.

    Reply 0 Replies
  20. Victoria says…
    10/04/2008

    I am finishing up my 'Week in the Life' project tonight (Sydney time). I did Sunday to Saturday and have thoroughly enjoyed it, in fact I can't believe how fast it went. Only today I realised, 'today is the last day!'. Anyway, I look forward to putting the whole project together this coming week.
    What I wanted to share was my (I think) helpful tip for getting lots of good everyday photos. I have one of those big digital SLR cameras that kind of turn heads whenever they come out of my handbag. While they are great in the house and outdoors, they can be cumbersome and attention-drawing when out in public ('Why is she taking photos? What's going on?). My solution was to use my iPhone when in a really public place, like the supermarket, shopping centre, movies, at work, where you don't want to draw too much attention to the fact that you are taking photos.
    It just looks like you are checking your messages or something and little-do-they-know you are snapping away merrily. Although the pics aren't the best quality, they fill in the gaps and really help to tell the complete story of your week. Certainly has helped me.
    Thanks for sharing this great project Ali,
    Victoria

    Reply 0 Replies
  21. Ali says…
    10/04/2008

    Mother of 5 - I sent you a personal note through email that I hope reaches you.
    To everyone else, this is not the place for personal attacks or for political debate. This is a place for sharing our personal stories and for respecting each of our individual lives.

    Reply 0 Replies
  22. ria nirwana says…
    10/04/2008

    Dear Ali,
    I am really having much fun and enthusiam. And I am thinking about putting it all in an 8,5x11 mini album (I am going out from my comfort zones 12x12...) and having really nice handmade recycled papers for it. But since these papers are not acid free, I put gesso on each side to layer it before I add anything else. Do you happen to know is layering paper with gesso will make it acid free or not? Sorry it's so technical but I am stuck with it right now. And I agree with Leigh, we should have some galery or website or anything....for everyone to put the finished album. It will be a HUGE inspiration for many others.
    Thank you again,Ali, you are always be my inspiration.

    Reply 0 Replies
  23. charmaine says…
    10/04/2008

    Hi Ali,
    I love this project! Before I started this week I didn't quite realise how MUCH I actually do. (Stressful part time job, being a busy wife and Mom) etc. On Wednesday I hardly had time to jot down what I was doing though the day. Thanks so much for this project. I plan to rethink all these commitments, and to redo this next year to compare. It has been a reall eye-opener.

    Reply 0 Replies
  24. Tina Schadone says…
    10/04/2008

    Simon looks so much like you in that sleeping pose!!!
    very cute picure.

    Reply 0 Replies
  25. lah says…
    10/04/2008

    To Laurel: Not for sure if you know how to open a new document. I did not when I read Ali's how to on this years ago. In the Editor, go to file, new, blank file or ctrl N in PSE 5. Then follow Ali's directions from there.

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