I scrapbook.

There, I said it.

I feel quite torn about it (not to mention queasy at the thought of using "scrapbook" as a verb). On the one hand, it's a hobby that I enjoy. On the other hand, it has a bad reputation for being cheesy. And it is - in the wrong hands. But it is a way to preserve photos in an artistic and creative way. I don't buy the crap that it's "for future generations." Perhaps one in a thousand scrapbooks will make it to hallowed shelf space in a descendant's home, and even then it will be used more as a record of the past ("Look at the colors they chose! How dated!") than as the labor of love it purports to be.

There are exceptions. Layouts that are simple, elegant, and highlight the artistic qualities of the photographs are wonderful. Layouts that rely on brightly-colored paper and stickers and die cuts are not. Clever? Yes. Cute? Absolutely. But not, perhaps, something you will love in 10 years.

I don't use stickers. I don't use elaborate layouts. I don't use thought bubbles.

Good scrapbooking starts with good photography. No amount of creative juice will cover up a bad picture. In fact, a slick layout will only make a bad photo look worse.