Heidi Dillon

Organizing Digital Photos - Part Two: Importing

Welcome back! Last week I talked about creating a structure for your photo organization. This makes it super-easy to just drop your photos into their appropriate spots on your computer. This week I'll address the "dropping" part.

Step Two: Importing

The next thing you need to do when you are ready to start organizing your photos is to get them off your camera and onto your computer. This process is called "importing." If you've set up your photo organizing structure as dated folders, this process is extremely easy. Let me show you!

Depending on the type of camera you have, you will either attach your whole camera to your computer with a USB cord, or you can take the memory card out of the camera and insert it into a card reader or card drive (if your computer has one).

I work from within my Windows Explorer when dealing with files. You can access this by pressing the Windows+E buttons on your keyboard. You should see a folder tree on the left side of this new window and a description of the currently highlighted folder on the right.

In the left panel, navigate down to your camera or memory card. Double-click on the card's name in the left panel; that will open the folder in the left and show its contents on the right. Keep double-clicking on the nested folders within your card's directory system until you come to where your photos are showing in the right-hand panel.

Now, in the right-hand panel, in the menu bar above, find a button or option that says "View" and choose "Details."

Once you've chosen "Details," you won't be able to see the photos anymore, but you will be able to see things like "Name," "Date," "Type," and "Size." Click on the heading that says "Date." All of your photos should rearrange themselves so that they're lined up by date created.

Now all you need to do is grab them in bunches and move them to the correct folders! So in your right panel, highlight your first photo in the list, make note of the month it was created in, then press and hold down your Shift key, and click on the last photo you took in that same month.

In the left panel, navigate up to where you created your "Digital Photos" folder structure from last week. Use the little arrows to the left of the words to cascade open the folders until the corresponding month is showing in that left panel. Then simply drag the highlighted photos from the right panel into the correct folder in the left panel. Repeat the process until all your photos have been imported.

Now, if you have software installed that you would like to use to import your photos, please work within your software instead of Windows Explorer. I have Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 for organizing my photos, and I use that for importing.

Simple as that, you've got your photos off your camera and onto your computer. Now what do you do with them once you've got them to your computer? Stay tuned!

- Heidi

Scrap Girls, Etc. is a weekly column pulling bits and pieces from all over Scrap Girls. Stay tuned each week as Scrap Girls' Jane-of-All-Trades Heidi Dillon brings you tutorials, musings, recipes, interviews, design/software tips and tricks, layout walk-throughs, and who knows what else!

SCRAP GIRLS CLUB

Join the Scrap Girls Monthly Club and you can have fun with the newest traditional digital and printable scrapbooking looks while saving! (A $27.94 value for $9.99 or less!)

The Scrap Girls Club contents are released on the 1st day of the month (or the closest business day to the 1st).

With the Scrap Girls Club, you will receive:

1 Collection Biggie
1 Paper Super Mini
1 8.5x11 Sheet of Word Art
1 Embellishment Set
1 Assemble Your Own Zoom Page Set
1 Designer's Choice Item

Layout by Elisha Barnett using January's Scrap Girls Club
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Created for you by Syndee Nuckles

If you prefer not to join a club, the Scrap Girls Club contents are available at regular prices in the Boutique. You can easily find them right now by checking the What's New? section of the Boutique.

Note: The Scrap Girls Club contents are always available for sale elsewhere in the Boutique at their regular prices once the associated club month is released. But all club contents are totally brand new, never-seen-before product releases for each month!

SCRAPSIMPLE CLUB

Join the ScrapSimple Monthly Club and you can enjoy the newest ScrapSimple looks while saving! (A $13.95 value for $6.99 or less!)

The new ScrapSimple Club contents are released on the 15th day of the month (or the closest business day to the 15th).

With the ScrapSimple Club, you will receive:

1 ScrapSimple Paper Template Set
1 ScrapSimple Embellishment Template
1 Brush Set
2 Designer's Choice Item

A commercially licensed version of the ScrapSimple Club is also available here.

Layout by Ashleigh Bronner using January's ScrapSimple Club
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Created for you by Cherise Oleson and Brandie Valenzuela

If you prefer not to join a club, the ScrapSimple Club contents are available at regular prices in the Boutique. You can easily find them right now by checking the What's New? section of the Boutique.

Note: The ScrapSimple Club contents are always available for sale in the Boutique at regular prices once the associated club month is released. But all club contents are totally brand new, never-seen-before product releases for each month!

Alphas

Alphas serve as one of the most useful of all digital scrapbooking supplies. I often see a mix and match of alphas to create interesting titles. I'll show you a way to use the alphas from the same set and still compose a creative title.

The alpha set I used for the title is one of two alpha sets in Syndee Nuckles' Follow Your Bliss Collection Biggie. It's perfect for my multi-photo layout. The subtle pattern balances the embellishments, and the words perfectly describe the people in the photos. Here, I placed the alphas on my layout and resized them to fit.

It wasn't the exact look I wanted, so I varied the placement of the individual letters, merged them together and applied a drop shadow. For a finishing touch, I threaded a ribbon through the title. Now it's just right!

Layout by Julie Moberly
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This first product is included in this month's Scrap Girls Club offering. Members receive a substantial discount on these club supplies. They are also available elsewhere in the Boutique at regular prices for those individuals who would rather not join a club.

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Corner Rounder 5001 Mini and ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Basic Shadows 6501 are also available.

Article written by Julie Moberly

FREE STARTER KIT

Free eBook "starter kit" turns your dreams of digital scrapbooking into reality today!

This dynamite eBook is 65 pages - packed full of the information, ideas, and help people need when they are about to dive into this great hobby. It answers all of the important questions new digital scrapbookers have. They are all here for you - in one easy to use eBook!

Bonus! Download the free "Warning" Label, too. It was created for you by Valerie Randall as a little bit of extra fun!

Would you like a chance to try digital scrapbooking yourself?

Scrap Girls' Refresh Collection Biggie offers you free samples of some of our most popular product types. Try making a layout, your own paper with a ScrapSimple Paper Template, a fast layout with a ScrapSimple Digital Layout Template, or experiment with a brush.

We know you'll love digital scrapbooking as much as we do, and we have thousands of products to feed your new addiction!

Ready to Take Off? In-depth Tutorials Help You Become a Great Digital Scrapbooker

Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed!

NEWLY UPDATED! Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop
NEWLY UPDATED! Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop Elements
Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Paint Shop Pro X (XI)

Find out what tens of thousands of people have already learned: Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed is the fastest way to learn how to create digital scrapbooking layouts. And because this series covers so many topics with one purchase, it is a bargain!

In the tutorials, you'll see Ro working on her computer and hear her talking about why she is doing what she is doing. It's like having Ro come to your home and give you private scrapbooking lessons. You can create digital scrapbooking layouts today!

Download and CD versions available.

Photoshop and Photoshop Elements users receive:

30-33 movie tutorials
Companion eBook(s)
Collections
Other supplies

Paint Shop Pro users receive 31 movie tutorials.

MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed!

MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed! for Adobe Photoshop
MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed! for Adobe Photoshop Elements

Now that you've learned the basics of digital scrapbooking with Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, you are ready to learn advanced skills for having even more fun while you create digital scrapbooking layouts!

Get a big boost learning how to use ScrapSimple products to make your own backgrounds, embellishments, and alphas with the MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop Elements movie tutorial series. You'll learn so much that your digital scrapbooking layouts will never be the same!

eBooks

Scrap Girls offers a large catalog of eBooks covering topics that will expand your digital scrapbooking abilities to new heights. Here are just a few samples:

Scrapbook Quotes: The right quote for your scrapbook layouts

Looking for scrapbooking quotes or quotes to use for greeting cards? Here's your solution. This packed eBook contains hundreds of quotes, collected over many years by Rozanne Paxman specifically for use on scrapbooking layouts.

Inspirations eBook

What happens when you move digital scrapbooking beyond the basic page? What happens when you allow the layout to blur the edges between keepsake and art? Find your answers and take the next step in Inspirations: Celebrating Life's Joys With Digital Scrapbooking eBook. This eBook is meant to highlight the hopes and loves, the faith and joys, the simple days and big events that give our lives meaning and inspire us - and the pages we create about them. There are different layouts in a wide range of styles and techniques to be found in the book, and there are a multitude of ideas to be culled from the pages.

Scrap Girls Tutorials & Way Cool Stuff eBook Set - 2010 1st Quarter

Subscribers to the Scrap Girls Newsletter have one thing in common: they love to learn new techniques! Each issue shares ideas, tutorials, and new ways to use Scrap Girls quality digital scrapbooking products. Now you can have all those past tutorials and Way Cool Stuff articles of the 1st Quarter of 2010 in one convenient PDF format. It's easy to find those helpful hints with just the click of your mouse. You get two eBooks for the price of one!

Mastering Brushes for Photoshop

Whether you are just finding out about brushes, or have been using them for a while, this eBook will help you see and understand the creative power that brushes contain and give you new ideas for using them in your digital scrapbooking layouts.

See more titles

Layout by Brandy Murry
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Designer Freebie by Brandy Murry coordinates with her ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Crocheted Lace 8501 Biggie

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Crocheted Lace 8501 Biggie, ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Molly Milkshakes Biggie, Summer Romance Collection Mini and Brush Set: Swirlicious Biggie are also available.

* There is a "free download" button on the details page for each gift. You don't need to put them in your shopping cart unless you are shopping for other items. Also note that if you are slow reading your newsletter, you may find this freebie has already been retired, as the freebies are only available as gifts for about two newsletter cycles.

CROPS AND CHATS

Speed Scrap Crop
Thursday, January 27th - 6:00PM MT

Looking for a challenge? Then join Angela (angelaNussbaum) and Carla (CRS) for a Speed Scrap Crop! We'll give you six items - spread out over an hour - for you to include on your layout. Time is limited and a lot of the guess work is done for you, but it's up to you to put it all together! We'll see you in the chat room on Thursday, January 27th at 6pm MT!

What's New in the Scrap Girls Boutique Chat
Friday, January 28th - 9:00AM MT

Join April (April Showers) at 9am MT on Friday mornings to chat about all the wonderful new products in the Scrap Girls Boutique! What are your favorite new items? Is your shopping basket full? What did you kaboodle? Have you already done layouts or other projects with your new goodies? Come tell the designers how much you love their work. You never know who will show up. There's a thread every Thursday and now there's a chat too!

Swap Crop Chat
Friday, January 28th - 6:00PM MT

It's time for the Swap Crop Chat! We've done the swapping and created the layouts - now it's time to chat about all the gorgeous layouts! I don't know what it is, but these swaps bring out the best in everyone. This is the time to chat about the theme, the beautiful layouts and learn about the swap crop if you haven't participated before. We'll brainstorm a theme for next month, too! Join us, Carla (CRS) and Angela (angelaNussbaum), for a fun chat at 6pm MT on Friday, January 28th!

Emphasis on Embellishments Chat
Monday, January 31st - 6:00PM MT

Join Angela (angelaNussbaum) and Janine (J9Buckles) on Monday at 6pm MT for the Emphasis on Embellishments Chat. This monthly chat is geared towards challenging you to use more elements/embellishments on your layout. Each month, you will be given a specific number challenge to inspire you to use more on your layouts or even to create clusters!!! You will be amazed at what YOU can do at this chat!

Life Moments Crop & Chat
Tuesday, February 1st - 5:00PM MT

Join Carla (CRS) for a Life Moments Crop on Tuesday, February 1st at 5pm MT. Life Moments Crops focus on you, the scrapper. We tend to leave ourselves out of our scrapbooks and this crop encourages you to scrap about yourself, one layout at a time. The theme for this crop will be "a look back in time," with a focus on journaling. Hope to see you there!

Creative Cards Chat
Tuesday, February 1st - 6:00PM MT

Do you use your digital supplies to make cards? Do you want to? Instead of going to the store every time you need a card, you can save money and have fun making cards with your digi stash! Make a note of any cards you might need for the upcoming month and join April (April Showers) and Theresa (tiza126) for the once-a-month Card Chat on the first Tuesday of each month at 6pm MT. Can't wait to see you there!

Project SG Chat
Tuesday, February 1st - 7:00PM MT

If you aren't sure what Project SG is, stop by the chatroom and get the details from April (April Showers) and Shannon (tinkerbell11). It is never too late to start for the year.

East Coast High Noon Crop
Wednesday, February 2nd - 10:00AM MT

Join April (April Showers) each Wednesday at 12 Noon Eastern Time for the East Coast High Noon Crop. All coasts and time zones are welcome! These crops are designed to allow you to work on your own photos and themes simply giving participants a one hour goal and a fun, new challenge each week. On February 2nd, we'll do a use-your-stash challenge! Create a layout using a collection you've had for a while, but just haven't used yet! You'll be amazed what you can get done in just one hour, but there is no High Noon Sheriff timing you!

ATC Swap Crop & Chat
Wednesday, February 2nd - 6:00PM MT

Please join Lei (Bride) and Elisha (elibar) in the chatroom for our ATC (Artist Trading Card) Swap Crop/Chat on the first Wednesday of each month at 6pm MT. Come see what everyone has created and we'll talk about next month's topic. We're looking forward to seeing you there.

JANUARY EVENTS

January Message Board Game: Jumpstart January!

Join us on the Message Board this month for "Jumpstart January!" This is a Message Board game and challenge to start your year with fun and focus on taking time to scrapbook regularly despite the little speedbumps of life. When the month is over, you'll have completed several layouts and been challenged and treated to some fun along the way.

A member of the Welcoming Committee will post a mini-challenge/task every day from January 1-30 in the Games folder on the Message Board. Check out the game thread titled "January Jumpstart 2011" for complete details and rules.

Those who complete all tasks and submit or post required participation by 11:59pm MT on January 31st will be entered in a drawing to win one of three $10 Gift Certificates to the Scrap Girls Boutique! Those who complete just the layouts will be entered in a separate drawing to win one of three $5 gift certificates. (Those who complete all tasks will have their name entered in both drawings!) Winners will be announced in the newsletter on Saturday, February 5th.

For complete details, visit the Monthly Message Board Games folder on the Scrap Girls Message Board.

Layout Contests:

January Monthly Layout Contest: Now that the snow is flying in some parts of the world, we are focusing on staying warm! For the January Layout Contest, we'd love to see what you do to stay warm! Do you have a favorite blanket or sweater? Or is there a family favorite comfort food you turn to in the winter? Let's scrap the photos and stories that help keep us warm! Post your layouts in the January Gallery before Midnight MT on January 31st. Be sure to list your credits in the description or under the EXIF Properties. If your layout is one of the two chosen, you will win a $10 gift certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique!

Club Concepts Layout Contest: Post your new layout using the current club selection (either the Scrap Girls Club or the ScrapSimple Club) in our Scrap Girls Club Members Gallery or the ScrapSimple Club Members' Gallery. Be sure to list all of the Scrap Girls products you used. If your layout is chosen, it will be showcased as a Club Concepts layout winner, and you will win a $5 Gift Certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique!

Check our message board calendar if you have any questions about what is happening at Scrap Girls. All event times are given in Mountain Time Zone unless otherwise noted. Need help converting time zones? Check out the World Clock - Time Zone Converter. (Use 'USA-Utah-Salt Lake City' as the location for the Mountain time zone.)

Haven't received your prize as a contest winner? Please send an email to [email protected] and we'll get it out to you right away!