photo by Michelle Harrington

photo by Michelle Harrington

Michelle Harrington is an old colleague of mine. Before I met her, I hadn’t heard the terms “scrapbooking” or “crops” used in reference to saving and displaying family photographs. But here she is, a master scrapbooker, and has been doing it for nine years. I’m impressed with her focus. She is dedicated to capturing creative and memorable images of her children’s youth that will be enjoyed for generations. I shot her a few questions recently about her obsession…

JG: How long have you been scrapbooking?
MH: I have been scrapbooking for about 9 years. I started my own scrapbooking blog about a year and a half ago.

JG: Why did you start?
MH: When I was in college, I got my first camera and I loved taking pictures. The problem was, what to do with all of the photos. Several years later, after I was married and had kids, a neighbor showed me her scrapbooks and invited me to come to a crop that she was hosting. I loved the creativity and the camaraderie and was hooked from that very first crop.

photo by Michelle Harrington

photo by Michelle Harrington

JG: What is the best part about scrapbooking?
MH: For me, it is the legacy. Years from now, my grandchildren will look back on the albums that I have created and have a glimpse of how their fathers were as little boys. Also, in case my husband or I aren’t around, our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be able to know who we were.

JG: What is the worst part about scrapbooking?
MH: The amount of stuff that I have. I have papers and stickers that I have bought that admittedly, I will never use. When I go to a crop, it is always a challenge to figure out what to take and how to pack it all up. I almost always wind up taking more than I can ever use during the allotted time, so then I have to pack it all up and bring it home again.

JG: What kind of camera do you use?
MH: About 2 years ago, I asked my husband to get me the Canon Rebel XTi digital and I have never looked back. I love my camera.

JG: Do you shoot exclusively in film or digital, or do you use both?
MH: At first I was exclusively a 35mm girl. I tried digital cameras but was never happy with the quality until I got my Canon Rebel XTi. Ever since I got it, I have been all digital. Of course, I haven’t yet made the switch over to digital scrapbooking. I still prefer paper and prints for that.

photo by Michelle Harrington

photo by Michelle Harrington

JG: Tell me about the scrapbooking retreats you attend.
MH: Six years ago, my friend and I started talking about getting away for a weekend for some uninterrupted scrapbooking time. Now, we are coming up on our 6th annual retreat. For our retreats, 50-75 women meet up at a retreat center or hotel on a Friday evening. We work on our albums into the night. After a few hours of sleep we are back at it from early Saturday morning into the wee hours of the morning. A few more hours of sleep and then back to our albums. It is great if you have specific projects that you want to complete. It is great to see other people’s styles and to learn from them.

JG: What benefits do you see from displaying your family photography in scrapbooks as opposed to regular photo albums?
MH: For me, the biggest benefit is being able to include the stories behind the photos. We all take photos thinking that we will always remember the event and how we felt at that moment, but the truth is that life happens and we do forget. This way, my children can share the stories from their early years with their own children and grandchildren by sharing the albums.

Thank you for your considered thoughts, Michelle. To learn more about scrapbooking, check out Michelle Harrington’s personal scrapbooking blog Scrappy Hour.

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