Minimalism in scrapbooking

My pages are evolving into a more simple style. This is because I think that including just a few elements on the page is more effective than filling all 144 square inches with pictures, decorations, and words. The phrase “less is more” could be applied here. In fine art, it's called “minimalism,” which means the elimination of all non essential features. I'm not a fine artist, but I can borrow these principles to make my family album.

I've made lots of pages about the kids, and I wanted to take a break and make a page about other aspects of life that get overlooked unless I make an effort to find them. Nothing is too boring to dedicate at least one page to, including the small amount of time I spend reading magazines.

I put together a makeshift studio to get this picture. I actually used some of my traditional scrapbook supplies for this shot. I took two pieces of 12x12 inch plain white paper (see, they can still be used for something). I taped one against the wall and put one on the floor, making the edges touch to form a corner. I opened my favorite magazine, Popular Photography, and rested it on the paper on the floor. I chose not to show the faces of the pages because it would be too distracting. I used a camera angle that shows only the edges of the pages, enough for viewers to know that it is a magazine. Also, with the camera resting on the floor, I could use a slow shutter speed and still get a sharp picture.

The rest was easy. I added white space to the bottom in GIMP. I threw in a pair of blue brackets so to give it a splash of color and wrote a few words:

There is a time to work and there is a time to relax. Yet halfway between work and play are magazines. They're great to read right before I go to bed because they've got lots of pictures and don't require too much concentration. Still, I read them cover to cover, ripping out those annoying inserts and using them as bookmarks. I even study the pages and get some layout ideas. If nothing else, they get me off the computer and allow me to lie down. And best of all, we save $115.89 off of news stand prices! (Or so they say. Who would buy more than one issue at the store anyway?) I wouldn't want magazines to substitute for more substantive reading but they do have a place in my life.

Thanks for looking!