Skoolz Out!

I was very brave a few weeks ago. Even considering I have made some purchases via eBay and other online stores, I have always been a bit apprehensive when it comes to making purchases over the Net. I am sure that I am not alone but it is obviously now a part of society. So when it came to organising a present for Mother’s Day this year, I decided not to leave it to the last minute (as I usually do) and create a book in iPhoto 09.

iPhoto 09 is yet another amazing development in Apple’s amazing iLife suite. I have become accustomed to using the tools to edit, adjust, crop and improve my photos, but the publishing feature was always something I thought I would do ‘some day.’ iPhoto 09 also provides the facility to publish the book you have just created and have it delivered to your door. While slideshows and movies are sensational, there is still something romantic about having a glossy product you can hold in your hands. With a growing number of photos building up on the family digital camera, and a number of shots my wife had not seen, it was the perfect opportunity to give this feature a test run.

Assembling the Book

This was ridiculously easy. There are a number of themes/templates available that allow you to simply and easily create a collection of memories. There is also the scope to create your own look and choose the number of photos you want on each page. There is also the ability to add text to pages, and by simply selecting a photo and dragging onto the book, you can create your masterpiece in no time.

Next came purchasing online. This was also as simple as clicking on the ‘Buy Book’ button and filling in the payment details. I selected the type of book, and was clearly pointed out the total cost and that it would arrive within 8 – 10 days (excluding weekends). This was the only time I questioned whether I should have taken it down to a local camera store and let them do it, maybe losing a bit of my personal touch, but at least having it within the week. I was interested to see how long it would take.

Hints

After being quite proud of myself and showing a colleague at work who is a talented photographer, she made a number of recommendations on the layout;

• Take the time to adjust your photos. Click on your picture, click ‘Edit’ and then ‘Adjust.’ The slider at the top which deals with ‘Levels’ can really bring your photos to life. By bringing in the sliders to the points where the colours start, you make the most out of your shots.
• Have your photos arranged so that they all face the centre. That is, organise your photos so that the key focus of each shot is either looking at, or draws your attention to the middle of the page. (Thanks Bec!)

To the Door!

After only 7 working days (10 days total) my book arrived at  the door. Packaged beautifully in an Apple box and carefully wrapped. The final product is amazing! The quality of the print, paper, dust jacket and hard cover are all beyond my  expectation.

Overall this has been a really fun, creative, positive  experience which I will definitely be utilising again. The cost  is comparative to the cost of getting it made and printed at  a shop, and the delivery time was better than I expected.

My wife loves it and take greats pride in showing it off. The boys also thought they looked pretty cool and were excited about handing it over (yes, this is written before Mother’s Day – we couldn’t wait to give it to her!)

Look out family members – you know what you are going to be getting for all major celebrations from now on.