Some months ago I decided to make bookmarks out of my pictures. I've toyed with bookmarks before, going back to the days of 300 dpi laser prints from a Macintosh used for school work as a teacher. This would have been the mid '90's. I was proud of some of the designs, but they turned out to be little more than scraps with simple text and PostScript art. Still have a box full of them somewhere.
But now that I have a library of well over 100,000 pictures, coupled with an exponential improvement in home printer technology, it was time to revisit the concept. Little did I know that this would open up a whole new area for me in photography. If I can take and post blogworthy pictures, then how much can be done with slivers of pictures? As it turns out, much more than expected. In a picture that, in its entirety, would not be worth much, I found that examining a photo with the dimensions chosen for bookmarks in mind (a ratio of 1.25 x 4), there is potentially much more that can be extracted. The result has been that many, many pictures ignored for the blog up to this point now have features that can make pretty good bookmarks. The bookmark above, captured on the campus of UT Arlington in 2008, is a case in point...much of the remainder of the original picture was junk, but this little piece can stand on its own pretty well as a bookmark.
And not only is this a good creative exercise, the concept has reaped unexpected blessings on other fronts as well. Along with the 5x7 picture cards mentioned a few posts ago I will send the recipients a sampling of bookmarks, sometimes with a Bible verse or message to them personally. This has taken off in a direction of its own and been very well received by church members, family and friends. And with over 500 made so far, I can send plenty more letters and cards and keep fresh bookmarks coming to those that have received them before.
And if 500+ isn't enough, there are plenty more to make. So far I've only gone through the pics from 2020, 2003, and most of 2008. I am making my way slowly through every picture in every folder, and there is a long, long way to go before catching up to the present. It's very satisfying work; in the mornings I'll crank out three or four - sometimes more - in no time and there is instant gratification. Plus I'm reminded of good times and places that otherwise may have been forgotten.
So here's hoping that you'll enjoy looking at my new bookmark project. If I don't snap another picture in this lifetime there is enough for years of picture posting and story telling to come...
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