Top tips for the traveling scrapbooker

Travel, whether for work or pleasure, is stressful enough without adding in the time and gear scrapbookers require to capture it all. This post will arm you with 6 basic strategies to take the fuss out of memory keeping while on travel.

1. Don’t try to capture it all. I am totally guilty of spending too much time behind the lens and not in the scene. By all means snap readily, but make sure you’re not sacrificing the experience.

2. Don’t bring the kitchen sink. On every travel, short and long, consider the equipment you REALLY need. As much as I love my digital SLR, if I’m going to be a.) out in the sunshine most of the time and b.) shooting people & scenes at reasonable ranges, my point & shoot will work just dandy. I try to always put comfort on a pedestal.

3. Be prepared. Once you’ve decided what is needed, its OK to go above and beyond in making sure you have all the accessories needed for that gear. Always double check that you have batteries or chargers as well as transfer cables. Most importantly, do you have the right bag or case for what you’re bringing along.

4. Know your limits. Don’t plan for a huge album project if you know it’s not a realistic goal. Don’t work up an extensive travel journal if you know you don’t write a lot by hand. Look at what your scrapbooking past says about you and use those cues to be sensible about your next trip.

5. Make new habits. Even if a big adventure isn’t a good time to overhaul your practices, it can be a good time to instill a tiny new routine. If journaling regularly is hard for you, make it a priority to document your day’s events each night. By practicing when you have a lot to say, you’ll be more prepared for making journal-keeping part of your life when you get home.

6. Bring the joy. Nobody likes the grumpy memory keeper who is making things more difficult than they need to be. When you pack your camera, don’t forget to nestle in some good-hearted cheer to keep the troops afloat!

Keep these ideas in mind as you embark on your next journey and reflect on what memory keeping (and memory making) is all about!

Side note: Sorry for the lateness of this post.. or if you didn’t notice, the earliness! I’m traveling this week myself and have not been feeling myself.