What makes a good album

gymfreak336

New Member
I plan on starting my first album so that I can really track my progress and so I can share my pics with you and get some feedback. What make a good album to you? What should I include and how often should I take new pics? Thanks
 
I love all albums, but I really love the one that show the very beginnings. I mean very short to long, or very relaxed to natural. I like when it shows how much thickness gained.etc I think a good idea is to track after relaxers also(if the person relaxs)hth I also wanted to add to not forget that the album is a tool for you also, and as long as stay true to that it will be beautiful and inspiring.
 
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Hi gymfreak336, I haven't any album but IMHO a good album has :

progress pictures(quality, lenght) every two or three months,

different styles (protectives and stylies ones),

pics of the very beginning of the journey

pics of before the hair journey

pics of the differents products and tools used by the owner

pics of the "how to do" this or that (for those who can)

You can be inspired by the beautiful album of LHCF ladies in the album thread!
 
leleepop said:
I love all albums, but I really love the one that show the very beginnings. I mean very short to long, or very relaxed to natural. I like when it shows how much thickness gained.etc I think a good idea is to track after relaxers also(if the person relaxs)hth I also wanted to add to not forget that the album is a tool for you also, and as long as stay true to that it will be beautiful and inspiring.

ITA...lots of "candids" of the progress makes for a great album. I just started my fotki album about an hour ago and although it only has about 5 pics of my micros and "bun" do since my transition began earlier this year, I intend to update and enhance it so that it is fun and informative. SO1913's album is very inspirational as is quite a few others...Vmerie, Bubblnbrnsuga (sorry if it is misspelled)...too many to name. But I love checking out everyone's albums it really helps especially when we see the styles AND they list the products they use! Lots of great albums among the ladies at LHCF.
 
I like:
  • Consistent angles. They will help you show progress.
  • The macro setting. If you're holding the camera in your hand and taking pics of yourself.
  • Frequent updates (at least every 2 months). I respect the hide your hair thing, but I come here for inspiration. :(
  • Clean mirrors. If you take pics using a mirror.
  • Organization. I prefer chronological order, but any pattern will work.
  • Passwords on the top level folder only. Unless you have different content intended for different people.
  • Comments, but only if you have time to respond. Seems a little rude to have comments go unacknowledged.
BTW, I'm guilty of these things too. :blush:
 
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goldensensation said:
:( What if only some of them are from a camera phone?


:lol: It's not a definite problem, but for me when I view albums, I want clarity of the picture. Camera phones don't provide that. They are really fady (if that's a word) looking and I don't get a good idea of the style or texture. I have to make myself look at albums taken with camera phones.
 
sareca said:
I like:
  • Consistent angles. They will help you show progress.
  • The macro setting. If you're holding the camera in your hand and taking pics of yourself.
  • Frequent updates (at least every 2 months). I respect the hide your hair thing, but I come here for inspiration. :(
  • Clean mirrors. If you take pics using a mirror.
  • Organization. I prefer chronological order, but any pattern will work.
  • Passwords on the top level folder only. Unless you have different content intended for different people.
  • Comments, but only if you have time to respond. Seems a little rude to have comments go unacknowledged.
BTW, I guilty of these things too. :blush:

OT: sareca your album is the BOMB!

Back on Topic: Anything that you are concerned with ie: thickness, length, health, etc. Take pictures of that. Who cares what anybody else thinks. Use it as a motivational/encouragement tool. IMHO!:D
 
Thanks for the replies. Its my boyfriends idea. He keeps telling my that I am making progress not just in length but overall texture and health but I guess I can't "see" it since I deal with it everyday. He just bought me a digital camera so I can take pics. So far I think I am going to try to update monthly and I am going to take my pics from the same angles. One head on, One from the back and one from the side. I will also put pics of me rollersetting and such so I can get suggestions on how to place rollers better and what not. I will also have a album for my product picks including ones from my own line that I am about to restart:D. Keep the responsed coming and thanks again
 
crlsweetie912 said:
OT: sareca your album is the BOMB!

Back on Topic: Anything that you are concerned with ie: thickness, length, health, etc. Take pictures of that. Who cares what anybody else thinks. Use it as a motivational/encouragement tool. IMHO!:D

Thanks! :) I love updating my album. I keep records for everything I try or do to my hair. I hoped others enjoyed visiting. :)
 
A good album, IMO

has before and after pics

pics of the hair at all angles, all the time

is updated every 2-3 months

has product reviews

includes experiments and services

is in chronological order

has a name on the picture

explains what the pic is about

replies to comments and guestbooks
 
gymfreak336 said:
Thanks for the replies. Its my boyfriends idea. He keeps telling my that I am making progress not just in length but overall texture and health but I guess I can't "see" it since I deal with it everyday. He just bought me a digital camera so I can take pics. So far I think I am going to try to update monthly and I am going to take my pics from the same angles. One head on, One from the back and one from the side. I will also put pics of me rollersetting and such so I can get suggestions on how to place rollers better and what not. I will also have a album for my product picks including ones from my own line that I am about to restart:D. Keep the responsed coming and thanks again

My boyfriend bought me a digital camera earlier december....i'm learning alot from this thread
 
goldensensation said:
I dont even know how to allow people to leave comments. :lol:

You need to select:
1. Fotki Home
2. My Account
3. Change under Albums
4. Posting comments allowed for:
5. Select the privacy setting

You should be all set. I know I love to leave comments when I see great hair so best of luck.

ETA: THIS IS A GREAT THREAD!
 
Everyone has pretty much summed up the key components:

-Start with photos from the beginning of ure journey. It's always inspirational for ppl to see how far you've come (ie, short to long, thin to thick, etc.)

-Consistent updates. Choose how often u will take pics, and try to do so in a timely manner. People really do return to your album, looking forward to seeing your scheduled updates, and its nice to have them ready when you say you will. Personally, I prefer taking pics every 3 months rather than with every relaxer, because i know for sure that i'll see a difference. But thats a matter of personal preference.

-Consistent picture angles. Progress is best measured when the angles are consistent. My personal preference is pictures taken from the Back as well as from the Side, and pictures in your bra as well as your clothes. Every 3 months I take 4 progress pictures: 2 from the side (with and without shirt) and 2 from the front (with and without shirt).

-Organization. Make one folder for Progress Photos, one for Hair Products (if you choose), one for Protective Styles, one for Hair Inspirations, and so on. It just keeps things organized and easy to nagivate.

-Enable comments and be prepared to respond to them. I personally dont reply to every single comment that is just saying "Good job" or "Beautiful hair." But i dont think those folks are necessarily looking for a response. :) However, i do try my best to respond to folks who ask specific questions or raise points that warrant clarification.

-Make password easily assessible. If you choose to have a password, just make sure it's not a wild goose chase trying to find it. I personally dont have a password anymore, but i certainly understand and respect the need for it (esp. in light of the fact that many of us are in our bra, and other issues of privacy). Nevertheless, if you do have a password, try to have only ONE password for the entire hair folder, that needs to be typed in only once. Make certain the password is either in your Siggy or your Profile. You will find that you get more traffic and comments in your Fokti (if thats important to you, that is) if the password is easily assessible, rather than indicating that folks should PM or email you for a password. For some ppl, that can be discouraging.

Utilize the various sections of Fokti. For example, include your favorite hair links in the My Links section....... use the My Journals to go into more detail about your regimen.... use the Welcome page to tell us a bit about yourself and what prompted you to begin this journey...... and so forth. Ppl who come to your album for inspiration and/or encouragement will be happy to have this information as a resource.

Make your journal attractive and eye-catching. This is just a matter of personal preference for me. :) Make it pretty... make it fun... make it representative of YOU, you know?! You can change the color scheme of your Fokti page with just a Basic Membership (free), so do take advantage of that and find a color scheme that is fun, pleasant, and welcoming to your visitors. It just makes the browsing experience that much more enjoyable, if you ask me. So boring and bland to see the same generic blue and white Fokti pages. Hehehe. :p

I will come back as more thoughts/suggestions come up! :D

HTH!!!!
 
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KiniKakes said:
-Enable comments and be prepared to respond to them. I personally dont reply to every single comment that is just saying "Good job" or "Beautiful hair." But i dont think those folks are necessarily looking for a response. :) However, i do try my best to respond to folks who ask specific questions or raise points that warrant clarification.
Your post was very good!

I have to say I feel so guilty when I cant say thanks to everyone who leaves me a compliment! I say it in my head, but I dont write it all the time.

I do however try to answer any specific questions that people may have.
 
naturallady said:
I have to say I feel so guilty when I cant say thanks to everyone who leaves me a compliment! I say it in my head, but I dont write it all the time.

:lol: Me too, girl. Me too! I guess thats why i felt a need to add that to my list of suggestions...... just wanted folks to know that its not personal or a slight or anything..... it would just get too overwhelming having to reply to every single compliment. And i honestly dont think folks are expecting a response back. I do read and appreciate them all though, and it makes me feel really good.

But yeah, at the very least i definitely try to get back to those folks who asked questions. :)
 
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You ladies have so much knowledge and this was a very good thread. I, myself, am going to have to start my album soon, especially being in these challenges. I just bought a digital camara last year. I was just looking at my pic the other day thinking,"Damn these pics look so boring." But like KiniKakes said in a nut shell, it's what you make of it. Aside from the whole format of the album i do think it's important if people leave comments/ask questions for the person to be able to respond. Also ladies have wonderful albums and sometimes their not able to update them as often as possible. So sometimes that puts us stalkers at a standstill. But overall i think that this was an excellent thread to start and i have taken alot of great pointers.
 
WHAT??? U mean we actually have to 'enable' comments??? :look: Well no wonder nobody never leave me any comments. i thought that feature was automatic. duh!

Yea my goal is to update my album every 3-4months next year. So far i've been doing yearly updates cause my hair grows so slow that it gets depressing looking at it. Plus i'm not really a subtle person...I'm more of a shock 'n awe type of chick. But i'm feeling good with my length. So thanks everyone for the tips, i want to put together the BOMB album!

KiniKakes said:
-Enable comments and be prepared to respond to them. I personally dont reply to every single comment that is just saying "Good job" or "Beautiful hair." But i dont think those folks are necessarily looking for a response. :) However, i do try my best to respond to folks who ask specific questions or raise points that warrant clarification.
 
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Please remember to date the photographs if you have an accumulation of photos in one album. As the years progress, you will want to measure growth spurts between seasons, etc. Also, it provides a nice measuring stick for others.

Nice Thread!
 
SerenityBreeze said:
Please remember to date the photographs if you have an accumulation of photos in one album. As the years progress, you will want to measure growth spurts between seasons, etc. Also, it provides a nice measuring stick for others.

Nice Thread!

Great point!!!
 
KiniKakes said:
Everyone has pretty much summed up the key components:

-Start with photos from the beginning of ure journey. It's always inspirational for ppl to see how far you've come (ie, short to long, thin to thick, etc.)

-Consistent updates. Choose how often u will take pics, and try to do so in a timely manner. People really do return to your album, looking forward to seeing your scheduled updates, and its nice to have them ready when you say you will. Personally, I prefer taking pics every 3 months rather than with every relaxer, because i know for sure that i'll see a difference. But thats a matter of personal preference.

-Consistent picture angles. Progress is best measured when the angles are consistent. My personal preference is pictures taken from the Back as well as from the Side, and pictures in your bra as well as your clothes. Every 3 months I take 4 progress pictures: 2 from the side (with and without shirt) and 2 from the front (with and without shirt).

-Organization. Make one folder for Progress Photos, one for Hair Products (if you choose), one for Protective Styles, one for Hair Inspirations, and so on. It just keeps things organized and easy to nagivate.

-Enable comments and be prepared to respond to them. I personally dont reply to every single comment that is just saying "Good job" or "Beautiful hair." But i dont think those folks are necessarily looking for a response. :) However, i do try my best to respond to folks who ask specific questions or raise points that warrant clarification.

-Make password easily assessible. If you choose to have a password, just make sure it's not a wild goose chase trying to find it. I personally dont have a password anymore, but i certainly understand and respect the need for it (esp. in light of the fact that many of us are in our bra, and other issues of privacy). Nevertheless, if you do have a password, try to have only ONE password for the entire hair folder, that needs to be typed in only once. Make certain the password is either in your Siggy or your Profile. You will find that you get more traffic and comments in your Fokti (if thats important to you, that is) if the password is easily assessible, rather than indicating that folks should PM or email you for a password. For some ppl, that can be discouraging.

Utilize the various sections of Fokti. For example, include your favorite hair links in the My Links section....... use the My Journals to go into more detail about your regimen.... use the Welcome page to tell us a bit about yourself and what prompted you to begin this journey...... and so forth. Ppl who come to your album for inspiration and/or encouragement will be happy to have this information as a resource.

Make your journal attractive and eye-catching. This is just a matter of personal preference for me. :) Make it pretty... make it fun... make it representative of YOU, you know?! You can change the color scheme of your Fokti page with just a Basic Membership (free), so do take advantage of that and find a color scheme that is fun, pleasant, and welcoming to your visitors. It just makes the browsing experience that much more enjoyable, if you ask me. So boring and bland to see the same generic blue and white Fokti pages. Hehehe. :p

I will come back as more thoughts/suggestions come up! :D

HTH!!!!

I didn't know you could do that w/ a basic membership. I'm excited. Now I just gotta figure out how.

Great tips Kini! Thanks.
 
Pokahontas said:
I didn't know you could do that w/ a basic membership. I'm excited. Now I just gotta figure out how.

Great tips Kini! Thanks.
Yayyy, I figured it out. I'm so happy:yay: . Thanks again Kini!:kiss:
 
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