My sister and I took a trip to Disneyland this past December to celebrate her 30th birthday. We left the kids at home and spent a magical weekend playing and just being sisters. I want to put a memory book together to capture all of the moments, so I created a cover with the photo that clearly depicts how we felt on that vacation.

The soft and rosy pink palette is pulled from the attire we were wearing that day. Additionally, we both love pink so the color adds a personal touch to the graphic.

I used a lot of soft edges and a starry background to help create the sense of a dream-like state. Going to Disneyland without kids for two entire days is a dream come true, and I wanted the graphic to communicate that. Additionally, I wanted the crowds in the background to fade away so the only thing you see in the picture is me and my sister.

I used a number of techniques to create this graphic, including:

• Use the History Brush Tool to add a pink layer over the image and then fade out the center.

• Added a clipping mask and the Brush Tool to put the stars over the image. I used the Brush Tool to have the pink fade and image show through the stars. I used a soft-edged brush to help the image fade gradually. I felt like the white overpowered the pink, but when I removed the pink there was too much of the background visible.

• I imported a special font so I could style the font in the familiar Disney script.

• I used the color dropper to pull color from the photo. I then used Color Libraries to choose colors for the text that went well together and matched the overall color palette of the photo.

Proximity

The image has three groups: the header, the image, and the subtitle. Each of these are spaced far enough from one another to create a sense of these groups. I adjusted the kerning and the space between lines to make sure the text in each grouping was close enough together to account for proximity.

Alignment

I chose a center alignment to create a more informal mood. I did put the word "The" above the beginning of the header on a left alignment to add some dimension to the header. The overall alignment, however, is center.

Repetition

The colors are repeated throughout the image to create cohesiveness.

Contrast

I chose a darker color in the title and a larger text size for the words "magic" and "sisters". I also used the Disney font for these words so they would stand out against the other elements on the page. I used a slightly lighter shade for the subtitle to communicate it is less important than the title.

Typography

I chose the classic Disney font because it is so recognizable. Even without seeing the castle clearly in the background, the font helps the viewer place the photo. I chose a San Serif font for the words I didn't want to stand out because those are simple and the Disney script is so extravagant.