Photo cards make the perfect holiday greeting for everyone on your list. After all, a great photo of you and your family is the perfect way to touch base and show how truly fantastic your year was. There are lots of ways to build that stunning card this year, and these tips can help.
Think About the Photo
Are you going for the classic holiday elegance or something a bit more casual? Deciding on the mood of your photo is an absolute must before you ever get the camera out. If you’re not sure what will look best, don’t hesitate to try a couple of different photo shoots. After all, unless you’re enlisting the help of a professional photographer, it’s easy to compare and contrast while you’re sitting in front of your computer screen.
The Attire
Selected the right photo? It’s time to pick out what you want to wear. Make certain no one has chosen clashing colors this year, and it’s important to remember that those busy holiday patterns can often lead to poor photos. Don’t worry – you don’t all have to match, but you should choose colors and patterns that play well together. You could even grab several individual photos to create a collage on the card. Imagine how great everyone just out of bed might look!
The Setting
Background and lighting are essential, even in holiday photos. The best light you’ll find, if you’re going with outdoor photos, is just after the sun comes out or just before it sets. If you intend to take indoor shots, keep in mind that you’ll want to stick with lighter colors behind you. While a shot in front of your mantle may sound like a good idea, it can reflect the camera flash, leading to poor photo quality.
The Pose
Many cards have that same stiff holiday picture pose in front of the tree, but you can get some pretty amazing shots if you catch the kids in action wrapping presents or even change the angle a bit. Let your kids make a pyramid, or have them lay on the floor surrounded by presents while you take a shot from above. You may even want to hand the camera over to your child. The reality is they sometimes see angles adults don’t, and often those make the best photos.
Creating the Card
When you have a beautiful shot of your family to work with, even if you end up using a professional photographer to grab it, it’s time to select the ideal holiday card to meet your needs. A variety of different sites can help you with this task. If you chose a professional photographer to take your pictures, he or she probably has a number of cards to choose from. If you took your own picture, there are hundreds of sites with holiday card options. From Wal-Mart’s Online Photo Center to Shutterfly, there are many cards available in a number of different styles.
Selecting the right background will be the key to getting a great card. If you’re going with summer vacation pictures, be sure to go with soft, pastel colors in the background. If you’re going with holiday shots, don’t be afraid to use the holiday backgrounds available. Just make sure you’re not using clashing colors.
Most of these sites give you the ability to edit your photo on-site. You can crop out background objects, tighten the frame, and even get rid of that red-eye. In many cases, you can also go from a color photo to a black and white look with a single click.
The Final Steps
After you put your card together, all you have to do is wait for it to arrive. With big box store companion sites, like Walgreens, you can often pick your cards up within an hour. If you choose to order from many other sites, though, you may have to wait up to a week to get your card.
Once you have the cards in hand, sign your names for a personal touch, address those envelopes, and mail them out to your family and closest friends.
Image by blush printables on Flickr.
Pinkchic18 is known for writing about her passions in event planning, holidays, family activities and food. She is also a regular contributor to the Holiday Gifts & Gift Baskets Blog, where you can find great holiday baskets and gift ideas for the upcoming holiday season.
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