I love the idea of Christmas photo cards, but I don’t have any young children and let’s face it – who really needs a photo of me? Looking through my old photographs I noticed that I often take sunset pictures. The colors are always gorgeous, so I thought, “Why not use one of these for my Christmas photo cards this year?” Which one I should use?

I have traveled all across the country and the one enduring picture from all of my travels is of a landscape highlighted by a myriad of colors present in every sunset. I love the purples, mauves, reds, yellows, oranges and all the different hues they carry. There is nothing more breathtaking to behold, and taking digital photos of a sunset has allowed me to capture that beauty for a long time to come.

Pictures of sunsets are perfect to use as your Christmas photo cards...especially beautiful images like this one!

The lovely soft mauve that fades into the peaceful serenity of Lake Tahoe paints a picture of waiting tranquility. The bold oranges and reds that appear upon the distant horizon of the Painted Desert bring the vivid starkness of desert life into bold relief just before total darkness envelops the emptiness. The feeling of awestruck wonder sets in when the setting sun tints the Grand Canyon walls with too many shades of red to count. The most amazing feeling of loneliness comes about while standing on a cliff to watch a ball of flame as it floats on the surface of the Pacific for the longest moment, and then falls instantly out of sight. Taking pictures of sunsets is a most rewarding practice. Ah, wouldn’t it be wonderful to share these images with my friends.

By taking pictures of a sunset on every vacation, I can now share these travels with my nearest and dearest. This year, I’m including a collage of sunsets on my photo Christmas cards.

Andy Warhol once said, “My idea of a good picture is one that’s in focus and of a famous person.” I’m sorry Andy, but I have to differ. My idea of a good picture is one that draws you in. If a photograph makes you curious enough to want to look all around and not just at the main subject, then that’s a remarkable shot and certainly good enough to be used for your photo greeting cards.

Most times this holds true when photographing nature. You can be as artistic as you want, and you don’t have to focus on a main object or person. Some ideas are taking pictures of a sunrise (if you’re up early enough!), a sunset, the ocean waves crashing along the shore, a beautiful flower growing in the park, or anything else your heart desires. These shots tend to be so much more colorful and vivid then you could ever imagine!

Whether you take one breathtaking picture or you have an extensive digital library of images, a great thing to do is make photo greeting cards out of them. In the past, I’ve made impressive birthday photo cards of a boat sailing across the ocean, sympathy cards out of a serene sunset, adorable photo Christmas cards with my puppy in the snow, and digital thinking of you cards with a delicate flower taken from my backyard. Photography is the perfect way to capture a moment in time, and then making digital photo cards allows you to share that moment with your family and friends.

So I guess at the end of the day I agree and disagree with Mr. Warhol. Sure a good picture should be in focus so you know what you’re looking at. However, a famous person does not make or break an excellent shot!

I love to go on long hikes in the mountains, and with the onset of the temperate fall climate, it’s the perfect time to get lost in nature’s glory.

I live in the lovely state of New Jersey, and contrary to popular belief, it is not the arm pit of America. New Jersey is home to many beautiful landscapes, including the Ramapo Mountains, which is where I usually go hiking. There are numerous trails that wind along and in between the wooded hillsides, and Mother Nature always has a surprise hidden around every bend, which is why I almost always bring my camera along. I love snapping digital photos and then going home and reliving the moment on my computer screen. Two years ago I even used a digital picture that I took as the cover for my holiday photo cards.

I had quite an experience during a hike I went on last November. It was one of the last warm days of the season, and I wanted to get my final fix of nature before it became too cold and icy to go on the trails. I started off on my usual route…a flat trail that wraps around a lake at the foot of the mountains. As the trail dips behind the lake, I follow another path that ascends the steep slope of the hillside, which eventually leads to a rocky precipice that overlooks the valley below.

On this particular day, I stopped about half way up the trail for a quick water break and to take in the scenery around me. I don’t usually hike this late in the season, and it was surprising to see how barren the hillside appeared. All of the leaves had dropped to the ground, covering the slope in a carpet of oranges and browns. Even though everything appeared stark, there was something so beautiful about the peacefulness of it all.

I felt the urge to take some digital photos, so I pulled out my camera from my hiking pack. The sun was peeking through the naked branches and limbs, making for some spectacular imagery. I was in the middle of taking pictures of the horizon line when I heard the crunch of leaves behind me. I thought to myself, “Please let that be a human.” I slowly turned around and was stunned to see a bushy-tailed coyote standing along the hillside only a few yards away from me. He just stood there, staring at me as I stared back at him with bewilderment. For a few seconds, I was paralyzed from the shock of being so close to this wild wolf-like creature. But then I regained my composure and instead of fleeing this potentially dangerous scene, I realized what an amazing photo opportunity I had.

With my camera still out, I lifted it up and snapped a few shots of the coyote. He continued to stand a few yards away, almost as if he were posing for me. There was enough sunlight shining through the trees so that my flash didn’t go off. I’m very thankful for this because the flash probably would’ve startled the coyote, resulting in him either retreating from his pose or moving in on me.

After taking about a dozen spectacular pictures, I reached in my pack for my camera case. While placing my camera back in its pouch, the coyote lost interest in me and continued his trek along the hillside. I watched him for a few more moments before I turned around and continued my way up the mountain. I took a several steps and then looked over my shoulder to see if my bushy tailed subject was still visible. He had vanished from sight, but I thought to myself how lucky I was to have captured such a rare moment on film…or rather on my memory card. And you can take a wild guess as to what image will be appearing on my digital Christmas photo cards this holiday season.

I love to go on long hikes in the mountains, and with the onset of the temperate fall climate, it’s the perfect time to get lost in nature’s glory.

I live in the lovely state of New Jersey, and contrary to popular belief, it is not the arm pit of America. New Jersey is home to many beautiful landscapes, including the Ramapo Mountains, which is where I usually go hiking. There are numerous trails that wind along and in between the wooded hillsides, and Mother Nature always has a surprise hidden around every bend, which is why I almost always bring my camera along. I love snapping digital photos and then going home and reliving the moment on my computer screen. Two years ago I even used a digital picture that I took as the cover for my holiday photo cards.

I had quite an experience during a hike I went on last November. It was one of the last warm days of the season, and I wanted to get my final fix of nature before it became too cold and icy to go on the trails. I started off on my usual route…a flat trail that wraps around a lake at the foot of the mountains. As the trail dips behind the lake, I follow another path that ascends the steep slope of the hillside, which eventually leads to a rocky precipice that overlooks the valley below.

On this particular day, I stopped about half way up the trail for a quick water break and to take in the scenery around me. I don’t usually hike this late in the season, and it was surprising to see how barren the hillside appeared. All of the leaves had dropped to the ground, covering the slope in a carpet of oranges and browns. Even though everything appeared stark, there was something so beautiful about the peacefulness of it all.

I felt the urge to take some digital photos, so I pulled out my camera from my hiking pack. The sun was peeking through the naked branches and limbs, making for some spectacular imagery. I was in the middle of taking pictures of the horizon line when I heard the crunch of leaves behind me. I thought to myself, “Please let that be a human.” I slowly turned around and was stunned to see a bushy-tailed coyote standing along the hillside only a few yards away from me. He just stood there, staring at me as I stared back at him with bewilderment. For a few seconds, I was paralyzed from the shock of being so close to this wild wolf-like creature. But then I regained my composure and instead of fleeing this potentially dangerous scene, I realized what an amazing photo opportunity I had.

With my camera still out, I lifted it up and snapped a few shots of the coyote. He continued to stand a few yards away, almost as if he were posing for me. There was enough sunlight shining through the trees so that my flash didn’t go off. I’m very thankful for this because the flash probably would’ve startled the coyote, resulting in him either retreating from his pose or moving in on me.

After taking about a dozen spectacular pictures, I reached in my pack for my camera case. While placing my camera back in its pouch, the coyote lost interest in me and continued his trek along the hillside. I watched him for a few more moments before I turned around and continued my way up the mountain. I took a several steps and then looked over my shoulder to see if my bushy tailed subject was still visible. He had vanished from sight, but I thought to myself how lucky I was to have captured such a rare moment on film…or rather on my memory card. And you can take a wild guess as to what image will be appearing on my digital photo Christmas cards this holiday season.