Photos near the beach – any beach – make for great personalized photo holiday cards. If you live near or vacation near a coastline, you probably already know that looking at photos of your time by the beach can make you feel that all is right with the world. If you live in a warm climate, your personalized photo cards let you share your tropical holiday with all the snow-bunnies you know.

Snow photos near the beach? There’s a whole new perspective for your camera! Envision it: pristine, silent, and shimmering with naturally peaceful wishes. Rocky coastline? Think of your exciting photos of surf spraying upward on impact. You can almost smell the water and air!

Beach photos make for beautiful and memorable photo holiday cards.

You don’t have to live near an ocean coast to share these feelings. My memories of growing up near Lake Erie and the Niagara River give a surge of joy to my soul. You don’t even have to partner an “official” body of water with this joyous appreciation of nature. A photo of a spring-fed pond or a manmade swimming hole, surrounded by lush vegetation and canopied by blue skies, can evoke a sense of peace, freedom and whispering breezes.

Capture a critter within your holiday photo cards and enlarge your message to include animal, as well as mineral and vegetable. Catch a seagull in soaring flight over the water or a pelican atop a rock or a scurrying sand crab. Add a campfire on the beach and you have all the elements of nature: air, water, fire and earth. Get creative by showing empty sandals in the sandy foreground, surf and sky beyond.

In other words, you can send a mental and emotional vacation near the beach as a holiday gift to every recipient of your personalized photo holiday cards!

Every year, my family and I spend the week between Christmas and New Year’s at the beach. It is the only time of year that we all have days off from work, school, and other responsibilities, and can all successfully coordinate a vacation together without too many headaches (missing luggage excluded, of course). We also send beach-themed Christmas photo cards every year to other relatives and friends and this is an opportune moment to take the family picture without any added hassles. One year we tried taking a scheduled family picture at a studio, and between people running late, crying children, and a novice photographer, it turned out to be a complete disaster!

In addition to seeing my family all together and actually enjoying each other’s company, the highlight of my winter vacation is taking beach photos. There are so many photos that a person can take at the beach over the course of any day. Sunrise is always different than sunset, high tide differs from low tide. No two pictures ever look the same! Sitting and watching the tide come in is not only a great time for rest and relaxation and a time to commune with nature, but also an excellent time for photography practice.

A photo of the sunrise at the beach makes for memorable Christmas photo cards.

Taking pictures of the tide coming in and going out is a good time to practice with different camera settings as well. In addition to experimenting with different camera speeds, different settings such as landscape or motion, you can experiment with whether or not to use your flash. Capturing the perfect moment can take years of practice and even the most experienced photographers still do not take the best pictures every single time they take a photo. Since I live in a relatively urban area, going to the beach is always a special experience and a good time to take a break from the busy day-to-day “ebb and flow” of life. The pictures that I take are a pleasant reminder of a restful and relaxing vacation filled with good memories that will last a lifetime.

My husband and I got married on December 7, 1991, which was the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, and we went to Hawaii for our honeymoon. We picked a December wedding date because we love the Christmas season and felt what better way to celebrate it then by taking pictures of a sunset and sending them out as our Christmas photo cards to all our family and friends.

When we got to Hawaii the weather was beautiful (of course), the air smelled like flowers and there was a warm breeze. Palm trees were decorated with Christmas tree lights. There were beautiful parrots flying loose in the lobby of our hotel along with Santa Claus ringing his bell with one of his elves and “Mele Kalikimaka,” the Hawaiian Christmas song, was playing everywhere. Seeing Santa in this environment was a strange sight for us, as we always associated Father Christmas with cold weather and there he was in a tropical and sunny setting.

We were in Honolulu, so our first stop was to visit Pearl Harbor and because of the anniversary, there were many special ceremonies going on, making the visit a very emotional experience. After spending a few days in Honolulu, we went to Kauai, nick named the “Garden Isle” because of its endless beauty. We took a helicopter tour to see the beautiful cascading waterfalls, canyons, and lush green mountains. Then we were off to Maui for the remainder of our honeymoon. Maui was also beautiful. We went whale watching and saw a Humpback whale breech right in front of our boat; it was truly amazing! We also visited many art galleries and shops.

One of our favorite places in Maui was when we went to Haleakala Crater to see a sunset, and it is there that we took the most beautiful sunset photo ever, which later became the cover for our first Christmas photo cards as newlyweds. We went with a tour group from our hotel. The tour took us all the way to the top of the summit of this inactive volcano. It took almost three hours to get up there by bus. We brought the blankets from our bed as people warned us it would be very cold up there…and they weren’t kidding! On the way down from the summit there was a lodge we stopped in. It was called Kula Lodge and there I bought a coffee mug. I still have that mug and to this day. Every time I have coffee in it, I think of that beautiful sunset and that wonderful Hawaiian experience.

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.