Digital photography is as easy as 1-2-3, but do you ever wonder why your precious digital photos that you download from your digital camera never seem to come out just right? Are you tired of pictures that are out of focus, have poor skin tones, red eye and just never seem to bring out the best when uploading them into a digital holiday photo cards site? Well here are a few tips for everyone that may help you achieve optimum digital photography results, yielding fabulous holiday photo cards.

First and foremost, you must make sure your settings on your digital camera are properly configured. Always remember that the larger the pixel setting for your images, the higher your resolution (clarity) of the picture. This is very important! Although this may leave you with less space on your camera’s memory card, you can always delete it after you’ve downloaded it to your computer. Another alternative for high-resolution images involves photo original hardcopies that you may want to scan into your computer. Always remember to set your scanner settings at 300dpi at 100% same-size, and then save as a jpeg. If you are scanning a very small picture such as a wallet size, you may want to increase the image size to 150%, which would make it half more than its original size.

You will probably already have a photo-imaging program installed on your computer such as iPhoto, Preview, Image Ready, or PhotoShop (the best option). Always feel free to explore these digital imaging programs. You will be amazed at how easy it is to operate a few simple tools within the program that can brighten and beautify your photos! Try lightening your darkened tone photos by simply selecting the contrast selection in the toolbar. If you are experiencing red eye, there is usually an easy quick fix-it option in your photo download program. Otherwise, you can get creative and do your own retouching by using various other tools in the menu bar; all you have to do is explore! Remember that if you make a mistake or if you want to undo an action, just revert to save or “undo” before you actually save the image.

When choosing your holiday photo cards, select a design that does not conflict with the main subject – your precious loved ones. Make sure the graphics enhance your family shot and do not conflict with it. Select colors within the photo card design that coordinate with the colors in your photo. You don’t have to be a graphic designer or an artist to get those stunning results when it comes to digital photography, and you certainly will not look like a dummy when your family and friends receive your amazing personally finessed digital holiday photo cards this season! Good luck!

Choosing a pattern or design for your photo cards should be an easy, fun experience. Snowflake photo Christmas cards, meaning photo cards with snowflake patterns in the background design, help to keep your holiday message light and breezy!

There are lots of things to like about a snowflake background for your digital photo cards. For one thing, they are not holiday specific. I don’t have to give any thought about which holiday, if any, is celebrated by my intended recipients because who doesn’t like snowflakes?! If I’m tardy getting them mailed out, it’s not so embarrassing because at least it’s still winter (I’m not that much of a procrastinator!).

Design #F62DSC1, Pensive Bear Christmas Photo Cards, a favorite snowflake design from ChristmasCardsDirect.com.

Another plus is that snowflake designs enhance my photos; they don’t distract from the photo. Snowflake designs seem to almost always incorporate some shade of blue, and blue makes a very attractive setting for every shade of human skin and hair, not to mention fur, fins, and scales from your non-human family members.

Then there’s the peaceful nature of blues and crystals, something we all need more of as one year draws to a close and another begins. No matter which digital photo I choose for my holiday cards this year, I know it will look all the finer when it’s framed with a pattern of lacy snowflakes.

Sheep are a flock, quails are a bevy
Rats come in packs, ants are an army
Sisters, brothers and such are a family.
Unlike other creatures who rely on sheer instinct
Humans need holiday photos card to always be linked.
So here’s my advice (with an eye firmly winked)…

When snapping pix at that holiday work party
Take them early before people take flight,
Or before celebration causes behavior
That colleagues wouldn’t want caught on film that night.
Table shots of bleary-eyed folks clutching drinks
Won’t make the newsletter, or bring any delight.

At family reunions, weddings and such
Special groupings by generations are fun.
Large numbers will need that special touch;
Yell, “Duck, your head’s blocking Aunt Ida’s face!”
Kick off your stilettos or boots, find a high perch
Then snap away fast as you can while all are in place.

I just discovered an alternative to the oh-so-popular digital photo Christmas cards. Instead of the picture being printed on the front of your photo Christmas cards, these designs come with an attractive border and the center is left blank for you to insert an actual photo. And if you’d like, you can even have your name printed on the front.

What makes these photo holder holiday cards different and very versatile is that they come ready for you to attach any photo you want. Not all of them have to have the same picture. You can change the picture you’re sending according to your audience!

Mike Casale's Sterling Elegance, Design #642CS, is a wonderful photo holder holiday cards design to send to your friends and loved ones. The simple yet elegant silver embossed frame is the perfect accompaniment to any family photo.

I’ve seen some of these photo holder cards with slits cut in the corners and you attach your photo by slipping the corners into the slits. Another kind comes with glue dots that you use to adhere your photo to the card. With either type, the picture is detachable and can be kept by the recipient. When family pictures are involved, this usually makes for happy friends and relatives but your photos can also be used to customize Christmas cards for all sorts of individuals and businesses. Digital cameras make it so easy to take good shots and discard bad ones. There’s really no limit to the ways you can customize your photo Christmas cards.

I love getting photo Christmas cards, but even though digital photography has made holiday photo card preparation less of a guessing game, I keep hearing hair-raising tales about taking pictures of your kids for this annual display of joy and perfection.

It seems if your children are young, it’s hard to find a season when at least one of them isn’t sick and/or looking sickly. The older and busier they get, the harder it is to schedule a photo shooting session when everyone can be there at the same time. The tension and pressure on these photo dates can leave some looking grim and others shedding tears.

Not to mention the scenic preparations. Not only do your kids have to look all bright and blissful, but the background has to look like Wonderland. Do you knock yourself out cleaning and staging your household photo background for “the Christmas card photo date?” Or, do you pray that on the date you’ve set for your outdoor shoot, the sun and wind and flora will cooperate?

Designs like #F19DW, Straight Up Pink
Christmas Photo Card, allow you to upload 3 individual photos of your kids.

Ready for the solution? Here it is – don’t rely on a perfect single photo of the whole group all together. Instead, choose photo Christmas cards that allow you to upload two or three photos, each to its own separate space on the front of the card! How simple is that?!

Now you can go back and zoom in to that great picture of little Billy with the missing-tooth-grin on his first day of back-to-school; you can show your glowing little ballerina posed for her winter recital; and you can show your new high school grad in the famous cap and gown. This plan allows you to show each youngster at their best and projecting their own unique personality. As a bonus, these pictures tell a story about your family’s activities over the past year, perhaps saving you from having to compose the dreaded “Holiday Letter”.

Maybe I surround myself with weirdos, but many of my family and friends do not like having their picture taken. This can make photographing people a bit of a chore, especially if your attempting to snap a decent picture for your photo Christmas cards. Ask my mother to sit down and smile for a Christmas morning pose in her robe and she’ll tell you to wait while she puts on her face. Ask my brother to smile and he’ll give you the same blank stare that you are used to seeing on a driver’s license – or maybe a celebrity mug shot! And my friend Sabrina…the great majority of photos snapped of that woman consist of the top of her head and a napkin, glass, or other object to block out the rest of her face.

But I digress. In this age of digital photography and photo-editing, people do not have to be afraid of their yellow teeth or under-eye circles. It’s as easy as snapping the shutter button, inserting the SD card into your card reader, and opening Photoshop on your computer. You can whiten teeth, get rid of red eye, and even airbrush out the unsightly pimple that crept onto your chin overnight! Sure, it used to be that the only photographs that looked good were the ones in magazines, but if you have a savvy computer friend (or anyone under the age of thirteen) in your household, you have the power to make your digital photo Christmas cards really stand out.

So the next time you whip out your camera, only to be met with eye rolls, sighs, and the sight of your Uncle Tony fleeing the scene, let the subjects of your photos know that you’ve got it covered. They may ask to see proof, but it will be worth it to never have to photograph a “talk to the hand” pose again!

If you decide to send a Christmas photo cards, vary your photo techniques. Choose beautiful backgrounds, experiment with different camera angles, and take candid rather than posed photos. Be the director of your Oscar-worthy Christmas photo cards.

Do you live in a cold climate? What’s more seasonal than hills of snow and majestic pine trees in the background as your family goes sledding or skiing past your camera? Dress everyone in brightly colored parkas, zany ski caps, and scarves. Buy or rent a tripod for your camera, set the timer, and join in the action. Tilt the camera at an angle and it will look like you’re skiing down the Alps.

If you live in a sunny, Southern state, digital photos from a day at the beach will turn your snowbound friends and relatives “evergreen” with envy when they receive your Christmas photo cards. Colorful beach balls and umbrellas contrast beautifully with the white sand and blue ocean. No beach nearby? Gather everyone in your own backyard or in the park, or choose a picture from your most recent vacation.

Be aware of the sunlight’s glare on the snow, the sand, and the water. Set your camera at the recommended exposure for those conditions. If you have an automatic camera, remember to keep your subjects’ faces in full sunlight to avoid any deep shadows.

If you’re indoors, photograph the family around the Christmas tree or in front of the fireplace. Have a tree trimming party and play some favorite Christmas music to set the mood. Seat a few people in chairs, have some standing, and let the children sit on the floor or in Grandma’s lap. If you have pets, include them in the photo too. Turn the camera vertically to emphasize the height of your tree, or take some photos from the top of a ladder.

Combine and overlap several finished photos in a collage. Use the editing features on your computer to enhance any of your photo techniques. Lights, camera, action! And be sure to get those Christmas photo cards finished in time for the holiday mail!

My sister says that sending holiday photo cards is the perfect way to show the rest of mankind that you have the most beautiful baby boy in the world. The only stumbling block is picking out which picture should be shared with your friends and relatives. Should it be the adorable one with the kitten, the one with him wearing the floppy feathered hat, or the delightful one with him splashing and laughing in the bath? Then again, how can you overlook the one where he looks like a sleeping angel? With her digital camera working overtime, there’s a vast array of pictures to choose from.

While some pictures call for the option of full bleed photo card, some might be more suited to a digital photo card with a special and unique design. I’ve seen a number of designs created just for baby pictures. There are also digital photo holiday cards with special formats for little ones including multiple picture layouts…in case you really can’t resist two or three shots.

One thing you have to keep in mind when taking or picking a treasured photo is whether a horizontal or vertical format is best for the image, and for your intended photo cards. If you’ve already picked out a format or design, you can keep the colors or possible pattern in mind when composing your picture. With a little planning, it’s possible to make your perfect little bundle even more incredibly amazing!

Stop it! Stop it right now and let’s get creative! No more lining people up like glazed-over mannequins for the annual group photo! Life is beautiful and so is your family, your friends, and even your coworkers. With a little forethought and a few simple steps you too can bring forth award-winning digital photo holiday cards without running to the local portrait studio. Here are a few ideas to get you going:

• - The number one trick to taking good photos is to take lots of them. You delete or discard the unusable ones and are left with only the spectacular. Digital cameras make this very easy to do.

• - The second technique is to find refreshing locations, even if it is in your own backyard. Parks, golf courses, churchyards, beaches, and gardens all offer lovely settings with natural light. Seat everyone on a sand dune or on an outcrop of rocks. Have some standing, some seated; variety can come together into the perfect shot of a warm family gathering.

• - A third technique is to match apparel or manner of dress for your family photos. Have each person wear casual white shirts and blue jeans, for example. Shoot a few pictures with everyone barefoot. And it is not necessary to have everyone look directly into the camera. Some or all participants can look off into the distance or other direction for a more thoughtful pose.

• - Finally, think of several scene settings in advance; be the director and put them to work. Sometimes it takes careful planning to come up with that natural and spontaneous shot, but if you work your plan you will be absolutely delighted with the outcome!

In my husband’s family, there is never a shortage of pictures to choose from when creating our holiday photo cards! Now, I am not saying these are necessarily good pictures, but pictures non-the-less. It all started when my father-in-law got a new digital camera. After giving him a tutorial on how to use it, he would take digital photos of everything and everyone! Then it got worse when my first nephew was born. And now that there are four children in the family, you can imagine the ridiculous amounts of “cheeses” that go on during our Sunday dinners together!

There are not many requirements in our family for taking digital photos. Since the family is growing, you take what you can get! Here are some tips from my family to yours…

1. As long as a majority of the family is present in the picture, it is ok to snap that shot!
2. As long as half the people are smiling in the picture, it is considered a success.
3. As long as three people are sitting still and looking at the camera, it is a great picture!
4. No crying children is always a plus!
5. If you can hear the person talking next to you, everything is going pretty smoothly!

The unveiling of the photo that will appear on the next family holiday photo card is always intense because you are never quite sure if you made the cut or not! It is very humorous and you would have to know my husband’s family to understand, but it does keep the holidays interesting! ‘Tis the season.