Digital photo Christmas cards are a great way to keep others involved in your life. You can send a little glimpse of something meaningful or update them on new goings-on. Not to be outdone by our cousin’s digital photo cards of her favorite beach, my brother Brian had his Christmas cards printed with a beautiful picture of the new restaurant he opened this year. He’s talked about one day owning his own place since we were little kids. Well, he finally made it and wanted to share it with all of his friends and family. It’s completely decorated for the holidays with a beautiful tree, festive wreaths, and lots of red and white candles. There’s pine garland with red ornaments and bows around the windows and doors. What a warm, welcoming setting for a great meal.

He has started what he says will be an annual tradition. On one of the pine garlands, all the personalized holiday cards that they receive will be hung with slim red ribbons. They’ve already gotten them from many parts of the country. Most of the patrons like looking at them and have sent ones of their own. Brian says it makes them feel like they’re part of the place and he thinks it brings them back more often, which would make any restaurant owner happy!

For anyone not close by, it’s almost like visiting Brian and seeing his wonderful accomplishment in person. Inside his Christmas photo cards, he had printed a warm greeting with his and the restaurant’s name at the bottom and he included the website address so anyone could check out the site. Smart businessman. Terrific brother. Beautiful photo Christmas cards!

Pop quiz time! What do you think most people forget about when they are picking out pictures for their digital photo Christmas cards? Give up? It’s vacation photos! People often scramble to find the perfect shot of the kids and family or even just themselves to fill that blank spot on their Christmas cards. I’ve heard of nightmare stories where moms and dads make their kids pose for hours in front of the Christmas tree until the best shot has been taken (those poor kids!).

The best photo, however, could be right under your nose and it was taken months prior to Christmas. Just because it’s cold and snowy in December doesn’t mean your holiday photo cards have to be winter-themed. Some of the most natural, fun and beautiful shots are the ones taken while you’re on vacation! Those pictures are also a great way to show your loved ones where you’ve traveled since you last spoke or wrote to them. So next time you are looking for the “it” shot to send in your photo Christmas cards, remember to go into the memory-filled vacation and trip pictures taken prior to the Holidays!

Anyone can use a digital camera. Just point and click, right? The obvious answer would be yes for most people, but that’s only partially true. It depends on what you’re taking a picture of, if you’re taking a picture for your digital Christmas photo cards, what hour of the day it is, whether your subject is stationary, and also what type of camera you’re using. Did you also know that basic “point-and-click” cameras can be more efficiently operated depending on a simple button or angle used during shots?

One photographic technique that can produce an intense image is to take very close or straight on pictures in a dark-lit setting, specifically focusing in on the eyes. Softer lighting often makes for softer, less serious pictures. Ominous photos are very rarely done in bright, cheery colors. This is something to remember in the upcoming months, especially with the onset of Halloween or if you’re preparing to take pictures for your digital photo Christmas cards.

The flash is a great tool for lighting up a dark room, but with many cameras, the flash is so powerful that it washes out the whole picture and/or its defining elements. Try holding down the button halfway for a few moments before taking a photo and then pressing it to full…this can sometimes dull down the flash. Also, if its bright outside and you happen to be in doors, leave the flash off. Natural light can add a lot of depth to a picture. In either dark or light photos, be careful of back-lighting. It can often be a good feature while in some instances, it will very well ruin your photo.

No matter what type of digital camera you have, try playing around with the options. Simple options such as “Macro” will help you focus better on tight zooms or smaller items. Other buttons have other actions like image stabilization for fast moving subjects. Digital cameras are incredible pieces of technology, and with the correct knowledge, they’ll enable you to capture those special moments in time just as you’d like to remember them.

Christmas photo cards have been out there for a fairly long time now.  Parents everywhere have been enthusiastically sending out bright and shiny images of their beloved progeny on their annual Christmas photo cards.  I have fond memories (now that it’s long over) of trying to keep two small children and one shaggy dog to stay still and all look at the camera at the same time.

There was my four-year-old son sitting in a child-size red rocking chair in front of the fireplace; such a warm holiday photo card, right?  He had one hand valiantly holding the back of his giggling baby sister’s dress to keep her from crawling away, and the other hand holding onto our dog’s beribboned collar to keep her in place, all while smiling at the camera.  The next year, I got oh-so-clever for our Christmas photo cards: put the tree up early and gift-wrapped three big open boxes.  You guessed it: two held a child each and the third held the dog (with a facial expression conveying, “Huh?!”)  My poor son had a bad cold so I put a little concealer under his dark-rimmed eyes and he wound up looking like a vampire child.  (Amazingly, he grew up to be normal, despite these travails.)

Outside of the holiday season, I’ve seen some “Christmas” photo cards put to brilliant use.  A friend who couldn’t get it together in time for holiday mailing sent out digital photo Christmas cards with an inside message saying, “Yes, I’m late!  Happy Valentine’s Day!”  A cousin sent a thank you message on a photo card, with our family’s group photo from his son’s wedding on the front.  It was such a nice remembrance of this “family reunion” that I set it atop my piano for daily viewing.  A business associate opened up a beautiful new facility in a new location and announced it by sending a photo card that pictured himself, like a “proud Papa,” standing in front of the new headquarters.  Inside the photo card, his message said, “Thanks for your business and welcome to our new home!”

So, as I set out to illustrate, Christmas photo cards aren’t just for holiday sending anymore!

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.