Linda Cress Dowdy asked:


How many of us actually enjoy gathering in our holiday finest with hair in place and smiles plastered for the annual holiday or Christmas cards photograph before its even cold outside?!  It is almost impossible to get everyone together at the same time these days within the hectic lifestyle we all now lead.  It may be naptime for the young, work for the older and school activities for those in between that necessitate actually scheduling a group photo shoot day and time.

 

The perfect location and holiday attire must be selected and you are sure to have those that just don’t want to participate, no matter what!  Young children won’t smile on cue and teenagers think the whole adventure is lame.  Dad could care less and mom just gets frantic trying to pull it all together.  

 

But, fear not, a company called CardsDirect now offers holiday designed photo greeting cards that allow you to share a collection of your favorite photographs all on one card in high style.  Select a collection of snapshots that capture the true personalities of those family members that just will not sit or stand still for an all inclusive family photograph.  Use photos that are taken throughout the year or snap individuals when it is convenient for them. 

 

 

You can still stick to a theme, even if individual photos are taken.  Dress each in denim or pick a selection of complimentary colors for family members to wear.  Before taking individual pictures, consider what they will look like in combination.  Do your best to keep the perspective in mind as well and crop pictures if necessary.  Maybe you want to take them all against a like color backdrop.  For a large family consider smaller group shots.

 



 

On an attractively designed holiday background, your photographs will be dropped in place so that everyone is pleased with the results—the sender and the receiver and even those pictured!  You can even include the family pet.  By using a pre-designed format, you know what the final result will be.  With a custom imprinted verse and personalization, your greeting will truly be one of a kind.  Professionally printed photo greeting cards are a personal and fun way to send holiday greetings.

 

Reserve stress for selecting that perfect gift and depend on CardsDirect for providing the perfect holiday photo Christmas cards.

Lyn Green asked:


As parents we often think our baby is easily the cutest baby we’ve ever seen. If your family and friends start making comments on your son’s big blue eyes and precious little smile perhaps it might be a time to consider entering your baby in a photo contest!

Entering a baby photo contest can be fun and much less competitive than contests for older children or toddlers. They may often pick different themes and this makes for a more relaxed atmosphere. There will be a range of holidays and events that may be featured in contests. Some might even include pictures of both mommy and baby together! A simple way to start is to find a free photo contest to enter your baby’s photo in. You will find there are lots of free contests to choose from on the web. If you do a google search for “baby photo contest” you’ll find lot’s to choose from. This is the most painless way to introduce your baby to modeling.

Contests may offer cash prizes to the winner which is a great incentive to tuck away for your baby’s college fund! Baby photo judges often are looking for originality of the photo and uniqueness of setting. If the contest is for a particular holiday or special event, then make your setting fit well to that theme. It’s time to really get creative with your camera!

The photo’s entered into a baby photo contest need to be ones where your baby is smiling. Judges and modeling agencies are often looking for happy smiling babies and so a good temperament is a must. Participating in a contest can be a way to find out if your baby has the potential to have a modeling career!

Lyn Green asked:


We can be forgiven as parents if we always think our baby the cutest of them all. If your family and friends start making comments on your son’s big blue eyes and precious little smile perhaps it might be a time to consider entering your baby in a photo contest!

Baby photo contests are often be fun and less like competing than a contest that is aimed at toddlers and older children. They may often pick different themes and this makes for a more relaxed atmosphere. There will be a range of holidays and events that may be featured in contests. Some might even include pictures of both mommy and baby together! The best way to get started out into baby modeling is to enter your baby in a free photo contest. You will find there are lots of free contests to choose from on the web. Just key in a simple search to google for “baby photo contest” and there will be plenty to choose from. This is the most painless way to introduce your baby to modeling.

If you are wanting to start a college fund for your baby, then you might look for contests that offer cash prizes. These would be great little bonuses to add to the fund! If you can have a look at other photo’s submitted for similar contests. Making your photo original and unique will add to your chances of winning. If the contest is for a particular holiday or special event, then make your setting fit well to that theme. Time to get your camera out and get creative!

It’s important to make sure that the baby photo is in context. If it’s a holiday or special event then make sure your baby is smiling and looking happy. Baby photo contests are also places where modeling agencies will be looking for baby talent. That includes babies with a good temperament, so happy smiling baby photo’s are always the best ones to submit. Participating in a contest can be a way to find out if your baby has the potential to have a modeling career!

yourphototo asked:


Yourphototo.com offers a wide variety of wall decor and specializes in wall murals.

Today, the beauty of a wall mural has become much more widely available with a technique whereby a painting or photographic image is transferred to poster paper which is then pasted to a wall surface. Wall murals are what friends and family will say when they see you, your children or pet’s lifesize on your family room, bedroom or office wall.

Our wall murals range from 2 feet to 7 feet tall and over 4 feet wide.They are sure to turn heads! We print on thick high-grade, durable semi-adhesive vinyl that resists tears, rips and fading. Just peel and place. No tape, no tacks, no clutter, no loss of adhesion or damage to your walls. As with all our printed products, our talented artists reproduce your photo in the style of a cool oil painting (unless instructed not to). This totally awesome “gotta-have” provides an entire room makeover in about 5 minutes. So you are guaranteed to have an original and unique mural.

YourPhotoTo.com, quality manufacturers of premium photo-to products. Our products include Printed Fabrics, Fine Art Paper, Woven Tapestry Wall Murals, Hand Bags & Totes, Specialty Photo Furniture, Peel ‘n Stick Jumbo Wall Murals, Photo-to 3D Media, Woven Tapestry Wall Art, Full Color Woven Photo Products, woven throw, Painted Photo Art Service, Personalized Photo Gifts and wholesale photo gifts.

Linda Kling asked:


Taking a great photo for the family photo Christmas card looks like it should be easy.  But as any parent who has attempted this holiday ritual can tell you, it’s not as simple as it looks.  What you want is a unique, beautiful photo Christmas card. And what you usually get is fidgety, uncooperative kids that blink just as you’re taking the picture.  But don’t give up and throw in the Santa hat just yet.  Here are 6 easy, smart solutions to those top challenges.

Challenge 1: You want a festive holiday background for your family photo Christmas cards, but don’t want to decorate your house with strands of lights and tinsel in November.

Solution: Use the Mall.  Department stores and shopping malls are decorating for the season earlier and earlier, many times right after Halloween.  These holiday backdrops are perfect for family photo Christmas cards.  Gather the kids in front of the twinkling lights and a few camera clicks later, you’ll have a great shot.

Challenge 2: Your toddlers won’t sit still long enough to take the photo.

Solution: Bring in the props. Get out the oversized teddy bear or other toy that fascinates them.  Try posing them with the dog or cat.  Give them something simple to do, like ring a Christmas bell or kiss their sister on the cheek.  Use trial and error until you find the item or activity that interests them long enough for you to take a few pictures.

Challenge 3: Your teenage kids don’t feel like posing for a family photo.

Solution: Don’t make them pose. Instead, make action the focal point of your photo Christmas cards, highlighting things that your teenagers love to do.  Take photos of them showing off their abilities.  Whether they are in the swimming pool, a canoe, sinking a basketball, riding a horse, baking holiday cookies, playing with the dog, or enjoying another activity, your holiday cards will offer a glimpse into your family’s interests and personality.

Challenge 4: You’d like to send photo Christmas cards that are witty and fun, just like your family.

Solution: Create your own holiday story picture, by setting up a scene.  Here’s some ideas. The kids can discover Mommy kissing Santa Claus (Daddy in disguise).  Put the young kids in a bubble bath with Santa hats and bubble beards. Capture a snapshot of each family member grabbing a slice of pizza with the message “pizza on earth”.  Photograph an empty plate of cookies and finished glass of milk in front of “guilty” looking kids with the caption “sorry Santa!”

Those after Halloween costume sales can come in handy when trying to set up a whimsical photo.  How about posing your little angels with angel wings you picked up at discount?  Other possibilities could be your kids dressed as cats (Meowy Christmas), super heroes (have a super Christmas), a baby in a pea-pod costume (“peas on earth”) or a lion and a lamb costume for two children.

Challenge 5: You’d like a beautiful photo Christmas card that doesn’t look like the same, tired, group family photo you send out every year.

Solution: Change the location of your photo shoot. If you’re within driving distance to a beach, there are a lot of unique photo opportunities.  Pose the kids on a sleigh on a sand dune.  Write Merry Christmas on the sand, and have everyone sit behind the inscription.  Build a sand snowman with a straw hat, sunglasses, and seashell nose.

Autumn provides a lot of great possibilities for photo Christmas cards.  Try taking photos of the kids playing in a pile of leaves, in a pumpkin patch or on a hay ride.  Make lovely scenery your backdrop and it can create atmosphere that elevates your photo Christmas card to a new level.

Challenge 6: When you struggle to take a family group photo, someone always blinks their eyes, turns their head or doesn’t smile.  It seems nearly impossible to get one perfect shot where everyone looks good.

Solution: Choose a card company that offers photo Christmas card designs that contain multiple photos of your family.  The latest trend in holiday photo cards is to include several of your photos on one card in a unique, holiday layout.  This has become popular because it is much easier to take great, individual photos of your family members than one acceptable group picture. 

Whatever particular challenge you face when composing your photo Christmas cards, there is an easy solution.  Try these creative approaches and soon you’ll be hearing from your friends, relatives, coworkers and neighbors how much they loved this year’s family holiday photo card.