It’s Christmas Time!

Ok, so maybe I exaggerate a bit…But it is time to start thinking about getting pictures made for your Christmas cards. So dress up the kiddies in their cutest holiday wear, put the dog in his Santa hat and put a smile on your face, ’cause it is a great time to get your pictures made before the holiday rush!

When you are shooting your holiday pictures think about some of the following things:

Harlequin Christmas | Green

• What orientation (vertical or horizontal) do I want my finished cards to have? Make sure if you want a horizontal card to shoot your photos from a horizontal orientation. And vertical vice versa.

Wrap Up My Christmas

• Am I leaving enough space around my focal point so I won’t lose any of it to a border or other cute holiday card decorations? It is always good to leave your graphic designer a bit of wiggle room if you plan to have your photo incorporated into the card design instead of a photo attached to the front of the card.
• What is in the background of my photo? Pay attention to what is in the background; you don’t want your child to look like he or she has a tree growing out of their ear!
• Are you thinking of including the whole family or at least a group of family members in the Christmas card photo? If a group of family members are being featured on your holiday card, think about dressing them in coordinating or matching clothes. I love the shots of families on the beach in blue jeans and white button downs. It lends such a cohesive feeling to the card design.

Light Up My Christmas

Other things to think about when choosing a photo for your cards:

• Don’t feel limited to shots in front of the Christmas tree for your Christmas cards. If you have a favorite photo from a summer vacation, use it! Use a photo of the family relaxing in the living room after a great meal. A lot of times more relaxed settings can provide the best shots…Just think, you do want everyone to look happy! A relaxed setting can do just that.
• Your graphic designer can be your friend when you have a photo that is perfect for your card, but it has a slight imperfection. Maybe the lighting is a little dark, the colors seem a bit washed out, or your forgot to take the time stamp off of your photo. In most cases, graphic designers can fix those little imperfections that might have otherwise spoiled a perfect family photo.

Christmas is such a wonderful time of year, but can be very stressful if you wait until the last minute to shop, cook and have your Christmas cards created…Then you have to address them! If you are ready to start your Christmas cards early this year, let me help. Just shoot me an email. You can view some of the Purple Lemon Designs Christmas Card ideas at purplelemondesigns.com/christmascards/.

Are you ready for Christmas? Are you already taking your holiday photos? Let me know in the comments section if you have any photo questions. I will be happy to help!

Don’t miss a cool DIY tutorial tomorrow for my Terrific Tuesdays post!