5 Tips for Getting the Most out of Photo Greeting Cards

By Leanne Tremblay

When it’s time to send out cards for Christmas, Easter, birthdays or any other occasion it can be disheartening to see the same old designs in the shops all the time.  Wouldn’t you rather send something more personal that ends up being kept for long after the event itself?

That is the beauty of photo greeting cards. They allow you a lot of freedom when it comes to choosing what should go on the front (or even inside) of the card.

But sometimes that freedom is wasted by using photos that are fairly standard.  Make no mistake they are still nice photos, but they just don’t make the most of the format. 

Examples include:

• Newborn babies in their cots

• A bride and groom being showered in confetti

• Head and shoulders shots of individuals or groups

The truth is that you don’t need to be an expert with Photoshop to come up with some completely different photos that will always be remembered.  Thanks to digital photography, you can just keep clicking until you get the perfect shot.

Try some of these tips:

Tip #1 –Take a different outlook on things

Sometimes all it takes is a slightly different angle to produce something unique.  For example, if you want to take a photo of your cat, get yourself in a position so you are lower than they are. 

Don’t always think of the obvious.  Get into the habit of asking yourself what your subject would look like from another perspective.  What if you stood on a chair and looked down?  How would the photo look if you were lying on the floor when you took it?  Try it out and see what happens!

Tip #2 – Focus on a part of the whole

This is a great exercise for making you think along different lines.  For example, instead of taking a standard picture of that newborn baby, why not take a photo just of their tiny feet?  Or try focusing on their hands and nothing else – if you have a good zoom on your digital camera you can capture every line and crease.

Photos of babies are always popular but by zooming in on one particular feature you can create something truly memorable to make a photo card with.

Tip #3 – Think of a theme

What are you taking photos for? Christmas? Birthday?  Special occasion?

Identify a unique element that represents why you are sending the card in the first place and take photos around that theme. For example, a photo series on winter trees, trains, or even "favorite things".

Once again, don’t go for the obvious – one friend went to the trouble of making a cardboard chimney so their two year old could climb out of it dressed as Santa!

They sent the card two years ago and it is still a much treasured item in our keepsake box.

Tip #4 – Don’t just stick to people

It doesn’t have to be a recent photo to grab people’s attention.  Remember that stunning photo you took while on vacation with a friend in Mexico? Why not bring it to life on a photo card to send to him on his birthday?

Or, go out in your garden and take pictures of the heirloom perennials your aunt gave you as cuttings. A photo card created with these images will mean so much more to her than a Hallmark card with a stock photo.

Tip #5 – Look through the photos you already have

Many of us have hundreds if not thousands of digital photos on our computers, gathering ‘virtual dust’.  If you are stuck for ideas on what to put on your photo cards, have a look back through your photo library to see if you already have something worth using.

You can even scan in old photos taken years previously to use.  The quality won’t be quite as good but it can still work well in the right situation.

So there you have it – five tips to get started.  And once you start thinking along different lines, you’ll soon have plenty of ideas for some fantastic and memorable photo greetings cards.