Tag Archives: Unique Photo Christmas Cards

Modern Christmas cards with vintage-look photos

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Holiday photo cardsLately we’ve seen a lot of unique photo Christmas cards that make use of an age-old technique: the use of antique props or weathered backgrounds to bring a nostalgic, vintage feel to a modern photo.

-A rusty metal sign in the background that makes the subject of the photo (you) look stunningly beautiful in comparison

-An antique picture frame that appears to corral an active modern-day family for a portrait frozen in time

-A vintage, grocery-store scale that proudly displays the birth weight of the new baby sleeping peacefully on top

It’s the juxtaposition of the old and the new, or the ugly and the beautiful that makes the photo interesting and draws your attention to the faces within. So how can you use these Christmas photo ideas to make your holiday cards stand out?

If you’re hiring a professional photographer, tell him or her what you have in mind. They most likely have a selection of props and backdrops in their studio that can lend a vintage feel to your portrait. If you’re shooting on location, most photographers have plenty of pre-scouted locations they’ve used, and by letting them know you’re interested in a vintage feel, you’ll be helping them narrow down the options.

If you’re taking the photo yourself, start by looking around your own house. Do you have an antique piece of furniture, picture frame, mirror, or old toy that would make a nice prop? Is there a wall or corner in your house with interesting woodwork? Outside, is there a weathered fence, or exterior wall with peeling paint or wood siding, perhaps? Remember, you don’t need to show all of it, just enough to give a vintage flavor.

If you can’t find anything at home, expand your options. Explore industrial areas, looking for old signage, corrugated metal, stone and brick walls. Explore rural areas for bridges, barns, fences, warehouses, and train or gas stations. Perhaps grandma and grandpa have an old toy or bike of yours, stored in their attic? If your prop has sentimental value, all the better.

Good luck on your hunt. We can’t wait to see the beautiful Christmas cards our creative customers come up with this holiday season!

Autumn inspires colorful Christmas card photo ideas

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Fall photosAs we enter into the peak season for beautiful fall foliage, don’t miss this narrow window of opportunity to take advantage of a stunning color backdrop for your holiday photo cards, courtesy of Mother Nature. The warm yellows, oranges, reds and browns of autumn, are eye-catching, flattering to faces, and available only for a limited time!

A path through the woods, a pile of fallen leaves, or the textural interest of dried grasses and blooms in your garden make wonderful backgrounds for any photo, whether it’s a shot of you with your dog, your significant other, or your family of five. The focus of the photo should be your smiling faces, of course, but it’s fun to play with different angles and aperture settings to bring that colorful background into sharp focus (larger f-stop numbers) or to blur it (smaller f-stop numbers). Themomtographers.com has a great explanation of aperture settings if you want to experiment, but check your camera first. Many newer models have automatic settings that achieve the same results.

What if you miss the boat and all the fall leaves are gone by the time you start thinking about Christmas card photo ideas? Don’t worry, there are plenty of fall activities that make great photo opportunities, such as the all-important pumpkin-choosing day, pumpkin carving, raking leaves, apple picking, hayrides—even Thanksgiving, if you can wait that long! Since great photos are the key to fabulous photo Christmas cards, the more photos you take, and the sooner you start taking them, the better your selection will be. The holidays will be here before you know it!

My Story, My Christmas Card

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my christmas cardI love my Christmas card. It is my entire year all wrapped into a beautiful card, simple and elegant. All the details of it are perfect and reflect a subtle story… one that I wanted to share.

It all starts with the picture. I really like the picture of my husband and I. It was taken on my brother’s wedding day this August. The limo had just dropped us off at a bar, and we were toasting to their marriage with a room full of friends. It was the perfect moment. After 6 years of marriage, I think the picture shows we are plainly happy (and absolutely relieved it wasn’t our wedding day so that we can sit back and enjoy). That month we went to three weddings. The summer of weddings as we call it. Sharing in the start of three marriages makes you reflect on how good yours is and all that you’ve learned in the past years. It’s a good picture for that reason. A great picture even.

On the other side of the card, there is a logo for the American Cancer Society. I knew when Pear Tree launched the American Cancer Society Christmas Card collection that I’d pick my holiday card from that collection. Cancer has impacted me on more than one occasion over the years (as I know it has for many). However, this year I lost my uncle to cancer and a good friend lost her dad. Both had fought for a long time. Feeling it so close to home, so deeply, so recently, I knew it was something small I could do in their memory. A small gesture and yet so profoundly meaningful to me.

That’s my story and that’s why I love my holiday card. It is a perfect capture of who I am right now. And I love that I’m sending it in the mail, to those I love, to those I miss, to colleagues, to friends, to those I can’t be with, and just to say “hi, I thought of you, and have a great holiday.”

Happy holidays to you!

Thao T.