With the holidays fast approaching, it’s time to start thinking seriously about gifts. While this may seem a little early – giving yourself a head start means you can avoid the dreaded Christmas and Thanksgiving crowds that start to build up throughout December. Furthemore, buying gifts early also means you can spread the costs of the holiday season further, putting a little less strain on your bank account.
That being said, finding the perfect gift for a friend or loved one can sometimes be easier said than done. However, you simply cannot go wrong when it comes to giving them gifts based on your favorite photographs – such as canvas prints or even keepsake boxes to celebrate special milestones. This is due to the fact that these gifts are much more personal than anything you can pick up at your local store, meaning they are of great sentimental value and show the recipient that you have put a lot of time and thought into their gift.
Well, if you belong to the HR department of a company and have been given the task of arranging gifts for your fellow employees, you aren’t at the wrong place either. There is a plethora of items you can pick from. For instance, you can hand over customized hoodies, desk calendars, greeting cards, etc. with the picture of the person you would be giving to. You would simply have to look for an online cheap printing service provider who can provide you with bulk results at an affordable price.
Photo by NordWood Themes on Unsplash
With that in mind, here are some top tips that you can use to send out the perfect photo-based gifts this holiday season!
Take plenty of photos ahead of time.
While we are often glued to our phones, we often forget to take photos when we are living in the moment. As a result, we can sometimes only relieve special moments in our memories. Therefore, regardless of whether or not you intend to hand out photo-based gifts this Christmas, now is your time to start taking more photographs. You can either hire professionals (like the ones you can find by visiting evelynimages.com/, for example) or use your own devices to capture the special moments. Remember, good photographs do not have to be staged or orchestrated- in fact, the best photos are often taken when the subject is not looking. Taking photographs with family and friends feels even more special in the wake of the pandemic when we spent so much time interacting with each other behind a screen – so why not celebrate by taking as many magical pics as possible.
While you do not need an excuse to take a photograph, you can also hand out commemorative photo gifts to celebrate or look back on special occasions, such as birthdays, christenings, graduations, anniversaries and weddings.
Start by editing your photos.
Whether you are having your photographs turned into pillowcases or framed prints, you must use photos that are of high quality. However, thanks to the latest technological innovations, you don’t need to have attended photography school to take professional quality photos – you simply need to spend a little time learning the photo-editing basics. In fact, you can now carry these edits out on your mobile phone in just a few minutes. For example, you can simply look through your iCloud photos to find the perfect image before running it through some simple editing software. For example, you can experiment a little to brighten up dull photographs or to sharpen those that may look a little blurry. You can even add a series of effects to them if you are feeling adventurous, though you should be sure to not edit out the magic of the initial photograph. For example, while some software gives you the option to blend out every wrinkle – wrinkles are part of your character, they show you’ve spent years laughing and having fun – so why not show them off in your pictures?
Remember, good editing is subtle; it enhances the photo and makes it appear more professional – it should not change the person in the photograph into someone else entirely. If you want to add in text or change up the color scheme, you may want to check out websites like Luxa to see how you can do this.
Be creative.
Giving out photograph-based gifts doesn’t mean printing out a series of photos and wrapping them up. There are plenty of ways to gift photos that are a little more ceremonious and special. For example, you could create:
- A photo collage
- Framed Prints
- Canvases
- Scrapbooks
- Keepsake boxes
- Pillowcases
- Clothing
- Postcards
- Cups.
- Mugs.
- Plates.
- Photo tiles & more.
To put it simply, the more creative you can be during this time, the better. If possible, you should also try to tailor the gift around the person you are sending it to. For example, if they are particularly creative and sentimental, a scrapbook is a great choice. Alternatively, if they spend a lot of time at the office, a framed print that they can hang at work or on their desk is also an excellent choice. Alternatively, you can turn your photographs into work supplies such as laptop cases and mouse mats. Canvases are great for those that are looking to decorate their homes but can also be a special way to remember loved ones lost by looking back on happier times you shared together.