Holiday Greeting Cards - How to Create Your Own Photographic Greeting Cards

Here are some tips for creating great holiday greeting cards.

1. Pick an Interesting Theme. If you're doing a family shot, think up something creative. The setting does not need to be winter or holiday themed. In fact if it is non-seasonal, your recipients may keep your card out for more than just the winter season.

2. Use Existing Images. If you had a great holiday trip, consider using one of those images. If you have some good photos of the kids around the house, use them.

3. Get Outdoors. Often, lighting is better outside. Find a good scenic location and compose the image. Then grab someone nearby and ask them to shoot. Almost anyone will step in to help. Or, prop that camera, set the timer and run! Sometimes the timer-race photos are quite funny.

4. Get Exposed. Consider forcing the flash on your camera to fill in some highlights around the eyes. Most cameras have the opportunity to do this. Just a touch of flash will remove shadows or bags under the eyes, and will not appear artificial if used lightly.

5. Edit for Impact. Crop, level and edit your image carefully so the important stuff is left for your viewers to enjoy. Consider some interesting edits such as watercolor finish, sepia, softening, and other effects to create the desired mood on your images.

6. Choose a good printer. Flat glossy cards are inexpensive and easily made, but to really wow your friends, consider using a professional card printing service to make coated, folded cards. The quality of many online labs is first-rate. Expect to spend $1-2 for small runs of cards made this way. Larger quantities may cost less per unit. Try web searching for "holiday cards".

7. Don't Break the Law. If you are considering using a professionally made photograph, remember that you cannot use anyone else's images on your card without their permission. Even if you bought a print, you don't have the right to scan, copy or otherwise use a professional image.

Designing your own holiday cards is a great way to develop your photography, editing, design and computer skills. Have fun creating your cards!

John Huegel is a photographer in the Erie, Pennsylvania area who specializes in Seniors, Dance Studio, Families and other groups. He is active in many charitable and volunteer activities in the Erie area. His work can be seen at http://jhphotomusic.com

Canon EOS 50D 15 1MP

What is High Dynamic Range?

Technology and digital photography go hand in hand. Any new advancements are rapidly distributed to users of both high and low end cameras and equipment. Any photographer knows, however, that sacrifices are made by using a new technology or approach to taking pictures. For example, not all printers are able to accurately match the colors captured in a digital photograph, or to reproduce it with the exact sharpness of the camera.

Today, however the entire photographic industry is working to create a range of products and equipment compatible with High Dynamic Range photography. What is High Dynamic Range? Put simply it is an advanced method of recording images, which documents as much detail in areas of deep shadow as those in bright light. With HDR a true photographic reproduction of any image or scene may be possible.

Currently, a camera records an image, either to a memory card or film medium. The image is processed across electronic platforms or in a laboratory, edited if necessary and then printed on photographic paper. Unfortunately, the technologies at work are not always equal to one another and any inferior part of the process will affect the entire photographic system.

HDR will work in this way as well, affecting cameras and memory as well as printing processes and software applications. Currently digital images are saved in either the JPEG or GIF formats, and neither presents enough range for an HDR image because instead of a color range of 0-255, HDR climbs into the millions. This means that 8-bit technology will require an expansion to 16-bit in order to accommodate the enormous color range and file size of HDR. Additionally, storage mediums such as CDs will require significantly larger capacities to work with HDR.

Many traditional software programs are all ready increasing their abilities to manipulate and interact efficiently and effectively in HDR images, but it is up to monitor and computer screen manufacturers to be sure their products are able to display the range of colors in HDR images. In addition to advanced displays, printers will also need to be enhanced to allow for the amazingly clear and brilliant images recordable with a HDR camera.

At this point in time HDR equipment is not widely available, but most of the major photographic and computer manufacturers are working to develop products and tools that will allow for the capture, storage, editing and production of high dynamic range images within the next decade. It is unclear if they will identify HDR as a separate technology, or if it will be integrated throughout the market of available goods. Either way, it will serve as an exciting new way in which to make photographs.

Amy Renfrey

Amy Renfrey is the author of two major successful ebooks "Digital Photography Success" and "Advanced Digital Photography". She is a photographer and also teaches digital photography. Her educational ebooks takes the most complex photography terms and turns them into easy to understand language so that anyone, at any level of photography, can easily move to a semi-professional level of skill in just a very short time. She's photographed many things from famous musicians (Drummers for Prince and Anastasia) to weddings and portraits of babies. Amy also teaches photography online to her students which can be found at http://www.DigitalPhotographySuccess.com

Nikon D40