Photo Gift Ideas for the Holidays
5 Tips for Framing photos
09/17/2019
The holiday season is right around the corner, and before we realize it, the last-minute holiday gift shopping will consume our free time and thoughts. Some find this time-crunch to be exciting and fun; some wish they had put more thought into it a few months earlier. I feel most people don't procrastinate but are simply caught up in everyday life. And, like me, after Thanksgiving, they are staring into a calendar with a bewildered expression trying to calculate all the holiday math: What's my budget? If I order now will it get here in time? How many people are on my list? Do I have time to hand-knit them a sweater?
This post will discuss a few photo gift ideas for the holidays that will have your recipient smiling ear to ear and you stress-free and checking off your list. Let's get started.
It’s Not Too Early to Get Those Happy Holidays Cards
To kick off the holiday season, you should start with a small but mighty photo gift idea - your holiday card! Cards have always been a great way to update friends and family on your family. I, for one, love getting cards with lovely portraits of my friends and their families on them. I love seeing how much someone's kids have grown or if someone has added a new member to the family (one day, there will be a puppy in our family photos, my husband just doesn't know it yet ;)).
What's great about holiday cards is that they can be as unique as you are. There is an endless array of designs, finishes, and paper textures (um, bamboo and watercolor paper, anyone?) to choose from and make yours just the way you like them. I mention holiday cards first because with Thanksgiving only a short while away, it’s time to start thinking about what is going to be on these cards and what you want to say. This is a great time to showcase photos from your fall photo session or even newborn photo session! Or a new puppy session.
A lot happens in a year and the photo card is a great way to bring attention to those changes. It’s also not too late to contact your photographer if you want to have a holiday photo session. But, now is the time if you want these cards ready to go after Thanksgiving!
If you are carving your turkey come Thanksgiving and regret that you didn’t act fast enough, don’t despair. You can always send Happy New Year cards to your family and friends. I personally love receiving cards in the mail after Christmas - the joy and festivities continue!
Photo Books
One of the loveliest and most tangible photo gift ideas for the holidays is a photo book. This is a great way to break your portraits out of their digital prison and bring them to life. Digital images are awesome but there is nothing like flipping through a photo album or book. The photos are harder to take for granted when they are so accessible. And grandparents love photo books (and other family members)! There is nothing better than receiving bound pages of your favorite portraits from the year on high-quality paper. These books are so special and beautiful.
Special Prints
Another great photo gift idea for the holidays is to choose a special or unique way to print or display your photos. You could have a portrait printed on canvas or a special paper, like watercolor, torn-edge, or bamboo. This would set the photo apart from traditional photo paper.
Metal prints are also an option and lend a very sleek, high definition look to any photograph. They consist of a metal panel (usually aluminum) with your photograph printed on it and a built-in easel or mount (depending on the size).
This option is lovely for many reasons! Metal prints are ready to hang and don't require a frame. They are very modern looking and clean-lined. Longevity is also a plus as they are scratch-proof, water-resistant, and won't fade. And they can be printed on either a clear or white base and with a variety of finishes to match your style.
So Many Options!
Holiday cards, photo books, and special prints are not the only options for photo gift ideas for this holiday season.
Your photographer will have access to some really wonderful and high-quality items that are only available to her or him through a professional lab.
I personally love accordion mini books, photo key chains, and metal and wood ornaments. My professional photo lab does an amazing job printing these and my clients love giving these as gifts.
I would love to hear your ideas and questions on past gifts, unique gifts, and how to ensure that your ideas for the holidays come to fruition! As always, thank you for taking the time to read the blog, I hope this post got your wheels turning, or made you super excited for the holiday season!
