Take the Perfect Holiday Card Photo

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	By allowing you to send a colorful season's greeting, a family portrait and a personal message all at once, Photo Greeting Cards are a great way to stay in touch with loved ones during the holidays. These five easy tips will help you take the perfect photo to go with your holiday card:
	Match the Mood There are many card designs available, so you should be sure to match your picture with the mood of the card you've chosen. Some cards have a very simple color frame, with traditional accents like sprigs of holly or snowflakes; others have more whimsical borders, with multi-color patterns and shapes. In both cases, you'll want to come up with a photo idea that enhances, or is enhanced by, the mood of the card. For example, if you want to keep the formal styling of a solid color border (or one with matching hues of similar colors), try setting up an in-home family portrait (see Tip #2). If you prefer the playful look of gingerbread men or children's toys around the edges, you're better off planning an informal group shot (see Tip #3).
	Try a Formal Approach... Creating your own amateur portrait studio at home is easy. Just find a large, well-lit area where you can bring in some kitchen chairs or stools to help pose members of the group at different heights (to create a staggered effect in your rows). It doesn't have to be indoors - in fact, there are advantages to setting up outside where you have plenty of natural light. Keep the background simple so it doesn't detract from your subjects, and crop in closely so your friends and family don't have to squint to figure out who is in the picture.
	...Or Use Informal Techniques Ofoto's more whimsical cards are perfectly designed for candid portraits - the kind you take while the family is on vacation, playing in the yard or just goofing around. Just make sure that you take both vertical and horizontal shots, so you'll have a choice of pictures that will fit in the card layout you've chosen. Also, look for a background that helps draw the viewers' eye to your subjects' faces and harmonizes with the busier artwork on the card. White snow, pine trees or cloudy skies make perfect backdrops when you have a lot of activity going on around the borders of the card. And just like with the more formal photos, you'll want to use tight framing, simple backgrounds and balanced composition to make the picture look good.
	Coordinate Your Colors Whether your photos are formal or informal, they'll make a much more attractive presentation if you use colors (in clothing and background) that complement your intended card design. For example, if you decide to use the blue "Season's Greetings" design and a formal pose, ask everyone to wear a white blouse or sweater with dark blue pants or skirts (even blue jeans will work). The clothes don't have to match perfectly, but even a subtle thread of complementary colors running through the portrait will help pull it all together. Your task will be less focused with the less formal cards, because they have several colors to match. All you need to avoid is having clothing that clashes, such as a combination of polka dots and stripes, or colors that don't look good together.
	Balance the Lighting Even when shooting outdoors, you'll need to use fill flash to eliminate facial shadows and a tripod to steady the camera. If your camera has a fill flash or portrait mode, it should automatically provide a soft flash that won't overpower the surrounding light sources. If not, use your camera's flash adjustment feature to reduce the flash output so that it provides just enough light to brighten skin tones without causing harsh shadows on the background or on other family members. Refer to your camera's instruction manual for directions on how to adjust the flash. For more tips on digital photography, visit www.imaging-resource.com.