With the advent of social media and smartphones with high-quality cameras, it seems that everyone is snapping away all day and uploading photos for the world to see. Photographs do capture unique moments in time and help with remembering things you’ve done and places you’ve been in life. With so much focus being put on taking pictures for yourself, it’s sometimes easy to forget that photos can make wonderful gifts, in a variety of different ways.
Personalization
There are hundreds of products that you can have personalized, and many companies who supply personalized goods are happy to print a photo of your choice onto a mug, T-shirt, or a host of other items. Have a browse through the websites of some of the companies who offer these services, and you might find some inspiration for the ideal gift. You’ll need to check whether they have any file size or format requirements for the photos, and you may need to crop or enhance the picture to get the best effect, but the website will have tools that allow you to edit your photo until it’s exactly how you want it.
Giving photos as gifts
Making a special gift for someone you’re close to is a thoughtful way of showing you care, and these kinds of gifts are always well-received. You could take one nice photo of, for example, your parents with their grandchildren, and put it in a nice frame. You could also make a montage from lots of different photos, or use a book-making service that allows you to make your own book of photos online, which is then published in hard copy for you. There are some very clever digital photo frames available which can be loaded with several different pictures that are then shown in a repeating cycle.
Giving photography as a gift
Paying for a trip to a professional photographer can make a wonderful gift. You could book a family shoot, where part or all of the family joins in, or a headshot or portrait session, where individuals can have quality profile shots or glamorous “dressed up to the nines” shots, whichever they would prefer.
You can buy vouchers for a particular photographer, or make up your own gift certificate design that you can print out and give to your loved one. They can then choose where they want to go. In times where many couples live together before getting married, they very often don’t need all the traditional wedding gifts, so why not contribute to the cost of the wedding photos instead? It will save the newlyweds some money, and they will get something they want rather than another toaster for the back of the cabinet.
Whether you take your own snaps on your phone and make some cheap and cheerful novelty gifts with them or if you pay for a professional photographer, giving photos and photo shoots is a modern and considerate approach to the giving of gifts. These are objects and experiences that will last a long time, and the memories they capture will delight their owners for years to come.
