A Photo Can Be More

A Photo Can Be More…

Carolyn Wright The Photography Studio www.thephotostudio.com photstudio@aol.com Photos courtesy of Ceramic Images of Santa Fe www.ceramicimagessf.com ceramicimagessf@aol.com

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photograph can be much more than just a piece of paper. The holidays are coming up and, at one time or another, everyone has received photographic prints from friends and family. These paper pictures sometimes make it into a frame on the wall, but too often they end up lost in a drawer, never to be seen again.

There is another option out there: beautiful objects made from your photos.

These customized objects might be a vibrant part of any décor, or they might be decorative as well as functional. Each item is unique, and very personal to both you and to the person receiving it. Some examples might be photos sublimated into the surface of ceramic tiles, tempered

glass cutting boards, wood or ceramic desk accessories, functional kitchen décor and more. All will add a bright spot of color to any home, and many are also quite useful. They can be lighthearted and fun, like jigsaw puzzles and cell phone covers, or they can be truly elegant works of art such as ceramic tile murals that can be framed and hung on the wall.

Many different types of photos might make a typical household object a treasured memento for a friend or family member. Family portraits, restorations of old family photos, photos of pets, vacation photos, even stock photos of objects or places that are important to the person receiving the gift are all great options. Photos can be cropped or combined, and personalized text can be added to make these gifts truly special.

The photos can come from many sources: • If there is an avid amateur photographer in the family, high

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resolution vacation photos are a great place to start.

If there has been a wedding recently, you can often obtain digital copies of the wedding photos from the photographer and use these to create your gifts.

Recent professional family portraits or portraits of children or pets can be used if your photographer offers digital versions of the images.

Old family photos tucked away in albums and drawers can be digitally copied, restored and the new digital files can be used to create beautiful keepsakes.

Some companies that make these photo products have a selection of stock photos available for their customers to choose from.

The key to getting a great final gift is to start with a good, high resolution photo.

It should be sharp, and the colors should be clear and rich. It should also be several

megabytes in size. Tiny files taken off of social media websites or older cell phones are often too small to be printed without a significant loss of clarity and color.

The layout of the photo should match the layout of the product you wish to make.

For example, a horizontal landscape might not work well on a square ceramic tile set into a pen holder, but might make a beautiful tempered glass cutting board.

If the product you are interested in is small, such as a cell phone cover, then a close-up photo will work better than one that is taken from far away. This is because the larger subject will be easier to see on the small object. Conversely, a photo taken from farther away that has more detail in it, such as a large family photo, works best on bigger objects such as large framed tiles and murals.

If you would like to add text to your image, such as names, dates or places, make sure there is a relatively blank area

on the photo where you can place the text. Don’t use too much text on a small object, as it will become hard to read.

Choose a font that is clear. Some fonts may be too ornate to read easily when they are reproduced.

Once you have a great photo, you need to find a good place to have your product made. Many large store chains offer some of these products, and you can find more options if you Google “photo gift items” online. These options offer the advantage of low cost, and the quality of the product is usually pretty good. However, you will usually need to fit your image into a template offered, and there may not be a way to customize your gift exactly as you want it. If you have a good photo you know your friends and family will appreciate, and you need to stay within a budget, this might be a perfect way to give some gifts that will really be enjoyed.

Another option is to work with a local professional. This way, you can work with

the artist who will actually be creating your pieces. They should be adept at adjusting your photos and customizing them with text and other digital manipulation techniques to produce gifts that are truly beautiful and unique. This is also a perfect route for anyone who is not entirely comfortable trying to work with photography software and websites requiring image uploads and graphic composition. One local option is Ceramic Images of Santa Fe (www. ceramicimagessf.com). This company offers a wide variety of photo gift items, stock photos and professional help utilizing and customizing a client’s own photos.

Your own favorite photos may be the solution to finding great gifts for all the hard to shop for people on your list this holiday season. A creation custommade from your photo will always be something you know that special person doesn’t have!