Photographers: heads up! It's time to get creative with those favorite photos. Whether you have an old family photo or a snapshot taken by your five-year-old with his or her first disposable camera, your photos don't have to belong only in a photo album or on your computer's hard drive. Check out these photo sharing tips that will satisfy that creative bug in you…and lead to fantastic personalized gifts!
Slap that Photo on Something Useful
Remember the days when the hottest kiosk in the mall was the one that sold T-shirts with a picture of the grandkids on it? Well, maybe those T-shirts went out of style in 1990, but the concept of putting the likeness of your loved ones on an everyday object will likely be around for the foreseeable future.
Some of the most common objects that can only be improved by the addition of your loved one's smiling face include your favorite coffee mug, a magnet, a pencil cup holder, and your pillow case (okay, maybe the pillow case is only appropriate for folks under the age of 22 who are in a long-distance relationship, but you get the point.)
Photographs can serve as daily reminders of your family's most recent vacation and they can bring warm fuzzies to children and parents or grandparents when they are apart.
Plus, it's never too tacky to create a gag gift using a photo. Throwing a 40th birthday party for your boss? Print his photo on coffee mugs and plates that can be left in the company kitchen as a funny surprise the whole company can appreciate. (Now there's a photo sharing tip you'll want to promote, even if you don't get that promotion!)
Be a Photo-Documentarian
If you are a parent of a young one, follow your toddler around on what would be his or her typical day. Snap a photo of your little angel every hour to make a record of what his or her days are generally like.
Begin when your child wakes up and finish after your child goes to bed. To add a deeper element, snap photos of you and your spouse after your child has gone to bed as the two of you enjoy the normal nighttime activities parents look forward…like picking up toys and wiping grape jelly and applesauce castles off of the kitchen floor.
Make an album of these photos with personalized notes and observations. Your child will cherish your creativity for the rest of his or her life…and so will your child's children, and so on for generations.
If you don't have a child, pick another subject that is important to you, such as a personal relationship with a significant other. Make a record of how you spend your days now. It's guaranteed that in ten or twenty years, your youthful appearance and dashing good looks won't be the only things that surprise you in the photos!
Plan a Scavenger Hunt
Use photos to plan a scavenger hunt for your significant other or children. Take photos of clues that your hunter should use to find the next location. If necessary, include a riddle with the photo. At the end of the scavenger hunt, be sure you have a nice prize to reward your loved ones for all their hard work.
As an added twist, take photos of your loved ones while they are on the scavenger hunt. If you don't want your hunters to see you snapping photos of them, be sure to hide (your hunters will most likely be too busy trying to solve the clues to your puzzle to see you.)
These photos will be priceless additions to your photo sharing Web site or photo album, as they will capture many emotions that your hunters will have during the hunt, including glee, confusion, and discovery.
Personalize Your Computer
If you haven't yet discovered the joy of a personalized computer desktop background, it's time you explore those photo sharing options that are at your fingertips.
Make your favorite photo the background on your PC desktop by right clicking on the desktop, scrolling to the “Personalize” option and clicking on “Desktop Background.” You can then scroll through the photos that you have stored on your computer to find the perfect photo to “set the mood” for your computer, so to speak.
Now, every time you close your windows, you'll see your selected photo. You can also use photos as your screensaver by right-clicking on your desktop, selecting the “Personalize” option and opening the “Screensaver” menu. Simply add the folder with the photos that you would like to rotate as your screensaver!
