Archive for the ‘Digital Camera & Photography Tips’ Category
Lifephoto’s Day Planner Reviewed by Busy Mom
Keeping a Family Organized is Easier with a Day Planner Customized to Your Schedule
A working mom who runs a house and home-based businesses while tending to the children, their schoolwork and sports activities reviews the Lifephoto day planner she made. She wanted a daily planner that begins before the school year and takes her right through to the next August. Here’s what she has to say. Link to her full review.
Check out Lifephoto’s FAQs to ensure photo quality
Personally, I never read instructions. I simply jump in and start “doing.” Sometimes I need to go back and find out if I’m doing it correctly. That’s why I recommend you review the FAQs on the Lifephoto site before you upload your photos. Only takes a minute, but will help you get better quality photo reproduction for your photo gifts. You’ll find the FAQs and other good information about Lifephoto by clicking “ABOUT” at the bottom of any page.
.JPG and DPI Matter
- Be sure your photos are saved in the .jpg format before uploading.
- Use 300 DPI for images smaller than 12″x12″.
- 150 DPI for images larger than 12 × 12″ with an sRGB color profile.
- Try to upload your photos in the order in which you think you will use them– if including them in a photo book, journal, calendar or day planner. You can always rearrange them later, but it’s faster if they are already in the order you’d like.
A 12″x18″ photo poster makes a great gift, too!
Have a few terrific photos you’d like to have blown up and framed? 
Maybe for your own wall. Maybe for gifts? It’s easy to do and relatively inexpensive.
Upload Your Pictures to Lifephoto.com
It will only take you a minute or two to upload your photo, select the poster size you want and order. Add a caption if you like as I did in this photo of a Great Blue Heron that I took last year in my backyard. Read my original post about creating this personalized-sized poster.
Add an inexpensive mat that brings out one of the subtle colors in your photo. Then an inexpensive frame and you’ve got a beautiful framed photo.
Start thinking about photos you’d like to see blown up and framed. Then upload them to lifephoto.com for high quality, value and personalized service.
Keep enjoying your vacation long after the trip — Six ideas for using your photos
Don’t leave them on the camera. Don’t put them away 
in a drawer or deep inside your computer’s hard drive. Upload your vacation photos to Lifephoto.com and make great photo gifts that will keep the vacation memories alive all year long.
- Prints. Of course you can have prints made. Lifephoto gives you three photo paper options — professional photo paper, eco-friendly photo paper and metallic paper. Each gives you a great look — in a wide range of sizes.
- Wall Calendars. Choose from two calendar sizes, spiral bound. Put your special dates right on the calendar before printing. Make a photo calendar for everyone with whom you shared your vacation!
- Playing Cards. Choose one great photo and make a 52-card deck for your family or friends.
- Posters. Photo posters start at just $6.99. You can make one for each child with a photo special to them. Or make a poster of your vacation for framing. Four poster sizes available.
- Photo Books. Upload your photos to easily and quickly create a photo memory book of your vacation. Softcover books (20 pages) start at $6.95. Make one for each destination on your trip. Or make one for each child.
- Day Planner. Choose from two day planner sizes, containing 13-54 photos. Add notes, reminders or messages on special dates. Make one for yourself, your spouse, your in-laws!
Outdoor Nanny Cam Yields Fun Wildlife Photos
With my outdoor scouting camera set up across the pond from our home, we were able to capture a goose family near their nest. I’ll be adding this to the other photos I capture out in the woods — with the intention of making a nice woodland photo memory — a photo poster or even a dry erase board for my refrigerator with the photos on it. Just one other fun way to use a camera!
Geese with fluffy brown goslings in the grassy foreground from a woodland nanny cam
Make a Coffee Table Book That Mom Will Treasure
Photo books don’t have to be about family. 
They can be about any topic that moves you — or Mom, in this case. What does she like? What would she appreciate? Make her a coffee table book that she’ll show to everyone.
Suggestions for Photo Book Subjects
Here are a few ideas to get you thinking about the possiblities:
- Favorite Dogs or Cats
- Grandchildren
- Cookbook or Recipe Book
- Travel Destinations — Vacations
- Family History
- Favorite Poems (today I have Haiku poems featured on photo book pages)
- Favorite quotations with photos
- Flower Gardens
- Mom & Child photo moments
Get started on a special coffee table book for this Mother’s Day. She’ll just love it!
Make a Mother’s Day Gift Mom Will Enjoy Forever
So she’s got a favorite pup or two. 
Why not make Mom a special photo book for Mother’s Day all about her dog (or cat). She must have tons of photos she’s taken over the years. Or just snap some yourself. Here’s a sample of a pet-focused photo book that begins when Daisy was just a pup — back at the mythical Daisy Hill Puppy Farm.
Background on these pages of the pet photo book was created on Photoshop from a picture of Milkbone. I just copied/pasted the small graphic a number of times. Uploaded it to my Lifephoto folder and used 50% opacity for the faded look.
Use as many photos as you like. Maybe add a story about the dog. Wouldn’t Mom just love that! Give it a try! If Mom is a cat lover, check out my post on a cat photo book.
Rechargeable Batteries for Cameras, Cell Phones and other Electronic Equipment — Extend Their Usable Life
I use rechargeable batteries for my digital camera, but have never thought much about the charging process … until I did some Earth Day research and found these tips on call2recycle.org. It seems there are some do’s and don’ts I’ve missed on how to get an optimal battery charge. See what you think, then pass the information along on Facebook or Twitter.
Rechargeable Battery Tips
TIP 1
Follow the charging guidelines provided by the manufacturer. There are specific battery charging times recommended for each individual product prior to using it for the first time.TIP 2
Never return a fully-charged battery to the charger for an extra boost. This will actually shorten the life of the battery.TIP 3
Do not leave your rechargeable battery in the charger when not charging.TIP 4
Let a battery cool to room temperature before recharging.TIP 5
Recharge batteries only when they are close to no charge.TIP 6 — Recycle
When they no longer hold a charge and it’s time to buy a replacement rechargeable battery, make sure to recycle your old one! To find a drop-off location nearest you, call toll free 877.2.RECYCLE or enter your zip code here to find a recycling location near you.
Buy only Eco-Friendly Photo Processing and Photo Gifts
Visit Lifephoto.com to order environmentally friendly photo prints and photo gifts such as calendars, photo greeting cards, playing cards and posters. Find out what Lifephoto does to deliver great quality, yet eco-friendly photo products.
