Assembling a Great Holiday Family Photo Card

By Keilah Woodard

Creating your own family photo card is a great way to send a personalized holiday message to family and friends. It can be done fairly inexpensively and with some fun along the way.

Select a Photographer

If you have someone in your life that is great with a digital camera and willing to spend some time helping your family get some great shots, then this is a great way to save money.

If you prefer to go the professional route, then hiring a photographer can be a fabulous experience. There are many family photographers in Sacramento that will meet you on location for a photo shoot. They usually have a menu of packages to choose from and many of them will offer a CD of all the shots which is then wonderful for printing your own photo cards through an online service.

Our favorite local Sacramento photographer:
Jenn Bartell Photography & Design
www.jennbartell.com
(916) 690-9981

Select a location that fits your family's style. Here's a list of some local favorite spots. Check out their websites to find the perfect background for your fam. From vintage Sacramento to a horse ranch there's a spot in the city perfect for every brood.Our favorite spots:

Old Sacramento
www.oldsacramento.com

Apple Hill
www.applehill.com

McKinley Park
View park map

William Land Park
View map

Gibson Ranch
www.gibson-ranch.com/

Dressing the Family

Planning and organizing a family portrait can be a daunting task because of the number of people who need to be photographed. Coordinating clothes for a family picture will help reduce the chaos and create a sharp, good-looking family photo.

Remember, with patterns and family photos, the simpler the better. Good coordination occurs when tones match, but not necessarily the same colors. Try to match your tones to your environment as well. For example, when your photo session is outdoors, earth tones work well or colors that look great with browns.

Order Photo Cards Online

Once you have your fantastic digital images of your family, then you are ready to start creating a great Holiday Family Photo Card. Photo card printing companies have made their websites very user friendly and you can peruse a large variety of cards to find what coordinates with your photos the best. Choose one that shows off your photos the best and matches the personality of your family.

Our favorite photo card printing sites:
Shutterfly
www.shutterfly.com
Snapfish
www.snapfish.com
Tiny Prints – order through Costco.com for a discounted price
Visit page

Keilah Woodard lives with her husband and three children in Sacramento. She writes regularly about the best places to go in the Sacramento area with kids on her website www.SacramentoSidetracks.com.