We got the Christmas Photos done! Now what do we do with them, besides the Christmas photo ornament?
Congratulations – you finally did it this year and had the Christmas family photos done! But now what do you do with them? (Other than leave them on your hard drive! Or worse yet, don’t even download all the purchased images.) Most people don’t know what to do with their family portraits, never mind what to use their Christmas family portraits for. Sadly, most portraits only get shared to social media and then die a slow death on your computer’s hard drive. Or, they are made into the Christmas photo ornament and stashed on a part of the tree where they aren’t seen or enjoyed.
I am a big believer in having printed artwork in our home and still love a good photo album. A large part of this is because I’ve had the misfortune of losing both of my parents by the age of 41. Looking through their photo albums brought me peace and joy in a wildly difficult time. I’m not sure how my kids will be able to access old hard drives to find our images now. And who knows if Facebook or Instagram will still be a thing in 30 years.
Christmas photos can be tougher to deal with. Even I don’t want a portrait of us in front of a Christmas tree on my walls well into July. So, what do you do with them? Here are a few of my favorite ways to display and share your Christmas photos, that of course include the Christmas photo ornament.
The Annual Christmas Card
Ok, this one might be the most obvious answer. But a Christmas card is the easiest way to share your favorite image with your family and friends (outside of social media). And, if you are like me and incredibly busy during the holidays, it can make your life much simpler. You can have a card designed with your photo and a greeting then have them printed. After, just slide them into a envelope and send them along!
For me, these cute cards get sent to all the aunts and uncles, cousins, and closer friends. That way they know I am thinking of them during this time of year. The more near and dear will still get a handwritten message, either on the back of the photo card, or in the envelope. For the most part, this speeds up my Christmas card giving. An added bonus, everyone gets to see the cutest photo from our Christmas session.
The Christmas Photo Ornament
A cute way to use your Christmas portraits is by turning them into a Christmas photo ornament. There are several places that can do this for you. Just give it a quick Google search (or feel free to reach out to me and I can help you!). I know some families like to get a Baby’s First Christmas ornament. Then, when that child grows up and moves away, they can take their ornament with them for their own tree. How cute would it be if that ornament was a photo of them on their first Christmas? It is a great way to share that image year after year.
An Album
You can have a small album made using the Christmas photos. This is a great way to pass down the photos and have them for years to come. You can make an album that includes a few Christmases. Or have an album made of all your favorite photos from that particular year. Whether it is one where you print off your favorite photos and put in the album, or one that you have made for you with the images that you upload, it is a special way to continue to have those portraits live on.
Smaller Prints In Frames
Another super cute way to use your Christmas images is have some of your favorites printed in smaller sizes (think 4×6 or 5×7) and have them framed. You can store smaller ones away with the Christmas decor and bring them out in December to put on display on end tables or the mantel. They can become part of your decorations. As the years go by, you can add updated photos to the frames. I tend to leave the previous photos in my frames. It’s a treat to go down memory lane every time I update the images in the frame.
A Digital Photo Frame
Digital photo frames make switching out portraits super easy. Simply upload some Christmas family portraits to share during the holiday season. Then you don’t have to worry about having a Christmas portrait out all year long.
Give A Portrait or A Christmas Photo Ornament away as gifts!
Smaller framed prints can make beautiful, heart felt gifts for loved ones. Especially ones that don’t get to see you and your family very often. A framed 5×7 or 8×10 can easily be shipped without too much cost. Your loved one can also simply tuck a smaller portrait away if they don’t want a Christmas image out all year, and then bring it back out next Christmas season. It is something they can always look at with love. Additionally, you can send loved ones a Christmas photo ornament as well!
Have A Less Christmas Themed Photo Made into a Canvas
I have one photo in particular of my girls that was taken during a Christmas session but doesn’t scream Christmas and I adore it! They are lying in a bed, pretending to sleep, curled up under a red plaid blanket. This hangs on the wall above their rooms as a 20X30 canvas all year round. I love the portrait of them, and it seems perfect for the hall way of their bed rooms.
I try to offer at least one image from my Christmas sessions to my clients that may be a little less Christmas, so they can at least have one to display all year round if they’d like. It sometimes doesn’t happen that I have that alternative backdrop for them, but if we can get one, then I like to include it.
I hope these ideas help you do something more than just share your images on social media then forget about them on your hard drive. Christmas portraits can be a challenge to know what to do with them, but it is possible to display them in different ways and to get more joy from them, over and above the Christmas photo ornament. And if you are looking for the best ways to store your digital images, have a look at my blog post on just that topic here.
What is one way you are going to share your Christmas portraits this year? Let me know in the comments! To chat more about my Christmas sessions, or having an ornament or album created, you can reach out to me here.
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