LookLoveSend Blog

Let’s face it, one of the ways we use our smartphones the most is as cameras. It’s just so easy to snap life’s unexpected moments, catch a memory-making scene or soulful smile in just the right way.

Having your smartphone handy is especially an advantage when it comes to getting a picture-perfect moment for your personalized holiday cards. You’re more likely to have your smartphone in your pocket than your Nikon SLR with the right lens attachment at the ready. How often do you tote around a separate camera these days anyway?

Smartphone Photos for Personalized Holiday Cards

But a smartphone photo isn’t always going to produce a quality photo once printed on paper. This is a real risk if you’re going to make holiday cards online, and you are viewing your smartphone photo exclusively on-screen.  You could end up with a grainy quality photo once it’s printed professionally on paper.

Be knowledgeable about some basic smartphone camera settings.  Here are some basic suggestions in a recent post from AllThingsD.com that you can put into practice this holiday season:

1. Keep the usually exposed smartphone camera lens CLEAN
2. Check your smartphone’s settings to see if photo resolution is set to either LARGEST image or HIGHEST resolution
3. Use your FLASH but keep white tissue paper handy to reduce flash wash-out for close-ups.
4. Check these lighting settings if your smartphone allows: ISO, Exposure and White Balance

• ISO – adjusts sensitivity to light, which could affect photo quality.
• Exposure – lets in more or less light, also affecting photo quality.
• White balance – aligns colors based on what appears white is actually white in real life. In dim lighting, give your smartphone camera a minute to adjust automatically. You may be able to select another option to describe your lighting environment if the photo isn’t coming out right.

Most smartphone cameras do a good job with these automatic settings, but will have more problems in low light. You should always view any photo you upload from your smartphone online first before ordering to be printed.

Choose a personalized holiday card design from www.looklovesend.com and you’ll be able to review your photo online first in your selected design. Our high resolution on-screen capabilities will help make clear whether or not your photo works, but ultimately you’ll need to be sure you upload the best quality photo you can.  Order more than 50 personalized holiday cards and you’ll receive free shipping.