With a wealth of digital photo editing and sharing programs available online, crafting the perfect card—and sharing memories with loved ones is a snap! Check out our recommendations for picture-perfect results:
PicMonkey: From the top-notch team that brought you Picnik, this Seattle-based company—which launched last year—is a new service that allows photographers of all levels to edit, add fun layers and filters, and create images that are perfect for passing along as e-greetings for the holidays. “Not only is it a great tool for parents, but a fun activity for kids to join in on as well,” explains PicMonkey co-founder Lisa Conquergood. With both free and premium options, this site offers a variety of seasonal overlays, borders, and stamps—think classic holly sprig and snowflakes, as well as realistic snowfall effects and a wealth of font stamps—that will allow you to edit, adorn, and download your family photos with ease—and your final results can be saved and sent digitally, or downloaded and printed. Picmonkey.com
Tweekaboo: Manage your family’s memories with Tweekaboo, a free private social networking app that allows users to create online photo and video albums. Tweekaboo offers a secure internet environment to store your most precious moments. You decide who has access to the content you upload to your Tweekaboo Diary, which makes it ideal for sharing special highlights from the past year only with select loved ones.
Plus, New York Family readers are invited to get in on a special deal—get $10 off and free shipping on a Tweekaboo 24 page print photo album (which would make for such a sweet gift for grandparents or family friends) using the code BooNY at checkout! Tweekaboo.com
Celebrations.com: Fun e-cards have been a staple of online communication since the days of dial-up. However, the festivity mavens at Celebrations.com have acquired Pingg (which was a leading online invitation and event source) and upped the ante on spreading digital cheer with special e-card offerings from Brooklyn-based graphic designer Alisse Courter and from Real Simple. Options are chic, festive, and allow you to add a photo of your choice to an existing frame, or to simply choose a design you like and leave it at that. With free and multiple paid membership options, there’s something for everyone at Celebrations.com—and when sending e-cards, there’s even the option to have a physical card mailed to any relatives who aren’t tech-savvy so they don’t miss out on the holiday fun! Celebrations.com
Snapfish: Perhaps some parents remember the days before Facebook (and—to date ourselves—MySpace) had unlimited photo sharing capacity…back then, the best way to go was to create a Snapfish account and share the password with your nearest and dearest. Since then, social media has evolved, but so has Snapfish. No longer just for storing your photo files in bulk and getting cost-effective prints, the site now offers a bevy of photo-based gifts and cards—from traditional holiday cards and invitations to items like keepsake ornaments, iPhone cases, and customized calendars, it’s a one-stop shop for personalized holiday fun! snapfish.com
Local Photographer Picks: Karen Haberberg of Karen Haberberg Photography recommends the following for keeping spirits bright when it comes to sharing, editing, and storing images online. Karen—who shot our October 2013 cover—brings a professional edge to getting the best out the web’s variety of photo services!
Best for printing photos: Mpix
Best for online sharing: Smugmug & Photobucket
Best for storing files: Dropbox
Best for making cards: Minted & Tiny Prints
Karen is available now for special holiday family portrait sessions. Once your photos are ready, you can also choose from a number of special items in her online boutique! Whether you’re in the market for a classic photo album or set of holiday crads, or if you’re looking to savor your memories with a piece of custom wall-art…Karen’s site has premium products and a wide variety!
Plus, Karen is running a special promotion now until December 31 exclusively for New York Family readers! Get a family portrait for $349 (up to 5 people)—which includes one hour of photography by Karen Haberberg in your home or on location (in NYC), one high resolution digital file for your holiday card, and one 8×10 fine art print of same image pose. When booking, just mention New York Family magazine to receive the promotion. And, friend Karen on Facebook and like her page to be entered into a raffle for a free photo shoot—winner will be announced on December 1. karenhaberberg.com
