NEW YORK, NY – Motif, a leading provider of high-quality personalized photo books, is pleased to announce the extension of its photo book design options, now allowing users to create stunning 120-page hardcover books. This significant enhancement aims to provide customers with even more flexibility and creative freedom to showcase their cherished memories in beautiful print form.

Motif has been at the forefront of the photo book industry since its inception in 2018, empowering users to transform their digital photos into professionally designed albums. With the introduction of an additional 20 pages, customers can now further personalize their photo books, capturing and preserving even more moments in a single volume. The additional pages are exclusively available for 11 x 8.5” and 13 x 10” hardcover books, ensuring the utmost durability and elegance.

“Our mission at Motif is to enable our users to tell their unique stories through beautifully crafted photo books,” said Jim Simpson, General Manager of Mimeo Photos, which acquired Motif in the beginning of 2023. “Providing our customers with the opportunity to design even larger hardcover books allows them to create timeless reflections of their memories and experiences.”

To access the expanded photo book design options, users can download the user-friendly Motif app, available on the macOS and iOS App Stores. The Motif app offers a seamless and intuitive interface, guiding users through the design process with ease. With its recent expansion to 163 countries and standing as an Apple preferred partner for photo products, Motif has established itself as a global leader in personalized photo book creation.

Motif’s commitment to quality is evident throughout the production process. Each photo book is printed on premium paper and bound with the utmost care to ensure a finished product of exceptional craftsmanship. By providing a wide range of design options and customization features, Motif empowers users to create photo books that truly reflect their unique style and vision.

Motif’s expanded photo book design options, including the introduction of the 120-page hardcover books, reaffirm the company’s dedication to customer satisfaction and its commitment to pushing the boundaries of photo book creation. With this exciting enhancement, Motif continues to provide a seamless and enjoyable experience for users worldwide, enabling them to transform their digital memories into tangible works of art.

To start designing your own personalized photo book with the expanded page options, download the Motif app from the macOS and iOS App Stores today.

The post Top Apple Photo Book Printer Motif Expands Page Limit on Large Format Books appeared first on The Motif Blog.

All the photo books, calendars, and cards you love to make with Motif are now available to ship to almost every continent on the globe (Sorry, Antarctica)! 

After hearing from our users and friends all around the world, the Motif app is finally available for download in 163 countries. It is now easier than ever to share your memories with the people you love, no matter where they live. 

Plus, we now support 14 different currencies to make payment simple for everyone.

Send photo memories to your friends and family in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Brazil, and more directly from the Motif app you know and love. Let them know they can start making photo products now, too! 

Share this link to download Motif and start creating your next photo memories.

Here is the full list of countries where Motif is now available for download on the macOS and iOS app stores.

The post 130 More Countries Can Now Design and Ship Photo Products With Motif appeared first on The Motif Blog.

Motif is officially a part of the Mimeo family of brands! 

Motif and Mimeo have been global strategic partners with Apple for over a decade, first as the photobook providers behind Apple’s iPhoto printing services and now as the top photobook product apps in the Apple Mac App Store. With this acquisition, we will continue the tradition of producing the highest quality photobooks and other photo products from the same facilities trusted by Apple.

We’ve separated ourselves from competitors and stood out as the top two photo printing apps in the app store for years. Our reputations as user-friendly apps, with powerful feature sets, premium product quality, and top-tier service distinguishes us as leaders in the space, making Motif a natural fit with Mimeo. 

Our values align in our dedication to the Apple customer base and ecosystem. With 90% of Mimeo users coming to us from Apple devices, and 100% of Motif’s, it’s a vital aspect of what we do in Mimeo Photos, and now, together with Motif.

What does this mean for Motif users?

You will continue to be able to design beautiful products on the Motif apps this year, yet every photobook, calendar, and card will be printed and shipped by Mimeo. 

Here are some of the changes you’ll see: as a part of Mimeo, you’ll see how our high quality materials will make a difference in each gift you make. And you’ll now be able to ship even more photo gifts across the globe with us, as one of the first global print on demand platforms.

In addition to the beautiful photobooks, calendars, and cards you’ve been designing, you’ll also be able to choose from Mimeo’s beautiful photo memory products, including wall and tabletop decor. As an added bonus, all of our photobooks come with a premium matte sleeve to ensure not just professional printing, but professional delivery. 

For those that utilize Motif’s image curation and AutoFlow technology, which automatically chooses and lays out the best photos for your photobooks, you will still be able to do so. But now you will also have the option to utilize Mimeo Photos’ advanced layout and design toolset. 

Mimeo quality products 

Mimeo has been in the printing industry for more than 20 years and our expertise is evident in the quality of our products. There’s a good reason why Apple chose Mimeo to produce their print products a decade ago. 

Anyone can say their products are “premium”, but we can prove it. For example, here is how we make our photo books:

• Book covers are produced with scuff proof Satin Laminate, which also deters marking 
• Matching dust jackets are printed on McCoy 80 Cover Gloss with a Satin UV coating to prevent image distortion. Plus, it offers a high degree of scuff resistance 
• Interior pages are made of Sappi McCot 65# Silk Cover, which has a silky smooth finish and feels luxurious 

Conclusion

Motif’s acquisition by Mimeo Photos will only make a positive impact on your photo product printing experience. You will now have even more options to design and ship stunning, professional-quality pieces to friends, family, clients, and yourself, no matter which device you use. Plus you’ll receive them quicker, no matter where in the world you are. 

We’re so excited to welcome you to Mimeo Photos and show you just how beautiful your memory gifts can be! See what else we have to offer at MimeoPhotos.com. 

The post What Motif’s Acquisition by Mimeo Means For You appeared first on The Motif Blog.

Visit your favorite local bookstore and the possibilities of what you will find are endless. You may find a story about a little imaginary bear and his adventures. There’s also the option of reading about a female scientist who lived with apes in Africa. There are countless books that tell the story of any number of American presidents.      

Quick Links

• How can I make my own personalized story book with photos? 
• Tips for making a children’s book
• Where can I make my own story book?

But what about your story? Have you ever considered yourself a storybook maker? You probably have tons of stories to tell. Stories about amazing vacations you’ve taken, or stories about your time in school. How about the story of your family? Have you added any members to your family recently or not so recently? Whatever stories you have to tell, it’s easy to create a story book with the Motif photo book app. Every picture tells a story and most of us literally have thousands of them. Picture a way to easily place your best photos into a photo book layout and then pair the perfect words to complete the story. Sound interesting? Let’s take a closer look into making personalized story books.

How can I make my own personalized story books with photos?

You might be wondering if you have enough ink cartridges, the right kind of paper, glue, scissors, and other serious book-making tools. To create your own story book, all you need are photos, stories, a Mac, or iPhone, or iPad, and the Motif photo book app. 

If you’d like to make your own story book with photos, here’s a few simple steps to make it happen: 

1. Take a moment and think about what story you’d like to tell. Ask yourself if there are enough photos to support your story. You don’t necessarily have to write volumes but there should be some copy to at least explain what the photos have to do with your story. Say for example, you want to make a custom story book that tells the story of when your entire family went camping.

2. A lot of the photos from that camping trip already live on your phone, but you might want to ask for others from the rest of your family to be thorough. You don’t want a story book full of selfies. 

3. Once you have all the photos you want, be sure they’re in your Apple Photos and maybe name the folder “Camping Photos.” Should you use the Motif photo app to create your custom story book, the ease in making it will surprise you. Motif works natively within your Photos and takes care of any technical loading of your photos into personalized story books. You’ll also find your photos placed in chronological order with full editing capabilities if you want to move things around. 

4. Then, use a handy text tool to write exactly what you want about your photos and the story they tell. Get the details down on paper while they’re still fresh in your memory. It’s your chance to tell your story as seen through your eyes. Feel free to get other campers’ perspectives as well. 

5. If you think your story has been told, take a moment to proof everything for spelling errors or inaccuracies. You want to make sure the name of the mountain you hiked around is the same one noted in your book. 

6. Press or tap “Checkout” in the upper right corner to complete your purchase. Your digital file is automatically sent to our production facility where a team of printing experts create your personalized story books.  

7. Relax. You’ll receive an email detailing the timeline of your story book’s delivery to your door. 

Tips for making a children’s book

If you have a child, the one item you have no shortage of are photos. So personalized story books with a child’s name on the cover and spine are easier to make than you might think. Imagine a child picking their very own custom story book from the bookshelf. 

Remember that vacation to a theme park the kids absolutely loved? If you skipped the gift shop on your way out, you still have the opportunity to make a children’s book from the trip. Plus, it will be a fun activity to share with your child when you make your own children’s book with them. 

Maybe their first year of school was something they really enjoyed. Making a children’s book about it would really be special. Ask your kids what stories they’d like to tell. They might  surprise you with their answers. 

Where can I make my own story book?

The important thing to understand if you want to make your own story book is it’s not just for a select few. Anyone with a Mac, iPhone, or iPad can be a storybook maker and can do it just about anywhere. You don’t need a special printer, glues, scissors or design skills to do it. The free photo book app Motif makes it all possible. Instead of empty printer cartridges and assembling it yourself, have skilled press operators print and assemble it for you. 

Your story book begins with Motif. The app works seamlessly with your Apple Photos so there’s no photo uploading necessary. There’s a variety of sizes and finishes to choose from. On your Mac, open Photos and select the images you’d like to create your photo project with. In the File menu select Create then Photo Book then Motif. On your iPhone/iPad, open the Motif app and then simply select the photo book product. Your favorite photos could be on their way to becoming a printed story book before you know it. 

Bring your best photos to life with Motif.

Experience how easy creating personalized photo projects is with Motif. Our photo project app seamlessly works with Apple Photos in macOS and iOS. We do all the complicated stuff leaving the fun creative freedom to you.

The post Create your own custom story book appeared first on The Motif Blog.

The time is near when many of us make that final flip of our calendar. That household tool that reminds us of special events like birthdays, anniversaries, appointments, holidays, and basically whatever we don’t want to forget. 

So, we head out to our local getting place in search of a 2022 calendar. We flip through the calendars filled with kittens, landscapes, and dozens of other themes before settling on one. There’s nothing wrong with kittens, landscapes, or whatever theme you may like. There is something wrong with settling.    

Quick Links

• How to Make a Wall Calendar in 7 Steps
  • Download the Motif App
  • Open Apple Photos
  • Set your calendar options
  • Select a theme
  • Add custom dates and text
  • Add photos to custom dates
  • Check out to make it yours
• DIY wall calendar ideas & tips
• Create a custom photo wall calendar for 2022

Instead of settling on photo wall calendars filled with someone else’s kittens, landscapes, and featured dates, make your own custom wall calendar. All you really need are photos which most of us are flush with. An easy-to-use photo project app makes it possible to create your own wall calendar. 

How to Make a Wall Calendar in 7 Steps

Now if you’re thinking a personalized wall calendar will require enlisting your tech savvy kids or relatives for help, you’re wrong. The photo project app Motif works within your Apple Photos seamlessly. A slick tutorial is available to walk you through your first project. You can also follow along the next few segments for a quick overview.   

1. Download the Motif App

Making a wall calendar begins by visiting the App Store or the Mac App Store. Search for the Motif Photos app and download to your Mac desktop/laptop and iPhone/iPad. It’s free to download and use. If you like what you create, hit the Checkout button to purchase.  

2. Open Apple Photos

A custom wall calendar is usually filled with your own photos, so what better place to start one than in your Photos app. There’s no uploading photos required.

On your Mac, select the photos you want to create your calendar with. In the File menu select Create, then Calendar, and then Motif. 

On your iPhone or iPad, open the Motif app and choose the Calendar product. Set your calendar options and tap Next to select the memory or album for your calendar.  

3. Set your calendar options

The calendars you buy off the shelf come preset with common holidays. They begin with January and end in December. The next step of creating photo wall calendars is setting your calendar options. Choose the start year, start month, length, first day of the week, language, and national holidays you’d like to include. 

If you want to make your own wall calendar week begin on a Monday and end on a Sunday, then do it. Motif gives you the power to make it fit your needs. 

4. Select a theme

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Your custom wall calendar can easily take on a predesigned theme simply by choosing one of many Motif provides. Since your calendar is going to be a photo calendar, the theme will compliment the photos you choose for it. 

Once you select your theme you’ll have the option to choose Autoflow Calendar or Don’t Autoflow. The Autoflow feature places your best images throughout your calendar. It balances image orientations and optimizes image centering and cropping. If you’d like to place all the images yourself, select Don’t Autoflow. 

5. Add custom dates and text

Here’s your opportunity to get creative. This calendar might need a title. You might want to add a caption to the photos throughout your calendar. Click the Aa icon in the lower right corner to customize away. 

Click on any date to add text for birthdays, anniversaries, or whatever occasion you deem special.  

6. Add photos to custom dates

If a simple “Mom’s Birthday” doesn’t quite capture the magnitude of the occasion, drag a favorite photo of Mom from the image tray below to that date box. Scale, screen, or rotate it to make it perfect. If you have a tropical vacation planned, fill those days with fitting imagery. Just another way to make a custom wall calendar your own. 

7. Check out to make it yours

Once you’ve looked for spelling errors and have made sure the photos are just the way you want them, click the Checkout button. Motif automatically checks your images for resolution issues and other possible errors. 

In the following screens you’ll enter your billing/shipping information. Then, think about how many copies you’d like. These make for great gifts. Then enter your credit card information and any promo discount codes before hitting Pay. 

Then, sit back and let our professionals do what they do best. With over 100 years of printing expertise, you can trust we’ll ship a quality calendar. 

DIY Wall Calendar Ideas & Tips

When you decide not to settle on a store-bought calendar, you’re taking control of how your calendar will look. The photos you use will obviously be your favorites and will bring out the true character of every friend or family member featured. If you have a favorite color or region on the color wheel, be sure to apply the proper amount to your calendar. Select the theme and maybe some patterns to bring it all together. 

Just like you might find in the store, you too can fill your calendar with some really nice landscape or nature photos. Is your kitten the cutest thing ever? Gather all your favorite shots of Sylvester. That device you stare down at so much has the ability to take really amazing photos. The possibilities of photo themes are as endless as your imagination. 

Create a Custom Photo Wall Calendar For 2022

Given the fact that most of the photos you’d use in your calendar are already in your Photos app, a custom wall calendar is only a handful of clicks or taps away. Just follow the steps covered earlier in the story and you’ll find out how easy it is. Never settle for a store-bought calendar again.  

Bring your best photos to life with Motif.

Experience how easy creating personalized photo projects is with Motif. Our photo project app seamlessly works with Apple Photos in macOS and iOS. We do all the complicated stuff leaving the fun creative freedom to you.

The post Make Your Own DIY Wall Calendar For 2022 appeared first on The Motif Blog.

Photo books are where treasured memories become keepsakes. They’re a lovely addition to a home library to look back on favorite holidays, events, and milestones. They also make excellent gifts. There are endless ways to create a personalized, custom Apple photo book with Motif. Here are five reasons why Motif is Apple’s premier photo book service:

Mac Compatibility

The Motif Photos App is available in the iPhone App Store as well as the Mac App Store. On the Mac, Motif serves as a native extension for Photos, meaning you can use the app from within the Photos app itself. Once Motif is downloaded, it’s automatically plugged into the Photos app and ready to use. The advantage of this is that you don’t have to export and import, download and upload your existing photos into another app. 

To access and launch Motif on a Mac:

• Select any album under My Albums.
• Right-click the album you have selected.
• Select Create, and in the drop-down menu, select Motif.
• Or go to the top navigation bar, click File, select Create, and then select Motif. 
• Motif opens within the Photos app and allows you to choose and launch the type of photo project you want to work on, including photo books.

On the iPhone, the Motif app opens to the “Products” section. You can immediately start a new project under the “My Projects” tab, too. On a Mac, Motif photo projects are automatically saved safely under “My Projects.” Projects are saved for as long as you like to keep them in Photos on your Mac or iPhone.

Photo Book Customization

Start customizing a photo book by selecting a book size and choosing hardcover or softcover. Motif offers two options for rectangular photo books that allow longer perspectives and two options for square books for a more modern feel. Adjust the length of a photo book by adding pages. The minimum number of pages for a photo book is 20, but you can expand up to 100. Books with 100 pages can accommodate anywhere from 100 to 900 photos. An average photo book includes between 50 and 400 images.

After choosing the photo book size, play around with the number of photos per page and layout. You can spread a single image across two pages and add text-only pages to accompany pictures. You can also change the number of pictures on each page of the photo project you’re creating. Page count, number of images, and the price adjust as changes are made while using the app.

Autoflow

Motif makes it easy to create attractive pages, even if designing isn’t in your wheelhouse. Motif’s Autoflow function seamlessly creates a photo book, choosing only the best images and placing them in beautiful layouts. Motif’s smart technology analyzes every photo in your photo project. It automatically removes blurry images, low-quality shots that won’t print well, and duplicates. It also calculates a recommended number of pages, images used, and a price. You can adjust any of those figures, and Motif will analyze again, saving you the time of having to redo parts of the project.

Motif also makes customization easy with drag and drop editing. It’s helpful when you want to see how a few photos look within a photo book without importing a lot of them at once.

Easy Photo Editing 

After choosing the photos to add, you can edit the photos directly within Motif. Built-in editing tools let you adjust hues, saturations, filters, and more. It saves time and steps often required with editing and reuploading photos. Resize photos, add images, and rearrange page order exactly how you’d like. Motif’s intelligent software will even automatically re-zoom and size your image to fit the layout properly.

Superior Print Quality 

Only premium paper is used for Motif’s custom photo books. Thick, high-quality paper provides bright colors and no image bleed on the reverse side. The paper runs smoothly through the fingertips, perfect for years of comfortable page-turning. A printed premium matte sleeve stylishly covers while also protecting your custom photo book. 

Whether it’s for a wedding album, graduation celebration, a birthday or milestone, or to celebrate friends and family for any reason, Motif has you covered. Over 80 personalized layouts, with various themes and sizes, create the perfect photo book for your needs. Photo books are the perfect way to celebrate and share your favorite photographs with family and friends. Download our free app today and give your stories a home with Motif.

The post 5 Reasons Motif Is Apple’s Premier Photo Book Service appeared first on The Motif Blog.

One of the common iPhone photography misconceptions is that you cannot use an iPhone for serious photography. Can a phone with a camera that fits in your pocket measure up against traditional photography equipment? The answer is “yes”! iPhone photography has become increasingly popular as technology has improved. No matter how advanced the technology, the quality of any photo depends on the photographer’s creative vision. To help you better understand how iPhones have become an important part of the photography world, here’s everything you need to know about iPhone photography.

Can you use an iPhone for photography?

The iPhone has been steadily updated with new features added over the years, including regular improvements to camera quality. When the iPhone 8 Plus became available, photographers were finally ready to take photos they could be proud of editing and sharing. Many professional photographers are now using smartphone cameras to snap pictures during their travels or on assignments.

There are many things to consider when thinking about both an iPhone vs. DSLR camera for photography sources. Of course, the iPhone has its limitations and can’t provide all the features that a traditional DSLR can, with interchangeable lenses and various attachments. Some days, however, carrying bulky camera gear is inconvenient. The iPhone is your lightweight alternative. With the development of iPhone camera-sized accessories, such as lenses and tripods, taking amazing photos with an iPhone is easier than ever.  And, with endless iPhone camera apps to choose from, iPhone photography can be shot and edited as well as any DSLR camera.

An iPhone camera is a tool, just like any other camera. With the proper knowledge and the right techniques, you can use your iPhone to take great photos that may be hard to believe were taken with the iPhone.

iPhone Camera Modes and How to Use Them

iPhone camera modes are the creative support behind iPhone photography. While the iPhone Camera’s flash or timer might not always reach the photography effects you’re looking for, there are plenty of other features available. Within the Camera app, you’ll see features such as Live Photos, Camera Timer, HDR, Focus, and Exposure. Three important iPhone camera modes to learn are Portrait mode, Night mode, and Burst mode. Here’s how these features expand your photography creativity and allow you to feel more comfortable using an iPhone for quality photos:

• The iPhone Portrait mode is a photo effect that blurs the background of an image by adding a simulated bokeh. This background blur isolates the subject in a photo and gives it a more professional look. Portrait mode provides similar results to ones you get when using a DSLR camera. Switch to Portrait mode by swiping on the slider at the bottom until you land on Portrait mode. Once you’re in Portrait mode, follow the on-screen prompts that let you know if you’re too close or too far from your subject or if you need to add more light to the picture.

• To use Night Mode, you’ll need an iPhone 11 (including Pro and Pro Max) or iPhone 12 (including the Mini, Pro, and Pro Max). On earlier iPhones, night photography was difficult. Blurry photos, graininess, exposure problems, and unnatural colors were common issues. The iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 cameras use intelligent software to eliminate these problems. When you shoot with Night Mode, the camera takes multiple shots over several seconds and then automatically blends the images into a single, high-quality photo. Night mode turns on automatically when taking a picture in low-light environments. You’ll see the small moon symbol near the top left turn yellow when Night mode is activated. A time indication like “1s” or “5s” will show up near the moon symbol, which signifies the exposure time (or the length of time the camera lets light in before taking the picture). When Night mode is activated, press the round shutter button to take a photo as you usually would. Hold the camera as still as possible until the exposure completes. The camera takes time to take in light to take a quality picture in very low light.

• To activate Burst Mode, you don’t have to change any of your iPhone camera settings. All you have to do is press and hold the shutter button. With an iPhone camera 11 or higher, tap the shutter button and immediately slide it to the left for portrait-oriented photos or drag it up for landscape orientation. Your device will then keep taking pictures as long as your finger touches the screen. Burst Mode takes approximately ten photos per second. Burst Mode is best for action shots that include children, animals, people playing sports, or any constant movement. Those can often be difficult to capture with a single press of the camera shutter. You can also try it when taking candid photos. Once done, open the Photos app, tap on the “Burst” album to open it and choose the “Select” button at the top right of your screen. Choose the photos you want to keep, then tap on the Done button in the right upper corner.

iPhone Photography Tips

There are a lot of ways to dive right into iPhone photography. First, get to know iPhone camera settings to learn the ins and outs of the iPhone camera. This includes taking live photos with filters, using exposure to make pictures lighter or darker, and setting the timer for hands-free shooting, among others. Here are some useful and easy iPhone photography tips to quickly improve your iPhone photography:

• In photography, the bokeh effect is used when a person or other object in the foreground is focused while the background is blurry. It’s not just a general blur –  bokeh blur draws attention to the subject and creates images with backgrounds that look dreamy and eye-catching. Using bokeh is popular in portrait photography or macro photography when the subject is very close up, or there’s a lot of lighting in the background. When purposely photographed out of focus, harsh or bright lights become soft or diffused. On an iPhone, bokeh is achieved by using Portrait mode. In Portrait mode, the camera uses depth to instinctively zoom in and frame the subject, blurring the background. You can also create bokeh by editing depth after taking the photo. 

• Use the iPhone grid feature for photo composition. The iPhone camera grid divides your photos’ frame using four lines that run horizontally and vertically across the screen. The grid shows nine squares laid across the screen, like an empty tic tac toe grid when it’s turned on. Using the camera grid to match the subject up with lines on different screen sides draws more attention to the subject in more subtle, artistic ways. You get the most out of your pictures. The camera grid is handy for landscape shots. It shows you how to frame the horizon to get a more interesting picture. You can match up objects of interest in the foreground to the lines, making sure they complement your shot and draw the eye into the scene.

• If you’re looking to capture something at a lower angle, but you don’t want to lay down on the ground, turn your phone upside down. Flipping your phone upside down gets your camera several inches lower for photographing harder to reach spots. Your photo also ends up being upside down, but you can rotate it later to be right-side up.

• The flash is the main feature of both traditional and digital cameras. It functions to brighten up a room to take a beautiful and clear picture. An iPhone flash is a mildly powerful LED,  which means using the flash feature can be a disadvantage. Consider using an external flash that works wirelessly with an iPhone for more powerful flash abilities.

• Use the volume button for several photography tricks. For one, Camera shake is the main enemy of getting a sharp photo. If it happens, it’s bound to cause blurriness. Using the volume button can help you stabilize your shot while pressing the shutter. It’s also tough to tap the camera shutter button when taking a selfie with your hand outstretched. Squeezing the volume up button on the side of your iPhone is an easier way to snap the photo.

• Did you know that your earphones can also help you get candid photos? Hold your camera towards your subject, and hold the earphones in your other hand (or have them in your ears). Use the volume “up” button on the earphones to take candid photos.

• The iPhone camera app includes exposure and focus lock features that allow you to lock the parameters and frame your shot. This “AE/AF lock” is useful when taking a photo with variable light conditions. To activate the AE/AF lock, open the iOS Camera app and tap on the screen to focus on an area. Instead of tapping and releasing, tap and hold until the focus square flickers. When you lift your finger, you’ll see an “AE/AF Lock” indicator at the top of the screen. Once the AE/AF Lock is turned on, you can frame your photo without losing the exposure and focus controls that were just set. To undo the exposure and focus lock, just tap on the screen once, and it will remove it.

There are many other iPhone photography beginner tips that will start you on your way to learning about your iPhone camera’s abilities. They’ll also give you the confidence to take photos like a pro. 

Editing iPhone Pictures with the Motif Photo App

Photographers never stop looking for picture-perfect moments. With iPhone cameras now offering great optics to capture sharp, high-resolution results, many images are being taken on smartphones. There are many free and paid photo editing apps available in the App Store. They range from basic editing and sharing tools to full-featured photo editing apps, such as Photoshop and Lightroom, that let you edit, and organize images for professional-looking photos. 

Editing photos within the iPhone Photos app is an excellent place to start. To edit photos on your iPhone, find them in the Photos app. Once you’ve found an image, tap on it to view it, then tap “Edit” in the top-right corner of the screen. If you have iCloud Photos, you’ll need to wait a second for the full-sized image to download. You’ll then be able to edit your photos. Across the bottom of the screen are four buttons, each referring to a particular set of editing tools:

• Live Photos: Only visible if your image is a Live Photo (video recorded along with a still image).
• Adjust: Standard editing controls you’ll find in most image editing apps.
• Filters: Apply or remove iPhone photo filters.
• Crop/Straighten: For changing the aspect ratio, cropping, and more.

At any point while editing an image, you can tap on the photo to see the original. This provides a point of reference for any edits you’ve made. You can see whether your changes enhance the image or not. If you’re editing a Live Photo, which is a still image with three seconds of video for context, you can also tap and hold the image at any point to see how your edits affect the video.

There are also some specific edits you can make on photos that can require a third-party app. This includes how to flip, mirror, or rotate photos on an iPhone. One feature added in iOS 13 is that you can now flip any picture straight from your Photos app. It’s great if you need a picture’s mirror image, like if you’re trying to read backward text. Not every phone can download iOS 13, however. If you have an iPhone 6 or earlier, you’ll need a third-party app. 

If you’ve ever wanted to add text to photos, use the iPhone camera Markup editing tool.  Open Photos from your home screen. Tap the “Library” tab in the lower-left corner of the screen, then select the photo you want to edit and tap “Edit.” Then, tap the More button (the three dots), and then tap “Markup.” Once you’re in the Markup editor, you can choose a drawing tool along the bottom. Your options include a pen, a highlighter, a pencil, or an eraser. Tap the color picker circle to the right to choose a color for your drawing tool (except eraser). You can now add doodles, callouts, and text to your photos.

When you’re ready to move beyond iPhone’s own editing tools, the Motif app is an easy-to-use iPhone photo editing app that’s only used with iPhone and iOS programs. Motif is a unique app that gives you even more creativity with photo editing and combines it with the ability to create photo books of your treasured memories. You can use Motif both on your iPhone/iPad or Mac, which means you can start creating a vacation photo book while you’re still on vacation. Motif allows you to save projects, so you can add photos from wherever you are and not worry about losing your work. Motif’s image selection process makes it easy to select multiple images across Memories, Albums, and your Camera Roll. You can also edit photos in the main view, rather than a separate one for editing.

Managing iPhone Photos & Technical “How-Tos”

iPhone photos can take up a lot of phone storage and fast. This can be frustrating for many reasons. You may be getting “Storage Almost Full” notifications pop up on your phone, indicating it may be time to sort and organize your photo library. Managing iPhone photos can also seem overwhelming, especially when you’ve been taking photos for years and keeping them all on your iPhone. Thankfully, there are great resources available to iPhone users to store, transfer, manage, and even print your valuable memories on the iPhone.  

You may already be familiar with iCloud, Apple’s cloud-based storage platform if you use it to back up your iPhone data. iCloud photo storage can be free, or you can upgrade (for a fee) for more storage in the cloud. It’s easy to manage photos in iCloud photo storage, including sorting and organizing photos or deleting one or more photos at once. iCloud Photo can also automatically backup and sync iPhone photos from your devices. There are various reasons as to why your photos may not be uploading to iCloud. Commonly, this is caused by iCloud Photo Library not being enabled, running out of iCloud Storage, experiencing a network issue, or a login problem with your iCloud account. 

Another cloud-based tool that manages iPhone photos is Google Photos for iPhone. Google Photos is a downloadable app for iPhone. After you’ve installed the app and logged in through a Google account, you can start syncing photos from your phone to Google Photos. The program will save all the photos you take on the iPhone. Every so often, Google will ask if you want to free up space on your phone by backing up the images to your Google Account, which is accessible through Gmail, as well.

Once you decide which photo storage service works best for you, it’s easy to transfer photos from your photo to your computer (and vice-versa). Cloud-based storage services such as iCloud and Google Photos can be installed on a desktop. This means they can be used interchangeably on a Mac and an iPhone. You can also transfer photos from a PC to an iPhone using the iCloud for Windows app (which you need to download separately on your desktop). Photos can also be transferred through iTunes (make sure you have the latest version downloaded), Airdrop (you’ll need an iPhone 5 or newer running iOS 7 or above), and Windows, by using File Explorer or Windows Explorer.

While it’s easy to keep vacation and family photos easily online, it’s also easy to print photos right from an iPhone. If you have a compatible AirPrint printer, then you can print your photos directly with AirPrint. Here’s how it works:

1. Launch Photos on your iPhone.
2. Find the photo that you want to print.
3. Tap the Share button.
4. Scroll down and tap Print. If you have a compatible printer, the Print Screen appears.
5. Tap Select Printer and select your printer.
6. Tap the + or – buttons to adjust the number of copies to print.
7. Tap Options to customize whether it’s in color or black & white and choose paper size.
8. Tap Print.

If your printer isn’t AirPrint compatible, you can still print directly from your device by downloading your printer’s accompanying app – the HP Smart app if you have an HP printer, for example. For high-quality printed photos, use heavier, glossy photo paper that can run through a printer.

iPhone Apps for Photos & Photography

As iPhone camera technology improves and develops each year, the amount of iPhone apps for photos and photography grows. Some of the best iPhone photo apps will take your photography to new creative heights. Editing apps like Lightroom and Photoshop (both of which have free and paid versions) have been the standard editing tools to bring out the best in iPhone photography. Pixlr, which offers a wide range of different photo effects, overlays, and filters, creates truly unique images. 

Then, there are unique and helpful photography apps such as Magic Hour, which tells you exactly when the “golden hour” will be outside for perfect outdoor photography, if the weather will be clear enough, and the approximate times of sunrise and sunset in your area. Nighttime and night sky photographers will find the Dark Skies night photography app useful for shooting photos of star formations without worrying about long star trails. By plugging in the type of camera and focal length of your lens into the app, Dark Skies will calculate how much exposure you will need to get the best picture. 

A long time ago, people took actual, non-digital photos and put them into big, bulky photo albums. These are great to flip through for nostalgic memories. But what if you want to share those memories with friends and family online? Chances are, you have to take a photo of the photo and post it online. If you’ve done this, you’d agree that it’s not the best solution. That’s where photo scanner apps come into play. Photo scanner apps are used right on the iPhone. Take a snap of physical photos to get a scanned copy. Scanner apps often have a unique feature to make corrections in auto-detected mistakes. This means the app can sharpen, contrast, and restore color to create digital images that are easy to share with friends and family. 

When you’re ready to put your favorite photos into their own photo book, finding the best photo book design right from your iPhone or Mac can be achieved with Motif. What sets Motif apart for its photo book creation process is it’s image curation and  Autoflow features. With image curation, the app considers lighting and composition, among other factors, to automatically select the best photos for your photo book. Autoflow then places the photos into professionally designed themes and layouts to bring your photos to life. You’ll always have a chance to edit and change any part of your photo book. Motif’s smart technology takes the guesswork out of which images to use when there are so many from which to choose.

There are over 80 personalized layouts with various themes and sizes to create the perfect photo book for your needs. Photo books are the perfect way to celebrate and share your favorite photographs from your iPhone photography journey with family and friends. Download our free app today and give your stories a home with Motif.

The post Everything You Need to Know About iPhone Photography appeared first on The Motif Blog.

The average person has around 630 photos on their phones. Let’s not forget the photos they might have on other cameras, laptops, hard drives or in envelopes from years past. Each one represents a moment in their life they felt compelled to capture and keep. It wasn’t any ordinary moment. Otherwise they wouldn’t have stopped, raised the camera, and snapped the photo. 

Each time we scroll through our camera roll or flip through other photos elsewhere, we’re transported back in time. We’re reminded of that special moment, those people or place in the photo. Welcome to memory lane. It’s hard not to reminisce about it and often the details come back naturally. “What was the name of the guy who helped us fix that flat? He was so nice.” Sometimes the details are harder to come by. 

Photo books are an excellent way to capture moments we take the time to photograph. They’re also the perfect way to chronicle all the details of those special moments while they’re fresh in our memory. Names, dates, locations, colors, fragrances, flavors, and sounds all make the story complete. Plus, all the photos you associate with that particular event, place, or person will be printed in one location on premium grade paper by a professional printer. Scrolling and searching to find those photos becomes a thing of the past. 

What Is a Softcover Photo Book?

A soft cover photo book is a printed collection of photos on paper bound normally with glue or staples. The cover is also paper and so the entire book has a flexibility to it. It’s similar to a magazine in handling but slightly stiffer. They vary in size and page length. Soft cover photo book printing is normally done on presses in a commercial printing facility. Professional printing press operators dutifully check throughout the process for exceptional quality. These people are pros in color. If you ever have the opportunity to tour a commercial printing facility, you’ll be amazed at what you learn.    

Soft cover vs hard cover photo book. 

Photo books come in two basic versions: soft cover and hard cover. Obviously, softcover photo books are printed with soft paper covers as opposed to the more sturdy hard cover photo book. The benefits of one over the other often come down to cost, durability, weight, but mostly cost. It’s also largely a personal preference between the soft cover vs hard cover photo book. Some enjoy flipping through softcover photo books. Others prefer the sturdiness and added durability of the latter. Typically, softcover photo books are about half the cost of their hard cover counterparts. 

Soft Cover Photo Book Reason #1: Cost.

If you’re like us and have tons and tons of photos, there are a lot of opportunities to permanently print them in photo books. The costs to print them all can add up over time. However, try selecting a soft cover vs hard cover photo book according to the magnitude of the event. For example, a wedding photo book is an event deserving of hard cover status. A soft cover photo book of that family bbq would be a great gift to send to all those in attendance.       

Soft Cover Photo Book Reason #2: Flippability. 

Before you go running for the dictionary, imagine yourself looking through a magazine. You’re easily able to flip through the pages. If that’s how you’d like to peruse your photos, softcover photo books might be your thing. Flip books are also a fun project people can make that are perfect for softcover photo books.  

Soft Cover Photo Book Reason #3: Giftability.

This reason is also kinda tied to cost, but it’s easy to make a softcover photo book as a gift. They’re thoughtful, they don’t take a lot of time to make, and it’s something you made as opposed to something you bought off the shelf. It’s also something they will keep and remind them of your exceptional gift giving skills. That one often has a tendency to come back full circle.  

Soft Cover Photo Book Reason #4: Packability.

Because softcover photo books usually are made without a spine, they’re thinner and easier to pack or store if shelf space is minimal. They’re also lighter than their hard cover counterparts. Say you want to make a photo book for each year of your kids’ school years. If space to display this collection is in limited supply, you could either build more shelving, buy a bigger house, or make softcover photo books. Sometimes, the choice is easy.   

Soft Cover Photo Book Reason #5: Simplicity.

Not every special moment in your life is a 50th wedding anniversary, or college graduation, or African safari type moment. There’s always going to be a 3rd wedding anniversary, a 4th grade graduation, or a camping trip in the backyard. They’re moments you want to remember and record all the details for. Softcover photo books can give those moments a place in your archives as well. Let’s be careful to not only rank moments by which kind of cover we give them. Simply know you have the flexibility to decide for yourself. 

Soft cover photo book sizes

Soft cover photo book sizes generally range from as small as 4”x6” to as large as 12”x12”. 

A 4×6 soft cover photo book is really close to the actual dimensions of most printed photos. So in essence, you’re adding a collection of photos together printed front and back, bound and covered. The 12×12 size makes for great coffee table books or even printed portfolios. If you’re interested in printing the best of your Instagram photos a 5×5 soft cover photo book is a good option. An 8×11 soft cover photo book is very similar to magazine dimensions, so highlighting a recent vacation would fit well in this format. An a4 soft cover photo book is an even more unique photo book size as it’s slightly narrower and taller than a traditional letter size sheet of paper. Suffice to say, there’s a perfect size softcover photo book for your unique photo project.  

Soft Cover Photo Books Online

Like the multitude of size options for softcover photo books, there’s also multiple options to print soft cover photo books online. Some companies have also created their own apps to aid in soft cover photo book printing. Gone are the days of taking photos to a pharmacy or wherever for printing. So are the days of scissors, tape and glue. Some apps even work on your iPhone so you can create a photo book of a special moment while you’re actually in the moment. All the details still fresh in your memory. Capture the excitement you’re experiencing right from your iPhone. Motif’s app works seamlessly within your Apple Photos on your Mac desktop or laptop and iPhone/iPad.  

Creating a softcover photo book featuring your best memories is surprisingly easy. From your iPad and iPhone, simply download and open the free Motif Photos app and choose the photo project you want to create. On your Mac, simply download and install Motif for free. In your Photos app, select a photo, album, or memory then choose File, then select Create, then choose Book, then select Motif. Motif can automatically place your best photos into a layout of your choosing. It roots out all the duplicates. Be sure to add all the details of your story with the text feature. Customize it with color, textures and themes to match your style. Then sit back and relax. Motif prints and ships your photo project to your door.  

The post 5 Reasons to Choose a Softcover Photo Book for Your Next Photo Project appeared first on The Motif Blog.

Everyone loves a fridge or mantle filled with personalized photo cards. Customized photo cards are the ultimate thoughtful celebration of a loved one’s birthday, special occasion, holiday, or “just because.” Custom photo cards are easy to make and come from the heart. Here are five reasons it’s better to create a card than to buy one.

Customized photo cards fit the occasion perfectly.

There are specialty stores dedicated to gifts and greeting cards. There’s also that aisle at the grocery store, department store, or the pharmacy. They exist for a good reason: we love celebrating life’s special occasions.

We can’t think of a wrong reason to send a card. Why try finding one on the shelf that suits your purpose and sentiments when you can create a card yourself and customize it for the moment?

After all, when was the last time you found a specific, off-the-rack card to celebrate the birthday of twins named Lillie & Lula? How many hours have you spent looking for a holiday greeting to warm the hearts of all your friends and family?

Pre-made cards don’t always fit special occasions perfectly. Creating a custom photo card is done for a specific purpose. It can be as coordinated, quirky, or as sentimental as you want it to be.

It’s friendly on your wallet.

Generic cards can be surprisingly expensive. They’re also thrown away after a few days. 

Why hand over $6 or more for a semi-generic greeting that is soon forgotten when custom cards can be printed for less? Your thoughtfulness sends a lasting memento that ends up on the fridge or mantelpiece.

You can make a card without leaving the house.

Create custom cards from the comfort of your couch. Avoid that awkward shuffling around other shoppers in the card aisle. Save yourself the frustration of unsuccessfully searching for a card that perfectly showcases your sentiments. And the resulting frustration that comes from throwing in the towel and choosing any card just to be done with it. Custom cards are shipped to your door. All you need to do is add that personal touch.

Print as many or as few as you need.

There are plenty of occasions where you only need a single card. For holidays, birth announcements, wedding thank you cards, invitations, save the dates, and birthday invitations, specific amounts are needed. Get the exact number of cards without paying for extras when you need just one or two more than a packaged set.

Make your card “a keeper.”

When you create your own card, you personalize it by choosing the perfect design and layout. Then add the perfect photo(s) and your customized message. In essence, you’re making a keepsake. Motif helps you craft a card that represents you. Create it exactly how you want it in minutes. Your recipient will receive a treasured sentiment printed on high-quality paper with lasting ink that brings your memories and message to life.

A card shouldn’t be “just a card.” It can be a beautiful piece of art that displays and shares favorite moments. Motif makes it possible to create these lasting keepsakes in minutes. 

How to Make Your Own Cards

From Photos on macOS, select a single or multiple photos to make your own personalized cards. Choose from professionally designed layouts that showcase photos in the perfect setting for your unique occasion. Motif organizes the layout and allows you to customize the text to write the perfect message, making it truly your own. Once you submit your card design, sit back, relax, and wait for your creation to arrive at your door.

DIY Photo Card

Ready to begin? There are several sizes to start a DIY photo card project. Choose from:

• Folded cards in sizes 5×7 (portrait format) or 7×5 (landscape format). Folded cards are great as classic greeting/birthday cards, typically with a photo on the outside and text and/or photos inside the card.
• Flat cards in sizes 4×6 (portrait format) or 6×4 (landscape format). Flat cards work well for announcements, holiday or save-the-date cards, or thank you cards. 

Begin the process of making photo cards by choosing the orientation. Once you’ve chosen the form and size, click “Create.” The next screen outlines card themes and templates available.

Photo Card Templates

Motif offers several photo card templates to create your custom design. Each theme is highly customizable and easy to use. Themes to choose from include:

• Birth announcement
• Happy Birthday
• Thank You
• Save the Date
• Photo only

Once a theme is chosen, the bottom window shows sample pages. To add images, drag and drop an Album, Memory, or pictures on your open Project. Or drop them in your Project in the “My Projects” section of the Photos sidebar. You can also copy and paste images into your Project. Click on individual photos to edit them. Add a filter, crop, adjust the color or white balance, removing red-eye, and more. 

Click on the text boxes to add your party details, birthday wishes, whatever you’d like to say. Text is customizable with many fonts available. Choose sizes, colors, and placement on the card.

Photo Card Printing

When you’re happy with the design, click “Checkout.” If there are any issues with the card, such as an empty photo block or low photo quality, the app prompts you to fix it. Once everything is set, a text box asking “Everything Look Good?” will pop up, asking you to review the project carefully. Take one more look, then click the box that states, “Yes, I have carefully reviewed my project and am ready to check out.” Then, click “Checkout.”

Once you complete a project, the order is placed within the Motif photo app. Log in to Motif and walk through the process to order your cards. Choose how many cards to print, add a shipping and billing address, and complete payment. Your design goes to our state-of-the-art printing press. It’s the same place that’s always printed Apple photo projects—Motif’s been a printing partner with Apple since 2005. You can always count on our premium quality prints.

With your photos and your words, personalized cards can literally celebrate anything. Whether you’re announcing a new addition to the family, showing off an adorable puppy, celebrating a milestone birthday, or honoring your high school graduate, rely on the Motif App to assist you. A card coming from you and Motif instead of some store is guaranteed to bring joy (and a great new addition to the fridge).

The post How To Make your Own Photo Cards appeared first on The Motif Blog.

Everyone knows someone who loves to capture everything on their iPhone or camera. Their iPhone is always handy with the Camera app ready to fire, or their camera is always ready in hand. They may not even be a self-proclaimed photographer. They simply love making memories and having something to show for it. Without that person to point and shoot, any evidence of a life well-lived may not exist. This year, let loved ones know how much they’re appreciated with thoughtful photography gifts.

Whether creating homemade photo gifts for the family or buying gifts for photography lovers, here are some great ideas. Happy shopping!

Photography Gift Ideas

This photography gifts guide makes it easy to shop for everyone on the list. It’s broken out by category to make it even easier.

Photography Gift Card

True, a photography gift card is an easy way out. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Many people – especially picky teenagers – prefer to shop for themselves. The selection of professional cameras and accessories are endless. You could spend hours shopping for exactly what they want. Get them one of these photography gift card ideas instead:

Camera store gift card – Camera stores are a photographer’s go-to for new gear. Help them stock up on the essentials with a gift card to a brick-and-mortar retailer or online camera shop.  

Frame shop gift certificate – Some professional photographers offer framed photos as part of their session packages. Getting them a gift certificate to a frame shop saves on their business expenses. It’s also a good gift for a friend or family member. Everyone has framed photos in their house and would probably enjoy having more.

Craft store gift card – This for the DIYer whose hobbies involve making their own photography gifts. Craft stores have everything needed to create scrapbooks, custom T-shirts, and more. Some craft stores even have their own framing departments – a two-for-one!

Printshop gift card – Professional photographers need things like business cards, gift cards, and even ‘thank you’ cards to connect with customers. They would typically go to a print shop or use a company like Motif to create these custom print projects.

Another way to give savings is with the Motif Refer-a-Friend program. By merely sharing Motif with a friend, they get 30% off their first purchase. After they’ve made their first purchase with Motif, you then receive 30% off a future order. This applies to every friend referred. The sky’s the limit!

DIY Photography Gifts

DIY photography gifts are anything that can be made at home using basic craft supplies. There’s no limit to DIY photography gifts. It’s whatever the imagination dreams up. Need ideas? Any of the following DIY projects make cool photography related gifts. Grab some Mod Podge, a few print photos, a hot glue gun, and the object being transformed into a gift. Here are some examples:

Wine glasses – Transfer photos to the base, stem, or goblet portion of the glass.

Bookmark – Cut out the profile of someone’s face, laminate it, and add a piece of ribbon or yarn to the end. Long, full-body poses work even better.

Coffee can – Remove the label and replace it with some images of your own. It then becomes a conversational centerpiece or vase.

Wood plank décor – Transfer an engagement photo or other cute picture to a piece of wood. Stamp it with the couple’s wedding date and first names or initials.

Refrigerator magnet – Cut and glue photos to small glass gemstones or mason jar lids. Add a magnetic strip to the back, and voila!

iPhone Photography Gifts

There are several phone photography accessories that make a difference in the quality and appearance of iPhone photos. Below are some of the accessories that can be gifted to any photographer friend. It’s one less thing they have to invest in themselves, which is sure to brighten their spirits.

Lenses – Snap-on lenses are an iPhone must-have. They attach over the existing lens to change the perspective. There are various types of lenses, including macro lenses, micro lenses, and fisheye lenses. Buy one, or look for a set!

Protective case – While iPhone photography produces excellent images, the device isn’t as easy to handle as a wrist-banded or camera-strapped DSLR. To protect it from sudden falls, inclement weather, and a host of other mishaps, invest in the right case. It should be weather-proof but not too bulky that the buttons and lenses are hard to access.

Tripod – Anyone who’s taken a photo with an iPhone knows how difficult it is to keep a steady hand. A tripod solves that. It is beneficial when taking action shots. Individual tripods are explicitly designed for iPhones. Before shopping, know which iPhone model it needs to fit.  

Selfie stick – A selfie stick is not a replacement for a tripod. These wands do help the user take self-portraits at a distance. Get a selfie stick for anyone trying to improve their social media game.

Power bank – The Camera app uses a lot more power than other iPhone functions, especially when using the flash. Give loved ones continuous shooting power with a spare battery bank. They’re compact and easily portable.

Apple gift card – There’s a lot more to iPhone photography than the Camera app that comes installed on the phone. To create that perfect image, photographers rely on various photo editing apps for iOS and apps that scan and store photos. Many of the best apps come at a price. An Apple gift card allows them to choose the ones they want.

Photography Novelty Gifts

Novelty gifts are usually small, unique items that are meant to entertain and delight the recipient. The word ‘novel’ literally means original or not previously identified. One of the best ways to make a gift unique is with photos. Photos instantly personalize a gift. That’s why photography novelty gifts are suitable for friends, family members, neighbors, teachers, and more. If stuck for ideas, any of the items below can be customized with photos:

• Playing cards
• T-shirt/sweatshirt
• Hats
• Photo reel viewer
• Paperweights
• Coasters
• Keychains

Wildlife Photography Gifts

Those who love to photograph animals and nature probably already have a few great wildlife photography ideas up their sleeves. What they might really need are the sleeves that keep them covered. Buy them some outdoor gear like a shirt or jacket. Photography gear goes beyond apparel. Any of these wildlife photography gifts will be much appreciated when shooting on location.

Telephoto lens – Wildlife photographers rely on telephoto lenses when maintaining a safe distance or are prevented from getting closer to the subject. These lenses help them zoom in without losing image quality.

Teleconverter – This accessory mounts between the camera and the lens. It extends the focal length. Teleconverters usually come in 1.4x or 2.0x.

Camera canopy/rain sleeve – Weather is unpredictable in the wild. The camera must be protected with a canopy or rain sleeve in case of rain or snow. A canopy is a plastic shield that goes over the camera and camera lens like an umbrella. A rain sleeve, on the other hand, is more fitted around the camera. A rain sleeve covers more surface area but also tends to be more expensive.

Tripod – This folding stand with three legs gives arms a break by keeping the camera steady for as long as needed. The most popular tripods are made of carbon fiber because it’s a highly durable, yet lightweight material.

Gimbal – A gimbal is a mechanical stabilizer that uses a motion sensor to detect shaking or other movements. It can be used on its own or fixed to the head of a tripod. Look for a gimbal with good balance and a heavy build. It should be able to hold the weight of a telephoto lens.

Bean bag – Yes, hand-held bean bags used for playing corn hole in the backyard are also very useful in wildlife photography. They help stabilize the camera where a tripod simply won’t fit.

Power bank – A power bank keeps all the digital devices charged up for hours and hours of use. Even a gimbal needs recharging. This power source is especially handy when a photographer is in the wild, hundreds of miles from an electrical outlet.

Weather-proof apparel – Comfortable clothes are always great gifts for the photography enthusiast who shoots in the wild. Waterproof boots are particularly important, as are warm socks. When looking for clothes, choose a material that wicks away moisture.

Water-resistant ground cover – Wildlife photographers camp out in one spot for hours on end. The ground can be wet, sandy, muddy, or rocky. Having some form of ground cover is essential to staying comfortable. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. A yoga mat will do. Just make sure the ground cover is thick and durable.

Creative Photography Gifts

Some of your loved ones already have everything they could ever need. (Or they buy it for themselves if they don’t have it.) For these people, more creative photography gifts are necessary. These are things they would never think to buy or make themselves. Revert to novelty items, DIY photography gifts, and custom photo projects. Then, put a unique spin on the idea.

For example, swap the classic collage of photos for a Dad jokes photo book. Highlight your favorite silly pictures of Dad. And a caption for each one with a corny cliché. Or, try a really unique DIY gift. Instead of wine glasses or coffee cans, paste photos on a Rubik’s Cube. Replace the colorful tiles with your own images. Anything quirky, funny, or just plain entertaining will be a hit.   

Photography Session Gift

A photography session gift is not something to get your boss. But it is the perfect idea for spouses and best friends. Private photography sessions are exactly that – private. So keep this one close to the chest. Below are a few examples of a photography session gift and who they would be good for:

Professional headshots – Headshots aren’t just for actors and musicians. Think about that friend or family member who’s on the hunt for a new job. They, too, could use professional headshots to boost their LinkedIn profile, create custom business cards, or to personalize their resume.

Engagement photos – Most young couples don’t have the extra money to spend on professional engagement photos. That doesn’t mean they don’t want to take them. Chip in on their behalf so they can capture that fresh, new love. The looks on their faces will make it worth every penny.

Professional family portraits – Does your best friend or sibling take family portraits every year? Gifting them a photo session will come as a sweet surprise. It guarantees a few new pictures to post on the fridge.

Maternity portraits – Pregnancy is such an important phase of life. It deserves to be documented and photos tell the story best. Invest in maternity portraits for someone special. They can then use the images to create a pregnancy memory book they will cherish for years to come. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!

Boudoir photo shoot – A boudoir photography session gift is best reserved for your spouse. Since this is such an intimate gift, be diligent in your search. Make sure you’re working with an experienced, highly rated professional. Read as many reviews as you can. A franchise or corporately owned photography studio may be your safest bet.

Amateur Photography Gifts & Gifts for Photography Beginners

An amateur photographer is anyone with 0–5 years of experience under their belt. They know all the basic photography terms and have gone on a few photoshoot excursions. Their skills still need developing and so does their collection of camera equipment.

If this person would shoot better with a top-notch camera and you know what to look for, go ahead and splurge on the real deal. Otherwise, a gift card to a camera shop is perfectly acceptable. They can use the free money to upgrade their camera or add key accessories like a telephoto lens.

An amateur would also benefit from photography classes or one-on-one coaching. Pitch in for a few hours of education. If that’s too pricey, buy a few books on photography. Lots of books offer general tips on camera setup, composition, and lighting. Also consider books with a more specific focus, like macro photography tips.

Gifts for Kids Who Like Photography

Some kids have an eye for photography. If they’ve already expressed interest, continue to encourage that budding talent with these skill-building gift ideas.

Apple iPad – Kids are instinctively screen savvy. Getting them an iPad is an easy transition. Before letting them loose with it, be sure to set up the iPad for photography. There are some apps and accessories that will help young photographers capture and edit their images.

Books – Books can help them improve technique. When shopping for books, look for titles specifically geared for beginners and younger readers.

Polaroid camera – Technology has made kids crave instant gratification. So give it to them with a Polaroid camera. Getting photos on the spot helps kids learn how the things they do with the camera affect the end product. They can quickly pivot, find a new angle, or improve the lighting.

Journal – A journal lets them document a photo each day. Yes, most tweens use Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok to share a photo of the day. But a journal is more appropriate for younger kids. Journal pages are also used for more private moments – pictures they don’t want to share publicly.

Photo book – With a custom photo book, do the journaling for them. Select images that highlight their photography skills. Mix in candid shots of them in action with camera in hand.

Photo string lights – String lights are a trendy children’s bedroom décor accessory these days. Strings that allow for photos are even better. Kids can showcase their favorite memories and rotate them out frequently.

Best Photography Gifts Under $100

During the holidays, it’s especially important to set a budget and stick to it. This list of photography gifts under $100 will keep you on track and ensure the photographer ends up happy.

Camera bag – A high-quality camera bag should have several compartments inside and a strong, weather-resistant exterior. They come in a variety of shapes, colors, and styles. Find one that is the perfect fit for the recipient.

Quick-release camera strap – The right photo happens in an instant. With a quick-release camera strap, the photographer will be ready to point and shoot.

Digital card reader – A high-speed card reader makes an otherwise tedious task much more efficient. These little devices help transfer huge photo files to a computer in record time. Some are as fast as 1.25 GB per second!

Widescreen LED monitor – Having multiple monitors helps streamline the photo editing process. Bonus points if the monitor has a blue light filter to ease eye strain.

LED lights – Lighting is crucial to photography. But most photographers don’t need studio-level lighting. Small, portable LED lights can be plenty powerful.

Best Photography Gifts Under $50

If the budget is smaller, many great photography gifts exist that won’t break the bank. The following are $50 or less.  

Memory card case – Protecting the memory card is a high priority for any photographer. It’s the right case if it’s waterproof and shock-resistant.

White balance kit – This is a compact accessory that photographers can carry around to help them perfect white balance in their photos. Some kits come with instructional videos for extra guidance.

Reflector disc – Reflector discs help minimize shadows under various lighting conditions. They come in different colors, including gold, silver, black, and white.

Polarizer – A polarized photo features greater contrast, deeper blues, and less glare. Polarizers come in different sizes to fit various camera lenses.

UV filter – UV filters prevent UV light from ruining images. Some photographers use UV filters as a protective barrier for their lenses.

Tripod – You can easily find travel-friendly tripods for under $50. These tripods may not be fully functioning devices. But they’re helpful in a pinch.

Remote control – To master summer night picture ideas like star trails, photographers need a timer to run for several hours. A remote control with a timer helps control the shutter during long wait times.

Bean bags – Those convenient bean bags make for very affordable Christmas gift ideas for Photography lovers. Shop for bean bags that are specifically designed for cameras, or create your own.

Cleaning kit – It doesn’t matter if they already have a cleaning kit. Cleaning solutions are a replenishable item. They can never have enough.  

Custom Photography Gifts

While DIY projects and novelty items are customizable gifts, they often lack a level of sophistication. Enter: custom photography gifts. These tend to be much more elegant and include photo projects, like:

• Wedding albums
• Personalized calendars
• Christmas cards
• Birthday party invitations

Whichever is chosen, be sure to get the best quality product. Otherwise, the gift loses its effect. For top-notch custom photography gifts, turn to Motif. Motif was one of the original printers of Apple’s Photo Print Products. Since 2005, the Motif printers have produced beautiful custom photography gifts that exceed Apple’s high standards.

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