Best Ways to Share Photos During the Holidays

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It’s easy to take a million photos during the holidays and just let them sit on your phone, especially if you don’t know what you would do with them if you printed them. However, there are many creative ways to compile your photos and share them at the holidays.

Of course, as a classic holiday tradition, one of the main reasons for sending a holiday card is to share family photos. Digital holiday cards are an easy way to let you get your friends and family caught up on your year through photos - not just for Christmas but for occasions throughout the year. 

From digital scrapbooks to photo-sharing apps and slideshows, there are a wide variety of ways to share family photos. If you want a way to share photos with extended family, it may even be helpful to send out a digital invitation to organize an event for other family members to help collaborate on your photo project. 


Photo Sharing Apps & Websites

Get your photos off your phone so other people can enjoy them! Consider uploading pictures to a photo-sharing website like Shared Albums on Memento. Photo-sharing apps and sites are a simple and convenient way to share photos with a select group of friends and family. You can create different folders within your Shared Album to help organize pictures and choose with whom you share each folder. 

Hosting a Cookie Exchange this year? Create a Shared Album and send the link or QR code to guests before the celebration so they can upload their own pics while they jingle and mingle. Share the album with everyone after the party for an excellent way to relive the fun and festivities. Contributors can download files in their original, full resolution and - best of all - it's free!  

Shared Albums are also an excellent way to find pictures to use for photo Christmas eCards. Look through photos from the last year to find the best pictures of the kids to include in your holiday card. 


Digital Scrapbooks

Scrapbooking is a way to save memories and photos in a way that combines creativity and crafting. Scrapbooking has been around for a long time. According to a survey by Creative Keepsakes magazine, scrapbooking peaked in popularity in 2004 when it was a $2.55 billion industry! Since then, the hobby has split in two directions -- physical and digital scrapbooking. Digital scrapbooking provides numerous benefits over paper scrapbooks such as no supplies, no cleanup, more customizable, less bulk, and easy-to-fix/make changes. All you need to get started is a computer and your digital photos. 

There are numerous web platforms that will help you get started with your digital scrapbook: 

  • FlipHTML5: Create professional-looking scrapbooks from existing PDFs and images, very customizable, rich media options like music and video. Publishing options include a homepage and bookcases for your scrapbooks. 
  • Cliptomize: No need to download software, this web-based solution lets you upload photos and videos, add text and choose from various backgrounds to customize your scrapbook. 
  • Qeepsake: Baby’s first Christmas? Save these important milestones to your online journal along with photos that can be compiled into a digital or printed memory book. 

Collage 

Sometimes it’s nice to share photos in a creative way. This is where a collage can be a fun activity to involve the kids. A digital collage can be shared on social media to show friends and family what you’ve done. For example: create a collage that shows your day building gingerbread houses for the holidays or decorating the Christmas tree. Sure, it’s fun to post the “after” of these activities (the finished product), but what about the silly, special moments that happen during. Take some snapshots and create a collage to remember these moments. Relatives near and far will appreciate the sneak peek behind the scenes! 

Here are a few easy ways to create a photo collage: 

  • Adobe Spark: Fun and free software that lets you upload your own images, drop in text and get creative with fonts and styling. They also have stickers and icons to customize. 
  • Canva: Simple drag-and-drop functionality, free icons, and shapes to decorate your photos, a variety of photo filters, and hundreds of awesome fonts. 
  • BeFunky: Upload your photos to their Collage Wizard and they automatically create a collage for you. Customizable layouts designed specifically for sharing through social media platforms like Facebook and Pinterest. 

Slideshows

The holidays are often a time to celebrate with family. If you want to make a new tradition this year, compile all of your best family photos from the last 12 months into a slideshow that can be shared with family -- either in person or digitally. 

If you choose to go the slideshow route, there are a few things to keep in mind. 

  • Try to showcase all family members evenly throughout. You don’t want anyone to think you have favorites. 
  • Choose the right music to accompany the slideshow or video. Music should be family-friendly, not too loud, and the right length. 
  • Don’t make it too long. Consider how you plan to share the slideshow and factor that into the length. You can probably get away with something longer if you plan to show it in person. 
The idea of creating a slideshow from your family photos may sound daunting. However, Shared Albums on Memento lets you easily gather photos and create a customizable slideshow.  

  • Set the pause time on photos.
  • Show or hide photo captions.
  • Choose background music.
  • Easily share the slideshow with a simple link.

Customized Accessories

Another fantastic way to use your family photos is through personalized products -- either for yourself or as gifts for others. Most products can be personalized with photos and there are a number of awesome companies out there that can do this. Personalized items make terrific holiday gifts, especially for grandparents! 

Check out these sites to see what types of personalized photo gifts you can order: 

  • Zazzle: Put your favorite photo on t-shirts, pillows, mugs, keychains, and much more. Easily upload your photos in minutes. 
  • Etsy: Many sellers on Etsy offer unique gifts such as a personalized jigsaw puzzle, personalized children’s book, and even a personalized kaleidoscope. 
  • Snapfish: Snapfish lets you store photos and purchase personalized items such as Christmas ornaments, tote bags, notebooks, and phone cases. 
Hopefully, this article has provided you with a number of ways to use and share your photos this holiday season and create new traditions for years to come. 


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