Share Your Stories Electronically
This is the time that most of us think about how to share the news of the past year and greetings for 2018 with friends and family. Over time I transitioned from sending printed cards purchased off the shelf, to customizing my cards with one of my photos, such as the one below from a trip to Mexico, to finally using electronic means to share my greetings. There are many options to consider, so I thought that I would share a few ideas.
Newsletters: Initially I created a newsletter using a template from Pages on my Mac to insert text and photos. I converted it to a PDF to send via email. If you don’t use a Mac try a Word document. Word has templates in its project gallery for newsletters that can be used to create your holiday greetings.
Collages: Regardless if you use a newsletter template, or send a written letter, maximize impact and space by creating a photo collage. PicMonkey and Fotor are easy, free resources to create collages.
Slideshows: Creating a slideshow is more involved, but an excellent way to send your news to family and friends. Many photo editing programs can make slideshows. Smilebox has fun, free templates, so check them out!
Photo Narratives: A few years ago I discovered an interesting site, Exposure.co, that I now use for my holiday photo narrative. When completed it looks like a personal website, and as your readers scroll down they can read your story along with high-resolution photos. Once published, all you need to do is email the link to your site for easy access. The free version allows up to three posts, and since I used it only for my holiday greetings, it works perfectly. If you travel or have many stories to share, for a small fee you can get unlimited posts, custom domains, password-protected posts, advanced statistics, and more.
I am sure that you have great photos that your family and friends would love to see, so consider sharing your holiday greetings electronically this year. It is good for the environment and your pocketbook.
I love hearing from you, so comment below, post on Camera Walking's Facebook page, or send an email. And, as the holidays approach, remember to go out Camera Walking to achieve better health, fitness, and creativity.
