Photography Presents: Memorable Gifts for All Occasions

Throughout time, the gift of a preserved memory has been something to be treasured. From the earliest paintings given to loved ones through today’s modern equivalents, the photograph is a gift that will be proudly displayed and oftentimes passed on. Where can you find the perfect solution for your gifting needs? Whether you’re going to send a picture of little baby Janie to grandma for Christmas, or want to present a prettily posed photo of yourself to your sweetie for valentine’s day, today’s technology has given us the ability to preserve our memories in ways never before possible. Presented here are the top ten photography gifts available online. From traditional canvas paintings to quirky stamps, all your gift giving needs are covered here. Photo Gifts – Where to Go and What to Get The value of a photograph is immeasurable. They forever freeze a moment in time, making of our memories a tangible piece of evidence. We were there, we did that, and we have the photos to prove it. In no particular order, here are the best ten photography gifts available today; no matter what you go with, you’ll end up with jaw-dropping results. Photo Paintings: www.canvasondemand.com  One of the most beautiful photo gifts in the list, Canvas on Demand creates a gallery-wrapped canvas art piece that has the look and feel of a traditional canvas painting. The techniques available include Photorealistic, which is basically a standard transfer of your photograph onto a canvas and professionally finished without any effects, and Light Brush Strokes, which involves an artist creating each brushstroke by hand, without the use of filters, and rendering the full photo on canvas – this technique results in a breath-taking piece of artwork that has the look and feel of an oil painting. Other techniques like sepia-tone, collage, and restoration are also available. To set your beautiful artwork off, you can further choose how you want the image to be displayed. Canvas on Demand offers to “Gallery Wrap” your image for free, or to frame it in a modern, dark hardwood frame. What’s the difference? Gallery Wrap involves wrapping the canvas of your image around its frame, creating a studio-quality image. Framed images are boxed in a contemporary black wood frame. To find out more, visit www.canvasondemand.com or give them a call toll-free, (800) 801-6312. Photo Stamps: www.zazzle.com  Dress up your holiday correspondence or include a sheet of these inside a card to remind a loved one to write (and give them the means to do so). Photo Stamps are actual U.S. postage which allows you to use your customized stamps, your own text and photos, to send letters both within the United States and internationally. ZazzleStamps, Pitney Bowes, and the U.S. Postal Service teamed up to offer this unique service, which marks the first time consumers have been able to design their own postage. Creating your stamps is extremely easy, using a great wizard interface. You can choose an image from Zazzle’s Community gallery, or upload one of your own. Each step of the design process is fully explained, giving you the ability to rotate, crop, and add your own text to the stamps you’re creating. Once you’re satisfied with the photo stamp you’ve made, you just click “Finish” and order your product. Zazzle will ship the stamps to you in sheets of 20, making for a perfect gift or letter-topper that really expresses your creativity in a meaningful way. Photo Books: www.imagestation.com  Want a high-impact gift that costs less than $10? Sony ImageStation has your solution: ultra-cool photo flip books. Available in both 4x6 and 5x7 photo sizes, these flip books will hold up to 60 pages of photography and text. They’re spiral bound, and feature a protective front and back cover so that your precious memories are kept safe. If you’ve got a few more minutes to spend designing, and a few more bucks to spend purchasing, you can take the photo book up a full notch. ImageStation’s AlbumPrint™ Photo Books are veritable coffee-table masterpieces, printed on high-quality glossy paper and professionally bound in your choice of style. Choose from linen, soft vinyl, or high-gloss covers and dozens of pre-made layouts for the pages. These albums allow for large amounts of text, including full poetry if you feel so inclined. Either of the photo books can be made using a step-by-step wizard that literally walks you right through the upload of your photographs, placement on the pages, and final touches. Photo Purses: www.bagettes.com  A unique idea that doesn’t quite take you to the over-done “Picture on a T-Shirt”, Bagettes lets you create customized cosmetic bags, bridesmaid bags, coin purses, golf accessories, and totes. Becoming a fast success as party favors and brides-maid gifts, these little photo bags will take you anywhere in a style all your own. Some of the great ideas on their website will get you started, but what about a coin purse for mom, that features her child’s artwork? Guaranteed to bring lots of smiles, and probably a few joyful tears. Photo Playing Cards: www.iprint.com  When I found these playing cards, a million possibilities ran through my mind; everything from glamour shots of yourself given to your sweetheart to an I Love You message. These are the perfect Boyfriend Gift or Husband Gift, without a doubt. Using pre-designed templates, iprint helps you create an authentic playing card set, complete with 2 jokers and measuring the standard playing card size of 2 ¼ x 3 ½ inches. Their online wizard lets you choose a layout, pick from their graphics or upload your own images, and even add your own custom text. Heirloom Quality Photo Quilt: www.personalcreations.com  There is something timeless about the heirloom quilt, and Personal Creations has turned that idea into a photo quilt without compare. Here, you will not find a cheesy multi-colored nightmare. Instead, the quilts offered up are gorgeous Victorian beauties ready to be hung or displayed proudly. Your family photos make up the design of their elegant heirloom quilts. Depending on which of the two styles of quilt you choose to work with, you are asked to upload about 6 images which they will crop for orientation if it’s necessary. From there, Personal Creations takes your images and turns them into something that will be cherished; you might want to buy one for yourself, because when you receive the quilt, you’ll be hard-pressed to give it away. Along with the quilts, you might want to check out their Victorian Photo Pillow to top off the gift. Children’s Photo Books: www.shutterfly.com   If your gift-giving list includes a baby or toddler, you won’t be able to find anything more fun and creative than these personalized children’s books. Shutterfly currently offers four stories to personalize: “Picture Me One, Two, and Three”, “My Grandma & Me Photo Memory Book”, “My Family Photo Memory Book”, and the “Peek a Boo Picture Books”. Depending on the story and style you choose to work with, you’ll get to upload 1 to several images. The Peek a Boo Picture Books are the easiest, involving the upload of just one photo of the child which will be seen page after page as the little one moves through the story as the main character. Even better? Choose any of these picture books, and total cost including shipping is under $15 – a great, unique gift that won’t break the budget.