Our Guide to Giving Mom a More Memorable Gift This Year

Spring has sprung and Mother’s Day is right around the corner. It’s time to find a thoughtful gift for Mom, and Photobucket is here to the rescue!

What better way to honor Mom than by sharing your favorite memories together? With just a bit of planning, you can easily create a fun photo gift that she’ll cherish for years to come.

Below are a few tips for creating – and giving – an unexpected gift for Mother’s Day that will allow her to relive happy moments…and put a smile on her face every single day.

From photo books to mobile phone covers to wine openers and more, there are all sorts of gifts you can personalize for Mom. First is to decide what type of gift you’re creating and how many photos you’ll need to use (see our ideas at the end for inspiration), then comes selecting the best shots to showcase in your gifts.

Create a collage of baby pictures, a remembrance of a favorite day or even a collection of shots of her whole brood. Whichever you choose, you can upload your mobile phone pictures and photos onto your PC with ease to create a new Mother’s Day-themed album on Photobucket in which to store these shots for safekeeping. You can always edit them down later, but having them all in one place will give you easy access and will make the project go much more smoothly.

Finally, print your gift by visiting our handy photo gifts page to design your project and have it delivered to your doorstep. It doesn’t get any easier than that!

Stumped on what to make to make Moms’ day? Here are a few of our favorite ideas:

Family Photo Slideshow: Make a slideshow with family photos from throughout the past year. Place it on a digital photo frame, iPad or burn it to DVD for a gift that keeps on giving year-round
DIY Photo Jewelry: Try a cool, DIY project that turns ordinary necklaces, bracelets, key chains and charms into these gorgeous photo keepsakes
Hand-Picked Photo Book: A sweet album allows you to combine your favorite photos and quotes into a personalized album for mom. It’s so easy to create, and you can even view our video about getting started or learn more about our photo book types for added inspiration
Custom Mobile & Tablet Cases: Check out our chic cases, where you can add your own photos and showcase her personality. Score some bonus points by putting the case on her phone Mother’s Day morning
Stainless Steel Travel Mug: One of our most popular items, you can warm Mom’s heart (and her belly!) on those chilly morning commutes with this sleek, modern mug. Add your favorite photos to ensure she’s got miles of smiles ahead of her!

We hope this post has brought you some Momspiration for the May 12, 2012 celebration, and don’t forget that these ideas can apply to Dad’s and grads in the coming months, too!

Get Up-to-Speed on Photobucket with Video Tutorials

In an effort to help both our new and loyal customers settle in to the all-new Photobucket, we recently launched a collection of short videos that provide easy-to-digest tips and tricks to enjoy the new site.

To give you an idea of the topics we cover in the library, here are the latest “Quick Tips” available for viewing:

Whether you’re a newbie or a pro looking to brush up on your technique, we’ll show you how to manage basic – yet essential – site features and capabilities. Other “how-to” topics explored include episodes focused on basic photo uploading to your account, logging in, quick navigation and user settings. There is also this handy video, which shows users around the new and improved Photobucket photo editor.

With a little guidance and knowledge under your belt, we’re confident that the all-new Photobucket will be the one site you need to do everything you want with your photos and videos.

We will continue to update regularly with additional tutorials for getting up-to-speed on all the site has to offer so you can quickly and easily transition to the best Photobucket experience yet. Is there anything in particular that you would like to see a tutorial for? Leave a comment below to let us know!

Happy Exploring!

Five simple tips for taking memorable vacation photos

By Tom Munro, CEO

It’s hard to believe that winter break has already come and gone. I managed to sneak out and take my son skiing last weekend, and I hope you had a chance to squeeze in some family together time before the kids go back to school. Not only do vacations provide families a much-needed break from the daily grind, but I also think they’re a great opportunity to capture some special moments together. And because of that, I wanted to share a few of my favorite quick tips to help you capture those memories while traveling:

Make a plan for power. Not it’s not as fun as thinking about cool backdrops or funny poses, but the simple fact is that dead batteries ruin great photo opportunities. Learn to manage power with spare batteries and chargers (plan ahead with a power adapter, if you’re going international), and you’ll never miss that epic “shot that could have been.”
Protect your gear. Cameras and smartphones are particularly susceptible to damage from moisture and falls, so take proper precautions, especially if you’re active. Invest in a padded, waterproof camera bag, keep memory cards away from anything with a magnetic field while going through airport security, and consider picking up a pack of silica gel to further reduce moisture, if you’re headed someplace humid.
Avoid clichéd shots. Resist the urge to pose people awkwardly in front of landmarks and monuments. Not only will your family’s patience wear thin (I speak from experience), but it also makes for generic pictures post-vacation. Instead, make it a game to challenge the group to create clever poses and compositions that haven’t been done before.
Plant the seed. Usually one person assumes the role of unofficial family photographer, but don’t let that be the default on family trips! They don’t have to be expensive – even a drugstore point-and-shoot will do – but giving kids cameras is a great way to keep them entertained as they capture the vacation from their perspective. You may be pleasantly surprised at what they can come up with!
Remember the three B’s: Bring storage, Back up files – and above all, Be creative! The first two are pretty self-explanatory; there’s no use in taking the time to take great photos if you run out of shots the second day of the trip or – I hate to even say it – accidentally delete everything. So pack ample storage, and remember to regularly transfer photos to your online account (Photobucket!) to make sure those memories are safe. But, bottom line, enjoy your camera, experiment with new lenses, functions and features and just have fun with photography on your trip. Whether it’s an international excursion or a short staycation, you’re making memories that are worth capturing.

If you have any other tips to add, please feel free to share them in the comments below.

-Tom

Tell Your Summer Story!

You took tons of summer photos, and want to make them look their best before showing off, so today we're going to show you cool ways to Share, Print and Edit your photos with those you care about the most!

Editing:

With a few clicks, you can turn your summer photos into creative projects. Here's how:

Log in to Photobucket and click "edit photos" at the top of the page. Select the image you want to edit, which will then launch the image editor:
From here, you can make your summer photos pop with the "Color Splash" effect, or add a cool summery look with the "Cross Process" effect on the Retro Tab. Don't forget to take a look at the other tabs on the page, as there are tons of sweet ways to edit your photo!
To watch a short tutorial on editing ideas, click here!

Sharing:

Sharing your summer photos or even a whole album is fast and easy with Photobucket! Here's a quick way to share a photo:

Log in to your Photobucket account and hover over the image you want to share.
Click the "Share" button. You'll see some options like these:
Click the option that fits your need. You can share using Facebook, Twitter, email and more. Add a message and tell your friends and family what your photo or video is about!
Watch a short tutorial showing you how easy it is to share!

Printing:

Printing photos is a great way to always have your stories with you. From simple prints to fun collages, we offer great options for you to print your summer moments. It's easy:

Log in and click "My Home" at the top of the screen.
Click "Order Prints & More".
We have partnered with the leading printing service, Lifepics, for all your printings needs. You can order prints, make cards, calendars, photo books, and gifts of all sorts!
Click here to get some fun ideas on print projects and learn more!

We hope you enjoyed learning about the easy and fun ways to share your summer memories with friends and family! Keep an eye out for further features we're bringing you at Photobucket!

Create Cute Valentine’s Day Greetings

Get creative this Valentine’s Day and send your special valentine cute greetings and messages! Whether it’s showing love to your BFF, boyfriend, girlfriend, mom or dad, we have launched a bunch of features and tools to help you create your perfect greeting. Here are some ideas for your Valentine’s Day project:

Create a slideshow!

Turn your favorite photos into a video-like slideshow with a heart themed border and transition! Slideshows are a fun way to bring movement to your photos and remember them in a unique way. Click here to start!

Add cute stickers and icons

From scene-looking smiley faces to adorable “I love you” stickers, add something fun to your photos! Look for the Valentine’s Day tab in the image editor or click here to start creating!

Want to be cupid?

You can! Insert your face into a cupid body and send it your friends! Get started here! (Or click "edit" on the photo you want to use and click the Valentine's tab)

Have a huge crush on some cutie? There’s no time like the present to show them you like them, type a cute little message and see what can happen!

Want to get really fancy?! Try a neat effect of chopping up your photo and making a cool collage out of it.

1. Select the photo you want to use and click “edit”.

2. On the “Basic” tab, click “crop”

3. Crop the photo in 4 equal parts (or as equal as you can get). Select the first area and click “save a copy”.

Select your original photo again and crop it again, but this time in the middle of the photo. Click “save a copy”.

Do this 2 more times so you have a total of 4 photos.

Once you are back in the album, Click “edit photos” and “create collage”.

Select the “1×4” portrait layout and load each photo that you just created.

Optionally you can change the background color to a festive red.

Once you are happy with your photo, click “customize” and type a message, add stickers or anything you want to add to the photo.Voila!

Fall Photography Tips

Fall is a great time to experiment with your camera and capture some beautiful colors. From gorgeous landscapes to intimate close-up shots of leaves, here are some photography tips and ideas on how to photograph fall foliage:

Composition: This term is used when talking about how objects are positioned in a photo. How you compose a shot is telling a story of what you want to focus on. In the photo below, the focus is on the red leaf compared to the neutral colors of the rocks in the background. Try off-centering objects in your photo to show what you want to focus on.

Perspective: This is similar to composition but is more about the photographer's position in relation to the shot. Are you standing above a leaf looking down on a leaf? Or do you want to catch a sunset behind a tree? Where you are in relation to the object affects the perspective of the photo. In the photo below the photographer got to eye-level with the leaf to get a level view.

Macro: Macro photography is a style of shooting images super close-up where you see lots of texture and detail. Check out our previous tutorial on how to turn on the macro feature on your camera. Most all cameras have this feature and it's a great setting to experiment and play around with. Try turning on your macro setting and get great leaf and pumpkin textures.

Color Adjustment: After you have uploaded your great fall shots to Photobucket, try enhancing them with simple and easy color adjustments. Select the photo you want to edit and on the "Basic
tab, click "Adjust." Slide the modules to adjust the coloring and saturation you like best.

Before:

After:

Color Splash: Apply the fun and eye-catching color splash effect to your fall photos and get a unique look! Click here for directions on how to make a color splash photo.

Fireworks Tutorial

Happy 4^th of July! If you are planning on taking
in some fireworks this year to ring in the 4^th, here are some easy
tips on how to take great looking shots.

Point-and-Shoot Cameras:

Turn off the flash of your
camera. (Flash is a lightning bolt looking icon.)
Use a tripod – It will eliminate camera shake which causes your photos to
be blurry.
Change your camera to Night
Mode. Refer to your camera’s manual on how to navigate to this mode.
Low ISO (80-100) – You
don’t need a high ISO because the fireworks won’t stand out in the photo
like you want them to with a high ISO and you don’t want a grainy looking
photo.
Don't press the shutter as
soon as the fireworks explode. Instead wait for the trails to appear and
take your shot. Play around with timing to get a shot that you like.

SLR Cameras:

Use a tripod
For best results use a remote
release, it will reduce camera shake.
Switch to bulb mode and
the shutter will remain open as long as you hold the shutter down.
Shutter: Slow shutter to around
3 seconds.
Aperture: A small aperture
F8 will make the firework trails thin and dark, whereas a larger aperture
such as 2.8 will make them thicker and lighter. Experiment with your
aperture setting to see what you like best.
Low ISO (80-100), you
don’t need a high ISO because the fireworks won’t pop in the photo like
you want them to with a high ISO and you don’t want a grainy looking
photo.

Check out our Fireworks category and enter your photos in
our 4^th of July Contest!

Create Funny Father’s Day Greetings

Father's Day is June 20th and instead of giving the gift of a tie, grill or slipper set, make Dad something he will remember. Easily create a fun and free Father's Day greeting card with our Image Editor features. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Click the "Edit" link above the photo you want to edit. Hint: Try experimenting on an old picture with funny expressions.

2. Click the "Decorate" Tab, then click "Text" to add funny text. Type in your message, and select the font size, color and for the message.

3. Explore the other editing features such as adding stickers or borders if you want to add additional unique effects.

4. . Click "Save a Copy" after you are satisfied with all your edits, and you have yourself a funny and personal Father's Day greeting!

Check out our Father's Day Category for more inspiration and ideas!

Create a Graduation Collage

Create a fun collage with all your memorable graduation photos! Here are a few simple steps to create one:

1. Navigate to the album that you want to use to create a collage. Click on the "Edit Images" link at the top.

2. Click "Create a Collage" on the dialog box that appears.The Collage Creator launches.

3. Select the layout that you want.

4. Click "Load Photo" to select the photo you want programmed in that spot. Repeat as necessary.

5. Click "Customize" at the top of the Collage Creator after you fill all the spots.The Image Editor appears.

6. Add a border, add text, add stickers, etc. all to your collage.

7. Click "Save a copy" to save your collage.

Voila! You now have a great keepsake for all your fun graduation photos!

Create Mother’s Day Greetings

Your momma is so….WONDERFUL AND BEAUTIFUL! Show Mom you love her with a unique greeting on your favorite picture. It's simple to create a personalized and memorable photo card that Mom will always remember. Here are a few tips:

1. Click the "Edit" button above the photo you want to edit:

You are now in the Image Editor.
2. Click on the "Decorate" Tab, then click "Borders". Select a border that you'd like to add to your photo. You can adjust the width of the border, color, etc. at the top of this page so be on the lookout for those options. The photo below uses the "Daises" border.

3. Add a special message! On the "Decorate" Tab, click on the "Text" box. Enter a message and select a font, font color, and size.

4. Add some stickers! On the "Decorate" tab, click on the "stickers" button. Browse through dozens of stickers and select any that you like.

5. After you are satisfied with all your edits, click "Save a Copy" of your photo and you have yourself a lovely unique Mother's Day greeting!

Log in your account and start editing! Not sure what to say? Head over to our Mother's Day category and find a greeting that fits your personality!

Photobucket.com

The blog of Photobucket.com with all your photos & videos and everything you want to do with them.

Category Archives: Tutorials