Photo Tips

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We at metrobabycards.com feel that your baby's photo should be the focus of your birth announcement, not our designs. We feel the photo is so important that this topic deserves its own section on our website. We adjust each photo to make your baby look his or her best, but this is much easier to do when we start out with a great photo. The following are some tips to help you get outstanding photos of your baby.

Digital Camera Settings

Image quality is highly important in order to achieve the best final print possible. If you are using a digital camera, first make sure you have it set on the highest resolution setting possible and the least amount of compression. Turn off the date stamp feature on your camera.

Lighting

In most cases, natural light will produce the best results. Try taking pictures of your baby near a bright window or in a room lit up by natural sunlight. Avoid direct sunlight. Avoid using the flash if possible. The soft light of a lamp is better than using flash.

Clothing/Background

Avoid busy backgrounds and clothes - they will only cause distraction from your baby. The focus should be your baby's face, and not the clothes. Use a simple blanket, sheet or towel to make a backdrop for your shot. Try outfits that are simple and in a solid color (or no outfit at all!). Plan a contrasting shot - if your baby is wearing a light outfit, put a darker background behind him or her.

Position

Get down to your baby's level and avoid the 'from above' shots. Photograph your baby in a sitting or lying position. Prop your baby up in a Boppy, on a pillow, or against the arm of a sofa/chair. You can also cover the Boppy, pillow, sofa/chair with a blanket or sheet. Sleeping shots are also very nice. Allow some room in your shot for us to have some flexibility when designing your announcement.

Happy Baby

Taking pictures of newborns can be very frustrating! For a pleasant experience for both you and your baby, time your photo session for when your baby is fed, well rested, and alert. If your baby is not enjoying the photo session, it will definitely be apparent in the pictures! Take a break and try again at another time.

Clear Images

While we can correct brightness, contrast and color balance, we cannot correct a blurry or grainy image. Make sure your photo is clear.

Professional Photos

When using a professional photo, you must get permission from the studio. By ordering from metrobabycards.com, you certify that you have obtained permission from your photographer for us to use the image in your birth announcement.

Scanner Settings

When scanning your photo, scan it at a resolution of 300 dpi. Save as a .jpg or .tif file.

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SENDING PHOTOS

Digital Photo

E-mail the raw, unedited and uncropped photo as a .jpg or .tif file to info@metrobabycards.com. Do not compress the file to make it more e-mail friendly. Make sure you include your name and your baby's name in the e-mail. We will make any adjustments necessary to achieve the best print possible.

Physical Photo

E-mail us at info@metrobabycards.com and we will provide you with our mailing address. Original photos will be returned with your order.

 

If you are unsure about the photo you want to use, send it to us and we will give you our professional opinion. If you would like, you can send us several photos - your favorite and a backup or two. We will let you know if we feel that your photo will not produce a good final print.