It's the holiday season—time for festive get-togethers, gifting galore and the ever-popular holiday greeting card. Even in today’s digital age, according to the United States Postal Service, Americans send more than 1.1 billion season's greetings by snail mail every year.
Not only is it a fun tradition, but for many it’s a welcome reminder of connection and cheer during what can be an emotionally fraught time of year—a simple gesture that helps support positive mental health and wellness.
“Holiday photo cards have always been a great way to create tangible connections,” says Rudy Kucera, senior director, divisional merchandise manager at Walgreens and lead of the photo business. “It’s something that helps folks document special moments in their lives and share them with family and friends.”
When it comes to taking or choosing the perfect holiday card photo, it can be challenging to find something just right that highlights friends, family and our furry companions. Kucera pulls from his nearly 20 years of photo business experience to share four quick tips to help you make the most of your time taking photos or picking the right one to wrap up this year. Plus, Same Day Pickup* available in as little as an hour in over 7,800 locations can save you in a last-minute time crunch.
Tip #1: Highlight candid moments
Don’t rule out the day-to-day moments or scenic settings that matter to you or your loved ones for your holiday card. Candid moments captured on camera convey authenticity, warmth and humor that shine through.
“Those unexpected or action moments over the year that struck you with inspiration and you snapped a picture are great,” says Kucera. Have a picture of the kids playing outside at the playground, playing board games or having a movie night? What about family pictures from last year’s holiday gatherings? Include these candid moments in a Year in Review card from Walgreens and share a heartfelt note to those on your holiday card list.
Helpful hack: Scroll through photos you’ve marked as “Favorites” on your phone, desktop or cloud photo storage app to find memorable pics from the year. You can upload options to Walgreens Photo directly from your phone or computer, or from Google Photos App and Facebook.
Tip #2: Let the card design inspire you
Rather than starting with planning a family photoshoot or going through a year's worth of pictures, look through holiday card options on the Walgreens Photo site and Walgreens Mobile App to let your favorite design inspire you.
“Whatever your heart desires, we have a template and an option for you,” says Kucera, highlighting the thousands of layouts in dozens of categories available now from Walgreens Photo.
Find a collage card to add your top three photos to, or maybe a Happy New Year card fits your favorite family outfits. Walgreens cards with metallic foil detail give a great New Year’s look and feel that you can match to your celebratory evening looks.
Tip #3: Use lighting to your advantage
To take the best photos outside or indoors with natural light, focus on “golden hour” right after sunrise and right before sunset. This time of day will accentuate the natural glow of your surroundings, and the light won't cast harsh shadows.
“Photos that are vivid, with sufficient contrast from enough lighting, usually make the best options,” says Kucera. “In general, if it looks good on your phone or camera, it will look good on the card.”
Once you have your favorite photo chosen, there are simple editing tools on the Walgreens Photo site or in your phone you can use to bump up the professional look. Bringing up the exposure a bit to brighten the photos along with increasing the contrast and saturation to bring out those colors works wonders. A little editing goes a long way, especially if there are rosy cheeks or noses from seasonal sniffles. Consider a black and white photo filter in that case.
Tip #4: Focus on your furry family members
While weddings, baby photos and other exciting moments fill in a lot of holiday cards, don’t forget your favorite furry companions. Take pictures this year and all season long having fun with your pets, hanging out in your favorite cozy spot or playing with their favorite toys.
Or you can have fun with photos of your pets from the past year—did they splash around in the pool this summer or wear a fun Halloween costume? Add them to a Walgreens pet-themed card template for the perfect pawliday greetings to share with friends, family and other furry friends.
“Pet holiday cards have exploded in popularity over the years,” says Kucera. “Pets are very important members of people's families, and this is a chance to spotlight them.”
Helpful hack: Use Walgreens Mail-For-Me cards to have your designed cards stamped and mailed to your entire address list so you can spend less time at the post office and more time at the dog park. All you have to do is create your cards, add your mailing info and recipient addresses, prepay and Walgreens will mail for you. One more task checked off the holiday to-do list.
Need gift ideas? Give a memory with Walgreens Photo gifts
In addition to holiday photo cards, Walgreens has many other photo gifts to consider giving to a friend or loved one. Order canvases, ornaments, photo books, calendars, puzzles, party coasters and more for those on your shopping list, and fill any last-minute gifting needs with Same Day Pickup.
Walgreens Photo Holiday Gifts
“Traditional photo prints and enlargements that customers will frame themselves, or use with our canvas or poster printing formats, are still a very popular option,” says Kucera. “There's a more physical component to it, versus just swiping through your phone, that folks love.”
As the season quickly approaches, Walgreens has everything you need for your festive photo dreams and fun gifts on an affordable budget with quick turnaround. With the code 60CARDS4U you can get 60% off all Photo Cards & Premium Stationery through early January** on the Walgreens Photo site.
* Exclusions and restrictions apply. See Walgreens.com for details.
**Must use code 60CARDS4U at checkout to receive 60% off all Photo Cards and Premium Stationery through Walgreens.com/Photo or the Walgreens Mobile App. Offer expires at 11:59 p.m. CT on January 4, 2025, based on Walgreens server clock. Offer not valid in store. Complete details at https://photo.walgreens.com/store/offer-details-sem#60CARDS4U.
