Turn Your Digital Photography Into a 2009 Calendar

Turning your photography into a gift for the festive season is not difficult. All it takes is a little forward planning. If you want to make a calendar of your own photos for 2009, now is the time to get started.

We all love taking photos, but in the digital age, most of our pictures never make it past the computer screen. As a result, most of our best photos are never seen by family and friends; the people who would appreciate them the most.

Could you find twelve photos in your files that would make a good gift for someone special?

A calendar of your own photos does not have to be artistic or feature professional-standard photography. What people will appreciate is that you have gone to the effort to produce something original, just for them. Even better, you can tailor-make each calendar to suit the recipient.

For the grandparents, what better gift than a collection of photos of the grandchildren? For the girlfriend or boyfriend, a calendar featuring your special days together throughout the year is a perfect memento. If you have relatives overseas, why not a photo of each member of the family, mixed with some local scenery. What better way to tempt them to visit more often?

Of course if you take your photography more seriously, you don't have to be quite so sentimental. You may be able to come up with a collection of twelve images that are every bit as good (or better) than all the calendars on the commercial market. Why give a mass-produced calendar from the local gift shop, featuring random photos from some anonymous photographer? The calendar you give will be high quality, but it will also be unique. You will feel the great pride that comes with giving a gift of your own personal work, and enjoy the feedback from impressed family and friends.

There are several reasons why a 2009 calendar makes a good gift. Calendars are easy to post; you can send them anywhere in the world relatively cheaply, without fear of breakage.

This is better than trying to post a framed photo, which must be heavily packed to guard against breaking, and cost a fortune to post.

If you give someone an unframed photograph, chances are it will end up at the bottom of a cupboard. You see, if you give someone an unframed photo, they will have to go to the expense of having it framed before it can be hung on the wall. Custom picture framing can be ridiculously expensive; your recipient will have to spend more on the frame than you spent on the gift and the postage.

On the other hand, a calendar is a gift that will almost certainly be used. Everyone needs at least one calendar at home or at work, and all that is required is a nail to hang it from. There is no cost involved so it will go on the wall to be admired straight away. The favourite photos will most likely be kept and framed at the end of the year, so your gift will have long term impact.

Having considered all this, don't you think it is time you took a good look at the photos on your computer? Think about the time and effort that went into taking them, and remember what you had in mind at the time. Surely you wanted these photos to be shared and enjoyed with friends and family. A 2009 calendar is a perfect unique gift; inexpensive, creative and personal. You have already done the most important part - taking the photos. Now is the time to start planning to turn them into a truly special gift.