Tag: photos Page 1 of 3

how to look photo-ready for st patricks day

How to Look Photo-Ready for St. Patrick’s Day and Beyond

Looking picture-perfect is a goal many strive for. This is especially true on holidays like St. Patrick’s Day, where office parties and parades are abundant and pictures are captured to commemorate the events. If you’re worried about your celebrations not being photogenic enough, now is the perfect time to set yourself up for success on St. Patrick’s Day and beyond. Make sure you’re photo-ready for whatever event is thrown your way with these tips and tricks!

Let your outfit take center stage in photos

You wouldn’t want to look back on your photos from St. Patrick’s Day and only be able to notice that ketchup stain on your shirt. You will want to make sure your outfit is picked out and planned beforehand to avoid having to rush while getting ready. You also will want to make sure the outfit blends in at whatever activity you’re going to. You don’t want to be the only one dressed up as a leprechaun at your office party, nor would you like to be the only one not wearing green to the bar. Ask around and see if what your co-workers or friends are wearing aligns with your planned outfit for the day.

This advice actually goes beyond just St. Patrick’s Day. Make sure to plan your outfit accordingly for all the events and parties you attend. Just like wearing a color other than green on St. Patrick’s Day, you do not want to be the only one besides the bride wearing white to your friend’s wedding.

Picking out the outfit beforehand will not only save you some time getting ready on the day of the event, but it will also give you some peace of mind that what you’re wearing will be appropriate for the big day. This will let you focus on socializing with friends or co-workers, and not on your shirt being inside out. It will also help you show off your confidence in photos!

Strike a pose

It’s normal to feel uncomfortable in front of the camera, especially when you’re lacking in confidence. Try planning out what pictures you want to snap for the night and how to best pose for them! For group photos, try thinking about where you’ll want to position yourself. You don’t want to be the shortest of the group and get stuck behind your tallest friend at the last second. Being prepared for whatever picture may be captured can also help give you a confidence boost. Plus, a great pose can highlight your body’s best features and minimize the parts you aren’t too confident about.

It’s important that you do some research beforehand (even if your ‘research’ is just practicing poses in the mirror) to see what feels most natural and shows off your figure in the best light. Check out some of these tips to see how you should be posing for pictures!

Get a good night’s sleep and show off your energetic side

Once again, you wouldn’t want to look back on your pictures and only be able to focus on the dark circles under your eyes. Most adults need at least seven hours of sleep every night to feel their best. This is especially important on days like St. Patrick’s Day, when bar hopping and staying out late is common for many. Make sure you’re getting in enough z’s before any big event to ensure you’re looking well-rested in photos!

Getting a good night’s rest before an eventful day like St. Patrick’s Day will be a life-saver, and this will show in the pictures you capture too.

Make sure your skin is glowing and photo-ready

While most photos won’t show every blemish and imperfection on your skin, making sure you’ve maintained a consistent skincare routine will help your skin have a youthful and glowing appearance in photos. The first step to achieving this is to know your skin type. If you have oily and acne-prone skin, a heavy moisturizer may not be the best idea. Do some digging to find out what type of products work best with your skin type. If you’re not exactly sure what category you fit into, be sure to check out this guide.

Next, you’ll want to find the best products for you. Pay attention to how your skin reacts to certain products and watch out for signs of irritation such as bumps or rashes. What may seem like a good product may actually leave your skin looking red and irritated in pictures with friends.

Men should also mind their skincare. If your skin is on the sensitive side, make sure to grab a skin-protecting shaving kit that will give you a clean shave without razor bumps and cuts. This will help you look and feel your best when the camera flash goes off!

Show off your smile

Last but certainly not least, you’ll want to make sure your teeth are taken care of before the big day. Often, the first thing anyone notices in a picture is their smile. The last thing you would want to notice after the camera flashes is a piece of food stuck in your teeth. Make sure your teeth are brushed and flossed just before you leave for your big plans so you can show off that smile. Whitening your teeth doesn’t have to be expensive and time-consuming! If you really want to go the extra mile and achieve a whiter smile, there are lots of simple home remedies that will do the trick. It’s never a bad thing to have the brightest and biggest smile in the room when you ‘say cheese’ before the picture is snapped.

Once the photos are taken and St. Patrick’s Day has come and gone, make sure you can always look back on them with a Nixplay digital frame. Thinking back on those memories with a smile will be the icing on the cake! We hope these tips will help you prepare for your St. Patrick’s Day parties and beyond!

Gen Z: When Real Meets Digital

Gen Z: When Real Meets Digital

The next time you point to millennials as the masterminds behind a new slang word or a viral online trend, you might want to inspect another group: Gen Z. These are the people born between 1997 and 2012 and thus, have never known life without the internet.

Since their earliest years, Gen Z had been conditioned to polish and prime their online presence in order to become the most presentable version of themselves. Their selfies, for example, go through a painstaking selection and editing process before being posted online.

It’s not just the selfies

This habit of zooming in to every detail to project a picture-perfect life extends beyond selfies. Nearly all photos that make it to their social media accounts, from family pictures to food shots to travel snaps, are subject to the same stringent curation process. And they certainly wouldn’t mind going out of their comfort zones for a jaw-dropping photo.

Unclear but Present Danger

However, maintaining a Pinterest-worthy online presence has its perils. The more we rely on technology to improve our lives, the more accessible our data becomes. The laptops and mobile phones that we can’t live without could easily be used to spy on us. Everything from your location to your passwords and financial details, as well as mundane things, such as what you had for dinner last night, can be uncovered online. Data privacy is—and will always be—an ever-pressing concern, and Gen Z, given the speed at which they adopt the latest apps and trends, are the most vulnerable.

Here at Nixplay, we use the most modern physical, managerial, and technical safeguards that are designed to improve the integrity and security of your photos, videos, and other personally identifiable information. The servers on which personal information is stored are kept in a controlled environment with limited access, and your data is encrypted and protected using the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol. Nixplay is also GDPR-compliant, and we will let you access and even delete your data that we store, upon your request.

Your online safety and privacy is our priority. With Nixplay, you can ensure that you’re sharing your moments safely and securely.

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.

appo photo organizers conference

Wine, Friendship, and Photo Organizing: What You Can Expect at the 7th National Photo Organizing Conference

Nixplay is in New Mexico to join one of our long-term partners, the Association of Personal Photo Organizers (APPO), in celebrating their Seventh National Photo Organizing Conference. We talked to APPO founder Cathi Nelson to give us some insights on how this event can open up opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs who are passionate about helping people tell their stories through photos and videos.

Please tell us about APPO.

Cathi Nelson: APPO is a professional organization that provides community, education, access to quality products, and entrepreneurial business knowledge to support the growth and success of professional photo organizers.

What can people expect for this year’s annual conference?

Cathi Nelson: APPO’s National Conference is the only educational conference for photo organizers in the world. The conference features dozens of small group and interactive learning workshops, led by an impressive collection of passionate experts and certified photo organizers. We cover all aspects of the art and business of photo organizing, with topics focused on photo organizing techniques, skill development, client management, pricing and profitability, and marketing and sales.

We’re excited to offer an educational lineup that meets the needs of today’s astute photo organizer. We proudly partner with top-quality sponsors and vendors, eager to support the growing field of photo organizing with a marketplace designed to showcase leading-edge products and services.

What has happened over the course of 10 years?

Cathi Nelson: Ten years ago, being a photo organizer was not a profession. Today, we have over 700 members in eight countries. We have been featured in countless news articles, podcasts, and blogs, including The New York Times, Better Homes and Gardens, The Wall Street Journal, and Real Simple. Our members have helped thousands of clients preserve their memories, especially after fires and floods.

How has Nixplay helped you achieve your goals as an organization?

Cathi Nelson: Nixplay is an amazing partner to photo organizers. They provide quality products and support the work of independent business owners. Nixplay frames offer photo organizers the option to return a client’s digitized collection to them in a unique way, giving all family members the joy of seeing photos from the past and connecting them with memories happening at the moment. Part of our mission as an organization is to connect our members with quality products to help them in their work, and Nixplay has been the perfect partner.

What are your future plans for APPO?

Cathi Nelson: We envision APPO to grow to thousands of professional photo organizers as the need for our services increases. APPO is built around the values of mutual support, shared success, and giving back. Cooperation, not competition, will help us grow into the future.

What’s your advice for Nixplay Smart Frame owners who might still be struggling to digitize and organize their photos?

Cathi Nelson: We have two resources for those who want to Do It Themselves. The first is my book, Photo Organizing Made Easy, available on Amazon.

We also just launched two online courses with great reviews, Printed Photo Organizing Made Easy and Digital Photo Organizing Made Easy, which you can purchase separately or as a bundle. The courses take you through the step by step process, developed by professional photo organizers.

Interested in the business and art of photo organizing? You can learn more about APPO by visiting www.appo.org or their Online Academy.

Cathi Nelson, author of Photo Organizing Made Easy; Going from Overwhelmed to Overjoyed, is the leader of a global photo organizing movement. A cutting-edge entrepreneur and speaker, in 2009 she founded The Photo Managers, the leading organization serving entrepreneurs through training, a professional certification program, best practices, and a code of ethics that sets high standards for the rapidly growing photo management industry. She’s built a worldwide community and organization around supporting people in creating thriving businesses doing work they love. She’s been featured in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Real Simple Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal about how to organize and preserve the legacy of your family heritage through photos.

Valentine’s Day Photography Ideas

How To Make Your Valentine’s Day Photos More Interesting

Valentine’s Day is almost upon us! We’re sure you already have most of the day’s essentials: A great dining destination, a gift, and loved ones to spend the day with.

But wait—you might be forgetting something. Whatever your plans for Valentine’s Day involve, you shouldn’t forget to take pictures! Make sure to have lots of space on your camera or phone, for you’ll surely be capturing so many photos.

But this year, you should strive to make your Valentine’s Day photos more interesting. Here are some easy ways to do so.

Make your flatlays more romantic.

You’ll probably be taking photos of your Valentine’s Day dinner—as you should, on such a special day. Make sure your special meal reflects the romantic air of the holiday by adding heart-shaped elements to your place setting. Consider heart-shaped coasters or placemats, maybe even a heart-shaped plate! You can also sprinkle rose petals or paper heart cutouts on the table.

Capture the tender moments.

Valentine’s Day is all about romance, so take this chance to capture all the precious moments you’ll share with your loved ones. Each stolen gaze, every tender embrace—they all mean so much more on Valentine’s Day. Even the simplest and silliest moments hold more significance on this special day. Go out, be happy, silly, and be yourself with the one you love.

Use props.

Planning a photo shoot? Don’t forget to stash some cute props! Get a bunch of red heart balloons, have a bag of candy hearts on hand, and play around with flowers. It’s easier to relax and act more natural in front of the camera when there are things you can play around with. These add a fun touch to your photos, too!

Use rose-tinted glasses…or rather, filters!

Your photos should evoke the thrilling romance of Valentine’s Day, and an easy way to go achieve this is to stick to a soft pastel-colored palette. Don’t be afraid to be a bit heavy-handed when color-grading your photos, and bathe your images in a rosy glow. If you’re posting on social media, it’s a good time to add filters to your images.

Make heart-shaped bokeh

Feeling a little creative? If you have a DSLR camera, a wide-aperture lens with a lens cap, and a string of lights, you can add cute heart-shaped bokeh to the images you capture. Get dark paper, a cutter or a pair of scissors, and some tape. Lay your lens cap on the paper, draw a circle around it, then cut the circle out. Next, cut out a heart in the middle of the paper, then tape it to the end of the lens. Now, use your camera’s manual mode, and set its aperture to its widest opening. Set your shutter speed to 1/60th, and set your ISO to 400. String up your lights in a darkened room, and focus—every light should produce a heart shape.

Don’t forget to display your images on a Nixplay Frame! Nixplay is having a Valentine’s Day sale, and take our word for this: It’s the best time to get a frame. Take this chance to get the Nixplay Iris at up to 25% off, only until February 14!

blurb photobook

How to Make a Great Photo Book

Many people who dedicate their time to making photographs also devote time for printing those images. Photo books have always been considered the ultimate final statement when it comes to showing off one’s images. But how do we make great photo books? What are the main ingredients? What about tips or secrets?

For us, it all begins with having fun. Compiling a photo book is one of the most entertaining things you can do, but the idea of doing so can sometimes seem daunting. This thought can lower the activity’s level of fun. In this case, remember to focus on the spirit of print, even if you aren’t entirely sure about every single detail.

What Do You Want to make?

Do you want to create a travel book? A portfolio? A catalog? A cookbook? Defining your project is a quick way to establish your basic needs in terms of size, page count, design, and other aspects.

Next up is the edit. Editing is truly an art form and something that can take a good book to greater heights. Think of editing as doing a giant puzzle: Start with the edge pieces first, those images that contain critical moments or information, and gradually allow the reader to fully understand what it is you wish them to experience.

Organize Away

Once you have chosen the images, it’s now time to arrange them in order. Sequencing images for a photo book is the secret step that many beginner bookmakers overlook. This of this step as the construction of the roller coaster ride you are asking your readers to undertake.

Next up is the cover. But don’t feel pressured to create the cover first. Sometimes the book needs to play out a bit before what makes sense on the cover becomes apparent. and just because you have a favorite image, doesn’t mean that picture should be on the cover of your photo book. What if your favorite photograph carries more weight when placed at the end of the book?

Be Consistent

Borders, number of images per page, image size–staying consistent with these small details allows the reader to engage with the flow of the book. You can throw in a surprise now and then, but overall consistency leads to readability.

When your masterpiece is complete, get a second opinion. Another set of eyes can save you from yourself. That image you love in your heart might not resonate with anyone else, and a trusted friend or editor can add insight and offer suggestions without damaging your feelings.

Hit Print

Don’t be afraid. Use a reputable printing service like Blurb so you know your photo book will be in good hands. The beauty of Blurb is that you can order ONE copy at a time, and that copy can remain private until you are ready to unleash it on the world. Now, all you have to do is wait–and trust us, there is still nothing more exciting than receiving a new book on your doorstep. Good luck making your photo book, and have fun!

Page 1 of 3

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén