CardFool’s Tim McCabe’s 5 Steps To A Great Holiday Card Photo

In the coming weeks (and months), holiday cards are going to be on everyone’s minds. The only funny online personalized greeting card service, CardFool is a popular website for creating great holiday cards. In turn, CardFool.com may be where you need to point your web-browser sometime soon.

Tim McCabe is the creative director and co-founder of CardFool. As a cartoonist and artist for more 15 years, McCabe and the talented staff of CardFool — which includes free stamps on all sent cards — have an uncanny ability to capture the spirit of the times to produce humor-oriented yet cutting-edge greetings. McCabe’s work has been featured on funny cards from the U.S. to Europe to Australia, and on other published products like books, educational materials, and posters.

To readers of The Hype Magazine, McCabe has kindly offered 5 steps to taking a great photo for your next holiday card, and below are the highlights of such.

Magic Time

“If you have grade-school kids, be prepared to get in and get out. Kids typically can sit and participate for about 20 minutes. But with a game plan, you can utilize those 20 minutes efficiently.”

Get Lit

“Make sure the background is properly lit. With cameras these days, you can review a photo before you go ahead and print it to ensure everyone’s faces forward and clearly visible.”

Skip The Props

“If you are having more than eight people in the frame, skip the props and instead focus on your location. You don’t need any extras like bales of hay or a gigantic Christmas tree taking up precious restate. Think simple and clean, regardless of how many people are in the photo. This applies to everything, clothing, background, poses, etc.”

Use A Smartphone

“If you don’t have a fancy camera, or know someone who does, don’t worry. Today’s smartphones are equipped with a great camera. The key to making the photo professional are three simple tips. First, have someone else snap the photo. You don’t want your holiday photo to be a selfie. Second, capture the photo both horizontal and vertical, making sure that the legs and head are not chopped off. That way when it comes time to choosing the card layout, you have some options. Third, have fun with the filters. Your phone comes with several color options and lighting, play around with it, but don’t choose more than two different filters to prevent the photo looking over-processed.”

Have Fun

“With today’s busy life, treasure the moment that your family is all together and you’re spending some quality time capturing a great moment. Reflect on the past year, your family’s accomplishment, and don’t forget to say ‘cheese.'”

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Tags: CardFool, CardFool.com, Holiday Cards, Holiday Season, Photos, Tim McCabe

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."