Not weird, losing its 'coolness' factor I'm afraid.

We may be the most uncool people around and we have received 2 waterlogued things in the mail this week. One a thank you note from a bride for a gift, pretty water color looking pic of the newly weds. And an announcement from a charity we support with a watered photo of the harbor.

(I'm also seeing lots of WL pictures on Facebook).

BUT, if you have a great picture of your kids, do it!

ML

Did you get any waterlogued holiday cards last year? I didn't .
Maybe this year everyone will ...

I was thinking of waterlogueing a photo for our holiday cards this year of our kitties...usually I send out a landscape shot I've taken with a meaningful haiku...

What I do find is that I receive far fewer cards every year...

Aww, that sounds cute. I just wondered if waterloguing *people* was particularly odd or not...

I think it's already over (at least on the west coast!) Just send a great photo of your three kids- always appreciated!

ok, I guess my question is...is it your desire to produce a cool image or share an updated pic of your family with your friends and family? I don't have kids, but I get plenty of photo cards at christmas, and always casually sift through the ones my parents get when I go to visit. My BFF of 20+ years and her husband adopted a little girl from China 12 years ago. Every year, they trot that kid out and take a picture of her somewhere in the yard and slap in on a holiday postcard. They live in VA, and I live in ME- I don't get to see them all that much. But I look forward to that card every yard and think, "aw, how she has grown". I would MUCH rather see that crisp, "uncool" pic than the image of her run through a phtographic filter to emulate a watercolor painting. And I'm sure the older she gets, the more uncool it will get, lol.

I guess I didn't think of watercolor as cool, although the app is fun, I think of watercolor as lil' old ladies taking art class!

When you waterlogue a photo, sometime the result is pretty abstract, depending on the effect you chose and the photo you started with. In the test one I did, you can see the kids very well.

So it looks like no one thinks it's "weird", but it may be "out" or "overdone". The latter does not bother me much since we get a ton of cards and have never gotten one of this genre, and since ours will be out very early, so haha copy cats. : )

Now I just need to see what production quality looks like ...

As for the demise of cards, I haven't seen that. I think families with kids at least, do it pretty faithfully.

Yes, but it's still a digital filter applied to a photograph, regardless of which effect you choose. Most of the waterlogue pics I've seen posted on this board resemble watercolors, so that is what I am referring too. I don't have the app, but have several photo editing programs with filters which offer varying effects.

As long as you can output the resolution at 300dpi, the result should be fine. That's the usual resolution printers want.

I would also rather get an actual picture of someone's kids to exclaim over!

Could you put a wreath on the door of your Maine house and open it slightly and have the heads of your three children looking around the edge of the door? That is my absolute favorite christmas picture that I've received over the years. If you have a middle schooler you don't have much time left before that pose gets major eye rolls from the kid -:-)

This thread actually reminds me of a story about my BFF...the same one I mentioned above. She and I went to the same art school, and her husband teaches photography at the same school. So they got married a few years after she graduated, and sure enough, most of the wedding guests were artists and fine art photographers. So they didnt even consider hiring a photographer. But my friend had one guest...family friend...that decided the bring along a " wedding photographer" as a gift to the couple. My friend is so thankful!!! Because now she has a record of her wedding day. All the artists and fine art photographer guests contributed were pictures of shoes, the sky, and various blurry, "artsy," shots, lol.

Coll_123, That's such a funny story! I can totally see that!

KSWL, I think we had about a 15-day window there where all three had both the requisite skill and disposition for such a pose ... and it probably passed a summer or two ago!

BTW, I just realized, ,duh, it says "cool" in my title. I didn't mean "Cool" as in "hip", I meant "cool" as in "different".

Anyway, thanks for the input, everyone. Let's see if I can get a "real photo" I like.

I wouldn't worry if it was cool or out right now. If you get a good picture that still shows what they look like, go for it!

We've talked about this many times, and I think I'm in the minority, lol, but I prefer a regular card with a photo inserted inside. With Facebook I see pictures of people and their kids all the time. Or I get pictures in email.

I also like to hang cards or set them on a shelf. I don't do that anymore because it looks weird having a row of pictures instead of cards. :)

As I'm sorting for a move, I found my box of photos labeled "Other people's kids" and most of them are from holiday cards over the years. I think your idea is cute.

I think it's a neat idea, but whenever I've played with Waterlogue, it doesn't work well with people's faces. Maybe I need to practice more.

Usually I just go through pictures I have taken over the year and use a picture from one of our vacations. (Tends to be the only time I can get all 3 kids together, now that they're older!) This year I have a goofy pic of all 5 of us at DS' graduation party and we are all making faces (on purpose)...I think that's what I'm using this year. At least we're all dressed decently. :)

Annie, we noticed too that some people have stopped sending Christmas cards. My DH actually called a few to see if everything was okay. Some were just having a difficult year, others just decided to stop! Maybe as we age, some would prefer an actual phone call?

I also enjoy getting the photos. Although I like your idea in theory Mtn, I have to agree with those who would rather have a regular clear photos.

"Cool" as "in different" would be "weird".

Oakleyok,
We are not on Facebook, so there isn't any other time people see photos. I like to make a "card garland" too, I just keep mine from over the years so I have enough non-photo ones; you are right they look odd as decor.

SueB,
It is tricky to get ok images of people w waterlogue. In my experience, the background and clothing should be light in color, not too many shadows on the faces, and the setting has to be "Bold" or "Travelogue".

That's an interesting observation about Facebook. If there is a decline in holiday cards, that could certainly explain it. I don't do Facebook, so I know I'm in the minority, but know that a lot of people do use it to keep up with friends, family, and acquaintances.

Over the years we would average about 20ish cards per season. I realized that the majority of cards were received after our cards were sent, so last year I conducted a test. I sent out cards a week before Christmas. Lo and behold, we received a total of four cards.

I'm feeling a little bah humbug about cards this year.

I stopped sending cards when DS2 was born more than a decade ago. He was born towards the end of the year and I just didn't have time/energy to get cards out. Never sent them again. We gradually stopped getting cards and only get a few work related ones now.

Mtn, I like the idea of a waterlogue card. I first heard about the app here and have since played around with it. I have a WL pic of my youngest DD holding my newest DGS. It looks darling in a little jeweled dragonfly frame.

I stopped sending cards years ago as our businesses kept me so busy that I had little time and no energy to send cards. We sold two businesses so I only have one full time and one part time to deal with so this year I bought cards and I will soon start personalizing and addressing them so they are ready to go..

For some odd reason I am overly anxious for the holidays this year. I've already started the silver sorting and polishing and today started washing crystal that has not been in the front of the cabinet, therefore not used. I'm searching for recipes and I can't wait to put up our tree.

I think some of this is due to the realization that there aren't as many Christmases left to me as there once was. Also the world we live in seems to be coming apart at the seams. Traditions seem to be the anchor that I need right now.

"I guess I didn't think of watercolor as cool, although the app is fun, I think of watercolor as lil' old ladies taking art class!"

I thought most people did think the app was cool (at least that seemed to be the consensus here when it was first brought up IIRC), but if you don't and that is what you are going for (lil old lady art) as your card, then go for it. It is your card, so you should do what YOU want without worrying about what anyone else thinks.

I am another who enjoys seeing crisp clear pictures of friends and family!