There are so many great applications in which to share and present your vacation photos and this year there are more choices than ever to do it online. A great vacation offers many opportunities for Kodak a moment. You took the pictures, now share them and save them for years to come with my vacation photo guide.
I recently got back from a family vacation with my wife and kids. By far my most favorite week out of the entire year. I came home with close to 1000 digital images of the kids, the scenery, and any other great moment I was able to capture. (It may sound a bit over-kill, but I recently upgraded to a new Nikon DSLR, so I am a little trigger-happy)
Before those cherished memories get lost and buried in my computer, I am taking action now. This year I have already uploaded the best pictures to my SmugMug account and I am creating a vacation photo album to show off to friends and family who visit the house.
There are so many services out there to show and print those vacation photos. Here is my big guide to taking your best vacation photos and putting them into a format to easily reminisce in the great memories for years to come.
Online Photo Sharing
SmugMug.com is my favorite photo sharing site by far. I use several for different reasons, but SmugMug is the best for presentation and security. You can easily create and customize a great looking gallery of vacation photos in little time. As long as you maintain an active account with SmugMug you can be sure that all of your photos are backed up in the case you ever lost the originals. I would encourage you to to try the free trial and see for yourself. Unlimited photo storage and sharing – FREE Trial of SmugMug.
Flickr is the best bet for a budget. You can sign up for a free version (limited uploads) with your yahoo account. Flickr is nice since it is simple. Flickr also has the largest user-base to get your images seen. However, these are vacation photos…
Snapfish is another great photo sharing service I use. I upload the best photos to become prints and host these with Snapfish. I use this service for my prints. The gallery functions are not nearly what you will find with SmugMug and Flickr, but its a great all-in-one place to share your images and get prints. I send the gallery link to close family that are interested in having their own prints made of our family vacation. Snapfish makes it easy to share your pictures and allow others to order their own prints. Free online photo sharing and 50 FREE prints from your digital camera. Sign up with Snapfish by HP!
Organize Your Photos
All of the photo sharing services above are great ways to organize images as well as present them. However, I like to have a desktop application that I upload directly into from my camera to manage the large volume of images and leave the online services to my best pics. Below are a couple I have used and like.
I am a mac guy so I use iPhoto. If you own a Mac then you already know (and probably love iPhoto). Apple is constantly improving the simplicity and functionality of iPhoto. Its a great tool to upload, organize, and manage your entire catalog of vacation photos. Find out more and download on the iPhoto Apple site.
ACDSee Photo Manager 2009 is a great option for those amature and pro photographers. Its also perfect for you scrapbookers. ACDSee recently launched the 09 version of this popular photo management tool. If you are interested check out this coupon to Save 20% on the all in one scrapbook software! OR Download a FREE Trial of ACDSee Photo Manager 2009
Photo Prints
Kodak Photo Prints are amongst the best in the business. Each Kodak print features Kodak Perfect Touch processing at no extra charge, which means you’ll see richer detail, more vibrant color and fewer dark shadows. They have also advanced photo labs all over the country to ensure speedy delivery to your door. Because Kodak prints are archival quality, they should last as long, if not longer, than the prints you would receive from a professional analog photo-processing laboratory.
Prints cost $0.15 for 4×6 and $2.99 for an 8×10. Kodak offers the same standard sizes and pricing as the other guys in the photo print business. Check out this coupon code to get Free Shipping on Prints at Kodak Gallery!
Clark Color Labs is another great option for photo prints. I used them once and could not find a difference in quality than any of the other better-known services. They are about a penny-per-print cheaper than Snapfish, so larger orders may save you a couple bucks. Clark offers unlimited storage and with this link you can get some free prints with your first order. Digital Photo Prints: 8¢ each + 40 free prints!
I always choose Snapfish for the vacation photo prints because I can send the link to family members to view and easily order their own prints. I know this can be done on the many others, but my family is familiar with Snapfish, so why change. I always get great quality prints from Snapfish. If you sign up for a new account, you will get 50 free prints. Great reason to give them a shot right? Get 50 Free Digital Camera Prints and only 9 cents per print at Snapfish by HP!
PhotoWorks is another top choice for photo prints. PhotoWorks has one of the largest and greatest collections of photo gifts, photobooks, and other cool things to lize with your own images. Check out PhotoWorks vast selection of great photo products. 25 Free Digital Prints from PhotoWorks.com PLUS Get FREE Shipping on items over $10 when you sign up with PhotoWorks, your one-stop source for creating stunning photo gifts and albums. Prints $0.15 each, discounts with volume.
Photo albums
Leather, Linen and Matte Cover Classic Personalized Photo Book from Kodak Gallery 9×10 1/4″ The most popular and versatile Photo Book at the Gallery! With the largest range of exclusive page designs and personalized covers, the Classic Photo Book is a beautiful way to tell your story and preserve your memories. Add photos one by one, or use our easy Autofill feature. $29.99
New Personalized Cover Photo Book 9×10 1/4″Exercise your creative muscle with our new Personalized Covers for your vacation photo album. With multiple layouts, designs and room for your photos and text, you just might decide judging a book by its cover isn?t so bad after all. Add photos one by one or use our easy Autofill feature. Hardbound cover. $14.99
OurHubbub.com – Photo Memory Books OurHubbub.com has a ton of great themed photobooks to create your photo album. You can choose a pre-designed theme for travel, summer, family, baby, birthday, sport specific and more. They offer easy to manage size photo books at really good prices. Create a photobook in no time. You can even upload pictures directly from your Flickr photostream. Hardcover photobooks start at $34.99 Every destination captured forever. Start your Photo Book today at OurHubbub.com. FREE Shipping – enter code TRAVELF9 at checkout!
Personalized Cover Photobook from PhotoWorks.com This 11 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ glossy hardcover book features your photos and title accentuated by the background color or design for any occasion. User-selectable options include font styles and colors, cover and page layout selections from 1 to 12 photos (or text only), photo borders and a variety of page backgrounds to make your photos really stand out. Add text to the spine to easily spot your book on a bookshelf. The stitched binding on this will preserve lasting memories and stands up to stresses placed on favorite books. State-of-the-art printers produce vivid photographs and archival quality paper ensures that your book will look great for years. $39.95 for 20 pages
Enlargements
CanvasonDemand.com is a unique and impressive way to showcase your family vacation photos. CanvasOnDemand puts your photos on, you guessed it, canvas. Rather than a traditional type of photo print paper, have your best family photo printed on genuine high quality canvas. It will cost you a little more than other enlargements, but will certainly turn your vacation memory into a work of art. Small 8×10 Gallery wrap start at $59.99. Prices increase with size and frame options. Convert Your Photo’s Into Works of Art! Click here!
Kodak 16×20″ Poster-Size Photo Prints Poster-size prints, like all Gallery prints, feature Kodak Perfect Touch processing at no extra charge, which means you’ll see richer detail, more vibrant color and fewer dark shadows. Poster-size prints are printed with a matte finish. For the clearest poster-size prints, photos should be at least 1600 x 1200 pixels. You’ll need a digital camera that is 2 megapixels or higher. $14.99
PhotoWorks.com 16×20 Photo Canvas A photo print on the mantel is a nice addition to any room. But photography as art can really change the way a room looks. Our canvas prints come in a variety of sizes. Use them to fill your home with art that you created. Each size is available mounted (stretched on a wood interior frame), or rolled. Mounted canvas shown at left. $49.99
With posterXXL.com, turn any digital picture into a large format poster print! Receive your FREE Large Poster Print. Click Now!
- 12×16/FREE Click here to claim yours
- 15×20/$9.99
- 24×32/$24.99
- 24×36/$27.99
- 30×40/37.99
- 32×48/49.99
- 36×48/54.99
- 42×56/74.99
Posterbrain.com is a new photo prints and large format online printer. At least one that I recently discovered. They seem to have some great deals and the reviews I have found are great. Get 24×36″ enlargements for only $14.99, same-day printing – PosterBrain.com
Other great Photo Gifts and Products 
- Personalized Insulated Photo Travel Mug 14oz Stainless steel mug will keep hot beverages hot and cold beverages cold. Spill-proof plastic top. 14 ounce capacity. I mean who does not like a good travel mug? It would make a great gift for the family members you spent so much time with on vacation. Maybe the grandparents house in which you took over for the week…
Personalized Photo Calendars Choose from 18 exclusive Kodak designs. You have a choice of five different photo layouts for each month. Add your own custom captions below each photo. Calendars are printed on heavyweight, glossy cardstock that’s easy to write on. Calendars measure 10.25 x 15.6″. Calendars are twin-loop wire bound with a die-cut hole for hanging. This would make a great reminder that your next family vacation is only another year away.
