Author: Beatrice Bisais Page 28 of 32

Photo printing has easily and cheaply transformed the world of photography forever. The ability to print photos easily and cheaply transformed the world of photography forever. When digital photography was invented, the world was transformed once again. Now, while many old-school believers stand by print photos as the ultimate medium, there are those who believe digital photos deserve this title. So, how can we know which one reigns supreme? Is a middle ground even possible?

Print Photos

Print photos have long provided the ultimate keepsake, a photo you can display for years in a beautiful frame. But, it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows! Non-digital cameras limit the number of photos you can take, and since there’s no digital preview, photo-taking is more difficult for amateur photographers. Digital photography has certainly eased these flaws, providing both photo previews, and a nearly endless amount of space for your photos, thanks to numerous gigabytes of digital storage. However, old-schoolers will defend the superior quality and depth of film-based photography, which does make it an ideal option for the quality-focused.

So, print photos maintain their stronghold in the photography community, especially for professional photographers, due to their high quality, and the tangible memories they create.

Digital Photos

Digital photography allows professional and amateur photographers alike to take an endless number of pictures. This is another advantage for print photography detractors. But, beyond the ability to preview a large number of images in order to get those perfect few, digital photography also allows photographers to display photos on digital photo frames and social media profiles. You can also send these photos to friends and family via text message or email. But does this stream of digitally-shared and stored photos reduce the value of a printed image?

The Best of Both Worlds

For those torn between old-school print photography, and the modern conveniences of digital photography, there is a middle ground. Digital photo frames offer both amateur and professional photographers ‘the best of both worlds.’ Here are just a few of their universal benefits:

• They give you the opportunity to visually display your memories in a beautiful frame that can be placed in your family’s most treasured spaces.
• They offer a way to display a large number of images, without cluttering your home with multiple frames. You can even sort you photos into digital photo albums.
• They save you the time and money of printing each photo you would like displayed.
• They offer you an enriched viewing experience, especially when combined with other multimedia, like music or videos.
• They can inspire creativity that an old-school frame simply can’t. You can make digital albums for special events, vacations, and more.
• They are easier to update than print photos. Rather than visiting a print shop or buying new frames, these photos can be updated digitally.

Digital photo frames encompass the best traits of both print and digital photos, and the Nixplay frames offer the highest-quality construction for your digital memories. Make sure to check out our WiFi Cloud Frames (including the Nixplay Original , the Nixplay Seed, and the Nixplay Edge), and decide which product displays your family’s special memories in the best way possible.

Beatrice Bisais

Bea is Nixplay’s Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.

If you’re a parent looking to gift that special teacher in your child’s life something a little more substantial than an apple, consider a digital photo frame. These small techno devices pack a big wallop, both in terms of use and emotional impact.

There are a number of great ways that teachers can use digital frames in their classrooms. Check out our suggestions below, and tell us about yours!

1.   Personal Inspiration

Being a teacher is hard. It has got to be one of the most stressful jobs in the world (and also one of the most rewarding). Teachers may seem like bastions of patience, but they have their tear-their-hair-out moments just like you. When you give your teacher a digital frame, you may want to suggest they use it as personal inspiration, by adding photos of the moments that make it all worthwhile. They can then refer to the frame on their desk whenever they need a little motivation.

2.   Educational Aid

Digital frames can be excellent audio/visual tool for teachers. By adding images that will support their lesson, from geography to mathematics, it will give them a great audio/visual tool to make their lessons more modern and more engaging (without the cost of incorporating a more expensive iPad…which is out-of-budget for many teachers).  

3.   Virtual Aquarium or Pet

Many preschool and grade school teachers would love to have a pet in their classroom, but allergies, policies, budgets or caretaker schedules may make this impossible. Digital frames however let you get virtual pets, like an aquarium, at no cost—or fuss!

4.   Flashcards

Most of us probably used flashcards when we were in school to learn basic concepts, like letters, spelling and math. While this low-tech method is still extremely effective, it doesn’t garner a lot of attention from our high-tech-generation kids. Digital frames, however, can be used to create flashcard-like playlists that will cycle through questions and answers, in a techy way that engages kids.

5.   Trivia/Facts

Similarly, you can also create an age-appropriate game of trivia. Of course, a teacher could run wild with this idea, either incorporating it into their curriculum, or simply use it as a quick game to reward good behavior while still teaching valuable information.

6.   Classroom Memories

What better way to remind the kids of all the cherished times they’ve had together in the classroom than with a playlist of classroom and field trip photos? They’ll love seeing it, too, and photos can also be a great way to recall field trips and the things they’ve learned there.

7.   Clock

When the frame isn’t being used as flashcards, trivia or another audio/visual tool, teachers can use it as a digital clock. While this might not be the funkiest use of the frame, clocks are regularly needed in classrooms for timed exercises.

Give the gift of technology

Digital frames make excellent gifts for teachers. With so many possibilities, they truly are the gift that keeps on giving. To start the giving chain, visit our digital frames store. Check out our standard digital frames, and our Wifi-enabled Cloud frames (an excellent gift for super-techy teachers that love technology and social media!).

Beatrice Bisais

Bea is Nixplay’s Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.

Travelling creates some of the best memories you’ll have, and most of us want to capture those with photos. And after the vacations have passed, displaying them will let you enjoy them for years to come.

One of the best ways to display travel photos is in a digital frame, since you can show pictures of your entire trip, instead of just a single moment.

To help you create stunning photos to fill your frames, here are our top travel photography tips:

1. Think outside the landmark

While a family portrait in front of the Eiffel tower is immediately recognizable, it isn’t the most exciting photography. Look for interesting poses and aim for more candid shots for images that others may have not seen before.

2. Focus on food

If video killed the radio star, then Instagram killed food photography. To help your photos stand out, don’t just snap shots of your food—look for interesting angles, include restaurant signage and try to get more of the restaurant into the shot for depth.

3. Opt for a theme

One of the best travel photography ideas is to pick a theme each day, to help you develop a narrative for your photos. Picking a theme each day will help you develop a narrative for your photos. This will help you organize the images into albums or digital frames.

4. Have one great lens

The typical image of a photographer consists of multiple cameras and lenses, but heavy equipment isn’t realistic when it comes to enjoying your trip. So, unless you’re on assignment from National Geographic, instead of carrying all of your gear at once, carry just one great lens. If fitting gear into your fanny pack isn’t possible, then think about getting a small, high-quality lens for your iPhone, like a telephoto lens.

5. Get closer

Before taking a photo, ask yourself—could I get closer? A famous photographer, Robert Capa, said, “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough,” and in many instances his advice holds true. Getting closer to your subject will give your photos more emotional depth.  

6. Always think: Light

Many amateur photographers are too busy being concerned about the view and what’s in the picture to think about light. Light, however, makes a photo. For example, have your subject turn their face into the sun for the best light. Also, at sunset, a lot of architecture can become especially stunning.

7. Frame (and Fill) your Frame

Ensure that your subject fills the majority of the frame. You’ll want the focal point to ideally be in the right or left quadrants, as opposed to smack dab in the middle of the viewfinder. Consider everything that’s in your viewfinder before snapping–it will all show up in the final product.

8. Be You

Your pictures should represent you and your personality. Don’t be afraid to be funny, dark, or express whatever you’re feeling. Putting this into your photos will turn them from snapshots into windows into you.

Don’t Forget to Display

Capturing memories only works if you look at them again. Consider putting your travel images in a digital frame, or better yet, a Wifi Cloud frame. It will remind you of those times and motivate you to make more of them.

Beatrice Bisais

Bea is Nixplay’s Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.