london drugs photolab Archives - Page 12 of 13

On the Hunt for Easter Treats? Egg-citing Gift Ideas for the Entire Family

Everybody loves getting something sweet Easter morning, but there’s nothing wrong with shaking it up every now and then, especially when the majority of us are still working through that Valentine’s Day bulk.

Personalized Mugs

With 47 different customizable Easter mug templates, you’ll have no problem finding the perfect breakfast companion for everyone at the ‘big kids’ table.

Spend some quality time with the tots! Have little ones create their own handprint art, which can be easily digitized so you can add it to an Easter-themed mug design. You can digitize your artwork using an at-home scanner, or visit your local London Drugs Photolab in-store to use our self-serve scanner, or have an LDExpert scan it for you.

April long weekend is best spent with the family, April 1^st – get personal.

Easter Cards

For the family unable to make it – or the sentimental aunt, cousin or grandparent – customize an Easter-themed greeting card! Choose your favorite vacation photo, a dance recital snapshot, or the hockey goal candid – tell a story, share some news, or just send a ‘Happy Easter!’ greeting.

There are over 30 different templates to choose from, and our LDExperts are always available to help you through, step by step, at every London Drugs Photolab.

But what is Easter without eating an entire Lindt bunny before breakfast? We’re all kids at heart – can anyone say no to the kind eyes of the marshmallow Peep, or turn down cracking open that mysterious orange plastic at the center of every Kinder Surprise egg? So why not fill that personalized mug with Easter goodies, as an added treat!

Spring Cleaning Tips for Organizing and Storing Your Photos

March brings the sun, the greenery, and of course the allergies! It reminds us to dust off some of that hibernation clutter that has collected over the last few months. Tis’ the season for spring cleaning!

It starts with the dreaded junk drawer and ends with moving around the furniture, but somewhere in between, you’ll find that ever-growing collection of family portraits and candids in boxes or old photo albums, and like the bedroom Feng Shui, they could probably use a little TLC.

Spring cleaning, organizing and maintaining your treasured snapshots is as easy as pie—with only a few steps to a lifetime of crisp (and easy to find) images.

Back-up and Digitize

The easiest way of ensuring your photos really last, is by simply scanning and backing them up to a disk, hard-drive or USB. The Seagate 1.5TB Expansion Portable Hard Drive is a great option; it has drag and drop file saving right out of the box, and lots of room to store your photos. Running the risk of your memories cracking or becoming discoloured becomes virtually impossible- and clutter free!

Make this process even more efficient with our Photo Scanning Box – preserving childhood memories or historic family images has never been easier. Fill the FREE photo box (found in-store or online) with up to 800 photos or documents, return the box to a London Drugs Photolab, prepay and our LDExperts will do the rest. They’ll digitize your keepsakes at high resolution, then return the hard copies to you, along with a USB drive full of all those photos you hold dear.

Once you have those digital copies, you’ll want to make sure they’re backed up safely. To avoid losing all your precious photos due to a fire or flood, power surge or hard drive failure, it’s best to use the 3-2-1 back up rule.

This means that you should have:

3 copies of your digital photos
Stored on 2 different media or devices
With 1 copy located off-site.

For example, you could store your photos on two hard drives and on the cloud (a service like iCloud), and take one of those hard drives and store it at your parents’ home. That way, even in the worst case scenario that one or even two of your storage methods fail, you’ll still have a failsafe copy.

Organize and Store Safely

Of course, after making digital copies, you’ll need somewhere to store the originals – it’s important to take necessary precautions in order to avoid misplacement or damage, and it helps to keep them organized.

Suggested items before beginning any photo organizing project include:

Cotton gloves: Oily residue naturally found on your fingertips can lead to deteriorating your photos. Avoid this by handling documents with a pair of gloves.
Soft lead pencil: Including the date, year, or name on the back of a photo is a must when organizing your photos, because you’re not always going to remember if you took that photo in ’86 or ’87, or who that person third from the left is. Make sure you’re using a pencil that isn’t permanent so it doesn’t harm or indent the photo—never use a pen!
Photo-safe storage box: A good quality storage box with labelled index cards can make a world of difference, in the event that you’re looking for a specific photo. It sure beats rifling through old shoeboxes and drawers!

Obey the Two-Second Rule

Perhaps the most important thing to remember is all while going through old photos is to obey the two-second rule.

It’s okay to take a walk down memory lane—but it’s important to prioritize your time. Spring cleaning doesn’t need to take the entire season. When cleaning and organizing your old photographs, remember not to linger longer than two seconds before determining its place. You’ll have plenty to enjoy them after they’re organized!

4 Simple Ways to Organize Your Life in 2018

Hi everyone, Amanda here again from The Mommy Mix.

I’m not going to lie or try to pretend I’m something I’m not, when it comes to being organized I’m a hot mess mom! I’m lucky if I can remember to send in my kids’ milk orders on time and unless I have an appointment written everywhere I’ll most likely miss it. Not this year, 2018 is going to be my year to get organized and stay that way. It can be your year to get organized too if you join me in following some simple steps.

KEEP A LIST

When it comes to remembering things that need to be done you can pretty much guarantee that they’re going to pop into your head at the worst times; while you’re lying in bed, out shopping, sitting at work… Make sure you’ve always got a Notepad and pen nearby so you can start a list and every time your memory decides to start working you can add a quick note about the task you need to get done. You can make your “reminder notepad” super personal to who you are and what (or who) motivates you with your own images and text.

FIND A CALENDAR THAT WORKS FOR YOU

Whether you’re looking for something that allows you to enter specifics or you just want to circle a few important dates, you need to find a calendar that works for you. At the London Drugs Photolab you can create unique and personalized Photo Calendars in a variety of themes and styles with your own pictures that can also act as reminders of birthdays or any other special events in your life. The calendars span 12 months, but you can start the calendar on any month, so you can create new calendars any time of year!

MARK IT ON YOUR CALENDAR ASAP

If you’ve chosen a Traditional, one of the Coil Bound Photo Calendars or even something compact like the Desktop Photo Calendar than I’m sure it’s safe to say you want to be able to track details, and now you can. Remember the lists that you’ve been making; transfer anything from it of importance on your calendar, write down any bill payment due dates plus don’t forget birthdays, anniversaries and appointments. Make it a point to look at your calendar at least once a week.

WRITE IT WHERE YOU’LL SEE IT

You go in your fridge every day, right?! Stick a Magnetic Memo Board to it so every time you go grab the milk for your morning coffee or cook dinner, your bake sale tasks, appointments and special days for the week will be staring you in the face every day!

What tips do you have for getting organized in 2018?

For more personalized organization tools visit the London Drugs Photolab online, in-store, or simply download the London Drugs Photolab App (available for both iOS and Android devices)!

3 Reasons to Preserve Memories in a Photo Book For Your Kids

Hi everyone, Amanda here from The Mommy Mix!

Growing up, my family didn’t take a whole lot of road trips. As a child, this didn’t bother me but as I got older and had a family of my own, I started to think how I wanted things to be different for my boys. I wanted to give them more than just memories of us going to the neighborhood pool or local zoo. I wanted them to experience the different places in this beautiful province we call home. This past summer, my husband suggested we take a few mini road trips to some of the provincial parks he visited as a child and I, of course, thought this was a wonderful idea. So, with no plans as to the exact location our road trips would take us, I grabbed my camera, my husband grabbed the fishing gear (just in case), we packed some road trip snacks and away we went.

As soon as our summer started and the road trips began I knew I wanted the boys to have more than just memories in their heads of our 2017 Summer, I wanted to make them Travel Photo Books from the London Drugs Photolab, not just of our road trips but of our experiences. And here’s why:

THEY WILL APPRECIATE IT

Have you ever sat and watched a child look at a Photographic Album? Even children younger than 2 can sit for hours flipping back and forth from page to page; I swear it’s the only time their attention lasts longer than a minute. And when they’re looking at pictures of themselves or someone they know, the look of “ahh” on their little faces is priceless!

REMINISCING WITH FUTURE GENERATIONS

We’ve all been there before, listening to stories our parents use to tell us about their childhood or the fun places they visited and now we do the same with our children. When it’s their turn to be the storytellers, wouldn’t it be nice if they had photos to show your grandchildren or great-grandchildren? Photo Books are the perfect way to keep memories alive for generations to come!

KIDS OFTEN MISS THE BITS AND PIECES

It’s no surprise that the brain works in mysterious and AMAZING ways! When it comes to remembering a time and place, as well as how we felt, there are so many things that can help without having a visual aid; a scent, the feel of someone’s touch, a song playing on the radio… But, how much of our memory is triggered by these things, especially something that we did during our childhood? Do we remember the little things? The smile on someone we love’s face, the way they used to look… As adults we start to understand and appreciate the value of time, soaking everything in for as long as we can. Children tend to rush through life letting it pass them by and not taking any of it in. Choose a Coffeetable Photo Book with a simple style that matches the memories you’re creating and you can store all the bits and pieces away in a keepsake that will last them a lifetime!

With the help of the London Drugs Photolab, I was able to make a Photo Book with a neutral theme for my boys that displayed the fun we had this summer. Not only could I pick the style but I also had the freedom to pick the layout of each individual sheet, which means I had total control of the amount of photos I used and the text I wanted to leave, in case they needed reminding of where our family was and what we were doing. It was so simple… and the best part is when they’re older they’re going to think I spent hours on it, when in reality it took less than 30 minutes.

MORE WAYS TO PRESERVE WHAT THEY LOVE AS CHILDREN

While we’re talking about the sentimental reasons you should create photo books for your kids, a Recipe Book with their favourites is also a good idea. Let them know in the recipe book how you made their favourite pasta dish or what you put in those muffins that made them taste so good, so they’re prepared to make them when they leave the nest. How else will they know that the secret ingredient for moms is always love?!

For more ways to preserve memories for your kids, check out all the items at the London Drugs Photolab. You can order your very own personalized photo books online, at their in-store kiosks, or even using their London Drugs Photolab App (now available for both iOS and Android!).

Get a Jumpstart on the Holidays with Personalized Greeting Cards

The Holidays may seem like a ways away still, but every year the same thing happens: you blink, November is almost over, and you’re suddenly scrambling to get all your holiday to-do’s done. Why not make this the year you get a jumpstart, and save yourself the stress in December?

If there’s one item you may want to get working on sooner rather than later, it’s holiday greeting cards – especially if you’re planning to send them off by mail to friends and family. Rather than picking out a generic set of cards to share, our Photolab can help you create unique holiday cards that are completely personalized.

Finding the Right Photo

Lots of people share a photo or two of their family when they send out their annual holiday cards. It’s a chance to show your loved ones how your family has grown over the past year. You can choose a favourite photo you have from this year, or plan a fun photo shoot with your family to snap a special ‘holiday card’ photo. Get creative and have a theme, like everyone wearing red, or have some fun holiday props on-hand, like pre-wrapped gifts. If you get an early snowfall this year, why not take advantage and run outside for a wintery group photo?

You can also turn your old Christmas photographs into digital copies that can be featured on your greeting cards. We can digitize those photos for you with our Photo Scanning Box service. Just pick up a box from your local London Drugs Photolab, fill it with all your print photos, and bring it back the Photolab where our technicians will digitize the photos at high resolution. Your print photos will then be returned to you, along with a USB flash drive storing all your special photos. Then you can simply upload them to our Photolab website or one of our in-store Photolab kiosks to get started with customizing your holiday greeting cards.

Pick a Card Style

Our Photolab’s user-friendly website and in-store kiosks give you every opportunity to customize, which means you have lots of options when it comes to the style of your cards. First, choose between either flat or folded cards. Flat cards have an extensive list of options, including single-sided, double-sided, and postcards. You can even pick a postcard template that is ready to stamp and drop in the mail. If you’d prefer a traditional folded card, we have both regular and premium folded cards in both 5×7 and 7×5.

We are the only local Photolab to use premium card stocks, so your greeting cards are guaranteed to be entirely unique. To make your holiday greeting cards truly stand out, our Photolab also offers 6 specialty papers in addition to our card stock: linen natural white, linen white, matte soft white, matte white, shimmer silver, and shimmer soft gold.

Once you’ve picked your greeting card style, you’ll then be able to choose a template. We have a wide variety of themes available, including Christmas card templates and Hanukkah card templates. Or if you’re feeling extra creative, feel free to go complete-DIY with a blank card.

Write a Personalized Message

To make your cards as personal as possible, add text to any of our greeting cards. You can choose your preferred font and colour, and customize where it will appear. Type a simple season’s greetings that you can easily send out to all of your family and friends, or customize each card with a unique and personal message. Our LDExperts recommend signing the cards by hand after it’s printed, for an extra special touch.

Ready to get a jumpstart on your holiday greeting cards? You can save 10% on your order of greeting cards, calendars and photo books if you order between October 27^th and November 1^st, 2017. Click here to get started!

If you need some help creating your holiday greeting cards, our Photolab Experts can answer any questions you may have, and walk you through the ordering process. Just visit us at any London Drugs location, in the Photolab department.

Four Seasons: A Photo Project

In Canada, photography is closely linked to the calendar. Think about the colours and moods of the different seasons—fresh green in spring, bright and bold in summer, crisp and orange in autumn, and frosty white in winter. The seasons affect every Canadian photographer, regardless of the subject. Parents filming kids are influenced by the light and weather just as bird enthusiasts, wildlife photographers, travellers, and college students. We are a seasonal nation, and it shows in our pictures.

The seasons affect photography primarily because of light. Canada is a country of dramatic light: in the summer it is bright and overpowering, in the winter, glaring off the snow, it is bouncing and unpredictable. In the spring and fall, the strong, directional light and unpredictable weather patterns create their own challenges. To be a photographer in Canada, you must think about the season, and therefore think about the light.

Looking back at 2011
As 2011 winds down, we have the perfect photography project for you: group your photos, season by season, and look at the light. With digital albums, this is very easy to do.

Look at your photos sequentially, season by season, looking for light quality. Look for skin tones, shadows, glare, and crispness.
Don’t pay attention to how you look. When we look at photos of ourselves, often our photographer brain shuts off. Am I blinking? Should I lose 10 pounds? Do I have a mouthful of potato salad? Forget about it. For this project, you are looking only at light and photo quality.
Pay attention to the failures. Do your ski holiday photos look murky? Your beach shots dark? Your winter birthday parties over-exposed by the flash? Think about what went wrong—often a bad picture could have been transformed if the white balance was adjusted, the subject was angled differently with respect to the light, or you used (or didn’t use) a flash.
Note the type of shots that worked. Perhaps you shot a group photo in the shade during the summer—no one was squinting, no one was in shadow, the group looks cohesive, happy, and interesting. Your successes, season by season, will lead to more successes next year.
Print your successful shots. A picture’s impact can be significantly different on paper than it is on the screen. Colour, proportion, everything can appear differently in print. We encourage you to get your best shots off your hard drive and onto paper, whether you make simple prints, compile them into a photobook, or make a custom calendar—more on this later.

Looking forward to 2012
Year to year, we are faced with the same type of photographic challenges. Skiers will shoot winter photos, those born in November will have indoor birthday parties, the lake by the cabin will continue to reflect light in a weird way.

Now that you’ve reviewed all of your 2011 photos, create a calendar of your best photos from 2011.
In each month, note what you have learned: a bed of cherry blossoms makes a spectacular backdrop, Halloween pictures are best shot during the day; the family reunion picture is best when taken from above.
Our Home Edition calendar software gives ample room for comments. Write them in, so you will remember your thoughts when Autumn 2012 rolls around.
After completing and sending off your Seasonal Photo Project to be printed, go back and change the notes. Write regular photo captions, add birthdays and special celebrations, and print out a second version for gifts.

Our unique, cyclical light is what gives Canadian photographs their charm. We encourage you to look at your light, learn what works, and take even better pictures in 2012.

Birds Fly South: Your Photo Checklist

For bird enthusiasts, autumn is a fascinating time of year. As the days get shorter and the weather becomes cooler, hundreds of species make their way south from their summer feeding grounds in the Canadian north. During these few short weeks, Western Canada is the rest stop for some of North America’s most beautiful birds.

Photographing birds in the autumn is truly a labour of love. With a little research and some key pieces of gear, you can capture beautiful images of your most exciting bird sightings.

A good field guide: Smart phone technology is wonderful for on-the-go research. App versions of the Peterson, Sibley, Audobon, and National Geographic guides are all available through Apple’s App Store, each providing searchable databases, photographs and drawings, maps, and bird sounds.
Your longest lens: A telephoto lens is a key piece of gear, one that is worth the investment. You will need the power to zoom in on individual birds and capture the exquisite details of their plumage.
A polarizing filter: Migrating birds tend to flock near a water source, and the reflections can cause haze or glare that will ruin otherwise fantastic images. A polarizing filter is an inexpensive item that will also protect the surface of your long lens.
Waterproof memory card holders: Raindrops, splashes, and spills can be deadly to an SD card full of images. Waterproof cases for memory cards are an essential for wilderness photography.
Binoculars or scopes: Using your long lens to spot and identify birds can be unwieldy—many avid birdwatchers prefer binoculars or a tripod-mounted scope to make initial sightings.
Quick release tripod: The benefits of a sturdy tripod are many—crisp, focused shots, a stable resting spot for heavy, fragile lenses, and precise planning for framing and camera settings. We recommend a tripod with a quick release, so you can easily remove your scope and secure your camera, or release your camera for a spontaneous, hand-held shot.
A Thermos of hot coffee: Bird photography involves early mornings in chilly weather. Make sure to dress for the elements, and be prepared to wait for the perfect shot.

Customized greeting cards are a wonderful way to share your best bird photos.Upload your file to London Drugs Photolab and we will print your customized cards using the same attention to detail we give all of our prints.

On the Hunt for Easter Treats? Egg-citing Gift Ideas for the Entire Family

Spring Cleaning Tips for Organizing and Storing Your Photos

Back-up and Digitize

Organize and Store Safely

Obey the Two-Second Rule