What Makes a Great Photo?
A great photo tells a story–a story about a person, a place, an event, a feeling. You don't have to be a professional photographer to capture the emotion of a moment; you just have to love what you see through the viewfinder. Of course, there are some technical qualities that make your memories easier to perfect in print.

Make sure that your photograph is in focus. Unless you are trying to record motion, it is best to have a clear, sharp picture. It will help others understand your story if they can see it as you did on the day you captured it.

The picture should have a clear subject, something that immediately draws the eye of viewer. Even landscape shots are best when an item in the foreground strikes you, suspends your interest. When looking for a photograph to display for a lifetime, try to choose one that has a foreground, a background, but nothing else.

Distance from the subject matters, too. You are putting a lot of thought into creating a keepsake that will be handed down from generation to generation, so try to choose a photograph that received just as much attention on the day it was taken. Look for shots that are close enough to capture the details: a mischievous smirk, a fresh look of surprise, a beautiful reflection in a pond. Details make pictures into photographs.

Lighting is also important in choosing the picture you want us to develop for you to display forever. We can work with the photograph to lighten or darken the appropriate regions, but it is best to start with one that is not over- or underexposed.

Digital pictures should have high resolutions. The higher the resolution, the crisper and more lifelike the finished art piece will be. Aim for a shot taken on a digital camera with 2 megapixels or more. To figure out the size and quality of your pic, right-click on it to list the Properties. Save it as a JPEG, TIF or RGB.

5 megapixel or higher images are the very best. These can be enlarged to 24" X 36" without visible loss of detail. Lower megapixel images cannot usually be enlarged as much, but are usually acceptable for sizes up to 16" X 20"

Traditional photos should be vivid as well. Select a photo that not only has the subject matter you want but also has good colors and is not fuzzy. We can help with the colors a little, but fuzzy cannot be corrected.