Before and After :: A Holiday Card Behind-the-Scenes Story

Before

After

Behind the front of every custom holiday card I create is the raw photo it came from and the skills needed to turn it into what is received in mailboxes. 2024 saw its challenges because certain features of our house weren't cooperative even though the kid and the dog were.

The first glaring problem was the framed papyrus that we purchased when we were living in Egypt. If you look at the line that separates the archway area from the main living room, you'll see that the papyrus is actually straight (even though the picture is a little crooked). What makes it look lower on the right side is that the part of the couch that Caytlin and Caddie are resting on was reclined so that Caddie is actually on the foot rest extension. That is seen clearly if you look to the right of Caddie where the footrest can be seen extending from the main couch. On the actual holiday card, I used Photoshop to raise the back of the reclined seat and even out the back of the couch. Add to that the ceiling light that is vivid on the papyrus which is not a good look in the photo. Besides, Caddie wanted her photo above the couch anyway so I used Photoshop to take a photo I took of Caddie and put it in a frame.

The blanket that Caytlin and Caddie are lying on is actually pink (I made the blanket with my logo color) and I thought it would look better in red for the purposes of our holiday card. Photoshop helped make the change.

Then, there's the major problem of the archway which is inconveniently placed for the holiday card photo. You'll see in the "After" photo that I used a little Photoshop magic to remove it temporarily. I extended the wall and even added a baseboard for a realistic look. Note: If you look in the archway of the "Before" photo, you can barely make out the papyrus photo of Caytlin that we had painted by an artist when we were living in Egypt. It's framed with the original picture and quite extraordinary.

Wanting to introduce a little Chanukah spirit in with the Christmas spirit (perfect for an interfaith family!), I added a menorah and dreidel plus milk and cookies for Santa and Mrs. Claus. 

There was some more Photoshop used to lighten, brighten, and even out tones and the date was digitally added in addition to the "Believe in the Magic" statement (the word "Magic" matches Caytlin's pajama bottoms).

So, this is a behind-the-scenes look at what a graphic designer can do for photos that are less than optimal. Yes, it takes time, but it's worth it for the end result, whether it's for my own custom holiday cards or for my clients' business (or personal) needs. A big thank you to my Mom who took the photos and to Caddie for cooperating (finally after countless tries) on looking up at just the right moment.

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