Great Photos for Great Prayer Cards

The Beginnings of a Great Prayer Card
General Tips About the Perfect Shot
Choosing a Place to Take the Photo
What is a Good Background?
Outdoor Shots
What about Clothing?
Checking Your Print
Photographic Help Links

What Goes into a Great Photo Prayer Card?

There are three things that make up a great prayer card. It starts with a good photo, and one that is specifically good for adding text, logos and graphics (especially important for the Full Photo Format). So check out the tips below for help with getting the best possible photo. Secondly, you need a good digital image of your photo (if you use a digital camera, this is already done!). Please see "Ways to Create a Digital Image" for some helpful thoughts on how to digitize your photo. Finally, you need a great design. That's where we work together to create something that will keep all who see your cards remembering you in their prayers.

General tips about getting the perfect shot

Be deliberate and creative. Think about what would make a good background, what would make for good colors, etc. When you set out on a picture-taking spree, we suggest that you shoot 10 to25 pictures (shoot an entire roll if you are using a film camera) so that you can be sure of getting a good shot. Vary the distance, setting, poses, or even the times of day.

Choosing a great place to take the photo

Almost any setting that you like will do. If you can find a place that says something about your ministry, such as a famous landmark, a church building, or beautiful and typical landscape, those often make the biggest impression in a photo card. If you want to use the Full Photo Format, make sure that there is a consistently colored background in the picture so that your text shows up well against it (see below).

What is a good background for my photo?

If you are using the Frames, Cameo, or Half & Half Formats, you do not have to worry so much about the background of your photo. However, if you are planning on using the classic Full Photo Format, then you will need to be aware of the colors in the background of your photo over which the text and logos will float. Even though we can make your text and logos any color you want, your card will be the easiest to read if the background is either dark with lighter lettering or light with dark lettering. So a picture with lots of sky, a light colored wall, a snowy hill, etc, would all work as light backgrounds, just as a dark wall, lots of trees, shrubs, a night shot, etc, would all make for great dark backgrounds.

Outdoor Shots

Outdoor shots make for some of the most spectacular cards. The lighting is often much better and the setting much more interesting in indoor shots. The only real trouble with an outdoor shot from a prayer card perspective is that the background can often be a mix of light and dark colors. For a Full Photo Card, this can make text very difficult to read. So beware of sunlit leaves, light filtering through trees, and excess clutter. Earlier morning and late afternoon shots are often the best for lighting, and midday shots usually make for much worse lighting. Make sure the sun is not behind you because the lens will overcompensate and make faces all dark. A fill flash may help. Indoor photography is much more difficult without proper lighting equipment. Definitely do not take your picture under fluorescent lights!

What about clothing?

Be creative, but be bright! Colors that are coordinated and that jump off the picture at you make the best Prayer Cards. Pastels often wash out unless the background is nice and dark. You might want to consider using clothes that say something about your ministry, such as clothes particular to the country you are serving.

Check your photo before you send it

Once you have taken a number of pictures and found one that you like take a good look at it to make sure that it is a good print. Is the lighting fairly even overall especially on the faces? If one face is darker than others, it will become darker in the Prayer Card making process. What about the contrasts, especially between people and the background. Dark hair against a dark background could melt together. In a professional print, many photographers provide a soft light behind the people to eliminate the effect. If you are having trouble choosing between a couple of different photos, feel free to send us two or three of your best and let us pick the one that will work best as a Photo Prayer Card. All photos will be returned. Remember, a good photo card must begin with a good photo. Conversely, a poor print will make a poor photo card, no matter how much magic we try to work on it. Plan well so that your card can be everything you want it to be.

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