The Secret to Taking Perfect Holiday Group Shots

Eyes looking a bit tired after wrapping presents late into the night? Skin looking pale this winter because it's been months since you've seen the sun? Still have to look bright-eyed and cheery for your Christmas photos?

We're here to help! Our YouCam Perfect app is great for fixing up your group shots because you can easily edit each face independently. Simply snap a photo using YouCam Perfect, or "Edit" one of the images already stored in your phone.

Let's take the family Christmas photo and open it up in YouCam Perfect to make a few quick improvements. 

Click on "Beautifier" (left) and then select the face that you wish to edit. 

While the kids don't need any touch-ups, mom wants to brighten up her skin and hide some wrinkles while dad wants to banish his dark circles.

For subtle but noticeable improvements to your complexion and skin, try using a combination of these beautify features:

• "Skin Smoothener" will smooth your fine lines and soften discoloration
• "Skin Toner" will either brighten or tan your face, depending on the tone you select
• "Face Reshaper" will help you look a little slimmer if you've gained a few holiday pounds this season
• "Face Contour" will make your features stronger 
• "Blemish Removal" will hide any unwanted holiday guests (ahem, pimples)
• "Shine Removal" will get rid of that unflattering shiny, glow that we want on the Christmas tree but not on our face

Before (left) and After applying YouCam Perfect Beautify features (right)

Eye bags are a common problem for older men, but "Eye Bag Removal" will give you the hours of sleep that you might have missed last night by hiding your dark circles quickly.

Simply select "Eye Bag Removal" and use the slider to choose the degree of coverage.

 

 Before (left) and After applying YouCam Perfect "Eye Bag Removal" (right)

For an optional festive addition to your holiday photo or to turn it into a holiday e-card, add one of the free holiday templates.

After you've finished enhancing the faces in your photo, choose "Deco" and then "Frames" to add a Christmas or New Year's themed frame, collage or scene.

Add a template in "Deco" (left) and Saving your image with options to send (right)

Finally, you can send your perfect Christmas or New Year's photo to friends and relatives using U messenger, Facebook, or any of your favorite ways of sharing photos. Happy Holidays!

If you haven't gotten the most popular selfie camera app yet, download YouCam Perfect on your iOS or Android device now!

Top 4 Ways to Send Holiday Photo eGreetings for Free!

Give a small token of appreciation to your friends, family, teachers, and those other special people in your life this season to let them know you care.

Electronic holiday cards are a convenient way to send holiday greetings, but finding the best digital options can be challenging. There are a ton of digital greeting card websites, but many of the quality ones charges a fee to use.

Not to worry! We’ve got the top 4 ways to use YouCam Perfect and U messenger to send FREE high-quality Christmas and New Year’s photo greetings instantly from your iPhone or Android!

1. Create a Photo Collage with YouCam Perfect

Creating a personalized photo collage using 1 to 6 images is simple to create and is a meaningful way to share memories and make people smile! For single images, you can also use one of the seasonal frames.

Step-by-Step: Open YouCam Perfect. Select "More" at the bottom. 

Choose the purple "Templates" button.

Select "Collage" for 1-6 photos or "Frame" for single photos.

In Collage area, select "Holidays" to see all Christmas and New Year's templates. Select a design that you like. In the top row, you can see the collage options sorted by the number of photos you want to include (organized from 1-6 photos or view all).

 

Select your image or images from your photo albums. Then rearrange the photos, zoom in or out, and click the Save icon in the top right corner of the screen when finished. From this screen, you can share your ecard with family and friends using your favorite social media or messaging services.

2. Decorate Your Images with Holiday Text Bubbles

To send a truly classy message to your friends or family, try adding one of YouCam Perfect's text bubbles to your photos! Write that special message for your loved ones to tell them just how much you care.

Step-by-Step: Open YouCam Perfect. Select "More" at the bottom (same steps as selecting the collage). 

You can also access text bubbles when you are editing your photos in YouCam Perfect. Select "Deco" and "Text Bubble" to add it from the editing screen.

Choose the purple "Bubble" button or "Text Bubble." Choose the bubble you like and click the purple arrow circle to download it. Once downloaded, click the text bubble image to use.

Select the image from your photo album that you want to add the text bubble to. The bubble will appear on your image. Tap "Text Here" to type your message.

Personalize your photo greeting by selecting the Font and Color of text that you like most. Feel free to change the size, position, and angle of the text bubble to get the best looking photo!

Click the Save icon in the top right corner of the screen when finished. From this screen, share your photo using your favorite social media or messaging services.

3. Create Christmas Scenes with YouCam Perfect

If you are looking to give a quick and playful greeting, send one of YouCam Perfect's creative holiday scenes with your photo in it! Place you photo beside the fireplace, under the Christmas tree and more.

Step-by-Step: Open YouCam Perfect. Select "More" at the bottom. 

Choose the purple "Scene" button. Select your image, adjust if necessary, and you are done! This is one of the fastest ways to create a professional looking holiday greeting to send out this season.

 

Click the Save icon in the top right corner and then share your photo using your favorite social media or messaging services.

4. Send an Audio Greeting Card using U messenger (Android)

After you create your customized photo greeting card, go a step further to make it extra special by sending an audio card to friends & loved ones! Using U messenger, you can send a quick, easy and free Christmas or New Year’s photo ecard with your personal voice greetings!

Step-by-Step: After creating a photo greeting card in YouCam Perfect, select the save icon. Select the "U - Photo Chat" option in "More options." Choose "Add voice note before sharing."

 

Note: If you do not have U messenger already installed on your phone, you will see the screen below and it will direct you to download this free, new messenger app. Invite your friends and family to join U, then you can start photo chatting with them and also send your holiday voice greeting card!

After you have U installed, create your audio greeting card by tapping and holding the microphone icon to speak your holiday message. After you press the upload arrow, your audio greeting card will be send to your specified recipient.

 

How can I get YouCam Perfect and U messenger?

--> Download YouCam Perfect on the ITunes App Store for iOS and on the Google play Store for Android.

--> Download U now for FREE for iOS and Android mobile phones.

NOTE: By using CyberLink software and apps, you agree to let CyberLink Corp access all files on your PC and/or mobile device. 

5 Ways To Avoid Holiday Photo Fails

The holidays can be a high pressure time of year. Challenges seem to be all around us, from desperately searching for the perfect gifts, to putting up with the in-laws and keeping screaming children in check. With so many things to consider, it’s no surprise that many family holiday photos end up sub-par. That’s why we here at CyberLink have decided that 2014 is going to be the year of holiday photo wins! We’ve consulted with the experts and pulled together a cheat sheet with strategies to guide you down the path to holiday photo success and alleviate pesky seasonal stress. 

HOW TO GET THE PERFECT HOLIDAY FAMILY PHOTO:

Tip #1

Plan in Advance and Edit, Edit, Edit!: Group shots can involve quite a bit of coordination – whether it’s finding matching (ugly) sweaters or trying to get the kids to stay still and stop crying – the perfect shot is never as easy as it looks. Find a comfortable location with good lighting to make sure everyone will fit and be noticed. Take plenty of photos to increase your odds of getting a perfect shot. If that still doesn’t work the right editing software can help stitch together the best faces from each shot into one image that will trick your friends into thinking you have the perfectly behaved family.

Tip #2

Abide by the Rule of Thirds: This is an oldie but goodie! The rule of thirds can be helpful in most circumstances and suggest that an image be divided into nine equal parts by two equally spaced horizontal and vertical lines and is usually just a tap away on a smartphone or point-and-shoot camera. The important elements of your shot should be placed at the intersections of the lines for an ideal composition. Experts recommend filling the frame as much as possible with the kids, grandma or the holiday ham – anything to minimize a distracting background will help keep focus on the subject
you want.

Tip #3 

Keeping Up with the Candid Moments: For those of us claiming to live reality show worthy lives, candid photos are often the most memorable and easily captured on a smartphone. Tricks like burst mode can be found on most devices and it’s perfect for catching the spontaneous moments your family will be talking about for years to come! The pros suggest staying away from the zoom though, as it can dilute the final image. If you’re trying to capture a candid, don’t be afraid to jump right into the moment and take a
close up!

Tip #4

Set Up a Selfie Station: You shouldn’t have to do all the work this year! Set up a smartphone tripod so users can take photos throughout your holiday gatherings and you won’t have to spend the entire time running around making sure everyone is accounted for. This way guests can take stable and high-quality candid shots and you have some surprise photos when all is said and done.

Tip #5 

Invest in Quality Photo Editing Software: At the end of the day, we all have to admit we aren’t perfect. Quality photo editing software can help clear up any imperfections as a result of a bit too much eggnog or rambunctious kids that end up a blur. These can help adjust the exposure, color and so much more in a way that just can compare with a simple Instagram filter.

Since a little laughter can always help to make the season bright, we recommend that after you’ve absorbed our tips for photo success, and before you get your kids all spruced up to take their annual photos with Santa, you head over to BuzzFeed where we have pulled together even more photography motivation for with a gallery of unfortunate yet humorous photos with Santa gone wrong.

Now that you’re ready to master holiday photography, it’s time to grab your camera, rally the troops, and start snapping candid gems! Remember that the most essential element of holiday spirit is enjoying time with your loved ones and sharing festive events filled with cheer. If you can capture a few of the most joyous moments to last through the ages, that is even better.

Want even more photo tips? We will be releasing new tips and tricks to help you obtain holiday photo and video perfection on Facebook Page throughout the holiday season, and hosting a contest where you can enter to win our PhotoDirector or PowerDirector software each week. To get in on the action simply share the tips you see tagged #CyberLinkHoliday with your friends and family. To ensure you don’t miss any tips, “LIKE” our page today. After all, sharing photo and video tips is a great way to share the love inherent to this season!

“LIKE” CyberLink on Facebook here to keep up with our tips and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/cyberlink

Having problems installing? Have a question about product features? Need technical support? Send email to Ben_Hall@cyberlink.com.

Top 6 Tips to Make Your Holiday Videos Shine

Do you want to make epic Holiday Home Movies this year, but need some help getting into the Holiday spirit? It’s time to put down that bag of coal and pick up a cup of hot cocoa and your camera, camcorder, or camera phone. The team here at CyberLink just launched a campaign filled with so much seasonal cheer it will last you well into the new year!

As long as there have been cameras, Americans have been infatuated with documenting their lives, especially around the holiday season. We have delved into the history behind this trend and compiled a rich entertaining archive of videos exploring the evolution ofhome movies over the past 50 years. We’ve also created an Infographic showcasing tips and tricks to help YOU make the best holiday home movies
in 2014.

Our Tips For Creating the Best Holiday Videos:

Tip #1
Invest in a Mini Tripod for Your Smartphone: Mom and Dad’s home videos were always grainy and shaky while they circled the party, eggnog in one hand camera in the other, capturing every moment on film. Tripods and mini tripods for smartphones are an inexpensive and easy way to capture scenes like guests entering a party or kids unwrapping their gifts while giving time for a quick break and time to enjoy the holiday from the other side of the lens.

Tip #2
Create a Storyline: Be your own Steven Spielberg and make your holiday home movie award-worthy by telling an entertaining story. By creating a storyline in advance to set the framework for your video, you can select an overall theme, a beginning, middle and end to give your movie a Hollywood worthy plotline. To make your movie more unique, consider adding voiceovers, “staged” scenes or even editing your home holiday movie to a stylish video eCard or slideshow to share with your friends and family this year. Go wild and include a 30 second blooper reel!

Tip #3
Adequately Proportion People vs. Scene: Jumping from one shot to another is often jarring to watch in a home movie. Including a few scenic shots like the light of a Christmas tree, snow fall or a table setting can help transition from one scene to the next, so make sure you take a few shots of the surroundings as well. Experts say the general rule is a healthy three to five seconds of scenery juxtaposed with the holiday action in your movie when all is said and done.

Tip #4
Collect Video from Family and Friends: Chances are you aren’t the only one capturing the holiday action this year. Put the call out to friends and family for their smartphone videos and find editing software with a multi-camera feature. It will let you edit scenes of the same view captured from all angles. Cloud sharing programs can be a great tool in helping to bring everyone’s content together in one place for easy access and storage. Mom and Dad definitely never had that!

Tip #5
Find Your Classic Holiday Movie Moment: Imagine if Clark Griswold of National Lampoon fame had a smartphone during his Christmas vacation? There are a lot of ways to capture the quirky, candid holiday action that is bound to occur so don’t forget to get involved with your subjects. Share toys with the kids, get the family pet involved, and sneak up on grandma, essentially roll camera until you find whatever is going to keep everyone laughing for years to come!

Tip #6
Invest in Quality Video Editing Software: One of the biggest advantages of living in the 21st century is accessible video editing software that traditionally has been reserved for the pros. It has given us the power to create truly memorable and innovative home movies that will last a lifetime, or at least as long as YouTube.

These tips are only the beginning, and we will be releasing even more new tips and tricks for photo and video perfection every few days on our Facebook Page all season long. And to give you the proper tools to create aforementioned flawless photos and videos, we’re also hosting a contest. To enter “LIKE” our page today, and every time you see us post a #CyberLinkHoliday tip or trick share it with your friends and family. From now till December 31st we will be giving away 10 copies of our PhotoDirector or PowerDirector software each week to Facebook Fans that share our #CyberLinkHoliday tips.

Are you feeling inspired yet? We sure hope so, read through our tips, explore our home movie archive at the CyberLink Event Page, “LIKE” our Facebook page to get daily tips, and make sure to share the tips to win free software. Then go out into the world and start shooting and snapping to preserve your 2014 memories forever.

You can “LIKE” CyberLink on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/cyberlink

Explore our Evolution of the Holiday Home Movie campaign here: http://www.cyberlink.com/event/holidaytips

For PowerDirector technical support by email, contact louis_chen@cyberlink.com