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!

Bored with Instragram’s Limited Filter Selection? Try One-Click Overlays for More Creative Shots!

Creating excellent photos quickly on your mobile is easy with presets & filters. But the most downloaded photo editor app Instagram only gives you 20 filters to choose from. Images begin to look the same after repeated use of classic filters like Valencia and X-Pro II. For the photographer who wants to take pictures, choose a filter to customize the mood and then share with friends in a few seconds, we've got more creative one-click options for you!

In addition to the 40 preset effects including Lomo, Artistic, HDR effects and Vignette, the PhotoDirector app has light leak, grunge, and scratch overlays to give your image the artistic mood you desire.

Light Leak

A light leak happens when light is able to "leak" into the body of the camera exposing the film with extra light. The result is diffuse light that may cast shadows or reflect in different ways. In the lomography movement, this is seen as a positive effect, giving photos more character. 

To apply the light leak effect to your images, open the PhotoDirector app and click "Overlays" at the bottom, then select "Light Leak" and choose from the different directions of the light leak. Then you can manually adjust the intensity of the leak with the slider for more control.

Original image (left), one-touch light leak overlay applied with PhotoDirector (right)

Grunge
The grunge effect is a popular trend that gives your photo a more organic and realistic look rather than looking polished and perfected. This overlay can make your pictures look as if they were hanging on the wall of a rock club for years.

To apply this grunge effect on your photos, open the PhotoDirector app and click "Overlays," then select "Grunge" and select from the different styles of the grunge look. Then you can manually alter the grunge effect by flipping the overlay 90 degrees or even flipping the design upside down with the first row of options.

 Selecting dfferent styles of the grunge overlay with PhotoDirector produces different results

Scratch
To artificially age your photos, try the scratch overlay. Achieving that antique look of photos found in your grandmother's attic is easy with this effect.

To apply this scratched looking effect on your shots, open the PhotoDirector app and click "Overlays," then select "Scratch" and select from the many styles of the scratch. Then you can manually alter the scratch effect by flipping the overlay 90 degrees or even flipping the design upside down with the first row of options.

  Two styles of the scratch overlay with PhotoDirector gives each photo a unique feel

What is PhotoDirector Mobile?

PhotoDirector is Cyberlink's easy-to-use photo editing and adjustment app, giving users the power to quickly add effects and filters, edit and enhance their shots, or create stylish photo collages on their mobile devides. Anyone can achieve outstanding, DSLR-like results in a matter of seconds with PhotoDirector, available for free on Google Play, the Windows Store and now the Apple App Store.

A Beautiful and Powerful Photography Journal

Today is World Cancer Day and I'd like to share a sad, yet beautiful and powerful photography journal of human fighting spirit against cancer. The photographs were taken every day by Angelo Merendino of his wife Jennifer who was diagnosed with breast cancer and her battles against the disease. The story and photos are as deep and compassionate as their journey.

Angelo's story and photos of  "The Battle We didn't Choose"

That Tree - an iPhone photo journal

Photographer Mark Hirsch started a year-long project documenting an ancient Bur Oak tree near his home in Platteville, Wisconsin by using his new iPhone. Pursuing this project for Mark was a real challenge, for he had lived a fast-pace life of a photo journalist and being used to professional gears. But Mark committed himself to take on this cool project and posted the images on Facebook every day with new angles and fresh perspectives of That Tree.

The story behind Mark's motives to carry on this project is touching. What Mark has learned is also a good lesson for us. Some time, we have to slow down, be more patience, dedicated and appreciate the world around us. No wonder, at its core a simple project can be appreciated by so many followers.

Now, that the year has past, Mark has developed his project into a beautiful book - That Tree.
Check our Mark's website of That Tree