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It's the holiday season - time for fruitcakes, ugly sweater parties, spinning the dreidel, and the ever-popular holiday greeting card. Even in today's digital age, according to the United States Postal Service, Americans send over 1.1 billion season's greetings by snail mail every year. Not only is it a fun tradition, but for many it's a welcome reminder of connection and cheer during what can be an emotionally fraught time of year - a simple gesture that helps support positive mental health and wellness.

When it comes to taking or choosing the perfect holiday card photo, it can feel overwhelming trying to highlight friends, family and our furry companions. No matter the sentiment you want to convey, here are four quick tips to help you make the most of your time taking photos or picking the right one to wrap up this year. Plus, same-day printing and pickup can save in a last-minute time crunch!

Don't be afraid to highlight the candid moments

Don't rule out the day-to-day moments and locations that matter to you or your loved ones. Candid moments captured on camera convey authenticity, warmth, and humor that shine through.

During what is already a busy season, finding time to set up the family for a photo session is difficult enough. Make it fun for everyone by combining it with an already anticipated holiday tradition! If you bake cookies, pick out a Christmas tree or build a snowman each year, plan to use the moment for your holiday card photo.

Have a picture of the kids playing outside at the playground, playing board games or having a movie night? What about family pictures from last year's holiday gatherings? Include these candid moments in a Year in Review card from Walgreens and share a heartfelt note to those on your holiday card list.

Pro-Tip! Scroll through your photo app to your favorited pics from the year prior. This will make it even easier to find a candid photo that feels like you.

Let the card design inspire you

Finding simple ways to eliminate stress can help you feel more in control of your well-being throughout this busy time of year. Rather than starting with planning a family photoshoot or going through a year's worth of pictures, start the process at the end this year! Look through holiday card options on Walgreens Photo site and let your favorite design inspire you.

Find a collage card to add your top three photos to? Or maybe a Happy New Year card fits your favorite family outfits? Walgreens foil cards give a great New Year look and feel, so set up a group photo to fit the card!

Use lighting to your advantage

With today's cell phone cameras, if you have good lighting, you can get a great photo! In order to take the best photos outside or indoors with natural light, focus on "golden hour" right after sunrise and right before sunset. This time of day will accentuate the natural glow of your surroundings, and the light won't cast harsh shadows.

Once you have your favorite photo chosen, there are simple editing tips you can use to bump up the professional look. Bringing up the exposure a bit to brighten the photos along with increasing the contrast and saturation to bring out those colors works wonders. But be mindful not to do too much! A little goes a long way, especially if there are rosy cheeks or noses from seasonal sniffles. Consider a black and white photo filter in that case.

Focus on your furry family members!

While weddings, baby photos and other exciting moments fill in a lot of holiday cards, don't forget your favorite furry companions! Take pictures this year and all season long having fun with your pets, hanging out in your favorite cozy spot, or playing with their favorite toys.

Or you can have fun with photos of your pets from the past year - did they splash around in the pool this summer or wear a fun Halloween costume? Add them to a Walgreens pet-themed card template for the perfect pawliday greetings to share with friends, family and other furry friends!

In addition to holiday photo cards, Walgreens has many other photo gifts to consider giving to a friend or loved one. Send ornaments, puzzles, party coasters and more to those on your shopping list - and with quick printing services, you can fill any last-minute gifting needs with same-day printing and fast delivery.

Pro tip! Use Walgreens Mail-For-Me cards to have your designed cards stamped and mailed to your entire address list to avoid spending time at the post office. All you have to do is create your cards, add your mailing info and recipient addresses, prepay, and Walgreens will mail for you! One more task checked off the holiday to-do list.

As the season quickly approaches, Walgreens has everything you need for your festive photo dreams and fun gifts on an affordable budget with quick turnaround. With the code CARDPHOTO you can get 60% off all Photo Cards & Premium Stationery through early January[1].

With the Walgreens Photo site offering hundreds of options, you can browse and buy online and in-store - Walgreens is available to make your holiday season simple.