The SmugMug Blog

Today we’re having our good friends at Blurb share a few of their hottest gift ideas for the coming holiday season. You know Blurb as those peeps who bring you easy, affordable, beautiful photo books. If you haven’t, check them out now! They make your SmugMug images totally shelfworthy.

Keep the Pages Turning With Useful Gifts

 Smart photographers know how to get their photos in peoples’ hands. As the gift-giving season approaches and you’re looking for that special present, know that there are lots of great, useful alternatives to the traditional photo book out there… and you can easily make them using your SmugMug photos and Blurb:

Notebook

Use Blurb BookSmart® to design a custom Notebook filled with your photos and blank, gridded, or lined paper. In addition to paper choices, you can order them in Hardcover, Softcover, or Hardcover ImageWrap to complete the look. They’re as little as $6.95 for a 20-page softcover.

Weekly Planners

Use Blurb BookSmart® and make a weekly planner using our custom planner templates for 2012. Each month gets an image, plus you can customize the front and back cover. You can even add extra pages in the back for notes or more photos. At 131 pages, they start at $23.95 for a softcover.

Small gift books

Our Small Square (7×7-inch) size is a perfectly portable size for a photo book. Compact, but still big enough to showcase your work. These start at $10.95 for a 20-page softcover.

Personalized books

The ultimate personalized gift. Since you can order just a single copy of a book with Blurb, you can add dedications and make books with specific photos for just one person. Using our online Blurb Bookify™ tool, you can easily pull in your SmugMug photos and make as many dedications as you wish.

A Holly Jolly Discount

As an added bonus, SmugMuggers can save 20% on their Blurb book orders through December 15th.* Just use the code MERRYSMUG when you check out.

You’ll find Blurb in the Buy button in any of your SmugMug galleries, under “Create a Book.” Try out these fabulous custom book ideas and keep them thinking of you (and your beautiful pics) all year long.

Cheers!
The Blurberati

* Coupon valid once per person, for purchase of books you’ve made yourself. Expires December 15th, 2011 at 11:59 PM, local time. Max coupon value $100, $120 AUD/CAD, 80 EUR, 60 GBP.

We bet that you love digital photography just as much as we do here at SmugMug. The ability to upload unlimited photos to safe, archival galleries and share them with anyone in the world is truly an amazing milestone in technology.

But sometimes it’s a good idea to take a moment and get back to your roots. This is why we want to remind you today to stop, take a deep breath of that delicious summer air and consider making your own custom photo book.

If still not sure, here’s 5 fantastic reasons to take your photos to the press.

1. Your hands (and eyes) will love it.

Nothing beats print. Even as technology eats up more and more of our time, you’ll never regret putting the beautiful colors of your life on paper and binding them in a thick, sturdy book. Pick it up, feel the heft and know that you’re looking at a format that’s stood the test of time. It’ll be with you forever. (And they make great gifts, too.)

2. There’s tons of ways to customize to your theme.

Most bookmaking sites guide you through the book building process so it’s easy to drop your photos in, give it a title and send it to print. Our partners at Blurb and MyCanvas go way beyond that and offer not just dead-simple building tools but tons of backgrounds, templates, layouts and even cover and binding options for your finished product. No matter what your book is about or who’s in it, there’s something for you.

3. It’ll make you a better photographer.

As you go through the process of building your book, you’ll get up close and personal with your photos. Think about the images you’ve taken, how you shot it and how it fits into not just your life but within the context of your book, too. All of these things can help you grow as a photographer. Learn from your experiences and make your next book even better!

4. Photo books spark conversations.

Even if your power goes out, your trusty books will be there for you, ready to be shown off, talked about and cherished. Who can ignore the big, beautiful presence of a book that tells your personal story? Your photo book is a special archive of your personal memories, artfully presented to you and your family as you pass it on. They’re always a conversation starter… even from across the room.

5. It’s a luxury you can afford.

Blurb’s books start at only $2.95 and MyCanvas begins at $29.95 . Get started from the Buy button in any of your SmugMug galleries and choose Create a Book. It may take a little time to get your book perfectly organized, captioned and polished but once you have that final work of art in your hands you won’t regret it.

What have you published lately? From family reunions to exotic getaways, we’d love to hear what’s bookworthy to you.

From our fine friends at Blurb:

Hello, SmugMuggers! All of us at Blurb are thrilled to announce ProLine, our new ultra-premium book customization options that give you even more creative range.

With ProLine, you can choose from:

• Two gorgeous professional-grade Mohawk papers in uncoated and pearl finishes
• A curated selection of end sheets in sophisticated shades
• New cover linens that give your hardcover, dust jacket book a rich textural look and feel

We’d love for you to give ProLine a try with your SmugMug photos. Upgrade one of your existing books or make a new one, choose any or all of the ProLine options at checkout, and then type in the promo code SMUGPRO and save 15% on your product total.

Not in the US? We’ve still got discounts for you! Try these:

CAD:  SMUGPRO1
EUR:  SMUGPRO2
GBP:  SMUGPRO3
AUD: SMUGPRO4

But don’t dally – this offer expires on June 30.* To get started, whether upgrading an existing book or making a new one, go here and then click on ProLine in the top navigation bar.

You can also toss your hat in the ring for a free book (made by you, of course) by giving Blurb a Like on Facebook AND commenting on this blog post. You are also eligible if you comment on our FB post here.  One winner will be randomly selected on Friday, May 13th. So, go ahead, this is your chance to check out ProLine and when you do, your SmugMug photos are going to look amazing.

Here’s to even more creative options,
The Blurberati

*Offer valid through June 30, 2011 (11:59 p.m. local time). A 15% discount is applied toward your order. Maximum discount is USD $200.00, GBP £125.00, EUR €160,00, CAD $210.00, or AUD $230.00 off product totals. This offer is good for one-time use, and cannot be combined with other promotional codes, gift cards, or used for adjustments on previous orders

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WINNER!
The giveaway is now over and the randomly selected winner of a free Blurb book is Wayne Parham. Congrats Wayne!

Everyone’s got a story to tell. What’s yours?

Tell us and you could win $200 Blurb bucks to help your launch your very own printed project. Here’s how:

1. Visit us on Facebook.

2. Sum up your story in a couple of sentences and post it on our Facebook page. What would you write about in your own book?

3. Hook us in and include a link to one of the photos you plan to use.

Post your ideas by Monday the 28th at noon, Pacific time. We’ll announce one randomly-picked winner that night on Facebook, so make sure you check in!

We love Blurb because they make it simple to design and publish your own beautiful photo books. They offer lots of cost-effective options so you can pick and choose exactly what your readers will feel in their hands. From portable pocket books to luxe tomes on premium paper, there’s something for every photo:

So tell us where you’ve been, what you’ve learned, or what’s moving you now. We can’t wait to hear (and see) all about it!

Here’s to publishing great pics together,

The SmugMug Family