# Any cool ideas for a photo collection based gift? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 11, 2018, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cool-ideas-for-a-photo-collection-based-gift/812192 "2018-04-11T01:54:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cool-ideas-for-a-photo-collection-based-gift/812192/1 "2018-04-11T01:54:12Z")
My bf’s birthday is coming up, and I have a collection of photos I took during a rare trip to his parents (he’s got a … rocky family history.) I’d like to do, well, SOMEthing besides just “here’s a new folder in yr Google Drives, enjoy!” but I’m stumped as to how I could jazz this up. DO NOT SAY SCRAPBOOK he’s not that type of guy, for lots of reasons. He’s very much a tech person - I call him my I.T. Guy here - so this will be a digital online deal only. Any ideas? I’ve got about a month … ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cool-ideas-for-a-photo-collection-based-gift/812192/2 "2018-04-11T04:49:50Z")
What’s your budget? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cool-ideas-for-a-photo-collection-based-gift/812192/3 "2018-04-11T12:19:14Z")
If he is a tech person, he might appreciate one of the photos [burned into a slab of glass with a laser](https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1&ei=xfzNWoLcHeOpjwTY2634AQ&q=laser+glass+photo&oq=laser+glass+photo&gs_l=psy-ab.3...8706.9555.0.9861.5.5.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..5.0.0....0.tkf0mEGSGMI). ---
**Author:** ![Weedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/weedy/32/301_2.png) [@Weedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weedy)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cool-ideas-for-a-photo-collection-based-gift/812192/4 "2018-04-11T12:48:02Z")
Maybe put them into some kind of screensaver program. My mum does a lot of stuff with photos, and the most generally popular are when she puts them into a calendar, not sure if you could do a digital version. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cool-ideas-for-a-photo-collection-based-gift/812192/5 "2018-04-12T00:11:52Z")
If you’ve got time and creativity, you could add humorous captions. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cool-ideas-for-a-photo-collection-based-gift/812192/6 "2018-04-12T00:21:09Z")
Are digital picture frames still a thing? You could load one of those with a slideshow of the photos. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cool-ideas-for-a-photo-collection-based-gift/812192/7 "2018-04-12T00:27:38Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Are digital picture frames still a thing? You could load one of those with a slideshow of the photos. I’ll 2nd this. When my biddy’s dog died, we loaded up all our pictures of the dog onto one of those and gave it to him. He loves it. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cool-ideas-for-a-photo-collection-based-gift/812192/8 "2018-04-12T00:56:09Z")
This is a stretch, but, you could download the pix to the Walmart photo site and have them printed onto Christmas ornaments. When one of our pets dies, s/he gets an ornament for the tree. Just a thought. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cool-ideas-for-a-photo-collection-based-gift/812192/9 "2018-04-12T01:00:57Z")
I got one of these: [Colorful MiniCard Holder | Custom Design | MOO US](https://www.moo.com/us/accessories/minicard-frame.html) frames as a gift. The person printed a bunch of photos on mini cards that I could swap in and out at will. (I admit “at will” has pretty much become “never.” But I \*could \*switch them out at any time.) ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cool-ideas-for-a-photo-collection-based-gift/812192/10 "2018-04-12T12:11:22Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Are digital picture frames still a thing? You could load one of those with a slideshow of the photos. This is a good one. You could also make a custom printed picture book. Lots of companies like Walmart, Shutterfly, etc. can make a very nice hard-cover book using your photos. Cheaper if the photos are already digital. Most of these companies will turn out 2 or 3 copies of the book for not much $. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cool-ideas-for-a-photo-collection-based-gift/812192/11 "2018-04-12T14:14:05Z")
I’ve done many different photo gifts through the WalMart photo website - ornaments, calendars, mugs, blankets, etc. They’ve all been big hits. You can also do a collage picture - all of the pictures turned into an 8x10 collage and then frame it. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cool-ideas-for-a-photo-collection-based-gift/812192/12 "2018-04-12T14:16:13Z")
> [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > This is a good one. > > You could also make a custom printed picture book. Lots of companies like Walmart, Shutterfly, etc. can make a very nice hard-cover book using your photos. Cheaper if the photos are already digital. > Most of these companies will turn out 2 or 3 copies of the book for not much $. I made a collage of family photos for a friend of mine as a Christmas present using Shutterfly. They do a really good job. Had the collage framed and sent it to her - she loved it. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cool-ideas-for-a-photo-collection-based-gift/812192/13 "2018-04-12T14:57:19Z")
You specified digital in your OP so I’d second the digital frame. Otherwise, I’d do a collage frame or something unique, like a metal print. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cool-ideas-for-a-photo-collection-based-gift/812192/14 "2018-04-12T15:18:48Z")
Depending on how many images you have, one option might be to make a slideshow video using various transitions and effect and add a soundtrack with humorous music or narration. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cool-ideas-for-a-photo-collection-based-gift/812192/15 "2018-04-12T15:42:59Z")
NM ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cool-ideas-for-a-photo-collection-based-gift/812192/16 "2018-04-12T16:00:08Z")
When our son was younger, my wife always ordered calendars made with his more recent pictures to give as presents to his grandparents. If it must be digital only, “here’s a drive with your photos” is about all you can offer. But you could dress it up a bit. For example, maybe you can set up a website to highlight the pictures in a meaningful way (like a story format or something) and send him the link. Or like Facebook does, make a video collage and share it with him on social media.