We use a wall calendar as a shared calendar for the kitchen wall to mark appointments, birthday reminders etc for all to see, even though my phone is my main calendar. But to be a good gift it would have to be photos with a shared interest with the recipient. If you know someone is also a national park nut then it would be cool, or whatever the topic as long if was a shared interest.
Calendars as Gifts?
- Thread starter Viathelens
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James C.
Active member
I have been making bird photo calendars as Christmas gifts for friends since 2021. Several of those friends see my posting of bird photos on Facebook and often "Like" the photos, so I figure that they'd appreciate a calendar. One of my friends likes my calendars so much that he saves them every year, cuts out the photos and has made a "Bird book" for his little grandson. Another friend has said that she is starting to get a pile of them because at the end of every year, when she's going to put the calendars into the recycling bin, she feels so guilty about destroying such lovely photos that she keeps them. 
I still use wall calendars, but I don't care if my friends do or don't. It is a gift, given in the spirit of the season, and what they decide to do with it is up to them.
I do all of my bird/nature photo cataloging using my Mac's "Photos" app. So saying, I create the calendars using the Motif/Mimeo app that is free on the Apple app store and integrates into the Photos app on the Mac. The calendars are large (13"x10") and made of nice, heavy card stock, but they're expensive (~$40 USD each). However, they do allow me to ship just about anywhere and have various shipping options & pricing.
I discovered a less expensive printer last year in a surprising place ... FedEx! They have an online printing service that allows you to make wall calendars, although the calendars are smaller (8.5"x11"), but they only cost ~$30 USD. Plus, as I recall, the shipping was two-day shipping to anywhere in the U.S. The only drawbacks were:
1) there are SO MANY calendar templates to choose from it is time-consuming finding the right template, and,
2) the boxes for each day were smaller than what I was used to and I often could not comfortably fit the name of some holidays in to the box.
(There are always trade-offs.)
Anyway, my opinion is, if making the calendar gives you joy, then make it. If a friend says that they'd rather not get them, then don't give one to that friend. And as I mentioned above, it is a gift, given in the spirit of the season, and what they decide to do with the calendar is up to them.
I still use wall calendars, but I don't care if my friends do or don't. It is a gift, given in the spirit of the season, and what they decide to do with it is up to them.
I do all of my bird/nature photo cataloging using my Mac's "Photos" app. So saying, I create the calendars using the Motif/Mimeo app that is free on the Apple app store and integrates into the Photos app on the Mac. The calendars are large (13"x10") and made of nice, heavy card stock, but they're expensive (~$40 USD each). However, they do allow me to ship just about anywhere and have various shipping options & pricing.
I discovered a less expensive printer last year in a surprising place ... FedEx! They have an online printing service that allows you to make wall calendars, although the calendars are smaller (8.5"x11"), but they only cost ~$30 USD. Plus, as I recall, the shipping was two-day shipping to anywhere in the U.S. The only drawbacks were:
1) there are SO MANY calendar templates to choose from it is time-consuming finding the right template, and,
2) the boxes for each day were smaller than what I was used to and I often could not comfortably fit the name of some holidays in to the box.
(There are always trade-offs.)
Anyway, my opinion is, if making the calendar gives you joy, then make it. If a friend says that they'd rather not get them, then don't give one to that friend. And as I mentioned above, it is a gift, given in the spirit of the season, and what they decide to do with the calendar is up to them.
Well said!
PuraVidaNCN
New member
Every fall I send an e-mail to friends/family asking if they would like: a wall calendar or desk calendar (can be very useful for knowing what the date will be a week from Wednesday - no space for writing appts) for the upcoming year. I get requests for both types. We have an open house in mid-Nov to visit and give folks their calendar (I mail to those who live out of town). During the year on the first day of very month I send a "factoid" e-mail about the bird of the month as well as a brief personal update. Some opt for the monthly email only, so they get the photo via email but nothing in paper form. I have found it to be a great way to keep in touch.
MattOZW
Member
We still use a wall calendar for a quick glance at the month. I print out 3 calendars myself and have them ring-bound at a local shop. I use Ilford Duo paper in my Canon Pro-300. I send them to two friends who I know appreciate them.
vbnut
New member
Interesting that so many folks like Bay Photo. I used MPix.com for years to produce calendars that I gave as Christmas gifts to family and a few friends, and was very happy with the quality, but they eliminated the option of using the desktop computer app to create the calendar, and I don't like their web-based design tool. In addition, I recently moved to Santa Cruz, so Bay Photo is local, so I used them last year. I was rather disappointed with the quality. While the quality of the printing was fine, I ordered 8.5x11 inch calendars, but what I received was 8.25x10.9 inches. In addition, the pages are curved in the horizontal direction. The one I have hanging on the wall next to me right now is bowed out from the wall 3/4 of an inch. The only thing I preferred about Bay Photo over MPix was the ability to put arbitrary text (e.g. a link to my website and a note about email notifications) on the back of the last month. I'm looking for an alternative vendor for this year.
O
Well-known member
Absolutely calendars are still in use....love them
I gave my customers calendars of my bird photos and they *love* them. They also like the connection that I have with the photos.
My calendars:
2022
bcgforums.com
2023
bcgforums.com
I can't find my 2024 calendar post. Maybe I didn't do a post showing my 2024 calendar?
The photos measured 350mm x 260mm on high gloss paper.
The trouble is, I am running out of photos that are eye catching for a calendar. Yes, there are many other bird photos but people like eye catching shots and birds that are not repeated.
My calendars:
2022
I did a 2022 calendar
I have posted this on FM as well, but thought it a good idea for anyone else to do. I made up this 2022 calendar of Australian Birds that I have taken over the last few years for my customers. Got it printed on-line at A4 size. Sorry for long post, but there are 13 images, one for each month...
bcgforums.com
I did a 2023 Calendar of Aussie birds
Last year, I did a calendar of Australian Birds and posted the images for each month and a cover, see here is you are interested: https://bcgforums.com/index.php?threads/i-did-a-2022-calendar.12168/ I've done the same this year for 2023 for my customers. I try to include the more unusual birds...
bcgforums.com
I can't find my 2024 calendar post. Maybe I didn't do a post showing my 2024 calendar?
The photos measured 350mm x 260mm on high gloss paper.
The trouble is, I am running out of photos that are eye catching for a calendar. Yes, there are many other bird photos but people like eye catching shots and birds that are not repeated.
Thanks, really nice bird shots.I gave my customers calendars of my bird photos and they *love* them. They also like the connection that I have with the photos.
My calendars:
2022
2023I did a 2022 calendar
I have posted this on FM as well, but thought it a good idea for anyone else to do. I made up this 2022 calendar of Australian Birds that I have taken over the last few years for my customers. Got it printed on-line at A4 size. Sorry for long post, but there are 13 images, one for each month...
I did a 2023 Calendar of Aussie birds
Last year, I did a calendar of Australian Birds and posted the images for each month and a cover, see here is you are interested: https://bcgforums.com/index.php?threads/i-did-a-2022-calendar.12168/ I've done the same this year for 2023 for my customers. I try to include the more unusual birds...
I can't find my 2024 calendar post. Maybe I didn't do a post showing my 2024 calendar?
The photos measured 350mm x 260mm on high gloss paper.
The trouble is, I am running out of photos that are eye catching for a calendar. Yes, there are many other bird photos but people like eye catching shots and birds that are not repeated.
TRW
Member
This will be the fifth year that I make a calendar for family and friends highlighting bird of NE Ohio. The last few years I’ve done themed calendars Such as all birds small and great. Each month bird was progressively larger starting with a Hummingbird and December was a Tundra Swan. Last year featured bird that were visited the stateby time Summer, Winter, through migrant and the odd rare bird. This years theme is the Usual Suspects- birds that you expect to see throughout the year.
Woody Meristem
Well-known member
We get sooo many wall calendars in the mail, all but the one with the largest area for writing appointments, birthdays, etc. go in the recycling bin. Although we, and our now adult kids, all use wall calendars, if it wasn't what we need/use it too would go in the bin.
Maybe my friends and family are oddballs, but most of them didn't really use the wildlife calendars I gave them, so I stopped making them years ago. In my experience, most folks don't really use paper calendars anymore, unless it's a day planner.
AnnetteJane
Well-known member
I love my calendar and still use one. I make my own every year with that years photos. My mother has liked getting a calendar but the international shipping makes it less feasible. My oldest son loves getting a calendar. I put birds and such from his area on it. So I do a different one depending on the person. They also like that I put all the birthdays and such on it.
I put ours on our kitchen/dining area wall to mark what's happening during the week, appointments and such so everyone can see what's coming up. I almost didn't put up a calendar one year after the kids graduated school and there was a household protest, that it's nice to visually see what's going on.
I make a new calendar just about every year, usually with images from a recent trip or safari (although I've yet to make one this year!) and give it to a few friends and family members as holiday gifts. I personally use printed calendars, in fact I have two hanging in my office right now (one on the wall and a small one on my desk which I mark up.) I make mine with Zazzle.com and they are printed on demand, so no need to lay out any cash up front, nor bother with shipping. The quality is not bad and they will reprint for free if it's subpar. I've actually got a Zazzle shop which holds all my calendars, I've got something like 24 different ones in it right now...(of varying image quality, some are pretty old) and some of them do sell! In fact I've made over $1000 selling them over the years, selling about 300 calendars; hardly an income but it does mean someone still buys printed calendars.
One year when I didn't give them for the holidays a few asked "where's my calendar" so I guess they are liked.
One year when I didn't give them for the holidays a few asked "where's my calendar" so I guess they are liked.
If you are making calendars and use PS check this out.
www.panosfx.com
Free yearly & monthly calendar for Adobe Photoshop & Elements
Design custom annual and monthly calendars in Adobe Photoshop. Personalize with your photos, colors, and auto-translate to 30 languages!
www.panosfx.com
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