Photo gifts and cards are some of the most treasured items you can give - they just require a little more planning!

So repeat after me: I will not wait until the last minute to order my holiday photo cards and gifts.

Got it? Good! With that out of the way, we're here to help you achieve that goal right here, right now!

Did you know that Diane French Photography has its own Tiny Prints storefront site for your holiday shopping? Through our partnership, we are able to pass along exclusive deals to our clients. And boy did we just get a biggie in our inbox: 40 percent off of your total Tiny Prints order through 12/10/14! The special code for one-time use for our clients is: PH39AD72F4. See the fine print below for complete details. You've also got one day left to get 10 free cards!

The fine print for Tiny Prints:

Enjoy 40% off your order. Excludes calendars, photo books, gift certificates, personalized postage stamps and Erin Condren weekly planners. Exp: 12/10/2014. Reg promo, one time use. Offer expires 12/10/2014 (11:59 P.M. PT). Save 40% off using the code PH39AD72F4 at checkout. There is no minimum purchase required for this promotion. Offer is not applicable to previously placed orders, shipping, taxes, rush processing charges, calendars, photo books, gift certificates, personalized postage stamps and Erin Condren weekly planners. This promotion code cannot be combined with other offers. Offer cannot be redeemed more than once per account and/or billing address. This particular offer code can only be redeemed once. Offer is only valid on Tinyprints.com and is not applicable on third party or partner websites. To prevent fraud or abuse, we reserve the right to discontinue or modify this offer or cancel any order. Good for 500 Redemptions. Please advertise to customer as one time use only.

Also to help you with your photo gift giving, we've started a special series of Fun Photo Finds For the Holidays on our blog. Our first entry introduces you to our Tiny Prints site as well as two more sites full of photo gifts for everyone on your list. Check it out here.

Still want more ideas? Check out our Pinterest board full of special order and DIY ideas alike.

Keep your eyes on our Facebook page throughout the holiday season for more gift ideas and Tiny Prints deals!

I recently traveled to Rockaway Beach, NY, for what's become an annual session with the R. Family. Their three daughters took surfing lessons this summer so Mom and Dad wanted to capture that memory with a very cool beach shoot! Get your endless summer fix by seeing more from this session on the blog here.

The S. family of New City, NY, recently opened up their beautiful home for my very favorite type of shoot: a lifestyle newborn session! Photographing their handsome little man with his parents and sweet doggy in the comfort of his own home was such a treat! See more from this session on the blog here.

To schedule your family's session in a location that's important to you, contact me at info@dianefrenchphoto.com or 516-238-1423.

If you have any experience in the field of art, you might be familiar with the term "negative space." Negative space is all the space that surrounds the subject (the positive space), and when taking pictures you can use it to help bring more attention to your subject.

When taking snapshots, most people simply have their subject in the middle of the frame. This is one way to focus on the subject. But why not increase the negative space to actually draw the eye to the subject even more? In the picture shown, the negative space is clean and uncluttered so the eye is quickly drawn to the surfer. This example shows how the negative space highlights the positive space (the surfer), ultimately keeping the focus on the subject.

To get the best use of your negative space, be sure it is clean and uncluttered. Also, play with the placement and size of your subject within the frame of your picture. You’ll be surprised at the many different looks you can create!

If you haven’t ever ordered a mounted print, you may want to consider it with your next investment. Mounted prints are prints that are adhered to a solid backing. Instead of a flimsy paper portrait, you have a portrait that holds its form. Mounting your prints helps to protect them from bending and marking and keeps your images safer longer.

There are many different types of materials used to mount your images, including styrene board, masonite backing or the commonly used foam core board.

Getting your prints mounted not only protects them better, but it also can create a few new options for you to display them. Because your print will now stand alone, you can display your print without a frame. One easy look is to set the mounted print on a shelf leaning against the wall without a frame. Another more gallery style look is to attach a small block behind the mounted print and hang it to your wall. The block pushes the print out so that it now looks like it is suspended just in front of the wall. You can also hang the print frameless directly to the wall using Command wall strips.

Next time your order prints, consider getting them mounted. You’ll be glad you did!

You may hear from us again this November, but if not, we wish you a very happy Thanksgiving season. Hope it is filled with good food and great times with family and friends! And one last thought ...