Photography

It's been a while since we put together our list of the best Photo Booth apps, and wow, have they come a long way! We all know that photo booths are as essential to a good party as the food and drinks, whether you're celebrating a birthd…

This is a sponsored message from Mylio Photos One thing we can safely say about parents: We take a ton of photos. The other thing we can safely say: We hardly have time to organize them, let alone curate them, delete the extras, and shar…

Fireworks are at the top of nearly everybody's list of favorite Fourth of July memories, but capturing the magic in fireworks photos can be extremely tricky. So we scoured our favorite photography and tech resources for great photo tips …

If you're in need of a fun little project to help focus your energy in a positive, inspiring way, we're happy to recommend our dear friend Tracey Clark's Picture Home . It's a family-friendly, all-ages communal photo project with 31 days…

Every parent wants to know how to take better pictures, especially around Christmas. A few years ago I received the completely awesome gift of a DSLR camera, but I admit I haven't entirely learned how to use it properly. I've taken thous…

We've been long time fans of Epiphanie camera bags since they launched, so when founder Maile Wilson shared a link to their gorgeous vintage camera straps , I just had to share. For those of you with a DSLR, these are quite the stylish a…

If the dad in your life likes to reminisce about phone books, floppy disks, and cassette tapes, we have found the ultimate Father's day gift: this new funky Polaroid 600 96 cam that's ready to snap some instant pics. Related: 9 creative …

Since CES 2018 , we've been featuring our favorite tech picks for parents and I'd be remiss if I didn't share the incredible new high-tech baby monitors that I got a chance to check out. While there are certainly a lot more that we'll be…

My kids were all a little too old when the video baby monitor hit peak popularity. And way too old for this trend of parents chasing their kids around with a video camera to catch their every move. So, when I saw Google had launched thei…

Like me, you've probably tried to share a favorite photo on Instagram Story after the fact, only to discover that it was taken well past the allowable 24-hour time period. Also like me, you may have figured out a trick where you can scre…

As a new mom, I'd adore a Mother's Day gift that takes my favorite Instagram shots and transforms them into an awesome keepsake so that I don't have to. After all, I can hardly find time to back up the several billion pictures I've taken…

After spending some time playing around with the new Polaroid Snaptouch ($179.99 from our affiliate Amazon ) that we were sent for review, I think it's a fun little camera for a family -- especially with road trips, summer camp, and more…

If your kids are like mine, they're obsessed with taking pictures, and well, your phone is a better camera option than your DSLR. Except, it's still a pretty expensive piece of tech. So, when I heard about the Kickstarter campaign for th…

Just in time for holiday visits, New Year's Eve celebrations and uh, New Year's Day morning-after selfies (if you dare), Rebecca Minkoff has introduced yet another must-have tech accessory: The new rose gold Glow Selfie iPhone Case desig…

We love finding cool custom photo gift, because hello, we're moms! We're sentimental like that. But also, they make great gifts because they demonstrate that some real thought and love went into creating it, even if it doesn't cost a for…

I actually stopped carrying my DSLR with me because by the time I could get it out of my bag, I had missed the photo of my kids I was trying to get. And walking around with the camera out in my hands? Not really the safest option. That's…

As vigilant as I am about applying (and reapplying) sunscreen on my kids and myself, it's inevitable that I missed a spot -- usually on myself -- and I'm left with a sunburn patch. But this new gadget could totally change that, and help …

As our kids get older, they're often more excited to be behind the camera than in front of it. Or, maybe it's a close tie. But we don't blame them -- with so many older kids with their own smartphones, it's easier than ever for budding s…

Now that so many of us have a zillion photos stored on our laptops or phones, I love creating any gift that takes the best of those photos and puts them onto something we can hold onto So, for some of my favorite people, I've turned rece…

I've taken hundreds of photos of my kids just in the last couple months. And almost every single one was taken with my phone. Even though I have a nice DSLR camera, it's so heavy, it's just not practical to lug it with me everywhere. Esp…

H i Cool Mom Tech, Have you written about a tech solution that gathers photos from all the family computers and phones into one place for backup purposes? - James We've been exactly where you are, James: looking at all the options and sc…

As you may have guessed, we're officially smitten with the new Polaroid CUBE+ . It all started last year, when we first laid eyes on the 1.0 version of this bite-sized, lifestyle action camera. Back then, we were totally impressed with t…

Calling all you ghosts, pirates, zombies, superheroes, and that small army of Queen Elsas -- it's time for your closeup. Because one of the best parts of Halloween for us, besides stealing our kids' fun-size Snickers, is getting photos o…

Okay all ye mothers who felt guilty about not getting those baby books filled with photos representing every little milestone: You are no longer alone! Because now, you don't even have to have kids to feel the pressure of owning a photo …

My daughter is turning 6 and I'd like to get her a camera. We gave her an old Canon point-and-shoot for Christmas and she is so responsible with it - she's ready for a new one of her own. I love the Fujifilm Instax Mini (especially Hello…

When you have some favorite photos -- and with five of us taking photos, you can bet we have lots -- we've got a great new way to turn them into wall decor. You might know SnapBox as the company that started by turning your Instagram pho…

Should I be embarrassed that I, a 30-something mother of four, saw this Fujifilm Instax Mini Hello Kitty camera and let out a tween-level squeal? Possibly. But heck, who cares? This is freaking awesome. I've had a long standing luv-affai…

I am pretty sure that it's written somewhere in the fine print of the Parenthood Contract that we're supposed to take tons of photos of our kids. So it's always a nice bonus when the subjects of our countless pics develop their own inter…

To say that we like iPhoneography is like saying Frozen was a marginal success. Yeah. No understatement: We are huge fans of iPhone picture-takin' over here. Which is why I'm always excited to see what cool, new accessories are popping u…

I've been a huge fan of Epiphanie Bags ever since we featured them here on Cool Mom Tech years ago and it's been so exciting to see this mom-run business grow. So how cool to discover their new spring and summer collection that takes the…

For the dad who has everything, you can't go wrong with Father's Day photo gifts, especially when they come from the kids. Lately I've gotten completely hooked on photo wall decals as the best new way to display my photos, because they d…

We're very pro-photo book around here. Actually, we support any service or app that helps us get all the digital pics we snap off of our devices and on display for all to enjoy. And with Father's Day and graduation season officially unde…

Nothing says I love you like, please don't let your phone die when I'm trying to reach you because it really freaks me out . Which is why I think it's so clever that Shutterfly has launched the first personalized battery chargers that I'…

This seems like the kind of weekend after which we all need to smile a little. And I've found just the thing. The series of ironically placed iPhone photos over real environments by clever French photographer, professor, and cool dad Fra…

As we start looking around for cool Mother's Day gifts, we realize not every mom is into keepsake pendants and baby footprint artwork. So for the photographer mom in your life who is always trying to capture those special moments with he…

If you want to combine what's satisfying about manual dSLR shooting, with what's fun about an instant film experience, then add in the unlimited creativity of lomography, you've got the new LOMO'INSTANT which is like my new favorite thin…

I've had my eye on the Polaroid ZIP Mobile Printer ever since I saw it in action at CES 2015 a few months ago, and well, the day is finally here. Yep, this very cool little printer is available for purchase ! This hand-sized printer hook…

If you've got a mom-on-the-go to shop for this Mother's Day, we're so excited that in curating our favorite personalized Mother's Day gifts , we found these cool custom photo laptop sleeves at Snupped. You can choose standard MacBook Air…

The selfie stick struggle is real, friends. From major museums, like the MoMA and The Met in NYC to the Palace of Versailles in Paris, to sports stadiums, to musical festivals Coachella and Lollapalooza, the ban on selfie sticks shows no…

In an effort to up my photography game this year and well, get an actual hobby instead of laundry, I upgraded from an iPhone camera to shiny DSLR. But no way in you know what I'm going to lug it around in my already too-full tote, nor do…

The growing options for making photo books right from our phones makes a lot of sense, since that's where so many of us keep most of our photos anyway. And the new Photolane photo book app makes it so simple, you can design a couple of t…

If you're looking for a special Valentine's photo gift that goes beyond a photo in a frame, the Heart Photo Poster at Minted could be so special for the right person. 30 of your favorite photos are arranged in a heart shape and beautiful…

We get asked how to print Instagram photos all the time here on Cool Mom Tech, but of all the ideas we've featured before, you've never been able to apply them to your arm. Or chest. Or...well, you get the idea. Meet Picattoo , a new ser…

One of the gadgets I was most excited about getting my hands on at CES was the highly anticipated new Polaroid Socialmatic camera , which I saw in person, and yes, it's awesome. But when I walked up to the booth and caught their new Pola…

When we teased the idea of the Polaroid Socialmatic camera back in the spring, we could hardly contain ourselves. So you can imagine how amped we are now that you can pre-order the Socialmatic right now. Why all the excitement? Well, fir…

Whether he goes for the rugged backpacker look or opts for a hip messenger style, you are sure to find just the right camera bag for your favorite photographer guy from ONA Bags . Actually, any of these finely crafted bags would look out…

Sometimes your camera can help you capture a brilliant moment. And other times, the thing of beauty is the camera itself. Case in point: the special, limited edition Diana F+ Explorer Nocturne medium format film camera. Between the coppe…

The photographers in our lives are always trying to capture the fun, inspired, beautiful, worth-a-thousand-words moments. So, this holiday, what do you get the brilliant photographer in your life to let them know you'd like them to keep …

If you're planning to give a GoPro camera to your favorite daredevil this holiday season, we found just the accessory to go along with this awesome gift. These silicone GoPro cases from Photojojo can help keep your GoPro from slipping ou…

If you're a photography fan or know someone who is, just say the word Leica and watch their eyes light up. First developed 100 years ago in Germany, it's gained cult status around the world, especially with anyone familiar with the work …

The Novogratz family is back, and since I'm a fan of their accessible but eclectic decorating style , I like that they're continuing their quest for colorful world design domination with a new line of modern custom photo gifts that shoul…

Is there anything more royally British than marshmallows? Yeah...no. Those two things have never existed in the same sentence together that I know of. Until now. Enter Boomf Magic Mallows . The delicious start-up out of the UK that allow…

Just as more of the masses eschew their traditional dSLRs for the convenience of smartphone photography and the quick rush of a cheap fling with an Instagram filter, there is much coolness developing in the digital camera world. Which me…

Can it get any cuter than this? That's the first thing that I said to myself when I saw The Polaroid Cube camera . I mean, look at it: This new little number is teeny -- less than 2 inches -- but can shoot quality 6 megapixels photos and…

We're always looking for even more new ideas on what to do with Instagram photos that will get them off of our tiny screens and into our big, real lives. Sticky9 just introduced one cool way with Magnet Wall Frames . It's just like it so…

I always swore I wouldn't be that mom who said, "When I was a kid . . ." to her own kids all the time, but sure enough I'm explaining pay phones and cigarette lighters in the car to them. One of my favorite gone-by-the-wayside tech items…

We've written here in the past how easy Mosaic custom photo books from Mixbook are to create. It truly takes just a few minutes, and you have the photo book in your hands within a couple of days. Pretty amazing. The only downside with th…

Another case of style meeting substance: ONA Bags , the makers of ever-cool camera bags and accessories, has partnered with non-profit charity: water to create a new ONA camera strap called Sahel . The leather strap is of course stylish,…

Instagram photos are fun, but staring at them on your little smartphone or tablet screen can only give you so much joy. That's why we're always on the lookout for cool professional photo printing services and unique photo gifts that let …

I'd say that 99% of my iPhone camera roll consists of kid shots, often when I'm holding a baby in one hand and trying to maneuver the shutter button. Not the easiest way to take good pictures. Thankfully, there's a product like Snappgrip…

Printing your photos has now taken a very cool turn, right in time for cool Father's Day photo gifts. But then again, the creative folks at Photojojo pretty much have the lock on anything photo and cool. Now, check out the shop's new eng…

These days there's no shortage of ways to create your own cool Instagram photo gifts , but custom Instagram photo cookies is definitely a first. Like most of the world, we're pretty obsessed with Instagram around here ( are you following…

Even though we’ve made it easy to figure out which photo book service is the best one for you and we've discovered plenty of great things to do with your Instagram photos besides keep them on your phone, I still have a hard time staying …

Remember your trusty View-Master from back in the day? Oh, the places you’d go as a kid, the hunk of red plastic pressed to your face, eyes wide as you click through the reels. Now you can have your childhood 3D optic adventures all over…

Even though Valentine's Day is coming up soon, it's not too late (yet) to order some really special last-minute custom photo gifts for your special someone. Or hey, even make them yourself. Photo gifts are some of our favorites to give b…

Cutting, matting, mounting, spraying adhesive that ends up peeling later--printing Instagram photos yourself then framing them can be a pain in the rear, but a professional framing service can be spendy. Hooray for alternatives! We've co…

For those of you still committed to the pro quality of your dSLR, despite the fact that it weighs (a lot) more than your average smartphone, we salute you. Also, we think you deserve a nice way to prettify it: handmade camera straps from…

If you're like me, you probably have taken upwards of 2,000 photos of your kids, your house, your pet, and even your food in the last year alone. And like me, you're wondering what to do with your digital photos and hoping you can find a…

We've been fans of Eye-Fi and their smart, simple wireless memory cards for cameras for several years. I still remember the first time I saw the Eye-Fi card in action--the instant photo transfer from camera to desktop knocked my socks of…

Sometimes I scroll through my camera roll and find lots of semi-okay options that would be great for photo book gifts if it were brighter, if the pile of laundry wasn't in the background or if Sam's face didn't have those gobs of chocola…

I wrote last year about where to print Instagram photos , considering my penchant for taking adorable photos of my kids on my phone and then...doing absolutely nothing with them. Has anything changed for me in a year? Of course not. That…

We haven't been shy about professing our love for nabi products, especially the nabi 2 and nabi Jr. kids' tablets. So naturally, when we heard about the nabi Square HD camera , a new waterproof, rugged, digital HD camera and video record…

The coolest new digital camera for the holidays may be one that doesn't even work. Well, not until you put it together and learn a whole bunch about the technology behind a point-and-shoot. And I know more than a couple of kids who would…

We have limited storage space at home, and I'm just not able to keep every single drawing my little Picassos bring home. Or, rather, I thought I didn't until I discovered Artkive . We've raved about this kids' art storage app before, but…

E ditor's Note: Kindred Prints has changed focus from creating photo books to photo printing services for app developers. Especially as the holidays approach, I find photo books make perfect gifts for so many people. But man, they're not…

If you've got Instagram lovers on your holiday shopping list like I do, you'll want to snatch up a few of these adorable purses right now before the holiday rush starts. I'm pretty sure every teen or tween I know would love this handmade…

I've got so many great Instagram photos in my feed that I want to share with friends and family. What are your favorite ways to print Instagram photos? -Carolyn Some of our own favorite photos are from Instagram, Carolyn, and we've found…

Ever since upgrading to iOS7 , I've had enormous battery life issues with my iPhone 5. For now, that means trying to find a solution before I resort to getting a new phone. There are no lack of cool battery charging cases and battery cha…

Just this week I was getting the lowdown on Smart Lenses, something a lot of people were buzzing about at CES earlier this year. And now...voila. They're here, courtesy of our friends at Photojojo . And yes I am getting one. Because, wow…

I am a total lomography geek--I love everything about it from the quality of the photos taken with real film, to the fun lenses, and even the funky cameras themselves. And now there's a lomocam to bring your favorite storybook world-trav…

We first fell in love with Epiphanie camera bags in 2010. These versatile bags are perfectly equipped to hold your DSLR and its myriad accessories, and they look utterly fabulous too. No wonder every woman we know goes nuts for them. Wel…

With the world going Instagram crazy, why not take those fun, overfiltered little square photos and wear your favorites around your neck or on your fingers? Who knows--maybe you'll get some new followers out of it. That's the idea behind…

My first child's photos were taken with an earlier version iPhone and I've decided that I need to start taking better quality ones moving forward. I don't want to lug around a huge DSLR or end up with a point-and-click that takes forever…

Every time someone takes a picture with his camera and tweets the Instagrammed masterpiece, take a sip. You'll be drunk in twenty minutes, but you'll look cool doing it! Note: possibly not the best game for first birthday parties. Also: …

We love the number of companies that give you a way to actually print out and display some of those digital Instagram photos. Snapbox is great for photo printing, InstaThis turns them into wooden artwork, the Mosaic app puts them easily …

Need a quick and easy way to inform everyone in your life that they may end up broadcast to your social media networks via your Instagram account? Look no further than this adorable phone case. Entirely handmade and handstitched out of f…

It used to seem a little frivolous to invest in things like mini tripods for your smart phone camera. But now that everyone is jumping into Instagram video and the Vine app , we can see why products like these are starting to fly off the…

My whole pre-kids life is documented on 35mm film prints and backed up on photo negatives, which is pretty hard to believe now that we're so firmly ensconced in an era of digital smartphone pictures. I get motivated to transfer all those…

I am definitely having a thing for plaid lately. Not sure if it's a pining for my Preppy Handbook phase or somenew Scottish friends, but every time I see it on boys' swim trunks, a beach blanket, or a men's summer tie I get happy that th…

DIY photography just got more extreme and fun because now you can actually build your own camera. The hip kids at Lomography have piqued our geek with the Konstruktor DIY kit , which includes everything you need to build and decorate you…

We've found no shortage of cool things to do with your Instagram photos , from canvas prints to iPhone cases , and pretty much everything in between. Well now, you can project them onto your wall with this amazing little gadget. Projecte…

As much as I love my camera phone, I tend to forget to do anything with those photos, since downloading them to my computer means one extra step in a day that is already too full of "extra steps." So my overworked brain is thankful to fi…

Even though I'm the designated family photographer, I see plenty of dads who always have a camera in their hands or around their neck. That's why I love the idea of these cool camera straps for Father's Day. The reversible camera straps …

Why give mom one camera for Mother's Day when she can have an entire wishlist's worth? So it's not actual cameras (unless you're a zillionaire), but rather A Visual Compendium of Cameras poster , which is almost as cool. And less clutter…

Cool photo gifts for mom tend to be a sure thing in the Mother's Day gift department. Since so many services have made it a snap to print incredible gifts directly from the photos you take on your Instagram account, we're all for taking …

While I'm certainly the type of mom who'd appreciate oh, a cool vintage Polaroid for Mother's Day, it doesn't mean I'm not the candle and bath salts type too. Which is why I'm giggling at this Mother's Day gift idea that brings them all …

I've seen such cool ways to turn my favorite Instagram photos into works of art for the wall , coasters for my drinks , pillows for my couch , even edible Instagram chocolate bars ...for my belly. But, one of the neatest products takes m…

Anyone who loves smartphone photography knows that the flash isn't one of the better features of most camera phones. I'm always looking for better ways to take flash photography, and here's one trick, for both iPhone and Android, that's …

Giving money to a great cause feels good, but giving children the power to change their community is even better. We love how this project uses photography to make the world a more beautiful place. The 100cameras project on WeDidIt is li…