HELP/FAQ

Most Popular Questions

Q: How do I get support?
A: Contact us here.

Q: How much does it cost?
A: We allow you to make up to 3 different photos, for only 9.95!  Use them all now or throughout the year depending on the season.  And for only 29.95 you can get an annual subscription which gives you unlimited downloads.  Make as many photos as you like!!

Q: What type of payments do you accept?
A: We accept all major credit cards and PayPal; both ways are completely secure. Sorry, no cash or checks.

Q: Should I use a flash on my camera?
A: Although we have adjustments for different lighting conditions, using a flash may produce a clearer image. There are numerous photography tips in the next section.

Q: I cannot find my photo that I downloaded
A: Please search your computer for all .jpg files, sort them by date and find the one that matches the time you downloaded your photo

Our system generates a unique filename for each of your photos that is somewhat hard for humans to remember but great for computer databases to process. The filename will be made up of a long series of alphanumerics with a .jpg file extansion. Here is an example: af17f98031244559b194b25bac13ba15.jpg (this is not your photo's filename merely an example)

On a PC under windows XP:

Depending on how you have your web browser configured you may be able to select where you want the file saved by using the appropriate button on the download dialog popup. Most PCs running Windows XP will save a file downloaded from the internet in the "My Documents" folder. Since we are dealing with photos it may be saved into your "My Pictures" folder which is located inside your "My Documents" Folder. Finally it may be saved directly to your desktop so take a look for a file with a long name like af17f98031244559b194b25bac13ba15.jpg.

On a PC under Vista or Windows 7:

Depending on how you have your web browser configured you may be able to select where you want the file saved by using the appropriate button on the download dialog popup. Most PCs running Windows Vista will save a file downloaded from the internet in the "Downloads" folder located within your main named user folder. Since we are dealing with photos it may be saved into your "Pictures" folder which is located inside your main user folder. Finally it may be saved directly to your desktop so take a look for a file with a long name like af17f98031244559b194b25bac13ba15.jpg.

On a Mac:

On a Mac the file should automatically download and popup in your picture application named Preview. The file itself will typically be saved in your "Places" Downloads folder. Finally it may be saved directly to your desktop so take a look for a file with a long name like af17f98031244559b194b25bac13ba15.jpg.

General Questions

Q: What size photo should I take for best results?
A: We recommend setting your camera to the highest resolution possible. We accept images upto 10MB in size but photos that are less than 3-4MB are optimal for faster upload times. If you plan on printing your Santa Photo, a minimum of 2100x1500 pixels is recommend for a good 7"x5" photograph.

Q: Should I use a flash on my camera?
A: Although we have adjustments for different lighting conditions, using a flash may produce a clearer image. There are numerous photography tips in the next section.

Q: I am using a Safari browser, when I click on "Upload Photo" nothing happens, am I doing something wrong?
A: At the top left hand corner of your browser click on "Safari" it will give you a drop down box. Uncheck "Block Pop-Up Windows" and try again.

Q: Can I print my photo from your website?
A: While we currently do not offer a print service directly on our website you are downloading the photo you've created upon purchase. Once downloaded you can print your photo at home or at your local store.

Q: My Santa is brighter than the photo I uploaded, how do I make Santa appear darker?
A: By using the brightness control on the left side of the edit page you can decrease the brightness to match your photo

Q: My uploaded photo is not as sharp as the Santa image, how can I make them look similar?
A: By using the blur control on the left side of the edit page you can change the clarity of the Santa image until it matches the uploaded photo

Q: How do I make Santa smaller, he is too big for the photo I uploaded.
A: By using the size control on the left side of the edit page you can increase or decrease the size of Santa until he is the appropriate height and size for your room

Q: I took a picture and want to upload it but cannot find it on my PC, where is it?
A: When you connect your camera it will show up as an additional drive on your PC; click on the drive to locate your photo; if you saved your photo on your hard drive, go to the folder where it was saved and click on it to load

Q: I have downloaded my photo but can't see the file - it's just a document with a bunch of letters and symbols (note: my browser is Safari and I'm on an iMac)
A: Safari, for security reasons, will download the file with an HTML extension, so just right click on the downloaded file and then click "Get Info" to pull up a dialog box; then go to "Name and Extension" and you will see the file with an extension of xxxx.jpg.html; simply remove the .html and close the dialog box; your computer will ask you "are you sure you want to change the extension from .html to .jpg?" - just click "use .jpg" and your photo will be available

Q: What the heck happens when if something goes wrong with my photo, such as I forgot to download my image, before I left the site, what do I do ?
A: You can go straight to your account to retrieve you photo: http://www.capturethemagic.com/login.aspx  If you experience any problem using our site please contact our support specialists by emailing support@CaptureTheMagic.com or visit our support portal at support.capturethemagic.com.

Photography Tips

Tips on capturing photographs of room decorate for the celebration Christmas. This can be challenging in many cases due to the lower lighting levels and the lights of the decorations and Christmas trees themselves.

With modern digital cameras we get a lot of help from the camera its self. If you're not familiar with your cameras settings, we recommend that you get your caners instruction manual and look at how to use some of the following settings and controls

Note you don't have to do all these things just maybe a couple some, the main thing we need to get right is a steady stable non moving platform to take the photographs from (when not using flash). As typically we are looking at long exposures time of ½ second to several seconds depending on the scene and your cameras capabilities and a human is not able to hold a camera still for that long

• How to use the flash or use and external flash
• How to set ISO speed setting (Try using a ISO setting between 800 -1600, this may cause graininess on some cameras)
• How to use the self timer (Use the timer to take your final photographs after you have experim6ented getting the right look and feel for your photographs)
• Use Indoor, Night/Dark Settings (Many new cameras have built in settings for various scenarios)
• How to use bracketing (if supported, allows you to take photographs with different exposure settings)
• If you camera does not support bracketing you can do this manually by using the exposure compensation most cameras have and take photographs with normal and then -1 stop and +1 stop
• How to turn on/off Anti -shake/Stabilization (if support)
• White Balance (this can change the over warmth/coldness of a photograph)(If the camera supports auto white balance set it to auto)
• If you have a cable release for your camera, then use that instead of the self-timer or normal shutter release
• If you have filters for you camera, a 'Star filter' will give you a nice twinkle effect on all the light and reflection sources in your photographs

General

• We highly recommend that before you take any photographs, take a few minutes to:
  • Sit down and try to plan the photograph you want to take, think where it would be best to see Santa in your room. Make a list of the shots
  • Make sure there is room for a Santa in your scene
  • Make sure you have some good or fully charged batteries for your camera
  • Clean and tidy up the room where you want to take the photographs in
  • Remove clutter from were Santa might be seen
  • Watch out for columns, walls, objects, plants that may get in the way of your ideal photographs
  • Turn Televisions off
  • Have blinds or curtain closed to avoid flash wash back from the windows
  • Gather your tools ( Cameras, flash, tripod( can be improvised)
  • Consider using a higher depth of field, this can help blur the background, if you want a crisp back ground then use a lower depth of field setting
  • If you have pets take picture with and without pets, a flash may work better with pets as they may not stay still long enough for exposures with a flash
• Try to fit in as much of the room as possible, so we can fit and see Santa visiting
• Take more than one photograph
  • Take some quick test photographs and check them out on the camera or on your computer (you may have to experiment to get the right look and feel you're after
  • Take photographs from several angles , see which one you like the most
  • Take photographs from normal point of view as well as both a higher and lower point of view
  • Take some photographs with your flash on (if your flash supports direction, then bounce it of the ceiling this generally produces a better photograph. If your flash supports a diffuser we recommend your use it as this help soften the photograph you take)
  • Take some with the flash off (You may need to support the camera with a tripod, as exposure time will be long in most cases )
  • Take some photographs with the normal room lights on(having some lights on can give an nice even ambient light to the room)
  • Take some photographs with the normal room lists off( You the flash as well, you may need to support the camera with a tripod, as exposure time will be long in most cases )
  • If you camera support s anti-shake, stabilization, vibration reduction features, you may want to try taking photographs with this feature turned on and off to see which works better, as on long exposures it may cause blur

Use A Tripod

• We highly recommend that you use a tripod to take you photographs even if using a flash it will help you take a much better photograph.
• Use the self timer even when using a tripod this will eliminate any camera movement cause when taking the actual photographs
• If you do not have a tripod for you camera, then we can improvise and yours every day equipment or pieces of furniture
  • Place the camera on a table ( near the edge is better to avoid light washing back of the table)
  • Use a chair or stool
  • Use a step ladder
  • Use a book shelf of cabinet shelf
  • Use a windowsill
  • Use a packing box.
  • Use boxes or books on some of the above items to give you more height if needed

Credit Cards

Q: On your checkout page you are asking for a security code associated with my credit card. What is that?
A: A Security Code is also known as a Card Verification Code (CVC) which is a number that provides extra security to credit and debit card holders in case an unauthorized person obtains your account number. CVCs are one way to make sure someone has the actual credit card in his or her possession. The CVC on American Express cards is four digits, and is located on the front of the card, on the right side. Discover, MasterCard, and Visa use three-digit CVCs, which are listed on the back of the cards. The CVC is the last three digits of the number that appears on your signature bar.