Take a picture with your mother #MothersWeekend

What can we use if we don't have a printer, a blanket for a backdrop, or someone to hold the camera?

If you don't have a printer, blanket, or helper to hold the camera, hang a bedsheet or large pillowcase as your backdrop (per "Make a simple backdrop"), set the phone on a stack of books at eye level and use the timer (per "Set the camera or phone at eye level"), and make a digital keepsake using a free photo-editing app instead of printing (per "Crop or lightly edit" and "Create a keepsake").

My photos keep coming out dark or with weird shadows even though we tried facing the window—what should we try next?

Make sure you "Face both of you toward the light" and, if shadows persist, move to a shaded outdoor spot or add a white poster board or lamp as a fill light while checking exposure or using portrait mode and taking at least ten photos to compare (per "Choose a photo spot" and "Take at least ten photos").

How can we change the activity to suit toddlers, older kids, or teens?

For toddlers, simplify to one prop, two easy poses and let an adult handle the editing and sticker decorating (per "Pick one outfit or a small prop" and "Plan three poses"), while older kids and teens can plan all three poses, experiment with outfits and lighting, and do more detailed cropping and editing in a photo app before writing a longer message.

How can we make the finished photo gift more special or long-lasting?

After you "Crop or lightly edit the chosen photo," create a personalized keepsake by making a printed photo card or a small photo book or ordering the image on a mug, add a handwritten message and stickers (per "Write a short message"), and then share the finished creation on DIY.org (per "Share your finished creation").