Why you should print your images and how to do it

Each December I gather all of my favorite photos from the year and print them in an album to gift to grandparents for the holidays, and then I make one for my own family in January that includes our holiday photos. I started this tradition about six years ago, when I was pregnant with my first babe, and it’s one of those things I am so grateful I’ve done for myself. Is it a pain and a large time commitment? Absolutely. But it brings us joy and an opportunity to snuggle up together on the couch throughout the year. When my kids were very young they didn’t care so much about the albums, but as they’ve grown they get so much pleasure out of them.

They love to look back on their "memories” and reshape them as their own. They love images of themselves as babies being held by Grandma and Grandpa, playing with cousins and friends, getting tossed in the leaves and sled riding with Mom and Dad. These albums are truly the first non-living thing I’d grab if my house were on fire.

As a photographer I make thousands of images of my family every year. Sadly but truly, the photos that I print in our albums and to hang on our walls are literally the only ones that get looked at, unless I’m going through my phone (but even those get dumped onto a computer at some point and stored away to never be seen again). So when there’s an image or memory that I know I don’t want to forget, I file it away to be printed in our yearly album.

How does this relate to you? Well, I spend a lot of time trying to come up with ways that I can best serve my clients, and I think the most helpful one is taking care of printing your images for you. My sessions come with a custom-designed photo album of your favorite images, that arrives right at your door once you sign off on the design. It couldn’t be easier.

Clients also have the option to choose print credit instead of the album, and can order print products directly from their online photo gallery. These professional grade prints retain the color and integrity of the original digital image, and there are so many fun products to choose from, including canvases, cards, metal prints and more.

Do you have photos of your own that you’d love to print? I’ve had success with online services like Shutterfly and Artifact Uprising if I’m looking for non-museum grade quality prints (in fact, I use Shutterfly when creating the albums I gift to grandparents and they definitely get the job done!). For any images that I want printed on museum-grade photographic paper I go through a professional printer, which is where I order my client’s prints from as well. These prints are often guaranteed to last over 100 years without a decline in quality. I also frequent the local stores McAlister Photoworks and Midwest Photo Exchange for processing and printing my film images and they do a great job. I would discourage you from using a department store/pharmacy service because I have found the image quality to be quite low and the colors lack vibrancy.

Finally, if you have put the time, effort and money towards a professional family photo session, don’t waste it by letting those images sit on a computer. Hold those memories in your hands and share them with the people you love. It’s such a visceral experience when compared with viewing them on a screen.

I just placed an order for this family’s beautiful book and I’m thrilled they’ll be able to enjoy it over the years.

Looking for a photographer who can provide you with high-quality prints in addition to your digital images? I'm your gal! Let’s chat about how we can work together.