BELOW ARE FIVE REASONS WHY PRINTS ARE SO IMPORTANT FOR YOUR FAMILY TO HAVE:
Technology Fails
Are your digital files truly giving you the value that your memories are worth? After years of being in business I have come across many clients with the issue of "what do I do with these [digital images]?" or "where do you recommend I print?" Or the extremely awful realization of "all my images are on my computer and it won't come back on". I think that is by far the worst situation I have heard. BUT if those same images were already printed and preserved in a safe place, the digital being lost wouldn't scare you as much, now would it?
This reason is why I encourage my clients to print and print big!! I have asked my clients a million times to show me when they go to print and a daunting 13% of them actually get around to printing. That means a large 87% are leaving their memories right on the hard drive with the chance of never returning. Facebook, Instagram and your phone/computer should not be the end of your memories' lifecycle.
Printed Work Lasts Longer than We Do
My paternal grandfather died when my dad was 2 years old. This means he never really got a chance to remember him, and we (his children) never got a chance to meet him. My grandmother has an old portrait of the whole family, including my grandfather, before he passed. Grandma will be 84 this year, while in the portrait she was in her 20s. This picture, when she is long gone, will circulate between her grandchildren and so on. This is what these portrait sessions are all about! Of course we want you to feel grand and glamourous in the process, but that is not where the memory stops. Your great grandchildren will admire "GG" in all of her beauty and grace. Your grandchildren will coo at how adorable their mom or dad was in their newborn portraits. This is greater than you, it is your legacy. Treat it as such.
Bragging Rights
Let's be real, our parents THRIVED off opening their wallets and letting their laminated picture holder fold out. That was their time to shine. They thoroughly enjoyed showing off their babies and grands, and how big they were growing. The stories that went along with those images brought so much joy to their faces. Since we are being realistic, you will be that way when you get your images printed as well. When your in-laws come over for the holidays that album will be right there; those framed canvases will be lining your hallways. Your portraits will stop people in their tracks and that will be your time to shine! Yes, we print the memories for preservation, but we want to brag along the way. I understand sis, I see you *giggles*.
Tangible Longevity
I want my clients to have the best products on the market because you absolutely deserve the best. With the best products I can guarantee that your products will last for years and years to come. My parents got married over 30+ years ago. As a take away from their wedding my parents decided on getting the top package. They took home the most beautiful wooden album I've ever seen. Almost 35 years later that album looks just as pristine as the day they brought it home because of the quality and integrity that professional showed my parents. Since then, I have made it my business to have my clients look back when their babies are 30+ and still awe at the beautiful nature of their products. You cannot get this same effect with digital images on a screen. The moment of awe passes as soon as you turn off that screen, but walking pass these printed memories every day-looking the exact same way as when you first brought it home-will touch your heart in a way that digital images never will.
Technology is Ever Changing
When I say this I don't mean to sound corny in the slightest; this is actually a fact. Have you noticed that in the last few years how much electronic companies have changed their products? No headphone jack on some phones, cordless charging..........no CD-Rom? Who remembers the Floppy Disk? Exactly!! These things have grown obsolete and are deemed dinosaurs of technology. Your images sitting on that CD-Rom will at some point be without reading capabilities. How do you avoid losing said images?
Print Vs. Digital
This is the great debate when it comes to finding your photographer and going home happy. At the end of the day you want to do what is best for you and your family. In my opinion, a printed piece of work is displayed somewhere and will remain for years to come. You will never outgrow your memories, especially of your babies and growing family. A digital photo is at your mercy – only viewed on your whim and dismissed almost instantly when you turn the screen off. Most of my clients walk away with both tangible and digital goods. Let's face it, we are in a digital age and want to share our families with the world. But when you are turning in for the night or turning up for the holidays its always a blessing to look up and bask in the art of the people you love the most.
