This is a valid question to ask yourself coming to your annual family session.
You must wonder, “I can have the photos on my social and stored on my computer, why do I need to print them?” or “printing is expensive and I don’t have any space on my walls”.
Out of Sight, out of mind
Well, I must say that in French: “Loin des Yeux, loin du Coeur” translates not as well in English but it is “Out of sight, out of mind”.
If you don’t see your images every day, then you won’t be thinking to dig into your computer to have a look at them. You won’t come home from a hard day of work, look at the wall and see your beautiful family, united together. Photos will instead be forgotten on a hard drive, you will forget about them or worse, your cup of tea fall on your hard drive, and all your data ruined.
The joy of feeling Something tangible
I often talk about this box of photos I inherited from my parents when I turned 16. I organised the photos of my childhood into an album that I LOVE looking at when I am back at my dad’s home. This is such a big album that I still haven’t had the chance to take it back to my new home in the UK, but I love to browse it with my dad when I am back.
Every time I look at it I feel reminiscent of the past years. It brings me joy and reminds me of where I belong. It shows me who I was as a little girl and it explains my present. And this would not feel the same if the photos were digitalised and stored in a folder on a hard drive. Not at all. I can feel the weight and see the quality of each photo, organised carefully in chronological order by the teenage me.
Sharing with your nan
Imagine you invite your nan for tea. You pop the kettle on and start talking about your little one, and how much fun he had during your annual photo session with your local photographer. She asks to see the photos. “wait a minute, let me grab my computer” She has to put on her glasses. “I’m blind as a bat!” she says.
You take your laptop out and start showing them on your small screen, smudged with your kiddo’s fingerprints who was watching his favourite show yesterday You have to click next on every photo, it’s tedious.
Do you think she will enjoy them as much as a printed album? I doubt it. Prints would be so much more appreciated. She could take her time, feel every page and read it another time if she feels like it.
I also believe that prints have so much more power than digitals, they make you feel special. It’s just like a piece of art. But your piece of art is your family heirloom.
“I don’t have any space on my walls”
Use your walls like a temporary art exhibition! Change the photos of your family over when you have a new precious one to put up. Your family isn’t static, your kids grow so much, show it on your walls. I like having my family photos in my hallway but you can also have your child’s favourite photo on their bedside cabinet or as a masterpiece in your living room.
Pro tip: Archive the older photos in an album or in a large folder. As your children grow into adults, they might want these family heirlooms to decorate their first home.
Printing is an investment
I agree with you, printing isn’t cheap. But see it as an investment, for yourself and your children as they grow older. They will be able to remember all this love into a precious piece that they will inherit. Just like I did with my parents.
And as I wish for my clients to have both digitals to use on their social, but also prints and an album, I offer photo packages including it all. The more you buy the cheaper you get each item. I invite you to check my pricing on the link below.
I hope this blog post has been useful to you. I hope you will think it over when you book your next family session: digitals are great, but better have tangibles photos of your family that will constitute your own family heirloom. Holding your children’s story and heritage.
