San Antonio Family Photographer – Printing Pictures

Is printing pictures a thing of the past? I truly hope not! As a San Antonio Family Photographer, I LOVE living in this digital age. There are so many fabulous things to love: the speed of information, the connectivity, the technology. I could not live without my computer, internet connection, and most of all, my iPhone! If you are anything like me, you depend on all this to run you day to day life. My calendar, my email, my contacts are all on my phone. By far, the most important things to me on my phone are my photos. There are countless photos of my family and friends on that wonderful little device. I love having the ability to instantly have a picture of a special moment or event, text it to my hubby or parents, post it on my social media feeds, etc. You get the picture ;).

We enjoy having those images at our fingertips, on our computer and TV screens, on our social media pages. But how often are you PRINTING pictures? A recent study by PPA (Professional Photographers of America) found that 40% of consumers no longer print any photos, and 67% of people only have their images stored on computers or phones. (“A “Lost Generation?” “, November, 2015) Moreover,I would also venture to guess that most people aren’t backing up these computers and phones, thus gambling on the chance that all may be lost with a phone or hard drive crashing. Guilty? Most of us are.

We are quickly becoming a generation with very few tangible images of ourselves and our families. It’s less common to have albums of family Christmases, birthday parties, vacations, or even a collection of snapshots saved away in a box in our homes. This lack of non-digital image storage will be detrimental to having the ability to chronicle our family histories for the future. In the PPA article, Google VP & Internet Pioneer Vint Cerf has stated that “future generations will wonder about us, but will have great difficulty knowing us”. (“A “Lost Generation?” “, November, 2015)

Printing Pictures will preserve your visual history for future generations.

Here are a few of my favorite ways to tangibly preserve your images.

• PRINT YOUR PICTURES! Sounds easy, right? How many of us actually do it. First, do some research to determine your favorite commercial printer and print the best images of your birthday parties, Christmases, and even your precious everyday moments. There are great online services and most large cities have reputable companies that offer direct to consumer printing. I personally steer clear of “big box” and drug store printing services due to poor quality. Next, buy an archival quality album and slide in your pictures. If your pages have space for writing, make sure to chronicle the month and year taken, as well as names and ages of those in your pictures.
• Make a photo book. I know that photo book making can sound like a big task. Keep it focused and simple. There are many companies who make very easy online book building programs. These range widely in price and quality. One service I have used many times going back to my pre-photography business days is Shutterfly. They offer hardcover, printed cover, and paperback options in many sizes. The paper quality is nice and the binding lasts well. Shutterfly offers tons of gift item options. When my boys were little, I would do books as gifts for grandparents, which were always a hit! Some of my favorite book ideas include family vacations, birthday parties, school year books, and family annuals. As a recovering hardcore scrapbooker, I have found photo books to be the perfect alternative for me!

• Display your photos. Devote areas in your home to showing off your images. This doesn’t have to mean just professional photos, but your snapshots, too. This summer we had family portraits made and I love having them on my living room wall!

• Back up your digital files!! Invest in cloud storage. Do this for your phone, your computer, and wherever you have your images stored. These services are only a few dollars per month and worth every bit! Additionally, you will be so glad you made the investment the next time your hard drive crashes or your phone dies!

How I can help you….

When you hire me as your professional family or senior photographer, you are making an investment in archival quality artwork for you and your family. After your session, you will have the opportunity to order professional print products at your personalized Reveal appointment. At your Reveal, you will touch and feel my sample products. In addition, you can place sample sizes of canvases and metal prints on your walls to determine the proper sizes to order. Whether you choose canvases, gorgeous albums, or prints, you can be sure that I have done my research and am using vendors who provide high quality, professional products that you will enjoy for many years.

Ready to book your session?

I would love to meet you and work with you and your family! Contact me today, so we can get you plugged into my fall calendar. In addition, if you book during September, you will also get 25 free holiday cards with your collection purchase! Click Here for details. So call me and let’s talk!

And let’s start printing pictures!

Reference:

A “Lost Generation?” National Survey Reveals That More Than 40% of Consumers No Longer Print Photos. (November 12, 2015). Retrieved from                                                                                   http://www.ppa.com/about/pressRelease.cfm?ItemNumber=8585