Printing Family Photos

This year (2021) I am making some exciting changes and improvements to how my business operates. One of the best changes is that I am going to be incorporating a print credit into every package that I offer! So, not only will all packages include a number of digital images, but you will also receive a credit to use in the online store attached to your gallery so that you can purchase high quality printed products from my professional printing lab.

If you’re interested in working with me and want an idea of cost, you can visit my services page (see link below) and select the type of session you’re interested in!

Why prints?

As a photographer who specializes in maternity, newborn, and family sessions, I feel that it is so important to make sure that these photos are turned into art that will stand the test of time and be handed down from one generation to the next. When I think about heirlooms in my family, the most important ones are the photographs. Especially before digital photography existed, the only images we had of our family were printed photographs or paintings. Also, the images of ourselves or our parents, grandparents, etc. as children are often the most valued because childhood is such a fleeting, precious time. My goal is to help create beautiful images of your family, and make sure that those images are printed.

Print quality

When it comes to printing your photos, quality matters. While it’s great to have the convenience of quick local labs at Target, Walgreens, etc., those are not the places to print your family’s photos. If you want beautiful, accurate colors and high quality paper that will stand the test of time, you need to use professional print labs. To make sure that your prints will look as amazing on paper as they do on a screen, I make sure that I have my computer monitor properly calibrated and I have 100% satisfaction guarantees on all products ordered through me.

I have test prints from several different labs, and hands-down my favorite prints are the museum-etched prints from Musea lab. This paper is made from 100% cotton and is extremely thick with a beautiful texture. This is extremely high quality that you can both see and feel. I find this paper to be especially gorgeous for printing my black and white children’s portraits.

One of my favorite prints

For this discussion I have a very special image to share. This is me holding a framed print of one of my most loved photos that I’ve ever taken. This is my second son (David) as a newborn with our dog, Ella. I officially started my photography business the year he was born (2017) so of course I wanted to practice taking some newborn photos of him myself even though we had already hired a wonderful photographer (Christy Johnson of Be True Image Design) who did an amazing job.

I was in my old kitchen where we had a bay window with really nice light, and I set him up on this fuzzy blanket and was taking his photo when Ella came in and wanted some attention too. She leaned in to sniff him and I luckily was able to quickly capture this moment that is SO special to me because it combines my love for my babies with my love for my dogs perfectly in one image. The fact that it was also 100% spontaneous makes it all the more special to me.

Now, if I hadn’t printed and framed that photo right away do you know where it would be? Neither do I. I *think* I have it saved somewhere but without that framed print there’s a good chance that file could be lost. If you’re like me, you either have to print photos right away or they’ll sit and collect dust on your hard drive forever. So, luckily I got right on it and had this framed and it has made me happy looking at it every day since. When I’m gone I like to think that this will be a photo that David treasures (he better, right?!?).

The value of a finished product

So in the end, I think it’s much more valuable for you to be able to walk away with a finished product vs just some digital files when we work together. I cannot tell you what joy it brings me when clients send me images of their photos displayed in their home and I want every to enjoy their images every day.

If you’re looking for a family photographer in Raleigh NC and agree then I think I’d be a great fit for your family and we should plan a session for you!