Introducing Family Albums
For years now I've been telling myself I'm going to offer albums for my family's. Now its time to follow through with that vision.
In 2013 I felt convicted to encourage my clients to get their images printed. I enjoy providing digital images for clients...and I love when they post to Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram etc...but I hope they hired me to have a nice profile image. I believe your images deserve to be printed. That without a tangible print in your hand, I have only give you a file.
Here was the tipping point for me. A couple days after Christmas I received a panicked call from a dear friend of mine. She & her family had recently moved down to Tacoma and were in the process of setting up their home. When I picked up the phone I knew immediately that something was not right. She took a deep breath and said "Dev, our house was broken into...they got so much...computer, ipad, camera..." All the family photos stored on those devices, gone. She just hadn't gotten around to getting them printed.
Don't you wish, some days, that you had a little alarm that would go off indicating that you are about to lose something so dear to you. So you could do something to savor the moments you still have? I felt like I was punched in the stomach as I ached for the memories that were gone for my dear friend. Unfortunate as it may be, it is reminding me of why I do this.
Being a photographer is not a just a nice side job for me anymore. Its become a way to support my family, but more than that its teaching me to become a historian. Not just for myself, but for the families that I work with. I love when I walk into a home year after year and I see the images we created together hanging on the walls. I would love to offer my clients more than just files on a disk or downloaded from a computer, more than just great profile images or a shot that gets more than 10 "likes". Images mean more than the response they get on social media.
SO this year, I am doing something about it. I am offering each client a link to their personalized online gallery where they can purchase beautiful, professional prints. I am also offering the option to order Legacy Photo books. Clients will choose their 20 favorite moments from our session to display in a mosaic photo album. Each image gets a page - the simplicity of this 7x7 inch book is beautiful. After our own family session this year I purchased this book for my family. It is a tradition that I plan to continue as we grow, add family members and experience life together.
