Good morning everyone!!
Today is an amazing day for me here at Fresh Space Home and do you know why that is? We are featuring our very first guest blog post!!! I am beyond excited to share with you this post from the talented photographer Melissa Mills. She is based out of Perth, Australia and has graciously written a post for us today on how to print your memories with purpose. This is so incredibly useful when we are talking about home organization because we do not need photos around that we don't love! Have a read and leave a comment below, and make sure to read last week's blog post to see how I recommend storing these beautifully printed memories. Happy Organizing!
Jerilyn
As a photographer, I always openly talk to my clients about the importance of knowing and understanding the ‘why’ and ‘where’ printing of their photos matter. And this applies with both professional photos and photos they have taken on their mobile phones or digital cameras.
The ‘why’ of printing with purpose is simple. Those memories that are created tell the personal story of you and those you love. They are your legacy items to be handed down through generations. Each one is connected to the heart, because each has a story attached to them. A story of a funny moment or someone who is loved and admired because of their strength of character, an anniversary, a birthday, a graduation, etc.
And in this day and age of digital technology, the majority of people have a mobile phone, with lots and lots of photos of these moments, but how many of us actually print them?
The ‘where’ is also just as important. With the huge amount of photo lab printing places - both online and actual shop fronts - it does become a bit of a mine field to select the right one. You have the cheaper, more bulk service options i.e. local stationery and homeware supply stores that offer photo printing, even electriconic stores now offer this too.
And they are all fine, but if I were to ask you to think for a moment about all those photographs taken by or for your grandparents, great-grandparents, etc., and then ask yourself: is the quality, clarity and intensity of colour still as good in these older photos as the day it was taken?
Chances are it is. And this is because those photos were done by a store that specializes in one thing, and one thing only: professional photography lab printing.
Which is why pro lab photography printing is so important. It is a professional photography lab’s sole business to ensure:
Calibration of colour is precise and spot on. So the image looks exactly/or as close to: ‘true to life’, of when it was taken.
Paper quality is of the highest standard, weight, texture, archival, etc., minimizing the possibility of fading over time.
And they understand the importance of memories. They truly care about making sure your memories are beautiful and as perfect, as they themselves would expect them to be, for their own family photo legacies pieces.
When thinking about all of this, it really is a decision about quality over quantity. You get exactly what you pay for. So when searching online for professional photography printing labs: go to their “About” page and read carefully the “why” the photography business does what it does. You will be able to make up your own mind if they are quality versus quantity.
If you’d like to see an example, visit one of my favourite Australian professional photography lab printers, Atkins.
And if it is a matter of cost, then look to printing professional photos to 6x4 size for the vast majority, which is still fairly cost effective (around $1.00 to $1.25 per print), and catalogue/store them. Then set a budget and timeline to save for those that you would like printed and/or framed in a larger format.
One final tip: for your 6x4 prints, on the back simply write: month, year, place & people on the photo of when it was taken. Then one or two sentences about the moment. It will help to jog your memory when telling the story about the photo to your children and/or loved ones.
I hope this helps you to get to printing and more importantly, sharing your story through your images.
Respect, Gratitude & Love,
Mel
Melissa Mills Photography
You can find me at: https://www.melissamillsportraiture.com.au/
Or Follow me at:
Instagram - @melissamillsphotography/
Facebook - @MelissaMillsPhotos
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