How many photos have you got printed in your home?
I understand that not everyone displays family photos openly in their house but there’s a good reason to rethink if this is you…
Having photos of yourself printed has many advantages. Let me share 3 with you today:
1. It desensitises you to how you look
We are so critical of ourselves and our appearances. It’s worse for women than men but everyone I know struggles with looking at themselves in photos at times. I saw this post on Instagram that shows very honestly what I mean.
But if we keep seeing ourselves in images, over and over, our brain just accepts that this is how we look. After a while, those nagging thoughts get quieter and we stop dissecting every image, looking for all the flaws.
I’m speaking from experience, it really works.
I’m not saying that I love every photo of myself now but with every image, I get less and less critical – for the most part.
If this is what photographs do to our developed brains who are wired to find the faults in our appearance, imagine what they can do to children’s perception of themselves.
We know that kids love looking at photos – of themselves and others. If we keep these images visible, we help them accept the reality of what they look like, and combat the negative thoughts they develop growing older.
With phones and social media giving us all the options of putting filters on our faces, having unedited photos around to show reality, can help create a better, more positive outlook on appearances.
2. Family photos give individuals a sense of belonging
Having photos displayed of your children with parents, siblings, grandparents, cousins, friends… gives every single person in those photos a sense of place. We belong. We are part of a unit. These photos show that we are loved. Isn’t that what we all want?
My parents didn’t have family photos hanging on their walls. I wish they did. But what we did have were loads of slides. I loved looking through them. And loose prints. And photo albums. They taught me about who my parents were before I was born and showed me moments of a time I was too young to remember.
I once heard a saying:
“A birth certificate shows that we were born. A death certificate shows that we died. Pictures prove that we lived.”
Let’s use those pictures to celebrate our lives today!
3. Printed photos are a unique and personal way to decorate your home
Home decor is a personal decision. That means what you hang on your walls and put on your shelves is down to what you like to look at.
Nothing can get more personal than having the faces of your favourite people decorate your home. They show you what’s important to you. They can even ground you in tough times.
Not everyone loves big wall art. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have any photos at all. That’s why my family photo collections come with a print credit that you can spend however you like.
I deliver all my clients’ photos in a beautiful online gallery that has a print shop attached. Through this shop, you can buy a variety of printed products – from loose 5x7inch fine art prints to matted prints, medium-sized and big framed wall art, photo books, photo albums and other products. There’s something for every budget and every taste available.
The print credit that comes with your photo collection covers at least some of the products on offer or can be used towards a bigger purchase.
Plus, all digital files that are included in your collection come with a personal print license. While I would love for you to only have high-quality prints of your images, I also understand that this can get pricey quickly. There are lots of fantastic consumer labs that can create printed products for you at a very reasonable quality.
Am I shooting myself in the foot (or wallet) by telling you this?
Probably.
But to me, it’s more important that you actually print your photos than having you use my professional labs which might mean you can’t afford to print everything you’d like. I just want you to not keep your photos hidden on a hard drive or buried in your phone.
Consumer labs don’t produce the same quality as professional labs – but honestly, not every photo needs to be printed on museum-grade paper. Unless you can afford to do that.
So, go print your photos wherever you like. Just print them!
And if you don’t know what to print, the print credit in your family photo collection incentivises you to at least make a start on planning how you’d like to display your new favourite photos.
Ready to get your own family photos taken? Get in touch below!
