What’s the process for a family portrait session with AHA! Photography?

A week or two before your session, we’ll meet to get to know each other and talk about what you’re looking for. I encourage clients to meet with me in their home to consider spaces where the images will be displayed. I can import a photo of, for example, your living room wall and mock up a photo or photos to illustrate how they will look in that space. However, a coffee shop or other public space works as well!

For the shoot, we’ll meet at a scenic location of your choosing – and I am certainly happy to recommend photogenic spots – and have a fun and relaxed time while the shutter clicks away. And with the knowledge gained from our initial consultation, I’ll be able to create images with a purpose, shooting specifically for the wall spaces and/or albums that will display your commissioned works of art.

A week or so following the shoot, we’ll meet again to see the images and make selections, and I’ll help you find the perfect matches between photos and products.

I’ll then do a careful edit of the photos you choose, order the products from a leading lab that serves professional photographers, and personally deliver them for you and your family to enjoy for years to come!

Why do you place so much emphasis on printing photos?

A printed photograph is a tangible celebration of the people, places and moments that we cherish. And when we display an image on a wall in the home, it sends a message – to those who live there and those who visit – about what we value most in life. High-quality photographs for the home are a lasting investment. Think about the value of memories recorded in photographs. If you had to suddenly evacuate and you could take only what you could carry in your arms, what would you choose? Most people, I’m confident, would pick their photos and other keepsakes from their past. With digital files, we may get the momentary thrill of a social media “Like” or positive comment, but the buzz – and often the memory of the photo itself – quickly fades. While there certainly is a place for digital files and social media sharing, a print brings color, life and a timeless quality to your home in a way that digitals simply cannot do, while also providing something to be passed down to those who come after you.

Why should consumers be concerned if they don’t print their photos?

While consumers today are taking more photos than ever before, they’re no longer printing or displaying those photos in their homes. Statistics show a staggering 53% of consumers haven’t printed a photo in more than 12 months, 70% don't have photo albums, and 42% no longer print photos at all. We are essentially raising a generation conditioned to not print photographs.

So what are we doing with all these images? Storing them digitally – on computers, mobile devices and cloud servers. In fact, according to a 2015 nationwide survey conducted by Professional Photographers of America (PPA), 67% of people store their photos solely on a computer or phone. For a more in-depth look at this issue, including the implications of storing photos on technology that is prone to failure and/or obsolescence, check out this PPA infographic.