The Legacy Of Your Life, In Print

Till this day, my girls cringe when I break out the old photo albums and boxes of prints from when they were growing up. They laugh at their funny outfits, point at their crazy hairstyles, and joke/argue about which one is the favorite daughter.  Thats when I step in and pretend to referee, but secretly I'm beaming from the inside, welling with pride over our lifelong collection I managed to keep safe and pristine. I get such a warm feeling when we sit and chat over these mages I worked so hard to curate throughout their lives, always making sure to have my 110 film ready, or my disposable at every event, be it graduation or a sunny day at the park. Was I obsessed? Absolutely!!! I feel justified when I observe their wonder as they flip through each envelope stack or album page. I can actually see their joy! It is OUR family legacy, after all. Beautifully crafted handmade albums with pink lace detailing on the front cover, the first page of each album starting with their sonogram printout, followed by first dinner with a spoon, first birthdays and every other birthday after that, baptisms, proms, first dates, makeup tutorials, summers at the beach, playing dress-up and model for mommy....we did it all. So, yes, perhaps it was a bit overkill, but when I hear my friends talk about how much they regret not having any pictures of their kids growing up, I pick up my jaw from the ground and wish I was there to help capture it for them!! Helloooo....?!

Preserving your family legacy is tantamount to the legacy itself, especially in this day and age. Being able to have these memories readily swipe-able on your mobile device is really nice, but nothing can compare to holding a photograph in your hands, or flipping through a creamy, leather-bound album, with images of your baby wearing their "psgetti" dinner, the look of your spouses face after opening that surprise gift, or being dressed in your Sunday best, coordinating outfits for a family session with your favorite (a-hem) photographer. Imagine walking into your home, and being greeted by a collection of your beloved images. The first thing I see when I enter my foyer is a frame of me and my girls caught in laughter and a funny pose, all I can do is smile! There have been numerous articles stating the importance of family photos in our lives and the lives and health of our children. They even go as far as to say that children grow up with a sense of confidence and belonging when they see images of themselves in the home. Here is an excerpt from one of those articles:

David Krauss, a licensed psychologist from Cleveland, Ohio says, “I think it is really important to show a family as a family unit. It is so helpful for children to see themselves as a valued and important part of that family unit. A photographer’s job is to create and make the image look like a safe holding space for kids where they are safe and protected. Kids get it on a really simple level.”Krauss is one of the earliest pioneers in using people’s personal photography and family albums to assist in mental health counseling and therapy. He co-authored “Photo Therapy and Mental Health” in 1983 that is considered a founding text for the use of photography in therapy.“It lets children learn who they are and where they fit,” says Judy Weiser. a psychologist, art therapist and author based in Vancouver. “They learn their genealogy and the the uniqueness of their own family and its story. When a child sees a family portrait with them included in the photograph they say to themselves: ‘These people have me as part of what they are, that’s why I belong here. This is where I come from.'”

Family gatherings where albums can be shared and passed around over coffee or wine are my kind of party.  Documenting your memories and mounting them on your walls can bring you back to those wonderful moments.  Starting a full service studio was always the goal, beginning with the mantra "you can not hang digital files" and ending with prints and albums that will become a family heirloom to treasure for years.  Offering archival quality-products is the mission to help ensure your memories can be passed down through to the next generation.  I may be biased, but when I get wonderful comments and feedback from my clients about their gallery canvas or framed prints and albums, I know that we are one step closer to bringing us back to the simpler days when celebrating milestones does not involve buying extra gigs on your smartphone.

Check out these beautiful options on Pinterest like the ones below, I dare you then to talk to me about a CD...phsssssh! ( I literally just made that noise) :-p