Maybe I'm selfish. But, it's not about the money (Insert mid 90s
sensation by
Jessie J ft. B.o.B here - although I prefer the
Pitch Perfect version).
I made digital images expensive for a reason. Its not because I don't
want you to have and share them in their easy, digital format. It's the
opposite entirely.
Although I want you to love your photos, I want more than that. I want
those photos to look amazing (color, clarity, sharpness, resolution) and
I want them to last. I have prints made by pros on archival paper, that
means that they're gonna look like I expect and last a long time.
Inkjet prints usually don't go 10 to 15 years without fading, rubbing
off, really. And I want your kids to be able to pull these photos out when
they're in college and say 'oh mom why did you have that silly hat on me?'.
I want them to show their girlfriends or boyfriends when they're just
meeting the family. I want you to look back on these with your husband
or wife and say 'Wow look what babies we were and look what adorable
babies we created'.
THAT is why I'd rather you had a print, a real, tangible printed
photograph on archival paper instead of a digital negative or a disc in
the drawer. I remember when I was just a kid, probably five or so years
old.
I loved looking through old snapshots that my parents took. They weren't
even professional or showing much of anything in-particular. A lot of them were just 4x6 home photos off the
35mm film camera. I remember photos of my brother trying to feed
squirrels for some reason. He was three, which means I wasn't born yet. And if you know me, I have a serious case of fomo (fear of missing out). I was trying to figure out what I missed before the grand entrance of yours truly.
My point is those tangible images are what will remain in your family for a long time. Your kids will look at them over and over again.
I know the digital images reach more people. That they could potentially
make me more money when you share them online, on social media (see comment above, right before the one-hit-wonder
reference). My 'numbers guy'
of a husband reminds me of that regularly.
But, I want you to enjoy them. I want them to hang in your home, so you
can see them day in and day out. It's important to capture that LOVE.
That love that you sometimes forget is there, whether that person has gone away forever or just for the weekend. That love that your kids
will look up to when they're older and looking for someone to share their life with...their LOVE with.
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| ©Erika Kuhn - One of many amazing family clients! |
Those kiddos, nieces, nephews, younger siblings, even grandkids want to see what you looked like before they could remember you.
How you smiled, how you looked at them, how you held them close. And my favorite...
...that look of LOVE on your face when they were just a few days old.
Real. Honest. newborn, and family portraiture. That is what I specialize
in. No matter what form your family comes in, no matter what member of your family needs highlighting. I wait for those honest moments to come out. Even the most difficult
of kiddos (no matter their age) will let their guard down, even for a
split second. I'd love to create that timeless art for your family. And
I'd kill to print it huge for you. Woo maybe even on metal Eeeee (that's
a delightful squeal in case you didn't know)!
Xoxo,
Mich
