Why you should print your photos!

Being in the business of capturing your best moments and documenting memories is so important, and is something I don’t take lightly. I absolutely love photographing life and it’s moments, the big ones, the small ones, and everything in between.

Once your gallery of photos is delivered, ultimately it’s up to you what you want to do with your images but I always always always recommend getting your photos printed. If we’ve had a shoot together, you’ve likely received some sort of print memento (or if you haven’t yet, it’s coming.. maybe not until Christmas, but it’s coming!).

While I could do a post just about print quality and where/where-not to print and why, this post is just about printing photos and the importance of it.

Prints are time capsules that are easy to share, can be used to decorate your home, make great gifts to your loved ones, remind you of your best moments, and help you cherish physical memories that may otherwise be stored digitally. I’ve elaborated below, read on if you care to hear more!

Time Capsules

Every photo is a time capsule… of that day, that time, the occasion, the moment, the outfit, the hair style, etc. It will likely be remembered a little extra just because it was the day you got your photos taken. Maybe it was your wedding, portrait sesh, or family shoot, all of which are wonderful and should be printed for your enjoyment for years to come.

Sharing (is caring!)

Photo prints are such wonderful momentos that you can share with friends and family. I’ve been known to give photos in form of print, book, calendar, etc for all occasions. So often, it’s people’s favorite gift because there is so much meaning behind the photo and has a personal touch.

Home Decor

You can easily personalize your space by printing an important photo and displaying it in your home or office.

As a fan of gallery walls and having prints everywhere, I suggest finding a frame or display piece that you love, and then printing images in that size. Or work the other way, and print photos and then find frames. Do what works for you, but be sure to get the images off the screen on onto paper. You won’t regret it! Plus, there are so many cute ways to decorate! Frames, washi tape, letter boards, DIY, and so many endless options!

Tangible memories

Having a print that you can hold in your hand makes your memories all the more meaningful. Physical prints are a profound way to remember, to look back on, and to cherish. Don’t let your photos stay stuck on Instagram or your phone forever! Print them, love them, share them, adore them!

Reminders

I think the most important part of prints is the magic they carry. The way they make your memories come back and remind you of that moment. I think it’ll put a smile on your face.

Backstory

While you all know me as a photographer, I’ve been in the business of printing memories since college. While I was studying photography, I worked as the Copy and Print manager at Staples. I got to print all kinds of files from legal documents, to business cards, to large format prints. I learned so much about print quality, resolution, the way colors and settings are affected in print, and so much more.

During this time, I printed a lot of my own work. I would do tests to compare different printers in the copy center, along with testing out other printers like Costco, Shutterfly, and more professional print labs like Bay photo. It’s so cool to see the difference in quality, learn about print profiles, and see different paper options.

Today, I work for a small and lovely startup (yes, I have two full time jobs), Parabo Press, that is encouraging folks to get their images off their phone and onto print. I am such an advocate for print, and I love being able to shoot photos and then print them.

We started printing our wedding photos, and have tried a few different print types to see how we want to print the bulk of them.

Parabo offers a free set of 25 4” square prints per order (you just pay shipping) AND a free 5.5” softcover book per order. They are perfect little gems to be remembered and enjoyed for ages. I also printed some of their classic prints in the 5x7” size. The matte paper they print on is delightful. It’s so thick and sturdy, you could easily turn the prints into postcards.

Hopefully my dad doesn’t see this post before father’s day, but I customized him a linen book from Parabo to give on dad’s day. We haven’t seen each other on Father’s day for a lot of years, but this year we’ll be together. I’m pretty excited to give this gift in real life and relive our wedding through photos on dad’s day.

Here’s a little glimpse of what we’ve printed so far! It’s so magical to have prints from our wedding day in real life. I look at them everyday and they fill me with so much joy. I can’t wait to gift the book to my dad and see his reaction to it!

Prints by Parabo Press. Photos include: Square prints, Classic Prints, and Linen Hardcover book.

Photos on prints by Hailey Ayson, photos of prints by yours truly. :)

Thanks for reading! Talk soon.

xo, Christina

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