A recent slideshow client has perfectly illustrated the importance of printing newborn photos. She had commissioned me to design a slideshow of her son’s first year, to be shown at his first birthday party. Among the digital files she sent for the show were some gorgeous professional photos. We are talking truly beautiful images of her child as a newborn. The files were very small and pixelated, though, so I assumed she accidentally sent me thumbnails or web-sized files.
When I replied and asked for originals, however, she didn’t have them! She had uploaded them from her phone to Facebook at the time and that was the end of it. She had never gotten around to ordering prints of her newborn photos or making an album, and the original files were no longer on her computer. Think of how much money she invested in those beautiful pictures, and she has so little to show for it.
These stories make my heart so sad. As photographers, we want to create art you will have forever. Upgrading your phone or crashing your hard drive should never mean they are gone. As Missy Mwac points out, You shouldn’t need electricity to see pictures of your family.
In the end, I did the best I could for this client, and combined her small photos into a single collage. I’m sure the party guests squinted and wished they could see more, just like I did.
Work with your photographer and make sure you safeguard your memories, in whatever form feels right to you and will bring you joy. To see example museum-quality prints and albums, check out my Packages.
