Why Printed Family Photos Matter

Our children may be the most photographed generation to date, yet they are also the most likely to grow up with the fewest photographs. We live in a digital world and use our phones and other devices to document our children’s lives, but do those images ever get printed, framed, or preserved in albums? Or do they live on your cell phone, computer desktop, a DVD, or a USB drive? How will you ensure that your most treasured memories exist in the future to be enjoyed by your grandchildren and great-grandchildren? How will you create a lasting legacy if your family photos live on your devices? Here’s why printed family photos matter.

Family photos hold more than memories. They are gifts we give ourselves and our children today, and they are the legacy we leave our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Photos tell our family’s story. With each flip of a page, we see how our child has grown and changed from a grinning baby to a teething toddler to a little boy missing his two front teeth. 

I love having photos and albums not only from my own childhood, but of my grandparents and great-grandparents. Looking through these family treasures gives me a sense of where I come from and helps illustrate stories of my ancestors that my parents have shared in the past. 

Printed Family Photos Are Heirlooms 

Photos hold the power to make us feel, to evoke emotion, and to transport us back in time to relive a special memory or a particular phase in our child’s life. When I look through my photos, I’m reminded of each fleeting phase, from my son’s obsession with Thomas the Train to collecting and building Star Wars Legos, turning our backyard into his very own Yankees wiffle ball field, and many more memories.

Displaying Family Photos in Our Home Shows Our Love

I believe photos symbolize our love and show what we value. I have photos on display in almost every room in my home. Our living room is decorated with fine art canvas images of our family while smaller framed portraits are displayed on bedroom walls, shelves, dressers and desks. Even my fridge is filled with snapshots of my son and nephews so that every time I grab a class of water, I’m reminded of a happy memory.

My Facebook feed doesn’t tell my family’s story or show my son how much he is loved, but the framed photos and albums in our home are a great reminder to him of how loved and valued my husband and I view our family life. And chances are, Facebook may someday be phased out for the latest and greatest next social media platform.

Looking through photo books has the power to bring people closer together, to elicit emotion and spark conversation. 

In an upcoming post I will be sharing (How family photos boost kid’s self esteem). I enjoy sitting with my son and looking through our annual albums and photo books. It gives me a chance to relive a particular time in our life, whether it is a family vacation or memories from his first birthday party, or one of the many hot and hazy summer afternoons when he and his neighborhood buddies set up lemonade stands and sold baseball cards. I love that I can show my son how loved he was from the day he was born just by looking at photos showing him being cradled by his grandparents, his aunts and his uncles.

Prints Have Longevity. Digital Images Are Temporary

Sure, I have a “photo album” on my iPhone, but I know it is only temporary. It’s great for quickly capturing a moment and instantly sharing with family and friends. But it isn’t tangible or lasting. 

Digital media storage solutions are constantly changing and older methods quickly vanishing. DVD/CDs, which were once the gold standard for storing digital media, are vanishing and even USB drives are apt to be replaced in the near future. Is anyone besides me old enough to remember floppy disks or VHS tapes?! Who knows what electronic devices and media storage will look like 10, 20, 30 or more years from now. Will the Cloud still even exist? Without that knowledge, we have no way of safely preserving our digital photos.

An archival quality print can last for over 100 years when stored properly and is the best option for archiving your most important photos.

Printed Family Photos Are More Impactful than Digital Images

Seeing your family portrait as a custom art piece hanging in your home is so much more meaningful than viewing the same image on your Facebook wall, iPhone, Instagram or computer screen. 

Displaying printed photos is also a beautiful way to decorate your home and add a warmth. There are so many options for decorating your home with prints: fine art canvases, wall galleries of framed prints, desk or table top frames for the office, or even just one huge image hung above the mantle!

My photography business reflects my personal values on the power of photography and the importance of printed photographs.  I offer printed photos because I believe in print. Professionally printed photos will last a lifetime and are the safest way to archive your families memories to be passed down from generation to generation. 

Whether you take your own family photos or hire a professional, don’t let your photos be forgotten on a hard drive or disappear into the depths of the digital cloud. Go Print Your Family Photos!!

Need recommendations on where to have your own images printed? Be sure to read my post on Where To Print Your Photos. 

xo,