Ottawa Lifestyle Photography - 5 Reasons Why Printing Your Photos Is Important

When it comes to printing photos it can feel overwhelming and daunting as the process from capture to print has multiple steps. Nowadays we feel too busy to perform any of these steps that lead to resulting in prints. Why? Because I feel we are just too excited to be able to show our images instantly. The new digital world has focused the importance of sharing our work in the now. What we don't realize is that our memories today need to be enjoyed in the future. Our social browsers may not exist in some future year and the access to our cloud platforms will most likely change too. What I have learned over the last decade is that digital media is constantly changing, I started university when floppy disks were cool. Today, I don't even have a computer that will access any of the work I created during that era. The same will soon apply for CD's and USBs ~ the truth is we need a better way to save and share our digital projects. Because one day soon our children will very much want to see the younger version of their parents and get to know their family history! Without surprise, I experienced this scenario with my own kids who recently discovered a few baby photos of me. They could not believe I was ever that small! Thanks to my parents who printed and kept these images in albums, today they are being talked about and a past is re-born.

This could be one of the main reasons I introduced an all-inclusive collection this year. I want each family to have a printed record from our session. To walk away with a physical product they can share for generations, to have access to their images any time they like, to not worry about technology changing and most importantly to have a complete photographic experience from shoot to print. I've felt this new direction to be important as my duty as your photographer. To bring a deeper awareness to the simple fact that digital data can be lost or misplaced. To solve the worry of where to get prints, how to organize and display, but rather walk away with a custom designed album and prints to be proud of. I simply do not want your jpgs to remain jpgs!

Here are my 5 reasons to why printing your photos still matters!

Creates a collection of key moments:
For every one good photo you like there’s probably a hundred similar ones you don’t like.  Make your collection more organized and easier to view by printing your prime photos so you don’t have to scavenge through slides upon slides of photos on your computer. Better yet, you can put them in an album!

Great conversations are born:
Everyone appreciates the inviting look of a print on display, it is a conversation starter and brings a warm feeling to a home. Plus it is a daily reminder of the wonderful people in your life, instant smiles!

Physical link:
The power of a feeling is always imprinted in photos. Freezing the moment is how most of us understand it! Now imagine if you can physically hold a moment in your hands! Reflect on it and see it linked to a series of images from that day, it bring a much more enjoyable experience than digging through digital file archives on a computer.

It’s human:
Printing is a way of sharing – for the beholder and for the giver: sharing a memory or a story, sharing a feeling or an emotion, and sharing the gift of a common point in time that triggered something that is worth recalling proactively: every time one sees that print. 

Technology can fail:
Technology is not always reliable and has been known to fail. Hard drives can malfunction, flash drives can break, software updates can fail, and you might even run out of space to save your photos. Also, over time, if you are copying, duplicating, opening and closing photos, the .jpg will decline in quality from the original image. Making the process of creating an archival print ever so important. It is the only way you can outlast the technological changes we have been experiencing. Prints are known to last a 100+ years as the chemicals used lock in the image in a permanent state.

Ottawa Lifestyle Photography - Emily + James, siblings

I first met Emily when she was 9 months old! She was sweet, shy and curious about the world. I remember vividly her smiles when she glanced over to mom or dad, you could feel the love she had for them! Fast forward a year and half later, Emily is now a BIG sister to James, who was equally shy on our first meeting. He did not fancy much to explore but rather preferred the safety of his mom's arms. This is a great example of how working with children can feel unexpected. I had chatted with mom before our session, she was sure James would be the more playful one and Emily still very much shy! It ended up being the complete opposite.

Most parents will feel the pressure of uncertainty when it comes to how their children will act during a photo session. In fact, it is the most common concern. The good news is, my job is centered around gaining their trust and allowing them to not feel pressured for smiles, giggles, or any other interaction. To me a photograph needs to represent a person in a true form, this can be very difficult to achieve if a child is placed in a new environment. So I asked mom to describe the experience in her own words, so new readers can better understand the focus around lifestyle photography.

"In mom's words"

Before the session, were you worried about how your kids would behave or act? Did it come true, if not, what happened instead?

Our session was a good example of "expect the unexpected".  My 3-year old daughter is shy and has has trouble warming up in photo sessions in the past, so I warned Irina she might need a little extra TLC.  But, unexpectedly, my outgoing little 1-year old was the one who had more trouble warming up. My daughter instantly got into it and posed for the camera.  They both eventually settled in and enjoyed themselves.

What did you enjoy the most about your session and why?

It was very relaxed.  Irina and I chatted, the kids played and photographs were taken.  I loved her space - it is light and airy and the kids felt free to just play.  The photos turned out beautifully.  She captured some great moments.

If you where to tell your best friend about your photography experience, what would you say?!

If you want an easy photography experience in a relaxed environment, visit Irina's studio.  She's wonderful.

Pimpernel & Plum - Ottawa baby + family resource

I am simply in love with the vision and purpose of this local Ottawa company! They create the best boxes for all types of events, from new baby, to pampering mom and even a love for dad. They do also offer custom gift boxes (which I've ordered!) to just about anyone special in your life. These two sisters have thought of it all! Sharing their story below and ensuring you know the best local place for all your baby and family gifts in Ottawa! What I am most excited about is their new subscription boxes which they will be launching next month, imagine receiving the perfect blend of pregnancy care, birth essentials, post-partum care and newborn baby necessities ~ dream! Thank you Tara and Tiffany for sharing your story with me and helping us create unique gifts for the special people in our lives! xo

Introduction: Tell us a bit about yourself!

Pimpernel & Plum is curated gift box company run by two sisters, Tiffany and Tara, who are also Moms. I (Tiffany) am the eldest and have a 1.5 year old boy. My sister, Tara, has a 3 year old and an 1 year old girls.

How did your business venture come about?

Being a new Mom can be a challenge. I was on maternity leave and it felt isolating. To help each other through the rough times, my sister and I would message back and forth on our phones every day. We would mostly chat about what our babies were doing, play scrabble, and share fun links - anything to get us through the day. 

One of the things we ended up messaging about were gifts for Moms. We would see the options that were out there and felt that we could do something better. And we felt so passionate about our ideas, that we decided to take the leap and make them into a business.

Why did you decided to cater your products towards mom and baby?

Being new Moms ourselves, we feel we have a good perspective on what products are helpful for Moms and babies. We don't want to forget new Dads, too, so we have created special gift boxes for them.

There are many great handmade baby items, artisan foods, natural and organic health products, and more that are all great for new families. We like to bring them together, so that friends and family buying gifts can give them something that is special and thoughtful. Many of the products we carry are also made locally, so you are supporting many other small, local businesses when you buy one of our gift boxes.

Which is your favourite curate gift box? Why?

My favourite box is probably the New Dad Box. I love it, not only because it is great for a first Father's Day gift, but also because I put so much time and effort into making the perfect gift a new Dad would appreciate.

If you have any advise to give a fellow mom, what would it be?

Both my sister and I love this quote from L.M. Montgomery (very Canadian, eh?): "Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it".

What do you wish to remember the most about your children today?

I want to remember my little guys laugh and the fun times where simple things, like splashing water, can hold so much pleasure.