Don't Be That Parent - Woodbridge Family Photographer

When you visit your parents or grandparents homes, do you see framed portraits of your family members from generations past?

I remember as a young child visiting my grandmother's home and being able to see portraits of her, my grandmother's siblings, as well as her children.  With the invention of digital cameras and social media, many parents do not have framed portraits displayed in their homes.  Instead those precious keepsakes are stored on computers (that have a risk of crashing) and memory cards (may be lost and/or forgotten).  We're living in a time where countless amounts of pictures are taken on a daily basis, however 5 years from now we will forget about our favorites!  This is a tragedy!!! 

Don't let this happen to you and your family!

Technology comes and goes. What if all you had from your grandparents' wedding was a floppy disk of their wedding pictures? Would you be able to even look at them today?  NO

The following questions are extremely important to ask and answer.  

1.  Why is it important to have your pictures printed and displayed?  


2.  Why should you have them removed from your computers and memory cards?  


3.  Where should you have your pictures printed?

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1.  I believe there is incredible value in printing photographs. I wrote a blog post a couple of weeks ago about the value of enjoying photography "offline." The idea of burying our pictures on a hard drive or keeping them on a memory card is, in my opinion, a waste of great memories.  Somethings are best when they are "offline" -- Photography definitely should be.

2.  As stated previously, computers and memory cards are susceptible to crashes, loss, or even worse forgotten.  Unfortunately once the images have been lost, they can not be retrieved.  Once images are printed, they can be viewed at anytime without turning on a computer or logging into social media platforms.  

3.  So…you hired me or another professional photographer to take your family portraits…what now? Well, in this day and age, the most popular option would be to buy the digital package so you can print your photos yourself and share with friends and family online. Makes sense, right? You want to save money…and it’s easy as pie to go to a one hour studio and have the print to hang on your wall that night!  We've all done it (myself included.)  There are so many options on places to have images printed.  However, it's very important to have your images, especially professional images, printed from a printing lab that will maintain the great quality of your images.

One of the most popular products I offer is digital media.  Many of my clients see this as a valuable service.  Once you have the digital files you can order as many prints as you would like for less money at one of the local drug store photo counter.

But there is an advantage to purchasing your prints and other portrait products through Tamieka Smith Photography.

A. I use a professional lab that offers high quality paper and photo finishes.   I will personally check your photos for color balance and correct cropping.  Do you think the 17 year old at the drugstore does that?

B. I can customize your order with a variety of finishes and coatings.  UV coatings, Metallic paper, Silk Paper, True Black and White paper, Linen and Watercolor finishes are just a few paper finishes I can help you with.  I can also add foil stamping with your name/year or other custom printing on your prints. Your choices at the grocery store your options are glossy or matte.

C. I can create custom albums for you of your session.   Soft cover coffee table books, Signature Albums, Canvas, accordion mini albums, Framed Art and Acrylic Art Glass are available to meet all of your expectations and needs.  Your albums are true works of art, not a cookie cutter template that is available at the popular dot com photo developer.

D. Most importantly, by ordering your prints through Tamieka Smith Photography you get a professional photographer’s eye.  Want to create a collage for Grandma?  I can do that!  Wonder which photo from your session would look good as a canvas wrap for your stairway?  I can help you choose!  Every photo I take is special to me so I want you to have the best possible display for your home.  I will happily meet with you to plan your entire print order–either by phone or in person.

E. I offer proof books.  A proof book will print out all of your photos in a small album which will allow you to look at the images on paper–not the computer screen and fill out an order form that I will happily order for you.  I can also print all images in 4×6 prints for proofing and present them in a archival box for you to view in the comfort of your home before you order.  That sounds a lot better to me than standing at a Kiosk trying to remember what picture your mother wanted you to enlarge for her.

I am not opposed to printing photos at consumer photo processors.  I admit I have run down to CVS and printed out a few photos for the science fair project, but for my family portraits I use a professional lab.  The quality of the paper and printing just cannot be compared to the quality you receive at the Kiosk.

Please feel free to email me with your questions or arrange a consultation.  I also have samples to show you of the print finishes, different types of papers and albums.   I am sure that you will be pleased with the exceptional quality the professional print lab delivers.

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DON'T BE THIS PARENT