Woodbridge Family Photographer | Are Digitals Included?

Are digital files included in the session fee?  This seems to be one of the most popular questions many photographers receive in today's digital environment and that includes my studio.

Depending on the photographer they answer may "yes" or "no".

Why do many photographer's include the digital files with the session fee?

In many cases the simply answer is supply and demand.  If many consumers are asking for the digital files, why not give it to them.  That's what they want...right!  Why pay a photographer to print a picture when many drug and big box stores offer one hour printing so prints are available for pickup within an hour.  Also, it's easier to store the image on my computer or phone.  In addition, we want to share our favorite image on social media.

These are the typical answers and responses a photographer hear from prospective clients.

"If you have your images stored on your computer or phone, may I ask when was the last time you've printed an image?"

According to a recent study, many people in the United States do not print their images and store them only in one location.  Are you one?

Fifty years from now, will you be able to use the same computer as today, or will the CD/USB drive be around to view those digital images?  Chances are...probably not! Ever three to four years, new technology is released.  For example, when personal computers where introduced to the market, floppy disk were all the rage.  I'm sure several people don't remember or have never heard of the floppy disk.

We have a different approach!

We begin with the end in mind!  Once we capture your family's portraits, we want you to ooh and awe over your loved ones.  Therefore we encourage our clients to obtain printed portraits.  We're able to illustrate how a particular image will look in a specific room in your home and pick out the best frame for that image.

Once you hire Tamieka Smith Photography, we provide our clients with a complete experience.  We photograph your family at the location of your choice and we don't stop there by giving you a cd.  We continue by helping to choose the appropriate size for your family room as well as hanging the canvas or wall portrait up in your home. 

We strive to photograph memories that you will love and proudly want to display on the walls of your home.  We don't want our clients only be able to look at their portraits by turning on an electronic device or logging into social media platforms.  In the case of the family portrait below, this family can sit in their family room and just adore their family.  There's no need for electricity, a computer, or placing a CD into the computer.  Your images may be displayed on your coffee table or hang on your home's wall with no additional effort needed.  Also, the portrait can be passed on from generation to generation.  

I've never heard of a family passing along a CD or a computer filled with images as an heirloom.

We totally understand the importance of social media and why clients want to share their families recent portrait via social media.  However, once that image is shared now what?  Will you remember that portrait in about a month?  More than likely, it will be forgotten.  Our clients receive a social media digital image for every wall portrait or canvas they purchase, because we understand many clients have family members that live in a different part of the country and they want to share.

We educate our clients about why we believe prints are significant and import; we provide heirloom quality prints.  Our studio only use professional labs that provides the highest quality.  We guarantee our portrait prints will last at least 100 years.  Our portrait prints are not printed on traditional photographic paper, they are mounted and coated with an ultraviolet (uv) protection.

Mounted Print

Traditional Print

As illustrated in the images above, our portraits are much thicker in size than the traditional portrait print.  This provides additional protection.  Our prints won't curl up and colors won't fade. 

If you recently went to a photographer and only received a cd full of images and would like to transition those images from your cd and  into a gallery, contact us today.  It would be our pleasure to bring your walls to life.