Don’t forget to print your photographs.

It’s something that has gone out of fashion in recent years. Digital images are convenient and easy to send literally anywhere in the world via the internet. But…

People no longer flip through albums and relive their sweet memories. 

No more sifting through photo boxes, lingering on smiles and letting their fingertips brush over their loved ones’ faces.

Yes, I create digital photography, but when it comes down to it, I love a final product in analog, and I encourage my clients to have their images printed. I want to touch papers, feel textures, flip pages, and even experience smells. Yes, my baby album has a specific smell that I will never forget. And yes, I started my photography journey using film and developing my own prints in the dark room.

Being able to touch a piece of photographic artwork—and be in the physical presence of it—stimulates the brain in ways that digital products do not.

Similarly, photography not only stimulates you mentally and emotionally, it also provides mental and emotional benefits. Some psychologists believe that having family portraits around the home helps boost children’s self esteem and helps them to see how they fit into the family unit. Simply put, it gives them context to who they are. In contrast, this is the total opposite effect of taking a selfie, by the way. Studies have shown that taking selfies lowers self esteem and makes us more self-critical. 

Maybe you’ve heard of the growing trend of phototherapy. Many psychologists are now using photography in different forms of therapy and healing. Photography is often used as a protection against time and against fading memories. It reaffirms a family’s rituals and values. Often, it’s used to document a time of rapid change. 

Photography allows us to relive important events, understand different facets of our families, and strengthens our sense of self. 

You know what truly excites me? My grandmother has portraits of her grandparents displayed at her home. Yes, you read that correctly: I have access to portraits of my great great grandparents. 

Being able to look backwards in time like this amazes me. When I see the portraits, I get a look back into my family’s past, literally into the 1800s. I got to see where certain Keel family facial features come from. It helps to strengthen the threads of connection in my family. It binds us all together.

“Wait, Kristy…it sounds like you hate digital photographs.”

Not at all! I just believe in combining the convenience of digital photography with beautiful analog artwork. My clients get digital files, because I know that it’s important for people to share special occasions and have access at their fingertips. But — my clients can also choose to get prints of their favorite images to display proudly in their homes. To foster connection, to mark milestones and important memories, and to tell a deeper  family story. This is why printed photography matters, too.

Do you need help getting images of your family? Let’s talk. Just shoot me a message to book a session. You’ll end up with digital photos and beautiful artwork that will serve your family for generations to come.