Family Photo Albums and Why They Are Important

Why Family Photo Albums Are Important

In my humble opinion as a professional family photographer, the importance of family photo albums can’t be overstated. I say this from my own family experience. When my paternal grandmother was preparing to move from her New York City apartment into an assisted-living facility, I helped her go through some boxes of old family photos. We came across hundreds of priceless photos of my grandparents tucked away and forgotten at the bottom of a closet. Though I had lived across the street from my grandparents for most of my life, I had never seen any of these photos before.

I felt so lucky to have recovered these amazing photos that gave me a glimpse into my grandparents’ earlier days. The stash included one of my grandmother as a smiling baby sitting up in her carriage, a lovely portrait of her as a young lady, one of my very dashing grandfather (if I do say so myself), and an adorable candid snapshot of the two of them together. I took all the best prints and placed them together in an archival album for my grandmother. Now she could to take the album to her new home and easily access and enjoy them. 

Your Family Photos Deserve to be Preserved—Don’t Let Them End up in a (Virtual) Shoebox!

I recently came across an article about the longevity of digital images. It asks an important question that I don’t think most people have considered. That is, what will happen to all of their digital photos in the years to come? Not only what will happen when they replace their current mobile phone with the next model, but decades and generations into the future. The article states:

Properly stored, paper photos can last over 100 years. But, technology cycles are much shorter and the storage
media, file formats, software and hardware used today for digital images will almost certainly be replaced by newer technology in the near future.

The value of investing in prints and albums has never been more important in my opinion. In fact, it is at the core of my philosophy about photography. It is also at the heart of the way I’ve built my business. I hope it encourages my clients to think of these photos as artwork worthy of displace and worthy of preserving. That is why I collaborate with my clients to make sure there is something tangible as the outcome of their photo session, not just an exchange of pixels.

Product Highlight: Custom Designed Signature Heirloom Family Photo Albums

When I put together my product line, I knew I wanted to offer only the best albums. It was important that my clients be able to proudly pass it on to their kids as a cherished family keepsake. It also needed to be of a quality that would stand the test of time. To that end, I ordered samples from dozens of high-end album printers until I found the ONE. The first book I designed and had made for a client did not disappoint! The look and feel was so luxurious—with rich, brilliant prints mounted on thick pages—it was to sure to become a client favorite.

My Signature Heirloom Album includes 30 pages—or 15 double-page spreads. I typically include about 30 images in the design. This ensures I can highlight individual images that look amazing printed across a single double-page spread, as well build compelling layouts out of a series of images that compliment each other. More pages can be added if we need extra space. This is a great option when the book contains images from multiple sessions.

Each album is custom made from scratch with your choice of dozens of fabrics—including leather—for the cover. You can even choose a full photo-wrapped cover like the one I designed below.  The pages are printed with museum-quality archival ink on thick fine art paper. A protective coating that gives added protection from fingerprints, scratches, and stains.

 

I use my extensive photo editing and design experience to sequence the images and design each spread to build a cohesive narrative with spreads of selected images arranged to compliment each other. The resulting album will show off your family photos to maximum effect.

Create a Legacy with Family Photo Albums

My own clients typically have a handful of photos from their session printed and framed for display. However, they inevitably love too many to hang on the wall. A professionally-made, heirloom-quality album is the perfect solution to beautifully showcase the rest of their favorite images. Beyond just the beauty and quality, they can be confident that the album will outlast many generations of mobile phones and computers. 

All these years later, I still have the album I made for my grandmother. I’m so grateful to have this legacy to pass on to my own son. It’s uncanny to see how much my younger brother looks like my grandfather at that age. The photos below are of my Great Aunt Juliet that I also had included in the album. When we recently celebrated her 98th birthday, I was able to share them with the rest of the family.