Organizing and Displaying Your Family Photographs

Last month I hosted a mother’s night out event for North Central Parenting Group and gave a short presentation about how to organize and display your family photographs.  The women who attended gave great feedback and made it apparent that the number of images they have of their children is overwhelming and causes them stress. 

The perspective I have on this subject comes from having one son who is grown and in college and another who is two years away from leaving our home.  My children were babies before there were iphones with cameras.  In order to take pictures we had to plan to bring the camera, remember to get it out, load a roll of film in a camera and then take it to get developed which usually yielded about 10 acceptable pictures from a roll of 36.  I know it seems like it was the “olden days”, as my kids like to point out, and that we have come so far since then.  But, one positive of the old time technology of film was that we had far fewer pictures to decide how to display.  We threw away the bad ones and stuck the rest in a photo album (maybe a scrapbook with cute sayings and stickers if we were crafty).  Once every year or two we had our children professionally photographed, ordered one or two portraits (and maybe an album if they were really cute) and hung them up in our house.  Even in my home, and as a professional photographer I only have portraits of my kids from about every year or so. 

The dawn of digital has led to an extreme increase in the number of images that are produced documenting one child’s growth from newborn to adulthood.  Whether they are snapshots that parents take of their child or professional images, it is likely the number is in the thousands by the time the child reaches the age of two.  With the daily duties it takes to raise a child in today’s world (doctors appointments, parenting classes, play groups, feeding, shopping, bathing, getting them to sleep, getting them in the right music/gym/mom and tot class) this only adds to a feeling of anxiety.  What I would like to do here is give you a way to organize and display the images of your family and children, and perhaps rethink why and when you have them photographed in the first place.

First, let’s address how many of your own snapshots you take of your child.  Every time you go to a park, playgroup or the zoo, do you feel like you need to whip out your phone and document it?  What is the purpose?  Is it to share on social media?  By the way, that is just fine, but it will lead to your device being completely jammed up and more work for you in the end.  So, when should you bring out your phone or camera and document those fun, spontaneous moments so that you can remember?  I would say holidays are a good place to start.  And vacations.  And family visits. And birthdays.  But if you have 25 from each of those events you would have around 200 per year.  That is too many.  So here is a guide to get your existing snapshots organized.  Then stop taking so many from here on out.  Rather than pulling out your phone all the time, maybe just enjoy the moment.  Childhood goes quickly.

So you have a year or two or three worth of snapshots of your child or children. Where should you start?  What can you do with them? 

1.                     Get all the images off your device.  Do this once every month or so.  Download them to your computer and also save on an external hard drive because computers crash and that is sad.

2.                     Put the images in a folder labeled with whatever event it is (Halloween 2016, Johnny’s First bday, etc.). 

3.                     Work backwards so you are not overwhelmed.  Since it is only March of 2017, 2017 should be easy and not overwhelming at all.  Next do 2016 because you can complete that one and make a scrapbook.

4.                     Go through each image you have by labeled folder and delete the ones you don’t love.  Be brutal and only save a few from each event. (you don’t need 25 from Halloween, First bday maybe that many, but not every playgroup).  Go through again and delete more.  Your goal is to end up with around 60 per year. 

5.                     Once you are finished with one year, make a book.  If you have a Mac, ibook is a really simple, easy way to make a scrapbook with text.  And you simply click and order and it is delivered in about a week.  If you don’t have a Mac, get one.  Just kidding, but they really are best for consumers to organize and arrange their own images.  There are other sites where you can make scrapbooks and albums like Snapfish.  Now you have a year of images in a scrapbook and something you and your family can look through together! 

6.                     Other ideas for displaying your images that you absolutely love are: a calendar (makes a great gift for grandparents who still use paper calendars), small frames around your home, bulletin boards, digital frame, prints to be put under glass on a table in your home. 

Hopefully, that helps.  This project is not meant to be done all in one night!  And your scrapbook does not have to be a work of art or something you have seen on Pinterest.  Just do the best you can.  Work maybe an hour while the kids are napping or in the evening after bedtime a couple of times per week until you are caught up.  If you start this now and limit the number of images you take throughout the year, it will never get out of control again!  Now, onto what to do with the professional images.

If you go by what is all over Pinterest and Instagram and Facebook, it seems like in order to be a good mother, you need to have your children photographed every few months in some kind of very staged and themed set up.  Whether it is a newborn wearing a hat to make him look like a bear cub, a baby smashing their first birthday cake or kids in their Halloween costumes, Christmas outfits, with Easter bunnies, or in a lemonade stand, it seems like a child is professionally photographed at least 8 times by the time she reaches her second birthday.  What I challenge you to think about is, what is the point to all of these sessions?  Do you have a goal from each one or do you just gather these hundreds or thousands of images on your hard drive and share them on social media, maybe print a few holiday cards or birth announcements and then feel overwhelmed about how to actually showcase your favorites (if you can even decide which ones those are)?  If you are paying for all of these sessions, maybe take that money, save up and invest in excellent portraits of milestone ages (see below) and do all the other pictures yourself.

There are a couple types of professional photographers you may have encountered.  The first will help you choose the images to display and deliver final portraits and/or albums to you so all you have to do is hang them up.  That is super cool and leaves no work for you!  If that is the type of photographer you have worked with, you can skip down to where I discuss milestone ages. 

If your photographer did not help you to choose which images to print or print them for you, you have some work to do.  First, you need to decide which one or two from each milestone age to have printed.  I would suggest that you choose one larger and one smaller (one main wall portrait and one smaller, or a triptych that tells a story).  You can do a smaller desk portrait of one or two and an album with the others.  Once you have picked the couple of favorites you would like to have printed as portraits, you will need to choose the size and lab.  Remember, cheaper labs like Walmart and Costco will look cheap.  If you want to start a beautiful gallery, choose a quality lab.  Tempe Camera is a local lab that will help you to size, crop, and print the images and offers different types of fine art paper options.  I have listed contact info and other resources for this below. 

If all that work stresses you out, going forward you might want to rethink your choice of photographer from one who simply gives you the digital files and doesn’t offer any help with regard to which images to have printed and how or where to print them.  If you are like me, I don’t like to pay for a service only to have more work to do.  I would rather spend a bit more and have the professional use their professional skills and resources to help me have something of excellent quality.

Remember, your child is growing and from birth to senior portrait if you have her professionally photographed once per year, you will have 18 portraits by the time she graduates from high school.  Your goal should be to add to your gallery rather than replace precious portraits from the younger years.  So, what are the milestone ages that you should have your child photographed?  In other words, if I were not a professional photographer, what ages would I pay to have a professional photographer document my children and pay for beautiful portraits to add to my gallery? 

Here is my list of milestone ages to have your child photographed.  Obviously, space apart for development according to when you had your last session.  These can be done as a separate portrait if you have larger walls or combined with siblings to accomplish two things at once (except maybe when they are really, really impactful on their own like toddler, missing teeth and senior portraits):

1.                     Infant (0-6 months)  Some people like the brand newborn, but I prefer when the baby can actually track, is chubby and has a face that will be recognizable later in their life.  Plus, you feel a little less stressed at the session when you are not one or two weeks post partum. 

2.                     Toddler (12-36 months)  Walking around, talking and able to communicate a little and engage.  Has a variety of expressions and a developed personality.

3.                     Small Child (4-5 years) Still has a bit of a baby face.  Very well developed vocabulary and interests.  Usually preschool age before front teeth fall out.

4.                     Lost Teeth (6-7 years) One of my favorite ages and a great transitional portrait from a small child to the one with the big teeth. 

5.                     Big Kid, Tween (9-12 years) Once you have an 18 year old, these kids will look little to you.  I actually also like braces because the kids still look little while they are wearing them.

6.                     Teen (13-16 years) This is a good age because you have a kid who is still a kid but thinks and acts like they are not.  They have their own defined personalities and opinions (whether you like it or not).

7.                     Senior Portrait (17-18 years) This is the last portrait of childhood.  They are graduating high school and about to embark on their own life, away from you. 

I find it helpful to think about creating a portrait gallery that you will add to over time rather than just do willy-nilly sessions with multiple photographers who all have different styles.  For those of you who like consistency and would like a photographic style that will stand the test of time, choose a photographer whose style is more classic and will pleasing to you in the long term.  There are many trends in photography.  By definition, a trend will go out of style, so it is best to stay away from photographers whose bulk of work is made up of images that are very trendy.  For example, one trend is to severely back light a subject, obscuring the face in favor of the sun shining behind her.  Another trend is to dress up newborns in funny hats or contort them or put them in bowls or baskets or slings.  Props are also distracting.  If you want something in the image to represent your child’s age, I recommend something meaningful to you and them, like a favorite blanket, doll or book.  I tend to gravitate toward a style that will be pleasing in 50 years or would have been 50 years ago. 

            One element of creating pleasing wall displays is to frame the portraits in an elegant aesthetic that will frame and highlight the images and blend with your décor.  Professional framing can make a big difference in how finished your display looks.  Cheap framing looks cheap and can ruin the actual portraits over time.  Choose a professional frame shop (not Michael’s or Aaron Brothers) that specializes in framing art and knows conservation methods.  It does not have to be expensive and you can limit the cost by choosing frames that are smaller and less ornate. 

            In order to determine what sizes and displays would be appropriate for the professional images of your children and family, your home décor and space should be taken into account.  You don’t need to have a dedicated wall upon which to hang all of the professional images you choose to have printed as portraits.  Here are some ideas for display that I have seen and use myself: 

1.     One significant size portrait in a defined space or over a piece of furniture (sofa, console table, fireplace, entryway, between two light fixtures).

2.     Different sizes and orientations down a hallway or up a staircase.

3.     Gallery wall as a showcase wall – small or large with multiple images in different sizes and orientations in a family gathering spot. (These are the images that make you happy so you should see them often.)

4.     Casual leaning on top of a bookcase or shelving.

5.     In a bathroom – water or beach images work well here.

6.     Child’s bedroom – infant images for nursery and other happy images great in here as well.

I would also recommend having albums created from your professional images as well.  As mentioned above, you will not frame all of the images from your professional images as portraits for your walls, but having albums and books will document these sessions for you so that over time you have a great representation of your child’s growth.

In my studio, I offer the full service experience because I believe you should have beautiful, timeless images of your children and you don’t need any extra work in your busy life.  From talking with you prior to your session in order to understand your goals (or just help you define what those should be), to expertly photographing your child, to helping you choose the best images for display and where they should hang in your home, to printing your portraits in the most beautiful and archival manner, to helping you choose the frames that will best highlight your portraits, it is a full service, stress-free experience.  The only thing left for you to do is pay and hang your portraits on the wall.  I charge appropriately for what I give you but feel strongly that you definitely get what you pay for.  When you account for money that you might spend on mini sessions throughout the year, where you don’t love any images and then your time you have to spend to figure out which one to print, where to take it and the cost of printing and framing, a full service experience by an expert photographer is well worth the price.  But, if you choose to go elsewhere I will not be offended.  Everyone has different tastes and different budgets.  If you need resources to be able to print and display the images of your children, here you go:

Printing – I recommend an art paper for quality and timeless feel.  If you choose to print on a canvas, framing it will look more finished and refined. 

1.     Tempe Camera will sit down with you and help you size and choose an appropriate medium to print images, either professional or your own snaps. www.Tempecamera.biz 606 West University Drive, Tempe AZ 85281 480.966.6954

2.     Artifact Uprising – if the images are already sized and ready to go this is nice quality but no one-on-one help.  www.artifactuprising.com

3.     Cheap labs look cheap.  You get what you pay for.  Walmart and Costco offer cheap canvas wraps that will likely fade in a few years.

Albums – Create scrapbooks of your own snaps or of professional images that you are not going to hang on your wall (if photographer did not offer album).  

1.     Ibooks is a great resource if you have a mac.  You can create book and upload right from iphoto. Perfect for your own snaps.

2.     Snapfish and other online sites have album options perfect for you own snaps.

3.     Artifact Uprising – higher quality albums for professional images.  You have to do all of the layout and design work but not too complicated. www.artifactuprising.com

Framing – professional framing adds a finished element, incorporating your portraits with your hoe décor and personal style.

1.     The Art of Framing 5018 North Central Avenue 602.277.3112.  They have a wide variety of cool frames and will offer help in which ones will look best within your budget.  Choose archival mattes and uv glass for great preservation.

2.     Michael’s and Aaron Brother’s are not great.  Not archival materials and glass with chemicals.

in a hallway

same family hallway

more from this lovely family

accent wall behind couch

small hallway

in a bath

leaning on a bookcase

accent wall in a living room/entry

up a staircase

over a console table

under glass on a table

My Little Boy Grew Up!

My little boy is 18 today.  We are about to experience another transition.  He will soon graduate and go off to college to start his independent life away from me.  This is what I worked to prepare him to do and I am excited for him.  But, I am not sure I am ready to have him not at home with me.  I really don't know where all the years have gone.  They have flown by, really.  I remember when he was just a couple of months old and a mother with older kids told me to appreciate every minute because the time would pass very quickly.  Of course, I thought she was crazy because at that time every day seemed like it was 72 hours.  I was exhausted and couldn't wait until nap times and bed times.  But, how right she was.   I am so glad that I have these images to actually remember exactly what it was like to have him with me and be his mother.  

He was the most cuddly baby.  He used to just nestle into me.  That snuggly front carrier was his favorite way to travel around - and mine too because I could do anything while I was wearing him - including cook dinner (probably not the safest thing).  He still gives the best hugs and doesn't ever get embarrassed to do so, no matter who is watching.

He was and still is curious and thoughtful about everything around him - as long as it was/is to do with nature.

He loved to be outside, preferably without any clothes.

He was a little moody when things didn't go his way.  That is because he feels deeply.  I remember how sad he was when his gram (my mother) died.  And he is still sensitive about it, and hugs me if I get emotional talking about her.  When his uncle died a year and a half ago, he wept openly at the service and was so kind and sweet to everyone who was also grieving.  

But he was/is quick to smile and laugh and was/is a fabulous big brother.  He was so proud when he his little brother was born and told everyone that it was his baby.  He has a great sense of humor.

Everything was a new adventure to him and he still has the most fun just experiencing life.

He loved the ocean - still his greatest passion.

That happy, happy smile melted my heart and still does.

Happiest at the beach and in the water.

Sensitive and kind to people.  He gives of himself to others without any reason other than because it is a good thing to do.  He has coached a third and fourth grade boys basketball team for the last three years (the first was for service hours and the last two were just because they needed more coaches).

He has the best smile in the world, even with braces.

Never cares about being cool, just does what he likes and treats others with kindness.

He loves quiet places, fishing and anything to do with water.  He was always obsessed with animals - as a small child he would watch (horribly boring) documentaries all the time.  He would always choose those over any type of cartoon or Disney movie.

He definitely has his own style, not caring what others think is hip or cool - he prefers old cars, bow ties, Hawaiian shirts, and old time rock and roll.

Happy Birthday Nick!  You are a great person and I can't wait to see what you will do in your life.  You are kind and sweet and smart and funny.  It has been a pleasure watching you grow.  

Why I Choose Film

One of my favorites, using the light to create a desired effect. 

 I have been a photographer for many years so it is a given that when I started out, I started working with film.  Then, about 10-15 years ago there was a huge shift in the professional industry and almost every single photographer I knew switched to digital.  I felt the pressure to go along with the masses, but I tried out some digital cameras and hated them.  So I decided to just keep doing what I was doing.  Then a few years passed, the pressure to conform was mounting, and I tried another digital camera.  I was again disappointed.  Maybe my expectations were too high but the images lacked depth and needed to be manipulated on the computer after the fact.  That was not what I liked about photography.  In fact, digitally retouching images after the fact is the thing I like the least.  It is not photography, it is retouching.  In contrast, I love everything about using film.  I love the feel of the film as I am loading it in the camera, I love the sound the shutter makes on my Hasselblad  - a big, loud, clunky noise.  I love the sound that it makes as you finish a roll and it rolls through.  I love the anticipation of getting my film back from the lab and seeing the images for the first time.  I love the smell of the fixer in the darkroom when I print my own.  I love when I get a delivery from my printer and open the package to see the beautifully printed portraits.

Creating impressionistic style images is possible by over exposing the right color film and use of soft focus filters.  No photoshop needed!

So I kept doing what I was doing.  Frankly, I didn't see a reason to switch until I was around other photographers.  I went to conventions and all I saw and heard was how much better digital was.  But I just didn't couldn't see it or understand the draw.  I was so happy using my film.  I even got yelled at a few times by other professional photographers who told me that I was stuck in the dark ages.  Thankfully, I had (have) a phenomenal professional printer who is himself an artist in the darkroom.  He told me to keep doing what I was doing and he would keep printing for me.  Then, I went to photography workshop in Santa Fe.  There I met my soul sister.  We are different in every way at first glance - she is 6ft tall, blonde and very outspoken.  However, when you look at the images we create, they are very similar.  I was happy to learn that she was still using film.  I had found someone else to talk to, compare techniques, different film types, etc., so I decided to keep doing what I had been doing and not to be cajoled into doing what I did not want to do.

The right lighting and filter ensure that the reflection is apparent while her skin tone is soft and beautiful.

A dreamy effect can be achieved with a special effect film and red filter.

A technique known as pushing (done in the film processing) can give your image a more dramatic look and can be done when lighting conditions are on the dark side.  

After all, it was the process that I loved and still love.  It is deciding which film to use for a given situation, how I will set my camera to get exactly the look I want, which filter and lens will maximize or change that look, and what instructions I will give my lab to develop to make it what I want.  That process is what I love.  I love knowing in my minds eye how the image will look because of my years of training, but then getting the images back and being surprised that they look better.

Another more impressionistic color image made by over exposing color film and using a soft filter.

Since meeting my friend in Santa Fe and deciding that I would not switch to digital, I have fully embraced the fact that I can give something completely unique to my clients and to myself.  In fact, I have gone in the opposite direction of the digital movement - I have learned to use large format cameras, print my own portraits, and have even built a darkroom in my home.  (Though I continue to use my master professional darkroom printer for all my client work because he is still so much better than me!)

A masterpiece printed by my printer, Robert, toned to perfection.  

Yes, with film you have to think about what you are going to do before you execute it, because you have a limited number of photographs you can take before you have to load more film.  And, you really have to know how to pose and light your subjects in the most flattering way, because you don't have the attitude of "you can just fix it later".  But, that is the challenge and the fun of photography after all.  And, you can "fix" things in the darkroom through creative techniques like diffusion, darkening and lightening certain areas of the print, adding contrast, toning, etc.  That is an art form in itself and yields a real one of a kind art piece for my clients that literally cannot be recreated exactly.

No retouching needed for these beauty portraits.

The ethereal look is created with use of a special lens.

Overexposing color film and the right lighting ensures a creamy and perfect skin tone.  

It is ironic to me that the use of film has now become trendy among younger photographers.  It seems like it is what all the hipsters are using now.  That makes me happy because they are learning a magical process that you can only learn with film, but also gives me hope that film companies will see the trend, latch on and continue to manufacture all the great film!  If not, I will have to become a film hoarder :-)

This season let us help you Create Your Heirloom

This time of year is very busy for me as a photographer.  I have 15 family portrait sessions scheduled for November.  Fifteen sessions might not sound like a lot, but for the time I put in to each one, planning, executing and helping to choose just the right images and portrait products to meet expectations, and then following through with orders, I am almost at my limit.  

You see, I like to give you what I value myself - excellent service, individualized attention, and creativity that produces an heirloom for you and your family.  I can't do that by photographing 10 families in one day and shoving them into 20-30 minute time slots.  And, frankly, I don't want to.  I would quit after just a couple of years of that because I would hate it.  I would rather spend time getting to know you before your session, establishing your goals and helping you to choose exactly the portraits that will fit in your home, with your life.

It is important to me that you have an heirloom for your family - beautiful, classic, timeless portraits that you will never "switch out" or remove because they have become too trendy.  It is important that I follow through with service, helping you to choose just the right images, in just the right sizes and finishes to compliment your home.  It is important that I follow through and make those portraits for you (instead of handing you a cd and telling you to go to Walmart or wherever).  It is even important to help you find the perfect frame so that you can take them home and hang them instead of shoving them under your bed in the box they came in.  It is important that you give your children a better legacy than rotating images on a digital frame, your screen saver, your phone or your apple tv.

Life moves so quickly these days.  Our children seem to age ten years in one and then all of a sudden are applying to colleges and leaving home.  My goal in creating these portraits for you is to help you stop time.  To give you something that will make you (and your children) stop and remember - classic portraits of your children and family that will transport you back to that time you loved, time you were all together.  

Yes, I am very busy this time of year.  But not too busy to create heirloom portraits for your family.  

Not too busy to create something more than just some holiday cards and gifts.  

Not too busy to create a true gift for your entire family, even if you are the only one who understands what a gift it is...

Remembering TT

Life is fragile.  Time passes too quickly.  You can not plan everything so make the most of the what comes your way.  Celebrate those you love and have fun.  Dance and eat and laugh and hug.  Dress up in fun clothes.  Be nice to each other.

I stood in the front of the church with tears coming down my cheeks and tried to speak in a strong voice, despite my sadness.  I had stood in that same spot and spoke in a strong and happy voice almost 23 years before at the wedding of my two friends.  Who could have imagined on that happy occasion that we would be back in the same spot all these years later for their daughter's funeral?

Tiara Jeanne Goff (TT) was a beautiful free spirit who was not afraid to dance and sing, not caring who was watching her - in fact, the more cheering the better.  She loved to play basketball, jump on the trampoline, color with her crayons, eat guacamole and hummus and listen to music.  I was blessed to know her and get the lessons she unknowingly imparted to everyone she met.

TT in 2005 - age 6 

Tt had a ready smile when she was happy and let you know when she was not.

TT in 2007 - age 8

She was not self conscious or pretentious.  She loved sparkly, shiny jewels and pretty clothes.  

TT in 2014 - almost 16

She loved to laugh and when she had enough of you, she would tell you it was time to go.

I have known Tiffani, TT's mother since I was 16 years old.  She is one of my very closest friends and watching Tiffani and her sweet husband Lou and her two daughters struggle with the illness of their daughter and sister was heart breaking.  However, Tiffani and Lou were inspiring in the way they drew closer together in their marriage, supported each other and took care of their family.  Despite their daily struggles, they always managed to sincerely care about what was happening in the lives of those they love.  In fact, when my mother was sick and I would come to visit her, I would stop by to cry to Tiffani and she would always make me feel so understood in my sadness, despite the difficulty of what she was facing.  

Tiffani had called me in November asking if I would be out to CA soon.  Like most mothers Tiffani had a tremendous intuition about her daughter and her health.  She knew that TT was getting worse and she sensed that TT did not have much time left.  As it happened, I was going to be out and we arranged that I would do a portrait session of TT and the family.  

TT in 2005 - age 6 looking sly, probably planning an escape.

TT in 2007, so happy and ready to dance.

TT in 2014, with her sweet smile.

Sisters forever

The family in 2007- grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

The family in 2014 - grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Family in 2007

Family in 2014

My friends Tiffani and Lou first found out that their little girl Tiara (TT to her family and friends) had an incurable and severe genetic disease called Tuberous Sclerosis Complex when she was just a baby. This disease is characterized by seizures and tumors.  It is more severe in some people than others and for TT is was devastating.  However, she was a fierce fighter and her spirit refused to give up for 16 years.  TT passed away at the end of January 2015, surrounded by her family.  Please consider learning more about TSC and supporting the foundation.  You can read TT's whole story on Tiffani's blog.