The Low-Down On Digitals | Rhode Island Portrait Photographer

The Low-Down on Digitals

So, you are sitting on your couch, ipad (ok maybe it’s a kindle) in hand, family gathered to view your gallery from your recent photo session- let’s pretend you’re one of my clients for this scenario, mkay?  You’re looking fresh to death in all your photos, and the urge is there to share ALL of these on Facebook…. Let’s face it, when you look good, you want everyone to see just how good, ya feel me?  I hadn’t had photos taken of myself by an actual photographer since my senior pictures (insert awkward tree hug here, because that’s how that session went-ps I also bleached the front two sections of my hair with actual cream bleach the night before said photos…anywho), so when I had my photo taken by several fantabulous photogs’ recently during a workshop… trust me, ‘share. tag. repeat’ was all that was on my mind…. Clearly everyone needed to see katie2.0 (also known as photoshopped Katie)-come on now, that’s one of the best parts of hiring a professional!  When done right, it’s a little gift from the God’s-little nip here, tuck that in there, smooth that out etc etc etc all little fixes to make the beauty within you even more spectacular!! 

All of a sudden it hits you… you can’t share ALL of these photos to Facebook yet!  This gallery has no social media share option, and you have to first pick your package…OMG NO!?! 

Take a deep breath, regroup.  There is hope. 

It’s decision time… do you want a print package, full of wonderful, professionally developed and packaged prints, guaranteed to be spot on in color (this is very important, your skin looks flawless in your previews, print this photo anywhere but a professional lab and all of a sudden your baby soft skin will start to look baby jaundice), specially coated to be certain to last a lifetime- heirlooms you can pass on to your children…. So they someday can bask in your hawtness too ;)  These print packages are nothing to overlook, some pretty fly products are offered, your photographer took great lengths to make sure these packages would impress (I really did, spent weeks deciding on products to offer- spreadsheets were made, I kid you not.)  So, this sounds like the perfect option… print package it is right?! 

Not that fast… you’ve realized something… while you will be receiving top of the line, amazing prints- and you WILL be more than satisfied… you will also have to part with some of those photos that you looked smoking hot in…. or well if this is a newborn photoshoot we’re talking about- they are photos where your wee little wonder looked impossibly adorable, so adorable your heart melted when you first saw it.  Maybe that’s ok with you and you would prefer to go the route of prints… that is perfectly fine, and wonderful- I love prints, I love canvases even more- and I love being able to control the quality of the products my clients receive.  But this post is about the digis of the photo world. 

With a digital package, you get to OWN your entire photo session experience.  Not one moment do you need to part with, every photo edited from that session is yours… forever. 

If you are my client (and for the sake of this post I’ve already told you, you are!) you will be set up with an account at a top of the line, consumer grade printing lab… is this lab the same as a professional grade lab?  No, not quite, but I have chosen it for good reason, the printers are calibrated, and I feel confident you will be happy with your products!  You can print that amazing photo of yourself as many times as you’d like- You my friend, have a print release.  What’s more?  You can post all of those snazzy photos to Facebook now, you have been provided with web resolution (watermarked) files of all edited photos from your session… crisis averted-now go tag the hell out of yourself!  

With a print package, you can only share photos which have been posted by the photographer (hi there).  What’s more still… with a digital package you can print these photos again next year!  Oh, it’s Christmas time,? your session was 6mo. ago and you’d like to use a photo for your holiday card?  Well, go do it girlfriend! You have printing rights to those photos forever! 

Your family wants copies of these photos too? - have no fear, print some extras for Aunty sue, uncle George and cousin fanny (sorry side note here- I actually have an aunt fanny and uncle heiny… true. Story.)  Was this session a newborn?  Well, all the more reason… I see birth announcements, photos printed for collages at babies first year… every. Single. Relative. Wants copies…  Oh, how about this- 18 years from now, that little baby of yours is graduating high school… you want to make a slide show- guess what?  You still have your USB, you’ve even made a backup (go ahead back that baby up!)… you can use your professional photos from your little rug rats newborn session in your slide show (watermarked version here ladies and gents!).  You need ANOTHER slideshow when your little prince/princess gets ready to say “I do”, whelp- you’re covered!! 

I think you see the point so far.  You can print forever.  You can use your web files, f.o.r.e.v.e.r.  These digital files don’t seem so expensive anymore do they?  A lifetime of printing, a lifetime of enjoyment is being sold- it’s not just a USB with some files… it’s your session, your memories, your photographers time… forever.

  Sometimes, these future events where you would love to have access to print your photos again, can go over looked.  Don’t overlook them, you might one day regret it.