Top 12 reasons you should order your prints and products from your photographer.

We live in a digital age, I get it. But, we shouldn't sacrifice quality when dealing with prints and products. I am a full service photographer, which means I provide all kinds of different products to my clients to display their beautiful images. Such as prints, canvases, metals, memory books and more. I also include printed portraits in all of my packages because I care about quality. I want you to see what your images are supposed to look like.

When I first started this journey I had no idea how just handing over a CD with images for clients to print on their own would turn out. Let's just say, I was not thrilled when I started seeing the poor quality of those prints. I decided that I had to be more in control of how my work is displayed. Now 5 years later, ALL of my packages include professional portrait sheets so you can see the difference.

I walk down my hallway in my house from my office to our main living area continuously and I continuously find myself looking at my family portraits. I catch myself smiling and admiring how handsome our son is becoming and how I love my husband even more than I did when we married 15 years ago. These images make my heart happy.

These are my top 10 reasons why you should be purchasing your products from your photographer.

1. I don't want low cost print labs ruining how my images look anymore. The little blonde, blue eyed girl is supposed to be ivory skinned not burnt orange. Yes, this did happen :-( It makes me cringe when I see a product purchased by a drugstore photo lab with my beautiful image on it...that is no longer beautiful because they didn't calibrate their machines or use quality printers and ink.

2. I don't want your beautiful prints and canvases to fade. Quality products stand the test of time and you definitely get what you pay for. There is absolutely a time and place for non-professional prints. Cell phone pics and snapshots are a great time to order cost effective prints from your big box store. Displaying your professional images is not. You paid good money to hire me, why skimp on the most important part?

3. When you order online with a drugstore photo lab your images go straight to the printer. No one looks them over to make sure that they are going to print correctly. If you chopped off part of Sally's head when you cropped it to an 8x10 before ordering, Sally is not going to be very happy when you get your prints and chances are you are out the cost because it was your mistake.

4. Because print ratios can be confusing. I deal with this every day and understand why not all print sizes work for all images. I can help you choose which sizes will go best on your walls. I will be there the whole step of the way, from the start of your session until you hang your images in your home.

5. You know what you are getting when you order from me, well....because I created it. I know exactly how it is supposed to look. I calibrate my computers to my print lab's printers so the image looks as amazing as it did when I edited it. I want my work displayed in the very best way possible.

6. I don't want people thinking I took that picture when your drugstore print looks horrible. This is literally my portfolio floating around and people don't understand that if your prints look horrible because they were printed cheap, it wasn't my fault. It can cost me future clients and jobs. I need to be able to control the quality of my work.

7. Why should Shutterfly, Walgreens or any other company be making money of my work? I know we live in the age of "DIY" (do it yourself) but I spend a lot of time and money on my setups, creativity and designs so why would I want to give them away cheap so someone can go spend there money elsewhere on crappy quality products!? If you are spending good money on a professional photographer choose quality over price and get amazing products!

8. I have access to a wide array of quality, professional products that a non professional photographer does not. Memory books, canvases, metal prints, wood blocks, buttons, keychains and the list goes on. If you want it, chances are I can get it and I do ALL of the legwork of ordering and ensuring you are getting exactly what you are paying for!

9. Because Tom in produce is working the print counter today and well, he doesn't care what your images look like let alone know how to work the printer.

10. Purchasing your products through me helps me stay in business. I pay over 30% in taxes, and I have tons of expenses for my business before even beginning to make a profit and when you purchase your prints and products from me you are not only getting the best professional products available, you are also supporting my small business and my family.

11. And finally, something I hear over and over again... "I still haven't printed any of the pictures from our senior session, newborn session and even their wedding! So many people NEVER print their images. The CD is sitting in a drawer somewhere. This makes me so sad. Your portraits are meant to be displayed, enjoyed and cherished. Going through your photographer can take the stress off of you of having to do it. Let us do what we love to do!

12. Your photographer is NOT responsible for how your prints/products will look when you go elsewhere. You very possibly may end up spending more money in the end than you would have if you would have ordered through them in the first place due to the yucky quality of non professional labs. I have tried samples from many canvas companies that you see ads for on social media and I keep them to show my clients compared to my pro lab canvases. There is a HUGE difference. Just like the quote says..."Do it right the first time".

Like I said, there is a time and place to print at a low cost print lab. Little Jimmy playing basketball, snapshots from a birthday party or that big fish you caught while fishing with Grandma but professional quality images should be displayed as they were meant to be. Timeless and beautiful <3