We have always provided ‘REAL – hold in your hands, hang on your wall” portraits to our clients.
Sure, we have digital copies available for easy sharing. BUT we believe that beautiful family portraits need a ‘place of honour’ for the most impact.
They can be a simple ‘8×10’ in a frame on a shelf or a gorgeous wall portrait that catches everyone’s eye. Having a portrait displayed on your desk at work, is a real morale booster too.
A photographer colleague, Betty Cooper, posted the following on her Facebook page last week:
“In a world of instant returns, the habit of using our phones as cameras is very popular. My only concern is the longevity of the media both in phones and digital cameras. The finished hard copy will stand the test of time.
This is so important in preserving the most precious of moments in a child and their siblings’ lives. Anna, 2 years old told me that Kane (4 year old brother) put his hands on her face when she was a “baby”. She proceeded to place her little hands gently on my cheeks to show me. Her comment, “This made me happy!.”
She could not have remembered this because she was less than 48 hours old, BUT she has seen a picture of it that gives her comfort.”
Betty’s comments drove home the changes as photography transitioned from film to digital. With film, folks had to make prints to see what they had photographed. Good or bad, those print got looked at. And stored in shoeboxes!
As digital cameras and phones took over, there has been an explosion in the number of photos taken. But how many are ever looked at? What happens when the “digital shoebox” (your phone or hard drive) inevitably CRASHES! Bye, bye to your child growing up.
The importance of displaying family portraits
Now fewer and fewer family portraits are displayed on the walls of people’s homes. That’s where some fascinating implications come into play.
Psychologists have studied the effect of having family photographs displayed in the home. Children, who grow up where photographs are displayed have greater confidence and a sense of belonging . They had stronger feelings of value and a better understanding of where they came from.
And it’s not just the kids who benefit from seeing photographs on the walls. On the hard days, like the day you got some sad news about a friend or the day that your kids just won’t stop fighting, seeing those photographs on your wall can boost your spirits too. Displaying family pictures on your walls will solve all the world’s problems. But it can give you a little boost, a little pause, a moment of gratitude for the amazing people in your life.
Below are a couple of links. They make for an interesting read.
What memories do you have of a family portrait that you grew up with. What brings a smile to your face (or maybe tears) about family photographs hanging on a wall in your home? Use your imagination…. What would be the best-ever family portrait for you?? Please share your thoughts with everyone below. We’re all EARS.
