The importance of printing your photos
Todays blog is focused on the importance of getting our photos off the screen and into print. In the modern world the importance of having professional prints made has fallen to the wayside. Maybe we need a reminder of how important prints are and how they can effect our mood and our life.
Ault Park, Cincinnati. Every Atom Photography
Hello again readers! Today I felt the need to talk about something that is so important to us. It’s something that growing up in the 90’s was a staple in every home, but for the past 20 years has begun to vanish piece by piece. That something is printed photography. Since the invention of social media the idea of having prints to hang on your wall or a photo album on your coffee table has become less important. For many of us prints are still seen as an awesome addition to our lives and living space, but still they are put on the back burner and often never end up becoming a reality.
This is something that even Sarah and I have been guilty of in the past. When we made the choice to start taking our own advice it had a huge impact on our lives. Ironically it was our own clients who inspired us to make this change. After becoming the go to photographer for so many families we began to be invited into their homes. Either for home sessions or just as friends. We began to see our couples walls littered with our work. We saw our work come to life in a new way. Our photos weren't just gorgeous prints, they were a symbol of love! They told a story to anyone who walked in their homes.
The impact of a print
Years ago we started to print and frame our family photos. Hanging them on our walls and placing them on shelves. Every day when we wake up we walk past reminders of how blessed we are. When we are having a bad day or when we become frustrated with each other we catch a glance of ourselves smiling and laughing together and we remember that that love is really the foundation of our home and that unhappiness is just a bump in the road. Sarah and I are the hosts in our family. We host thanksgiving, Christmas, and even have a family Halloween gathering. At these gatherings we see our family and friends looking through our photographs and they love to ask questions and hear our stories about them. Because of our prints we have been given the opportunity to share our life and memories with people in a new and more open way.
The vanishing art of printing
People today are so accustomed to seeing photos on a glowing screen and flipping through them by the dozen. We easily become desensitized to the impact of a photograph and as a result forget them quickly. Seeing something in print shows its importance and imprints it in our minds. Truly, not since the invention of photography have prints been more important than in today's world.
Luckily we still live in a day and age where it's easy to order prints at our local Walgreens or CVS where they are printed by a computer and available quickly. Even better though there are still many professional print labs where they still practice the art of printing. They monitor the process and make sure the colors, contrast exposure etc.. are printed correctly. If you took the time to hire a professional photographer why not go a step further and make sure that your photographs convey the artists work accurately?
Sarah and I spent a lot of time choosing the right lab to offer to our clients and we are proud every time we see the fruits of that choice. We buy our own personal prints through the same lab we offer to our clients through their online gallery because we truly couldn’t imagine going anywhere else.
Megan & Tavis family session at Ault Park in Cincinnati Ohio
In closing
It's an unfortunate truth that so many people spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on their photography only to drop off and neglect the last step. Take it from us, get your photos up on your walls. Order your wedding album for your coffee table! You truly won't regret it and in the future when your grandchildren look through your photos and want to hear your stories you will realize how truly priceless they are. If you are interested in reading what professional print companies offer that others don’t you should check out the link below to a great article by Nations Photo Lab!
Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!
If you enjoyed this read, please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram at the link below to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.
Thanks for reading!
- Jordan Epperson
The magic of Fall colors
A guide to picking the right outfits for a Fall photo session. By Cincinnati, Ohio photographer Jordan Epperson.
Good morning kind reader! The first day of Fall occurred over the weekend, and I woke this morning with the cool Fall air filling my bedroom. My favorite season is finally here!
I had multiple photo sessions over the weekend. My final session late Sunday night truly stuck out. Aside from the family being fantastic to work with, the colors they chose were absolutely perfect! They were muted earth tones that gave off such a warm and comfortable Fall vibe and also gave a sense of adventure and imagination to their happy and energetic children! In Ohio we are blessed with a gorgeous Fall and so much opportunity to capture beautiful timeless images.
However, getting the most out of these Fall photo sessions is not as easy as getting out in nature with a good photographer. A key element, (I can’t stress how important this is) is understanding how to dress! This applies for any type of Fall session, not just family photo sessions but engagement, baby, senior or anything else.
Choosing your colors
You probably understand already because your mother taught you when you were young that your clothes need to match. They don’t have to be the same color, they need to go together! The fall foliage is a set of specific colors that will stand out in your photos. You want to think about coordinating your colors to the foliage. Below I am attaching a Fall color pallet for you to us as a reference when picking your outfits.
Seasonal Color Pallette
Coordinate, don’t match!
Oftentimes people make the mistake of thinking that matching is the way to go. They understand they want Earth tones and the colors look great but they make the mistake of putting both parents in Green sweaters with Khaki pants. It’s really the variety that stands out and is pleasing to the eye.
Outdoor comfort
It’s common that people come to their session with shirts tucked in, shoes shined and just an overall more formal look. There is a time and place for this, but we prefer a more natural look. We want it to look more like we caught you on a hike in the forest or at a family picnic in the mountains rather than a traditional photo session. We prefer a pair of hiking boots over dress shoes. If you have children in your session make sure to dress them in something that is not only warm and Fall colored, but also something they can run around in. Something you don’t mind getting dirty. We like to play a lot at these sessions and take a lot of photos on the ground!
I am including a link to our free style guide below which helps to coordinate your outfits to the season. It is great for family sessions but the advice is relevant to any type of Fall vibe session.
Choosing the right store!
We live in an age that makes it easy to shop for the specific looks we want to achieve. Take advantage of the internet as it can be your best friend. Pinterest has tons of great articles with lists of stores online. Below is a link to an awesome amazon storefront by Jess Phillips from jessphillipsphotography.com. She has some great links to purchase beautiful Fall clothing!
If you live in our area I highly recommend women check a store called Rose and Remington in Lebanon, Ohio. This shop has a plethora of beautiful dresses with a great color palette and tons of accessories and jewelry to go along with your look.
In closing
It may be stressful when you first start to plan your outfits, but once you start using your color pallet and you find a good store you will start having fun! and in the end you will end up with stunning photos and a new sense of fashion that will serve you for years to come. Happy Fall!
Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!
If you enjoyed this read, please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram at the link below to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.
Thanks for reading!
- Jordan Epperson
Why you should always do your photos at sunset!
Family photo session in Springboro, Ohio
So you’re excited to have family photos done. You have gone through all the steps. You picked the right photographer and you are ready to book. You ask for their availability and they send you a list of dates and times. But all of the available times are so late! It conflicts with dinner time, your kids are supposed to be getting ready for bed at this time. It’s just so inconvenient. As photographers we understand. It’s not ideal for us either, but it’s essential for the results we achieve. Here is why your photographer is so insistent on doing your session close to sunset.
What is golden hour?
Golden hour is the last hour of daylight before sunset. It is the time of day when the sun dips low and the light becomes soft and gives off a warm hue. It offers a ton of advantages for photos and gives off those amazing lens flares and golden bursts of light you see so often in photographers’ portfolios. Often people say they want an earlier time of day because the light flares aren’t important to them. What they don’t realize is that there are many other reasons for shooting at this time.
If your ideal time is 1pm and you manage to talk your photographer into this time of day, don’t be surprised when you get photos back and see yourself looking more wrinkly than usual. Or notice everyone is squinting and you can’t see anyone’s eyes. The harsh light of the sun causes shadows under the eyes making them look sunken or sick. The bright highlights can blow out parts of the photo making them nothing more than white blobs. The color of light the sun produces is also different. You probably never noticed before but the light earlier in the day is more blue and this can make skin look off in photographs.
These issues are no big deal when taking a snapshot but when you have professional photos done you expect professional results. We have been talked into earlier shoots many times. We explain the reasons for a late shoot and give out the proper warnings but still some clients insist.
I suggest for just one night you make an exception to your routine. Make it fun. Use it as an excuse to let the kids stay up late. Take the family out to dinner or ice cream afterwords! Your family photos are important and will last forever. It’s worth it to go the extra mile. Take your photographer’s professional advice. That is why you hired them right? Trust the expert and you won’t be disappointed with the results!
Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!
If you enjoyed this read, please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram at the link below to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.
Thanks for reading!
- Jordan Epperson
Is a half session enough?
Is a half session enough time to capture the vision you have for your photo session? Here a few tips on what to consider when deciding what session length to choose.
Is a half session enough time to capture the vision you have for your photo session?
Lets start this conversation as always, by asking yourself a few questions. First, what is it that you want. After everything that goes into a photo session. That is, picking a photographer, planning, searching for inspiration, picking the location, looking at outfits, getting the kids ready, doing the shoot and lastly, waiting to get the photos back. What is it that you want to see? Is it a beautiful Christmas card? or an announcement photo for a new baby on the way? If it is, than a half session is probably the right way to go! A half session is perfect for anything short and to the point. In fact I would also say that a half session is perfect for a family who gets photos done regularly. You might not feel that it’s necessary to get 60-100 photos done if you get them done every few months.
What does a half session look like?
A half session is fast paced. The photographer will probably be trying to fit as many different poses and expressions as possible into a short amount of time. This time crunch has it’s ups and downs for families with young ones. On the upside, for those of us who have small impatient children, this approach is awesome. It gets the job done quickly before the kids are over the experience and start protesting. Then on the downside, if your infant is crying or your four year old simply won’t cooperate there isn’t much time to turn that situation around. Note: Always do nap time and a snack before any shoot. Follow the photographers instructions closely and most importantly, have fun! If the kids aren’t cooperating, ordering them isn’t usually the solution. Sarah and I have always found that playing, telling jokes or having a tickle fight works much better! You might not get many photos looking at the camera, but you will get a ton of natural, candid laughs and smiles! I know for me that is much preferred.
If you are picking your own location for the session try to pick a location that has very nearby spots. Walking from spot to spot soaks up your time quickly!
Make sure you love what your wearing. A half session doesn’t allow time for outfit changes like a full session does. Pick something your sure about and feel comfortable in. Your half session might not be the best time to try a new look.
When to choose the full session?
If you want variety to choose from like different backdrops, looking at the camera along with candid photos and laughs, Mom with the kids and Dad with the kids, individuals of the kids and maybe even an outfit change, you definitely want to be looking into the full session. The full session will give you time to get the shots you want and also time to handle unexpected issues or a bigger location. You will also get time to warm up to your photographer. The first 15ish minutes of a photo session are always a little tense for everyone. It’s a loosening up period for the group. Including the photographer. Most of the magic happens once some of the tension fades and a rhythm develops. That’s a huge benefit to a full session.
Whatever session length you choose just remember to have fun with it! We get our photos done to make a record of family. Family to us means love and love comes out of joy.
Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!
If you liked this read please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.
Thanks for reading!
- Jordan Epperson