My husband and I are celebrating 10 years of marriage today.  10 Years!  It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long but at the same time it feels like we’ve been together forever.  I mean that in a good way.  I am incredibly fortunate to have a marriage that is built on mutual respect, compassion, love and friendship.  I won’t, and can’t, say that it’s always easy.  It’s not always sunshine and roses and trips to foreign places.  What it is is the knowledge that no matter what life throws at us; whether it’s unending laundry or long, stressful days at the office, it’s not bigger than what we have together.  I’m grateful that we don’t spend our days bickering because we both realize the gift we have in each other.  It’s something I’m truly grateful for, every single day.

I sat down this morning to peruse through our wedding photos online and all I could do was smile.  I looked at the smiling faces, the unadulterated joy and thought “Wow, I still feel this way about him”.  It’s a darn good feeling and I’m so blessed to know that what we have is special.  It’s ours.

Now, some helpful advice.

Why Prints are so Important

After I got my images from our amazing photographer, Mike Sidney, I turned down the offer for albums and prints.  Come on, I was a photographer.  Of course I would make my own wedding album and print my images, right?  Well folks, I mentioned it a little while ago.  I perused through our wedding photos on Facebook.  How romantic is that?  I have exactly 1 print from my wedding sitting over my piano.  It’s one of my favorite photos and I pass it every day.  You know what happened to my other photos?  They got lost in a move.  The box of CDs are gone.  Yes, it was TEN years ago and CDs were the media of choice.  I never got around to making my album.  So every year, on this day, Facebook reminds me of the prior year’s post and I get to re-visit my wedding day.

It’s one of my few and rare regrets. Here are just some of the reasons why I encourage clients to print their images

• Display your story.  Whether in an album or a collage of frames on the wall, these photos are your life story.  YOURS.  99% it’s the most important moments of your life.  Celebrate that.  Live it today and for the days that pass.  It’s important to live in the happy moments you build together.
• Technology changes.  We had CDs.  How long will CDs be around?  Does your computer even have a CD Drive anymore?  Since my day (man that makes me sound old), USB drives came around. Now it’s digital, online delivery where you now save it to the cloud.  So what’s next?
• Honestly, an album or print is so much more fun to look at.  The USB sitting in your drawer?  How’s that for nostalgia?  I still find a quiet joy in sitting at my mom’s house, flipping through her stacks of albums.  What a wonderful way to go down memory lane.
• Digital storage can get lost and/or damaged.  I’ve had USB drives crash.  CDs have been scratched.  Accidents and losses happen.

In my own photography business, I made it a priority that this would not happen to a client of mine.  All of my packages include, at minimum, prints.  My album packages are my most popular and I explain to my clients why I don’t sell “just the digitals”.  Yes, it is a digital age.  I absolutely respect that and still include digital images with my packages.  However, I truly believe that prints and albums should have a place in your home.

Do you print your images?  What’s your favorite way to print and enjoy your photos?

Maryrose Serac Photography - Solano County Family & Lifestyle Photographer

Maryrose Serac is a Lifestyle & Portrait Photographer based between the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento Valley.  She provides photography services in Sacramento, Napa, Lake Tahoe, Sonoma, Vacaville, Fairfield, Benicia & worldwide.  Her photography focuses on storytelling - finding the connection with her clients through relaxed, fun and engaging lifestyle sessions.  She found her passion early on in life, enjoying countless hours in the darkroom before moving on to digital photography.  Her photography has taken her around the world and has allowed her to witness incredible, moving moments with her clients.  You can also find more of her personal work at A Mommentary Life, where she documents her life at home with her family.