Why Albums Matter

I talk frequently and passionately about printing out your photos and having tangible memories in and around your home. 4x6 prints and 8x10s on the all are excellent and a great start but what about albums and photo books? Why should you make the leap to investing in one of those?

Albums and photo books are not an insignificant investment. I understand that. But let's talk about legacy for a moment.

Most couples have some sort of wedding album, even if it is just the proof album. I LOVE looking through my parent's album, my aunt and uncle's album, even friend's wedding albums!! The extra special part of looking through family albums is that I wasn't there (usually) and so without the albums, I could not experience the day at all.

Albums allow you to relive an experience or stage of life and allow others a glimpse into your experience, whether it's your kids, grandkids, or other family and friends. They get the photos off of a hard drive and into people's hands. Albums and photo books are the modern version of scrapbooks.

I know wedding albums might make a lot of sense but what about family and children sessions? It would get pretty expensive pretty quickly to order an album for every single session. So what is a good compromise? Here is what I'd recommend.

Order an album after...

• an As You Grow Experience (following your baby from newborn through one year)
• a senior session
• a one-year session
• a family session

Order a photo book after...

• a children session
• a family session

Photo books are a little less hefty, so if you wanted to do yearly photos of your kids and then get the photos in a book, that would be a great option! Even yearly family photos would be a great candidate for a photo book. I personally see albums as an investment when something big has happened. Maybe you do an extended family photo shoot. Or the first family session after a child gets married or a grandchild is born. But some people might want an album every year and that's wonderful!

If you're on the fence about albums, think of them as a legacy. You're creating a family heirloom that will be passed down to future generations and allow them the chance to connect to people in their past. People they maybe never got the chance to meet but thanks to the photos you had taken and printed out, they can see and know faces. It's something that can't quite be put into words.

You may also be interested in:

• Product Spotlight: Albums & Books
  
• Product Spotlight: Layflat Books
  
• Which Book Style Is Right For You?
  
• Cover Options For Albums & Books