What are you doing with your pictures? | Family Photography Pensacola, FL

Part I - Where are your pictures?

In this three part series, we'll discuss what to do after your portrait session is over!  Part One will talk about what you're doing with your digital files.  How are you safe keeping them?  Part Two will discuss how where you have your pictures printed matters.  And Part Three will give you ideas about how to best display your portraits after you print them.

Did you know that over time, CDs and USBs can become corrupt and unreadable?  What would you do if your hard drive crashed?  Yes, you'd most likely lose important documents, but you'd also risk losing all of your family's pictures.  Did you know that most professional photographers only keep client's images for a couple years?  We just don't have the storage space - plus, when we save files it's on at least 3 different devices. 

We hear it and read it all the time.  "Do I get the digital files?"  
In many cases, the answer is yes.  
My question to you though, is this - What are you doing with those digital files?  

Are you ordering professional quality prints and albums from your photographer?  Or are you trusting the nearest big box store or corner drug store with your printing needs?  

If you actually order prints, what are you doing with them?  Are you displaying them on the walls of your home?  Are you adding the prints to baby books or photo albums?  Or, are they just getting dumped in a photo box?
I would like to bet that if I stopped 10 random people and asked them what they do with their digital files, more than half of them with answer me with, "They're still on the CD/USB the photographer gave me," or, "I shared them on Facebook," or if they downloaded the files, "They're in a folder on my hard drive."

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Say you get the digital files from your photographer.  Did you read your contract and/or print release?  If you have a professional photographer, at least one of those documents will have instructions on how to safe guard your images.  My personal Print Release card contains the following statement: "All digital media can become corrupt over time.  I highly recommend that you download the images off the CD/USB onto at least one computer to ensure the safe keeping of your images."  My Portrait Contract has the following clause: "FBO Photography is responsible for providing storage of their images for one year only.  After one year, images may be deleted or removed.  Client releases FBO Photography from liability of photo storage after one year."

This is not to say that I actually delete client's files after a year, but it does mean that I could.  And I know several professional, top of their field, photographers who do.

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Today I'm going to wrap up with one, heart wrenching question.  
What if you had to evacuate this year?  I know, no one wants to talk hurricane season - myself included!  But we live on the gulf coast; it's a possibility that I want you to consider for just a minute.  And then you're free to continue enjoying the beautiful spring weather. 
After packing up your family and pets, what else would you cram in the car with you?  What would be the hardest for you to leave behind?  What "non-essential," irreplaceable items would you miss the most if you lost them?  Me - I'd miss my pictures!  When my mom evacuated for hurricane Ivan 10 1/2 years ago, the trunk of her Camry held more than just her clothes and important papers.  It also contained photo albums (yes, she still has photo albums) and the hard drive to her computer.  
I have 3 children, 2 dogs, 2 cats, and a husband.  And I can promise you, even if my family had to ride to North Alabama with boxes in their laps, we'd make room for the things that mean the most to us!  
I'm sure you all would as well.

*The pictures throughout this post are of my family.  Some are professional portraits, and some are just snap shots.  But all are memories that I'm not prepared to lose.*