Should I print my own photos

“To print or not to print” is the question right? We often look at the printing we might do at home as second best, and this could be the case if we are talking about a cheaper printer but does it matter? We can say the quality of a professional printing shop or lab will always be better but this may not be the case if we don’t ask for the quality to be the highest. Printing at home with a high-end Epson or Cannon printer can be of similar quality and you will have it in your hand right away.

There are things to consider when you are printing at home such as the ink type (dye-based or pigment based). Each ink type has its advantages dye being normally more saturated in color and pigment having more permanence. Pigment ink is normally considered more archival, meaning it lasts longer by as much as a century or more. However, dye-based inks can be more vibrant or colorful and bright. It really depends on what you are looking for.

Often the pigment-based inks are used in printers with a larger color gambit or ones with more ink color cartridges leading to a more varied ability to produce accurate colors. This is a critical part of getting the image to look color accurate but not the only consideration. You also have to ask yourself what is color accurate. Some people will say they want it to look like it did on the screen. This is not fair since what is on the screen is not exactly what it looked like in real life and the screen is backlit and nearly impossible to replicate in print.

If you are going for the on-screen look with your portrait photography or landscape photography, paper selection will be more important than you might recognize. If you pick metallic paper for instance you are likely to get more punch from the colors as they will be more reflective or will appear backlit. Likewise, if you chose a bright white paper it will be brighter than if you choose something with more color. Keeping paper types in mind when you are printing is almost as important as the type of ink.

Regardless of the ink and the paper you use, it is critical that you calibrate your screen to ensure what you are looking at while editing is color accurate. There are many different devices available to accomplish this but it is the only way to ensure you are getting the desired result. Also, it is important to use profiles for your printer and paper to ensure they are going to match what you are seeing on screen as well. These are called ICC or International Color Consortium profiles. However, there is nothing stopping you from just trying the printer and making adjustments by testing some photos you like and make adjustments until the print is the way you want it. Sometimes this is necessary either way in order to get the desired results.

No matter what method you choose, what printer you choose, or if you are sending them to a lab, do print your photos. Printing them means you will have them for as long as you protect them. There is no better way to judge your work than to print it and hold it in your hand. This is also the most satisfying for me to view my final product. There was a reason for the Polaroid being so popular and why it is coming back into fashion. We love to hold and view our prints and what better way to share them with your friends, family, or fans.

Planning your Portrait

We need to take time and work with you to ensure your portrait photography session will deliver the results you are looking for. It starts with knowing who will be in the photos, one person or more for instance, or is it pets we are planning to photograph.

The next step is location location, will it be indoors or outdoors, your place or mine? Is there a place around town you have been considering if it will be outdoors or do you want me to provide some ideas?

Now that we know who and where we are taking portrait photos we can concentrate on the specifics. Do you want a backdrop or a natural background? Do we want to use colored lighting or just accent the light of the sun or the room if indoors?

There is no wrong answer as it is all about what you want and how you want to see it unfold. We can plan this out and change things around when we see the result. We want you to love the work we do so don’t be shy about expressing what you would like to see. Once we have the plan we can set a date and time and prepare to meet. I will want to be on location, if not in our studio, an hour in advance to setup and get everything ready. If this is outdoors we need to consider the time of day and the lighting. We can use natural light or I can bring the sun with me.

We hope this helps get the conversation going. In a future blog post I will focus on some ideas we might try to focus on during your photo shoot.

What do I wear?

Your photo shoot or portrait photo session is yours to arrange. Formal or informal, casual or dressy, it is all up to you. We will plan the activities around the attire you are wearing. All styles can be fun and it truly depends on what the photos are going to be used for.

If you are getting headshots for a corporate presentation then we would recommend a more formal or dressy approach. If you are getting your social media updated to really shine then perhaps we are looking at a more casual portrait session. Of course, if you are bringing your 4 legged friends along with you less formal attire will help with the cleanup and make things a little more enjoyable. We love pet portraits and they are even more fun with the owner in the scene.

We often look for ways to incorporate scenes that match the style of clothing or starkly contrast the environment for an edgy look and feel. There are no rules and the ones we have are there to be broken. Art is not always deliberate and we can have fun getting outside of any ideas we might have on the site.

How do I pose?

Striking a pose is often something clients struggle with. Our preference is not to do this at all. Fluid movements are more effective in terms of developing a natural look. We find it is best when we have you move around into natural positions or against objects and find a comfortable rhythm. Most people tend to relax and enjoy the process when we use this method. We are looking for a candid shot at the moment with a natural appearance. For this reason, we take many photos to increase the odds of that special moment.

Do keep in mind if you have a particular pose you want to try we are all for working those in. We like to work with clients who know what they want. Often for power poses we see the arms crossed or perspectives from below elevating the subject in what is often referred to as a “hero” pose. Alternatively, we can take one from above for a different perspective.

With animals, we prefer to get down to their level giving the pictures an eye-level view not often seen. These photos tend to come out really well. We want your photos to be uniquely you and the more natural they are the better. For this reason, we avoid staying in one position and keep engaging in different ways to find a special way of looking at the subject.

Either way, we approach it our goal is to have you relax and enjoy the process. Whether we are going for a serious-looking portrait or a fun action shot, the process should always be pleasant process with an amazing outcome.