Last year I made a huge decision to completely change the focus of my photography business from what we call ‘shoot and burn’ which is the common business model of: turn up for your shoot, meet the photographer, take the pictures, and then afterwards get sent an online gallery and digital files.
My studio is now a Full-Service Photography studio and aims to provide just that – an extremely high level of service. My aim was to assist families so that creating portraits is an easy, fun experience – no stressing about what the shoot is going to be like, what to wear, what to do, I am there to help you with all of that! However, the second purpose of this model is receiving printed products at the end, you walk away with tangible products in your hands, ready to display in your home, not just digital files.
And why is this? Firstly, because I so often heard the same stories from other mothers, “We got these beautiful newborn photos done, I keep saying I’ll get them printed but never get around to it” or the common, and terrible, “I got my photos printed at [nationwide department store] and they look awful!”. And honestly, you will be amazed at how much MORE you love your images in print, they look great on your phone or computer, but it’s a whole other level in print!
Secondly, I discovered that there had been a study done that had found that children seeing photos of themselves effects their self-esteem! A study conducted at Tulane University on photography, children, and self-esteem, found quite the connection between them. Of the children who participated, there was a 37% increase in self-esteem related behaviours (you can check out the study here).
Do digital images on your phone or computer have the same effect as the physical product? According to experts, no. Psychologist Krauss says “I think placing a family photo someplace in the home where the child can see it every day without having to turn on a device or click around on a computer to find it really hits home for that child this sense of reassurance and comfort”. He also suggests having photographs of your child in their bedroom, so it is one of the things they see before bed and first thing when they get up on the morning.
Children strongly need to feel their place in the world, and portraits of themselves with their family up on the walls of their home give them that sense of belonging, of safety, and that is so, so important. This is part of what drives me to provide your finalised artwork, ready to put up and display in your home.
Let me create beautiful artwork of your family to cherish forever and display in your home. If you’d like to book in for portraits, you can contact me here.
Ellie
“For children, in particular, looking at photographs is part of the socialising process; learning who you are and where you fit into the family. By displaying photographs of our children at different stages of their lives, we are making a very public statement that we are proud of them,” says Professor Geoff Beattie, Head of School and Dean of Psychological Sciences at the University of Manchester.
“My personal and clinical bias is there is something very powerful in touching your fingers to an actual print. Touching the photograph is the same thing as touching a book when you read it. There’s a lot of stimulation of the brain when you have that sensory experience.” – child psychologist Craig Steinberg.
“Displaying photos prominently in the home sends the message that our family and those in it are important to one another, and we honour the memories we have experienced,” – clinical social worker Cathy Lander-Goldberg.
“I think placing a family photo someplace in the home where the child can see it every day without having to turn on a device or click around on a computer to find it really hits home for that child this sense of reassurance and comfort. They have a certainty about them and a protecting quality that nurtures a child. It let’s them know where they are in the pecking order and that they are loved and cared for,” – Krauss, a licensed psychologist and co-author of “Photo Therapy and Mental Health”
