Print Your Photos: Heirloom Quality Album from Barrie Family Photographer

Justine and I are both just thrilled to have found each other - past photography experiences for her had been “good enough”, but had left her out on her own to figure out how and where to print her images. When I asked if she’d printed any of her previously done family photos, I was excited to hear that she had, and that she took time each year to put together an album which she’d order online from a high volume photo book company. I so commend anyone and everyone who takes the time to do something like that, especially when we all know how valuable our time is with toddlers climbing up our legs or onto our kitchen tables. Though even after spending a decent amount of time and effort putting together those albums she’d ordered online, she found the end result to be just kind of “good enough”.

My goal through Hillary West Photography is to blow “good enough” out of the water!

The luxe albums sourced through Hillary West Photography are the very best professional and archival quality. These albums are actually not even available on a consumer level! And that all comes full circle with our Portrait Experience: When both client and photographer invest the time to truly get to know each other on a personal level, and create a well thought out, detailed plan for your family portraits; when those portraits evoke the exact emotions and family’s values you’ve made clear are so important, well...you can’t just go and print that anywhere. You’ve invested a lot of time and energy into finding a photographer that “gets” you and your family. You’ve opened up and shared some really personal connections. You’ve spent the time in person going through the images, and selecting the very best, with professional guidance right by your side...you can’t print those images just anywhere!

The very best family portraits deserve the very best product quality, so that you’ll be able to cherish them for your own lifetime, and pass them down as family heirlooms to your children, and to their children.

During the portrait planning meeting for

this maternity shoot

, when we talked about the best way to display the final result, Justine expressed a lot of interest in the family heirloom album. Knowing that, I had created an album mock-up, ready for their review and approval at their portrait reveal and ordering appointment. We ended up with a 20 page album including 40 images, mixed up with both collage and full panoramic spread arrangements.

All of our heirloom quality albums include a custom case to keep them safe for generations to come. The case can be leather or linen wrapped, printed with half or full photographic spread, or have a mix of both (as seen below) with a portrait cameo window.

Upon opening the case, you’ll find a ribbon to carefully lift your special album from it’s perfectly fitted custom case. The album cover itself is also fully customized to your specifications. For Justine’s maternity album, we chose simply full brown leather, with a customized laser engraving message which reads “I Love You More”. I’d seen that message included in some cute wall art in her daughter’s room during our in home portrait planning meeting, and when I recommended it, we agreed it was perfect!

This album is weighty...I didn’t actually weigh it but I’m pretty sure it was around 6 pounds or so with the case! The images are all printed on Kodak Endura Photographic Paper, and then mounted on a specialized hinged substrate. True photographic paper ensures the most accurate colour representation. After being printed on the true photographic paper, a “block” of firm, sturdy pages is created, which is then baked in an oven under pressure! After that, the pages are chopped to the finished size, and a slightly rounded corner is added as well. Each page is sealed with a lacquer coating that protects your images for 100+ years! This carefully crafted album results in beautiful, thick and rigid pages which always lay flat, and will stand the test of time.

Hubby wasn’t home when I delivered the album - so I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get to see his reaction too! Later Justine texted me to say “This album is beyond what I expected. So cool! I can’t wait to show him”. The next day she followed up to say “He was amazed. Literally his jaw dropped. I understand why the box was so heavy now...those are no paper back pages”.

I’m so happy to have been able to provide the very best service, personal connection, and product that I can possibly imagine offering my clients. Their newborn shoot is coming up any day now, and I’m SO excited for that!

The portrait planning meeting for their newborn shoot was very relaxed, since we know and trust each other so well from

their previous portrait experience

. A lot of the initial getting to know each other and discovering their personality/needs was already taken care of. (I’d like to mention as well that all returning clients save $100 from the creative fee for this reason!) We’ve decided on in-home, relaxed portraits with an emphasis on quiet intimacy. Planning meetings always involve discussion of the desired end result - including what emotions you want to tap into and evoke, what photographic style suits them best, and the best way to display the portraits once printed. Justine said she is leaning towards a memory box and some family wall art for their upcoming newborn session. Check out this recent blog post which gives an overview of your artwork display options

here .

Have you ever come out of a photo session and felt a little “underwhelmed”, and then left totally on your own to figure out what to do with those digital files? Have you ever struggled, spent way too much time and effort designing and ordering an album by yourself online, only to find it came out just kind of “good enough”? I want to spend real time getting to know you, to create truly authentic portraits, printed and displayed with only the very best archival quality - and guide you effortlessly through the process, every step of the way.

All the love,

Hillary West

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