Coming into 2019, I declared it the Year of the Print. The basic concept: A print is given with every portrait session. It has only been a month but I have had the pleasure of handing several prints out. The reaction I have gotten makes it crystal clear that this is where my heart truly lies.
People raised in the digital age, who are so accustomed to sharing digital photographs, love seeing themselves in print. Even when they have already seen the image on the always present screens, they can’t help but pause and take it all in. This is tangible, tactile evidence that we have worked together to create a piece of art. They walk away with a unique portrait of themselves and a spring in their step.
It is surprising how many have never seen a printed image from a portrait session before, especially among models. We are so entrenched in sharing our lives via social media that we overlook the pure joy of a simple photograph. For years, I have provided digital images and a print release so that my clients can print their own images. Rarely do I see anyone show a print portfolio or a wall hanging when I have not supplied the print.
So, yes, it is crystal clear. The joy in my heart when I see that smile on your face is all I need. It is a verification that this was a good choice. In fact, always providing a print is the best choice.
The crystal image attached to this post was taken the morning I wrote these words. The landscape was covered in a glaze of ice as dew or, perhaps, fog froze in the cold temperatures. I snapped the image in my backyard, in full daylight, just a little after noon. For the curious, it was taken at f/16, 1/80 second, and ISO 100 using a 24-70 lens and a 20mm extension tube. A teal gel on a speedlight, held by my son, was just a bit behind and to one side of a cluster of twiggy branches on a tree in the backyard.
