Let's be honest, if you're anything like me, you have a ton of gorgeous portraits of you and your loved ones stored safe and sound...on your laptop! Ok, if we're being COMPLETELY honest... it's HUNDREDS of portraits saved on your laptop! All of them sitting right there...saved in organized files... ready to be looked at whenever you decide to take a digital stroll down memory lane. "But, I posted them of Facebook!" Oh, it hurts when you actually admit it out loud, doesn't it? Sidebar: did you know that Facebook only shows your beautiful photos on newsfeeds for 24 hours? But, we'll talk about more on that in a minute. It's just sad. And, yes, I've got SEVERAL images in mind as I'm writing this that I need print out like NOW!
I know. I know. I've said all the excuses: it's more expensive; I'll have to go shop for nice frames; I'll have to find where to hang them in the house and HANG them; I'll have to choose from all my photos which ones to print.... and the list could go on. So, I decided to dedicate a blog to reasons WHY we should be printing our family portraits and displaying them in our homes!
1. Facebook Deletes! Yeah, I said it! As stated above, Facebook only shows a status or image in the newsfeed for 24 hours, then it is deleted from the public eye and lost in the Land of Facebook, only to be found by those who facebook stalk you to see your pictures. Basically, just moms and grandmothers! Haha 24 hours... that's how long your portraits that you plannned out, chose specific outfits for, and paid a pretty penny to get are being seen. And really, how much does a Facebook "friend" look at your portrait? Maybe enough to hit "like" or "love" then continue their scrolling spree! It's just not right.
2. Computers Aren't Trustworthy! What if your computer were to (dun-dun-dun) crash! *Knock On Wood* You would LOSE all of those gorgeous images.. all of those captured memories! Gone! And, while you could easily copy and paste what you posted to Facebook, you lose the image quality with each time you copy it! Having a copy+pasted image printed would NOT turn out as beautiful as the original image you started with! Computers just are NOT a trustworthy holder of your cherished memories!
3. Displaying Family Portraits in your home can BOOST your child's confidence!! Seriously! It's been scientifically proven that when kids see portraits of their family and themselves displayed around the house, it helps boost their confidence and self-worth! The Murfreesboro Study was conducted in 1975 by Tulane University using fourth grade students. After 5 weeks of conducting the study, it was proven that personal photography of children seen and enjoyed in a specific way can help boost a child’s self-esteem by 37%! Other psychologists state that seeing family portraits displayed can also do the following for kids:
“I think it is really important to show a family as a family unit. It is so helpful for children to see themselves as a valued and important part of that family unit." -David Krauss, Psychologist from Columbus, Ohio.
“It lets children learn who they are and where they fit... When a child sees a family portrait with them included in the photograph they say to themselves: ‘These people have me as part of what they are, that’s why I belong here. This is where I come from.'” -Judy Weiser, Psychologist from Vancouver who is lead authority in Photo Therapy.
“Displaying photos prominently in the home sends the message that our family and those in it are important to one another, and we honor the memories we have experienced." -Cathy Lander-Goldberg, licensed social worker and director of Photo Explorations, which offers workshops to girls and women using portraits and journaling for self-reflection.
Well, I don't know about you, but after finding that research, I am CONVINCED! In a world where so much is uncertain and unsafe.... why not do one thing proven to help children find self-worth and belonging? It's certainly something I want for my children to feel when they walk through the home. "I belong here, THIS is MY family!"
So, excuse me while I go choose some portraits to send to snapfish.com and stop by Hobby Lobby to find the perfect frames to display them in!!! I'm thinking these would look PERFECT in our Dining Room!!
Did this inspire YOU to have some portraits printed? Well, if you need some updated portraits for hanging, we would LOVE to capture them for you!!! You can contact us here to schedule a session! Let's get those walls decorated!!!
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