Are Digital Image Files really what you want from a Family Photoshoot?

Digital File Packages really might not be ideal for most Families

Do you really want to buy the digital files?

I've been thinking about this for a while now. While I still want to have digital files as an option for my families, there are lots of reasons why I feel like they are not always the best choice. Both for me to sell and for you to buy.

I would much, much rather you went away with something tangible from me. I love handing over some beautifully framed prints to my families and seeing their reactions. No one has ever bought a 30x20in frame from me and not LOVED it.

So I'm still offering Digital Files as an option, but in the future I may switch to printed goods only and actually give away digital images with those orders for free. These would be for you to use on your computer/social media etc, rather than for printing with. So you will still have the files, but I'll also be reassured that you only have the best printed goods which make the most of your images!

Read on if you're curious to know what I really think about digital images as an option from your photoshoots.

Are they really the best thing for you to buy? ....Er, No!!

Family Photography: Digital Images Vs Printed Products

I get that it may seem like an obvious choice. You can do what you want with them, order what you want and are not restricted to just the physical goods that your photographer is offering. You're free to go and buy a...erm, a what now?

Maybe you just aren't sure what you want to do with them, so you want the freedom in future to think about what to do with them. I get that, no-one likes to feel pressured into buying anything, it just puts you off altogether. Chances are though, you'll forget to do anything with those Digital Files.

That's pretty much the worst outcome for you and your photographer. Neither of you really want to just leave your precious new images on a USB stick in a drawer somewhere. Images that could be on display for you to enjoy in your home every day if you had them made into something for the wall.

OK, other advantages then. You can put them on your phone/tablet/computer. Facebook cover, Instagram Story or Tweet/X them all over the place. You can email them to family who live abroad.

Well, even if you do all that, you're still not really making the most out of those images.

Your Insta Story is gone in a day, your Facebook post gradually gets pushed down your feed. Your phone fills up with 1000 other images. So your professionally taken, carefully chosen and edited images then languish in the darkness of the digital abyss: gradually sinking further and further down your phone gallery, never to be scrolled over again.

In addition to this, USBs or whatever you have your digital images stored on, may not work in 5 or 10 years time. Has your new laptop got a CD/DVD drive? Not many do now. The file types they are saved as, may end up being obsolete in a few years too. A pro lab print could last more than 100 years, which is at least 10x longer than most computers probably will!

Let's say I'm totally wrong about all the above, you're highly motivated and definitely going to order something straight away. What will you order? From where? Your first hurdle is that you just don't have access to the professional labs and suppliers who only sell to professional photographers. Does it matter? Yes!! These places cost more, but you get so much more. The right colours, quality paper and inks that will not fade, no issues or hassle. Printers with experience and reputation.

Your photographer has access to a world of goods that will amaze you. The other advantage is that you don't have to do anything. For my families, I order everything to be delivered to me first to make sure it's all 110% perfect before I pass it on.

There hardly ever are, but if there were any problems, I rectify those with my suppliers (who I can easily reach out to) and you never have to lift a finger. I know how the prints are supposed to look. I know if the frame corners aren't fixed properly or if the frame has the wrong glass etc.

Without access to those professional suppliers, you order something online. You've got 50 free prints from Truefishlabprintbox, that'll do it. Or worse, you go to a supermarket or high street chemist that has a little printing booth and now all your skin tones are now orange or bright pink.

You want a nice framed print? First you'll have to order a print, take it somewhere to get it mounted and framed. But, you're kind of stuck at the first hurdle, because you're going to struggle to really get that quality print in the first place!

So are Digital Files the best option? Most of the time, I really think not.

When buying them, don't forget to factor in that you still have the additional costs if you want to have something worth putting up on the wall. It's not like you buy the files and that's it. The files are only part of the cost of creating a finished product.

Easy isn't always better.



So to sum that up a bit then, Digital Files may seem like your best option if you're unsure what you want as an end product. But I think it's worth talking to your photographer about that a little to see what they can do, especially if all they seem to offer is the files (shoot + burn type photographers).

But I would really urge you to consider:

What will you do with them?

Do you have access somewhere that will produce decent products from them?

Will they just sit somewhere, and never get printed? (For example, if you have them, are your wedding photographs on the wall or just on a USB in a drawer or fancy box somewhere? I have one print up from my wedding, and I lost the disc our photographer gave us!!)

Don't forget, the files are only part of the cost.

Your photographer will usually be the best person to advise you on frames, metal prints, canvases and all kinds of amazing wall art. Let them show you what they suggest. It might cost more than for you to pick it up from the high street or online, but once you factor in the cost of the files, the quality differences and the hassle involved for you by doing it yourself. You may feel happier to let your photographer do it all for you.

For ideas about products that might suit you, feel free to have a look at my booking and products page which details some of what I have available to the families I work with.

If I ever have a family who are really unsure about what to order, I always suggest mounted prints. These are beautiful semi-matte prints, available in a range of sizes that arrive ready to go into a frame just as they are. You can then source your own frames or take them to your favourite framer.

I have more ideas about Digital Images and Social Media, do we really even need to share our lives with the world anyway? I'll save that for another day though, I need to go and cook a pizza.

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