Wall Art

If you’ve been on my website or social media, you’ll see that I reference “wall art”- a lot. So, what’s with that? What is wall art?

In the Beginning

When I started my photography journey, I photographed many of my friends and their families. As a favor for their time, I gave them their digital files. Simple & easy, right? Both parties felt an equal exchange in value. Done. 

I loved what I was doing so much that I made the big decision to open a business. I formed an LLC, purchased some insurance, made a logo, and BOOM! I’m in business. My business looked the same way as when I was building my portfolio – photograph a family and give them the digital files. I mean, every other photographer was doing that. It must be what clients want? 

But was it? You see, upon delivery, I would educate my clients on printing (stay away from Walgreens & CVS) and refer them to the online print lab, mpix.com. MPIX is the consumer branch of my pro lab. They do quality work and offer a variety of products. Simple enough, right? 

Well, more often than not, I would run into past clients and the subject of their family session came up. More specifically, we would get on the subject of printing. With excitement, I would ask what they decided to print and where it was hanging. “Oh, I just can’t decide what to print!” “I haven’t found the time to do that yet.” “What was the name of that lab you told me about?” “Oh, right! I totally forgot to print them!”

Do you know how sad that was to hear? Their family made time for the session – coordinated wardrobe and all – only to sit on a DVD/ flash drive in a desk drawer. They own beautiful family portraits that never see the light of day in their home. They will never be looked at as a memory. And they will never be on display serving as a visual reminder of the love and connection they share with one another.

Selfishly, I was sad for me, but I was most sad for the family. But, wait! It wasn’t THEIR fault. It was MINE! I was offering an inferior product (or rather, no product). I can change that! And so I did.

A Gentle Start

I started by offering “print packages” with gift-print sized prints – 5×7, 8×10, wallets. That felt very ‘school picture’ package to me. Who wants a bunch of wallet-sized family photos with teeny-tiny heads? Seriously. And they still weren’t being enjoyed by the family in their home – into the drawer they went. It was a start, but I needed to do better.

What it seemed like my clients needed was an “easy button.” They wanted to print their portraits and they weren’t appreciating the small gift prints. So, why don’t I offer prints larger in size & get them framed up?

Finally!

It turns out, that is EXACTLY what they wanted! Wall art! These are pieces that are appropriately sized for the space they will live in. I make sure of that by showing clients a mock-up of their space with the finished piece. (I’ll make another blog post about that process soon!). You should see the different presentation options that I’ve curated – framed heirloom canvases, matted and framed prints, framed metals, etc… And get this – I decided to provide the installation. See what I did there? I made it simple. No more excuses. 

Now, when a client inquires, I proudly say that my studio specializes in providing finished artwork by way of WALL ART and custom-designed albums. I truly believe that your family is a work of art and should be enjoyed every day. We only get 18 years with our kids. If your kiddos are 9 or 10, do the math – you’re halfway there. Let that sink in. One day, those portraits will be the only “kids” in your home.