I remember when I first began my photography career – digital images on a CD were all the rage. I, along with nearly every other photographer I knew, delivered everyone’s portraits on a CD and moved on. “Your session includes all images on a disc” was seen on nearly every website, blog post, social media advertisement, etc. It made sense at the time - - deliver the images on a disc…it’s quick, easy, and inexpensive, right? Photographers edited and burned the images onto the CD, threw it in the mail, and waited to see the client post them on social media, gushing about how amazing the photos are (or, in some cases, never to see the images again because clients weren’t “Facebook Friends”, etc.) Clients would receive the disc, throw it into their computer disc drives, scroll through them all and upload a few of their favorites to emails to the family, on their Facebook profiles (or…gasp!...MySpace profiles), and then threw the disc into a drawer or box until later-on when they had more time to pick the photos they wanted to print.
While it all sounds quick, efficient, and convenient, those poor photos likely never saw the light of day again. Discs were slowly sorted to the back of the junk drawer or in the photo box that lay in the back of a closet. USB Drives were lost, corrupted, or overwritten by accident. But people get busy, other priorities take the place of immortalizing those memories in print. Photos were lost. Family never saw this year’s – or last year’s...or the year before that – photos that you had every intention of printing and sending off with – or as – a holiday card. Babies didn’t grow up to being toddlers asking who the baby was that was framed and hanging on the wall. Couples didn’t pour into their wedding photos, remembering the magical day they exchanged vows and celebrated with family. The convenient and efficient method of receiving photos resulted in lost memories and the missed opportunity for couples and families to reflect on their experiences and milestones over the past year. Let’s face it - - when was the last time you showcased a CD or USB Drive of images from your favorite memories like this tongue-in-cheek PSA from Fundy Software depicts?
As a photographer specializing in Boudoir Photography today, many photographers still offer images on a digital medium of sorts, citing that it maintains the client’s privacy and “hides” their images from eyes that they don’t want seeing them. This, however, has not prevented the stunning images of gorgeous women from being thrown in a drawer to never be seen again. An amazing, empowering, confidence-boosting experience is simply forgotten in a drawer or lost in a computer crash. Yes - - I know what you’re thinking… “But I’m nearly (or completely) naked in those images! I don’t want everyone who walks into my house to see me in a thong! That’s why I need them on a disc/USB drive.” I get it…I’m not sure how I’d feel if my son’s best friend came over and saw a 20x30 print of my ass hanging on my living room wall. But my work is not only to take beautiful images of women and men. It extends to boosting confidence, improving self-esteem, celebrating good traits AND perceived flaws of my clients. It encourages my clients to see the WHOLE image of themselves and not focus on a stretch mark or a scar or extra fluff or hair. What’s the point in overcoming the nerves, spending the time and money, and going through the physical exertion that is required in a boudoir session just to throw the images in a drawer or hide them on a computer?
I have 2 daughters. Two humans who are growing up in a world where beauty standards are shoved down their throat everywhere they turn. You can’t be too skinny, you can’t be too fat, you can’t be too dark, you can’t be too white, your hair can’t be too curly, but your hair can’t be too straight. I have two daughters who see me poke my extra weight or jump to pull my trendy skinny jeans on. I have a son who lives in a home where females outnumber males (unless you count the dog - - then it’s even). I have impressionable children who are learning how to respect others AND respect themselves. They are learning how to see themselves and we are teaching them to not be ashamed of themselves or think negatively about others. These humans that look up to me will lose me one day. My youngest tells me how beautiful I am every day; but when I’m gone she will have only the images that I leave behind for her to remember me. When she’s grown and struggling with her own self-image someday, she will have only the album of images from my boudoir session to encourage her to look past the extra weight, cellulite, and stretch marks and to see the beauty in a body – even if it’s not “perfect.” My son won’t have me to ask for advice on how to encourage his wife to believe she is beautiful someday, but he’ll have the prints of my imperfectly perfect body to show her that stretch marks aren’t ugly and curves are sexy.
Don’t settle for just a disc. Order the big wall art. Purchase the heirloom album. Pass your beautiful art down to your children. Give them a reminder of how badass and beautiful you were when you are gone someday. They will thank you for it!
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