Picture Perfect Prints

Photography starts with an artist and a camera but it ends with a beautiful image captured in time. So in this digital age where all our memories are stored away in a electronic device, it is so wonderful to actually hold something as tangible as a photograph. The nostalgia is in the physical prints. They preserve a special piece of the day that a digital image simply can't replicate.

We recently took advantage of a special offer by Kodak Gallery to have 200 premium prints (matte or glossy) printed for pennies. We paid close to $3.00 for all of the pictures plus free shipping. The pictures will be sent along with our Thank You cards to friends and family. I also ordered some professional prints from a couple of online photo labs to compare the difference between the Kodak Metallic Endura and the Fuji Crystal Archive Pearl. The metallic has a nice glossy finish and of course metallic appearance. The paper creates images with exceptional visual depth. In addition to delivering rich, vibrant colors and flattering flesh tones, this paper also offers century-plus image stability. The pearl paper is equally beautiful. It has a more softer subtle opalescent shimmer than the metallic paper - hence the "pearl" in the name. I love how neutral and well balance the black and white photos look with the pearl paper. The pictures have the same high gloss as the metallic but with a milky iridescence. I had a combo of both types of photo paper printed to display pictures in our home. The nearest Home Goods store provided professional matte frames for a inexpensive price (starting at $7.99 for 5 X 7). I also took advantage of a Groupon deal to have a metal photo printed. Yes, metal! The metal is heat infused with an image to a specially coated aluminum surface giving the photo a luminescence sheen. It is definitely a great way of preserving and displaying an image. According to the companies that offer metal photo printing, they are scratch proof and are impervious to water. The metal photos are more expensive than the traditional canvas prints but with the deal, I wanted to see for myself what a metal photo looked like. I recently placed an order so I'll be back to write a review on the final product. Also be on the look out for Groupon and Living Social deals for Print to Canvas products as well as other photo print friendly offers.

As for our wedding album, I decided not to go the professional route because it really isn't in our budget. Pro albums can cost thousands of dollars. Plus we also don't care for the traditional flushmounts. They are definitely beautiful but we like the more modern and simple but sophisticated look of the press books. I'm currently working on the parent album with a pre-made designer template on adobe. It is definitely a lot of work but worth it.