Viewing your photos on your computer:

So what happens after you receive your high resolution jpgs from your wedding day or portrait session? What should you do next?

There are so many options, but the first thing to consider is that your computer monitor is probably not color corrected and that means that your photos might not look the same way when they are printed as they do on your computer screen. In fact they may look different on your computer screen that they do on mine. Sometimes they may not look as bright or they may actually look less sharp or have a strong color cast to them. If you think your photos just look “different” or perhaps not accurate to you, it is probably the fault of your computer screen.

If you find this is the case, please do not try and color correct or edit the original files I have given you. If you want to tweak them, please make a copy and work on that. If you want to chat about it, just let me know and I can talk you through most computer screen variations and what might be 

Although I save your original files and archive them “forever” things happen and should both of your copies be destroyed or compromised it is always a good idea to have a third digital back up of your photos. A USB thumb drive works well and can be kept in a safe deposit box or fire proof safe. Some clients even have a 4 X 6 print made of every singe image and keep those in a dark place for extra photo back up security. Saving your images on the cloud is also an option.

4 X 6 prints are available as an “add on” to all my wedding and portrait photography and presented in a light tight box for added safety.

When making prints of your photos, there are so many options, it can be very confusing if you are not familiar with computer uploads, downloads and various printing papers, labs and printing techniques. Because of this I also offer an on line gallery of your images for friends and family to order prints, albums and cards should they wish, however if you are happy having your own prints made, here are a few tips:

 The most important decision you can make is choosing the right printing lab and trust me there are thousands, from Walgreens to Snapfish to professional on line pricing labs like Bay Photo and Pro DPI who not only cater to professional photographers but to the general public as well. I can help you set up an account with a professional lab if you wish, so just let me know.

The quality of a Walgreens or Snapfish print, is not as good as a professional lab, but generally they are good enough for the general public, unless you are wanting a large or fine art print to hang in your living room. In that case I suggest you contact me directly and I can either order it for you or talk you through the process and explain all the different fine art photo papers and coatings available.

The most common standard print finishes are glossy, matte and luster also sometimes called pearl. Glossy is best kept for product and clinical prints as it shows detail a lot more clearly than luster or matte paper, but one fingerprint can leave a very unsightly smudge. You can also get glare and reflections with glossy paper.

Matte is a very soft finish and usually used for fine art prints. Warm or selenium toned, black and white prints look beautiful when printed on matte paper and have the feel of a museum quality print. Since matte papers do not reflect the light but rather absorb it, you do need a fairly bright light or well lit area to view them properly.

The most common choice of papers is luster or pearl. With the exception of fine art prints, this is my own personal choice when making prints for friends and family. Luster paper is the perfect combination of glossy and matte and looks great in most lighting situations.

As well as the type of print paper you decide on the next step is to decide what size you want your prints to be

Well, that depends on the image and where it will be displayed and if the print will be framed, another consideration is “standard frame sizes”. Custom made frames can be very expensive so it is best to have your print made with a “ready made” frame in mind. Here are the standard frame sizes along with the mat size suggested ( I myself prefer a large mat, so a 5 X 7 print would be matted to fit an 11 X 14 inch frame not an 8 X 10) but it is all a matter of preference:

For wall art, bigger is usually better and with the high resolution jpgs you receive from me you can print almost as big as you want. I have had two 48” X 60” prints made for clients in the past and they were quite stunning!

So once you  have your prints made what next? One of my favorite album and print storage companies is KOLO… these are usually archival materials and their DIY photo albums let you insert your own prints in an album of your choice. These are not actual rigid page wedding albums with the prints printed on the actual page, but rather archival albums where you insert the prints you want. The KOLO 4 X 6 inch album is the perfect “brag book”, a small token of your photo session to keep around the house or give to family members and the Kolo Hudson holds up to 300 prints! Kolo also offers light tight, archival photo boxes for loose prints at very reasonable prices.

For all Kolo products please click here

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Vermont Wedding and Portrait Photographer Sally Carpenter, based in Woodstock, Vermont serving all of New England and worldwide wedding destinations.

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