Happy New Year!! You made it through 2020! A whole new year is ahead of you.
Let’s talk about how you will document your family in 2021. How do you want your family to remember this year? What childhood memories will your kids have to look back on twenty years from now? And more importantly, how do you plan to keep your memories safe?
If you’re the type that arrives on October’s doorstep only to realize summer warmth has vanished, you’ve missed the fall leaves window (hello Calgary weather!), and you need updated family portraits asap so that you can send out those Christmas cards by the end of the month, this is for you. And also, if you’re the type who schedules out your year in the first weeks of January, setting goals and planning deadlines to stay on track with how you will document the next 12 months of your family, this is also for you.
Here are 3 easy steps to ensure that the memories you make with your family this year will be kept safe from a slow, lonely digital death on some device about to become technologically extinct:
1. Back up your photos! Do it at the end of every month. Whether you document your day to day family life on your phone or with your actual camera, your photos are too valuable to let sit there. (Digital photo loss is always something you think won’t happen to you, but toddlers can be pretty effective in navigating technology. They really don’t meaaan to delete your camera roll, or worse, drop the phone in the toilet! And technology respects no one’s emotions - it will crash when it wants to.) Your photos should be backed up in two places so that, in the case a usb or hard drive crashes, you won’t lose everything. I know how overwhelming sorting thousands of images can be. Tip: Delete all out-of-focus, unwanted images as soon as possible - a moment after it’s taken, prior to or just after backing up - and sort into folders names that are easy to navigate (ie. FamilyPhotos2021—>January2021).
2. Print your favourites! As frequently as possible, whether monthly or quarterly, or when you have a burst of favourites you just need printed. It doesn’t matter where you get them printed as much as it matters that you just. print. them. It’s not about perfection. It’s about presence. Your kids will LOVE flipping through them again and again. Trust me. And you will LOVE the peace of mind that these special little moments are documented and tangible (and you’re not stuck in a well-meaning cycle of “when I get a chance to organize…”). Companies like Chatbooks or Parabo Press are always an easy, quick route to go for getting those photos into print with as little pain or time-draining sorting as possible.
3. Book your annual family session now! Yep, you read that correctly. The best time to book your 2021 family session is right now, while you’re thinking about it. Here’s why. As the year rolls on, especially when warmer weather returns to Calgary, and you’re out and about more, time will have a way of escaping you. Even though we sometimes have the best of intentions, the beautiful chaos of family life makes time literally fly by. Before you know it, summer will almost be over and fall routine (and cooler, shorter sunlight days) will arrive. Another important reason for booking now is that it makes you intentional. And intentionality matters. Unless you plan to make an annual family session happen, it won’t happen, and you’ll be constantly scrambling in missed opportunity while seeing others around you updating and sharing their gorgeous family portraits each year. Lastly, the most important reason to book now is that that you do not want to miss out getting a session spot. I only book a limited amount of sessions each month so that I am able to provide the amazing experience and service that you deserve. Booking your session now is simply reserving your spot in my 2021 calendar for the desired time of the year you want. You have time to think about what you envision for your session - whether it’s an in-home session, a local park here in Calgary, or heading out to Kananaskis, Canmore, Banff or beyond! We’ll work on all the fine details in the month and weeks leading up to your session. In the meantime, you can sit back and relax, knowing that you’ll be getting incredible family portraits this year without a doubt. Simple. Just click the link below to connect and save your session spot!
And that’s it. The three easy steps to ensuring 2021 is a year that will be remembered for years to come, and tangibly. The whole year is ahead of you, and it will become what you make it. Let’s get started!
Cheers!
Breanne
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