I have dozens of personal photo albums. My mom kept an excellent record of the first 10 years of my life. There are hundreds of printed 4x6 images delicately placed in plastic sleeves and enclosed in a leather 3 ring binder. I kept scrapbooks all through middle school, cutting up my precious prints and creating my own layout and story with Elmer's Glue and craft paper.

Somewhere along the way, my mom and I both stopped making albums. Although photography and family are important to both of us, our photographic records cease to exist after a certain point - can you guess when that was? If you said "when you got digital cameras" you are correct.

Neither my mom or I stopped taking photos. The photos we took on point and shoot cameras, downloaded to computers before our phones kept everything in one place, well I challenge her to find those images. There are years of my life that were documented and discarded with an accidental right click.

I am a crusader for the printed image. I print 4x6's like they're going or of style - because they are. I make albums from my photos, all the time, obsessively just like I used to. These albums are my records - they are what I'll have when my USB no longer plugs in to my future space age computer or my current computer crashes. The printed 4x6's mostly get thrown in a box. That's right - I don't treat them as precious objects. I treat them like my grandparents treated their prints. They new they should keep them in anyway they could and keeping them was more important then preserving their perfection.

This is why I decided to deliver more the just digital files. I get it. Facebook is the modern photo album. But Facebook shouldn't be the only keeper of your memories. I beg you to make prints and books. Maybe you don't love them now and maybe you only look at them once a year around the holidays - but I can guarantee your grandchildren and going to treasure having amazing photos of the people they love from times they never knew.

*Ivory House Photography provide custom designed, retouched albums to all portrait and wedding clients.*

Honor Mom with a Mother's Day Mini Session!

I am so lucky to have so many wonderful photos on my mom and I. Being a professional photographer has it's perks and I have many talented friends who have honored my mother's and my relationship over the years. I feel as if I'm in the minority on this. I've talked with so many mom's whose response to having their photo taken is, "Oh, no. Not me. I'm always taking the photo."

Moms, I'm here to tell you to be in photos, by yourself and with your family. I love sitting down and flipping through our old family albums, watching the passage of time and seeing me grown up alongside a 30 year old version of my mom. Getting to witness my mom and I together is one of my greatest joys. I LOVE the photos of the two of us. The "bad" ones and the good ones. So kids, get your mom is photos. Do a little convincing. I know she may say "no" several times, but deep down she knows the importance of these images. She'll thank you for it later.

WHAT IS A MINI SESSION?

Great question!

My mini sessions are 30 mini sessions taking place on Mother's Day weekend, May 7th and 8th. What better way to celebrate? The mini sessions can accommodate up to 6 people and are held at Water Works Park. Mini sessions are designed to be fun, easy and low key. $100 reserves your time and date. Packages with retouched digital negatives and 3 accordion style mini albums start at $300. The digital negatives serve to update your Facebook gallery with fresh pictures of your family and the mini albums are the tangible record of your lives that you'll have for generations to come.

I'm looking forward to capturing photos of your moms and creating amazing memories together.