A few months after Megan moved into her new home, she ushered me into the living room, and the giant empty wall behind the couch was still empty. She had a plan, though: Nine custom-printed photos, in 18×18" frames. The only problem: professional labs don't print 18x18," due to that thing called aspect ratio.

She presented me with her problem and I did some research (aka Googling) and some math, and made a few suggestions. She decided the next best thing was 16x16" matted prints in the 18x18” frames. I sent her suggestions for a mat vendor and ordered the prints for her from my local professional lab.

I delivered the giant prints and she gasped when she opened the package and saw my favorite: an oversize image of her newborn daughter and their dog, Penny, from our newborn session.

This is the fun part for me. Obviously, I love making the photos. I also enjoy the editing, and it's a lot of fun making slideshows and galleries for clients to ooh and ahh over. But the problem-solving, when you need help with the printing, when I can offer a real solution and then help you get the images we made out into the real world... that's my favorite. Megan’s daughter can look at those giant prints every day as she plays in their living room, and her mental health will benefit from it. And I feel like I’ve helped. Which really helps my Enneagram 2 self feel great.

She sent me texts of the progress she made later that week, as she framed the prints with her newly acquired mats, and they hung them on the wall behind the couch. She left four of the photos open, with plans to fill them in the coming months, and went ahead and hung them up together in the gallery. Done! Even in a temporary done stage, it’s beautiful.

Did you know that each of my photo collections comes with digital images and a print credit? I believe so strongly that prints are necessary, that I include a triple-digit print credit to help you get those images off your computer and onto your walls. Want some personalized suggestions for your own home? Let’s chat.