The long awaited moment is finally here, you just received your wedding photos and you are absolutely in love with what you see! Now what?!

Do you upload every single one to Facebook in an album? Do you create a series of Instagram posts using your favorite ones and watch the likes and comments roll in?

Sure. You can do that, and you absolutely should! Share those photos with your family and friends who couldn't make it or didn't quite make the cut on the invite list. You should be proud to show off all the beauty, hard work and love that was put into your day. You've earned that! But then what?

Unfortunately, social media is where photos go to die. Photos technically live on forever on the Internet, but when was the last time you scrolled down on your Facebook or Instagram feed longer than a handful of posts? Probably not very frequently. That means the wedding photos you just spent thousands of dollars on will most likely live in a drawer on a USB or hard drive.

As a photographer, I just got so sad writing that. A huge investment you made in your marriage now lives in a desk drawer. But it doesn't have to be that way. Actually, it shouldn't be that way! That's just what the digital age has made us believe is normal and accepted. There are beautiful ways your photos can live on and it's my job as your photographer to show you how they can be vibrant memories in your daily life!

Justin Gamble Photography is a Full-Service Photography Studio. But what does that mean exactly? Good question. It means that I don't consider my job complete unless my clients have a way to display the artwork they have commissioned me to make them. I take great pride in my work and want my clients to be able to experience their photos on a daily basis throughout every room in their home! Part of my process includes custom consultations to make sure I'm creating artwork that you'll be beyond excited to hang throughout your hose. These are some of my favorite ways that your photos can live on outside of your desk drawer!

1. Albums

Simply put, albums are incredible and one of the best ways to display your photos in your home. Maybe your wall space is limited, or you're renting an apartment and are afraid to commit to prints until you have your forever home. Albums are a great way to experience your photos on a regular basis, a way to show/impress your family and friends, and offer the best bang for your buck. With an album you'll be able to include all your favorite moments from your day into one beautifully designed book that you can display on a coffee table or in focal point of your home. I guarantee you will look at it all the time and that your guests will be super impressed with it. What sounds more appealing to you - flipping through the thick pages of a beautifully laid out album with your favorite photos or swiping through the photos on your camera roll of your iPhone?

If you're looking for a way to say THANK YOU to your parents for all their hard work *or their financial support*, parent albums are a great way to show how much you appreciate them. Typically a parent album is a smaller version of your own album and lets them relive your wedding day whenever they want. Because let's be real, this was a big day for them too.

2. Gift Prints

Gift prints are another way to show gratitude for important people on your wedding day. At my studio, I classify gift prints as any print size 8x10 or smaller. These sizes are usually good for desks, coffee tables, and side tables, but they can be used in collage style frames. I find that a lot of grandparents love their gift prints as they usually have small framed photos of their grandchildren that need updated after major life events!

3. Framed Prints

In the days of film photography, the point of hiring a photographer was to commission a print to frame and display in your home. Digital files weren't a thing back then. But since digital photography took over, photographers have began to cater to digital files as opposed to the high quality photographic prints of the past. I work with a Professional Print Lab that only works with Full Service Photography studios. Yes, these type of print labs exist and they're worlds better than the run of the mill printers like Walgreens, Snapfish, Walmart, and Shutterfly. Those print houses are all quantity based print labs meaning they make money the more prints they churn out each day. Not based on the quality of the prints they produce. 

I searched long and hard to find the best quality print lab I could find and offer my clients only the highest quality prints. The same goes for framing. I use a local custom framing company that specializes in all things frames. No more cheap flimsy frames from Amazon for my clients - I only want to give you the best!

4. Wall Artwork

Wall Artwork has quickly become one of my most popular offerings since I switched to being a Full Service Studio. Wall Artwork is similar to framed prints when it comes to sizing, but instead allows you to display your photos in a unique way that fits your home décor and interior style. I offer 3 main types of Wall Artwork with various customizations that can be made. 

Gallery Wrapped Canvases are canvas prints that are hand stretched over a wooden frame. 

Metal Prints are Lustre Prints mounted to aluminum and come with a variety of finish options.

Acrylic Prints are Lustre Prints mounted to the back side of Acrylic. They feature four posts for mounting to a wall and stand off the wall about an inch for a more 3D feel.

5. Other Products

Photographers may also offer other unique solutions for you to display your photos  if you're not keen on large prints or don't have a lot of extra wall space. One of the ways I do this at my studio is by offering Folio Boxes. Folio Boxes are textile boxes that come with a series of 8x10 inch mounted prints. My clients are able to customize the front of their box if they plan to display it, or use small easels for displaying the individual photos. Some have even made floating shelves on their walls to display the entire box of prints!