So your wedding is all said and done and you received all the wonderful photos on a DVD.
Now what?
Part of the problem with today's digital age is that we often take photos on our devices and they just stay there. Sure, you might share some photos through Facebook or other photo sharing sites, but most people simply don't print out photos like they use to. There is something to be said for having physical and tangible printouts of your photos. A certain timeless feel if you will.
Below I will list some of my favourite options for ensuring your photos don't just collect dust on your computer.
Go ahead and mount it on your wall
There are a ton of services online, not to mention within your community to get photos printed out. As well, there are a slew of different mediums on to which you can get photos printed on to.
Some of the more popular mounting options for photos are the following. The benefits of going with one of these mounting techniques is that you do not have to have a frame. They all create a polished 'gallery' style look.
Matboard
This usually comes in a few different thicknesses ranging from 1/16" to 1/8".
Foam Core
If you need a bit more support and would like your photo standing out from the wall a bit more this is a great option. It is usually lighter then mat board as well.
Standouts
Some companies also do this form of mounting. It is printed on a sort of foam and is even thicker then foam core making it protrude from the wall considerably so.
Canvas
For an even more professional look canvas is a very popular method that people decide to go with. It is very sturdy and durable but often more expensive then the other options.
Gallery Wraps
If you ever go to an art gallery you will often see this type of mounting. The photos is mounted on a frame usually ranging around 1.5 inches and then stretched around it. Be sure to factor in that part of you photo will be wrapped around so you wouldn't want any important parts of your photo on the edges.
Custom Framing
Then there is always going the route of a frame. It could be something as simple as going to your local Walmart or framing store and picking out your frame of choice. A lot of online printing companies will also offer a wide range of custom frames.
Printing
You can also choose from a wide array of paper choices when printing with certain companies. The most common options are the following.
Standard
At the lowest end of the spectrum, most companies will have their standard finish. For the majority of people this will be absolutely fine. If you are looking for something a bit more professional, I have listed a couple more options below.
Matte
This kind of finish will ensure that your photo will not have a shiny glare to it. You would want to get this if your photos will be hanging in a bright room where there is a lot of sun.
Lustre
If you want a rich sheen added to your photos this is the one for you. This particular finish usually has some sort of protective coating on it as well to prevent fingerprints.
Metallic
To get a certain 'pop' to your photos metallic offers the ability to really create an almost reflective look.
Some of my favourite places to get photos printed out are listed below. Keep in mind that there endless places to go and these are just companies that I have dealt with.
Other sites that are out, but that I haven't used include:
Make a book
One of my favourite methods of getting my photos off the computer is to simply create a photo book, There are a few different ways to do this depending on your computer skill level. It ranges from simply uploading your photos a site and letting it create it for you. Or, you can completely customize your own book. My favourite method is to use Lightroom and export the book directly to a service like Blurb. With this method you obviously need to know your way around your program of choice, but if you do, it is well worth it.
A couple things you need to make sure before proceeding are that your images are high enough resolution. If you are getting your photos from a photographer they will usually be more then sufficient. Most services take the guess work out of this though as they will give you a warning sign if the image is not large enough.
Be sure to also choose what kind of paper stock you want it, the sizing of the book and also the style of cover you want. There are a variety of options and I would recommend whichever service you go with, read the descriptions of each. I personally almost always choose a lustre finish with the cover being a hard cover wrap. This means that the image extends all the way around the book.
As I mentioned before, my favourite service is Blurb. It is definitely not the cheapest but for my purposes it is integrated well with the program I use and the quality of the books are outstanding. Plus, delivery is very reasonable.
Some other options include:
Also, places like Walmart and Staples also offer this service. They may not have a lot of the options that the bigger online companies have but it may very well be all you need.
Those are the main two options that I typically use but you are definitely not limited to them. Be creative. Perhaps print out 4x6's of a bunch of your favourite photos and hang them on a close line. Or, create a wall mural with some of your photos. I have also seen friends of mine with glass coffee tables which had the photos placed inside.
Not just limited to Facebook
Lastly, there is nothing wrong with sharing photos online. But don't be scared to jump away from Facebook and explore other sharing services. Create a slideshow and share it on Youtube. Do you have a blog yet? If not, it's extremely easy to do and is a great way to share photos of everyday events. Especially with family that may live afar.
These are but a few examples of what can be done. There are many more which I have not listed here but this should give you at leas some motivation and a few ideas of what can be done. After all, you potentially are going to spend money on a photographer to take all these photos so why not showcase them like they are meant to be.