3 Steps to Great Session Image Prints

You got your photos from your session and they look great! You decide to print your favorite shot to hang on the wall in your office. When the print arrives it doesn't look as good as the photo on your phone. The photo doesn't look as clear as it should. The photo paper is thin and the color doesn't look quite right. Was part of the subject cut off on your print? You invested in your session, so why not get the best possible print products? I am a pet family and dog photographer in the Atlanta area and here are some tips I give my clients to help them get the very best prints possible.

Step One - Choose a pro quality lab

If you want to print locally, order a few 4x6 prints at two or three different places to check the quality. Make sure the colors are accurate, and that they don’t use thin, poor quality photo paper. I have found that the big box stores’ photo products are cheap and won’t hold up over time. If you want to use a local pro quality lab, there is a lab in Atlanta that I use called PPR Pix by Atlanta Art Solutions. The web site is pprpix.com. You can still order online from them and pick up your order in person if you like.

There are dozens of choices for online printing, but again the cheapest isn’t always the best option. Photo paper quality and accurate color reproduction are very important. Mpix (web site https://www.mpix.com/) is a great choice; they are the consumer line of the pro lab Millers, and it is based in the US. You can order prints, canvases, framed prints, photo books and gifts from this lab. Another lab I’ve used is Nations Photo Lab (website https://www.nationsphotolab.com/) They sell products to both the public and to pro photographers. The color is accurate, and they have frequent print specials.They offer a good selection of prints and products and are also located in the US.

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Step Two -Make sure you send the lab the full resolution file

When you download your printable files from your session, please make a backup copy on a usb drive to retain the file size for printing. Use these files to place your print order. Be careful printing a photo that was sent to you in a text. A lot of phones will reduce the file size so the photo may not print well. It is best to email photos if you need to send them to someone for printing.

Step Three - Crop it right

I've had clients that placed an online order for prints and when I reviewed the order I had to change the crop they selected. The clients made the subject way too close to the edge, so when the photo was printed, some of the subject would have been cut off when the photo was trimmed by the lab, and when the photo was framed, the frame would also cover part of the subject. Make sure you leave space for trimming and for a frame when cropping.

Take a close look at the photos above. This is 2 different crops of the same photo. As you can see, the photo on the right looks much better. The left photo is cropped way too close to the dog and looks crowded and tight. Also when cropping, take into consideration which way the dog is looking, and which way the body is facing. Notice on the photo on the right, there is more space on the left side of the dog since his body is facing that direction. Also try to leave more room around your dog in the direction where your dog is looking if your dog is not looking at the camera.

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The photos above also show both a horizontal and a vertical crop of the same photo, and both work. The dog is sitting facing the camera so centering the dog makes it the focus of the photo. If you want to show more of the background, the horizontal crop will be the best choice. If you aren't in love with the background, a vertical crop will make the focus more on your dog.

The photo above shows how cropping affects a photo. The three sizes in the photo are the most common print sizes. A 4x6 is longer and thinner, more like the ratio of a photo taken on a phone. The 5x7 is more square than the 4x6, so it loses a little bit of the top and bottom when cropped. The 8x10 is even closer to being square, so there is a lot less at the top and bottom of the photo, while the sides stay the same. If you have ever tried to print an 8x10 from a cell phone photo, you know that your photo will have a lot of the top and/or bottom cut off! When I am editing session photos, I try to leave room around the subjects so my clients can crop their photo to any size.

Are you and your dogs ready? Click here to Book a session.

Jill Monroe Photography is a family pet photographer based in metro Atlanta, Ga

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3 Steps to Great Session Image Prints

Step One - Choose a pro quality lab

Step Two -Make sure you send the lab the full resolution file

Step Three - Crop it right

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