HP said it best a couple of years ago…

“Mommas don’t let their babies grow up to be .jpegs…”

Making the investment to have portraits taken of your family, your loved ones and yourself is no doubt a commitment. And after you view your session, there tends to be an 800-pound gorilla in the room of what to do with those images that you’d like to turn into prints to proudly display in your home or give as gifts. Would it be better to purchase smaller prints in an album, which might sit on a shelf and collect dust? Or larger prints, professionally framed and displayed in a prominent place in your home?

Personally I’m a fan of GREAT.BIG.PHOTOS. 16×20 is the new 8×10, and the bigger, the better. I think of it like this fall’s statement necklace seen on the fashion runways—it’s the signature piece that gets a second look. But perhaps your session had ten, twenty, forty images that speak to you and beg to come to life on paper.

Lucky you, there are so many wonderful and DIY display options are on the market, and with a little creativity you can make any image or series of photographs from your session show your personality and individual style. Here’s a quick roundup of some of my recent favorites to use for displaying your favorite photographs ::

I saw this idea a while back, and thought it was incredibly clever, easy to do on a budget, and perfect for those who have decorating ADD (like me :: I can’t go six months without changing out or rearranging most of my decor…). Using these budget clipboards from a local office supply store, and hung with inspirations, photographs or favorite sentiments brings personality to your home. More photos here.

Photographer Laura Novak used a simple cable and clip system from Ikea to display her images. This would also be a great idea for showing off your holiday cards! (Photo via Design Aglow)

Ever-timeless Pottery Barn shows us a collage idea, similar to the salon gallery style of the late 19th Century. What makes these unique and personal is that the frames aren’t necessarily the same size and shape, that there are different textures used. However, using similar style and sizes of photographs—like all botanical and natural elements shown on the left, and more family-oriented images on the right—are a great way to display your images. Using a similar tone of photographs can bring unity to a display like this too. (i.e. All photographs in black-and-white, or all with an element of red in them, or all things that are nautical themed….it’s all up to you and your imagination!)

The Shutter Sisters had another great idea of using a window pane picked up at a flea market and backing the windows with photographs. Again, using similarly-themed images can make this an awesome part of your decor. And all that time I was perusing my favorite outdoor markets in Denver and didn’t know what to do with the awesome window panes I kept seeing everywhere…*sigh*

Here’s a definitely DIY idea for how to display prints in your home. Heritage Makers created an idea for photo blocks made from simple 2×4 construction, covered in photos to display. These are rather interesting due to their versatility and ability to create more than just an image—that you are creating a 3-d piece of art that can be displayed among your home. A great idea—and an awesome gift!

Last but definitely not least, I love using these to show clients what their images might look like in their home with different types of photographs and sizes in relationship to their surroundings. It helps you choose the best layout for your home with the images you love most.

Displaying your photographs all comes down to your personality and decor, but no matter how you display them—what’s important is that they’re visible for you to proudly display in your home for years to come.

You may remember this image from just a few short weeks ago…

And I was hugely blessed to photograph their wedding day recently. The ever-awesome Brandi Mussack of La Brisa Photography was a fantastic second shooter, and I’m deeply grateful for the beautiful perspective she added.

There are so many images to share :: so many emotional, intimate moments that make a wedding day the most celebrated and memorable day of one’s life, and this image is one of my favorites. I read earlier this evening about how photography celebrates the connection between two people, and while one of our jobs as photographers is to understand and record human nature, it also records the best of each individual. For some reason, there is so much truth to this photograph, and Tiffany’s authentic joy and happiness can’t be matched, knowing she’s just intertwined her life with someone who she truly cares for.

Their wedding was so sweet. Intimate, simple, and surrounded by the people that they care about the most and wished to share in their most celebrated day with. And every emotion, so true and heartfelt.

Blessed with a beautiful day and pristine weather (at least, for this part of the country, in August!) made for some fun outdoor shots ::

(this one is Brandi’s, love it!)

Talk about a stunningly beautiful bride :: happy, happy, happy!

And I was loving all those awesome summer colors ::

And beautiful, quiet moments shared between best friends ::

A few more that I just can’t keep to myself ::

The couple decided to wait until the ceremony to see one another, but they weren’t opposed to a brief encounter on the opposite sides of a door. I caught this:

And this was Brandi’s eagle-eye view ::

Click HERE to view their gorgeous slideshow!

Tiffany and Josh :: I know I’ve said this, but I am so deeply honored to be part of your special day, and to capture the heartfelt emotion and memories you made of the day you joined your lives together to serve Christ. I wish you the very best of the journey you’re beginning together! Much love, Cathy

Here’s a teaser for a wedding I’ll be posting about next week! Enjoy the weekend, everyone!

Some pictures take your breath away in the emotion they show. Others, through the details of the image, tell volumes even though you can’t see the person’s face. And others yet, by location alone, carry a rich story and so much meaning (think memorial sites, like the 9/11 memorial or Vietnam Memorial).

One of my mentors discusses this often, and I feel it’s a cornerstone of my approach to photography. A picture is a picture, in some senses, but when it tells a story, and captures the internal light of who you are :: well, then, we’ve uncovered a whole new level of making beautiful pictures of you or your loved ones.

This image I made yesterday struck me in particular. My little boy loves music—listening, dancing, creating in every sense. He’s always enjoyed playing my childhood piano, but until recently didn’t take much interest in making “thoughtful” music—it was more of a contest to see how loud he could play! Yesterday he sat down and asked for music to look at while he played, just like I do when I sit (albeit not often) and hammer out a few notes. And this image resulted ::

In so many ways, this image says so much. Even though very little of the image is in focus (on purpose), you still get a great sense of who he is, aspires to be, and what he’s doing.

There are so many stories you can tell in our sessions together :: the things you enjoy doing together, and the places you love most. Making beautiful images comes from the moments when life isn’t perfect. But the wonderful thing is that it is perfect, because it’s what makes you (and the people around you) truly unique and tells the most intimate stories about your lives together, in a way that no other medium can capture. And I’m blessed and happy to capture those stories for you to share.

The fall MOMA catalog arrived in my mailbox over the weekend, and of course I couldn’t help myself but dive in and see what’s new. And of course I found myself dog-earing several (probably too many) pages of things I’d love to give as gifts… or use for photo sessions. Because, I mean, seriously…what child wouldn’t look amazing in a small-size Starck Ghost Chair? I’m totally drooling at the thought.

I digress. Here are lots more things I loved :: from the Jasper Johns 1961 “Map” print to the bubble necklace…and I adore the red scarf—amazing!!

Swoon, swoon, swoon….

One of the (many, many) things I took away from my visit to the west coast this spring left a big impression on my heart. I’ve always felt it’s important to give back, but the concept of paying it forward? Hm. I thought this was awfully powerful, to hear those words spoken from someone who I had come to admire had told that there’s no way (admittedly through tears) I could ever repay him for the volumes I learned from him about myself, my work, and my dreams in the short days we spent together.

And his simple reply? Pay it forward.

I’ve thought long and hard about how to do this, and find myself asking more questions than finding answers. Are they simple gifts of charity? A random act of kindness? A percentage of profit to a chosen philanthropy? Time and wisdom to an aspiring student of design or photography? And how do I pass this lesson to my child? Or encourage others to do the same?

I haven’t found the clear direction yet :: but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to sit on the sidelines and not participate. Seeing as how next week marks the first day of school for many around here, I felt one of the simplest things that would have a great impact to another person would be to donate school supplies. It seems that the need is greater this year, with more families experiencing hardships of so many kinds—illness, financial strain—that there are, very likely, children that won’t have the tools they need to get the best possible education. And in your own backyard.

Today we took our donation to the school district offices—where we ran into the director of communications, who I had spoken with about our contribution—and the superintendent, of all people, and we experienced firsthand the upswell of gratitude that comes with giving (and receiving) from the heart. And it comes no matter what the donation, and no matter who you share it with. Both Parker and I left with big smiles on our faces knowing we had impacted someone else in our community.

Pay it forward? You bet.

I’m sure this comes as no surprise, given my background…but I am an insane paper junkie. It’s one of the things (next to anything that begins with “i-”) that I feel like it’s totally okay to dork out about, because it’s part of my job, to put beautiful designs on great paper.

SusyJack* does this every day. And makes it stunningly beautiful. It’s fresh and modern, a little whimsical, and just so swoon-worthy. Just one of the many paper/design sites I drool over…often…

This spring I was blessed to cross paths with the amazing, inspiring Tracie of {tsj} photography at the Discovery Workshop. We talked about photography, life, small business, family…and paper. Really pretty paper. Last week a contest on her blog invited readers to comment for a chance to win a SusyJack* 2010 calendar, and I am the lucky winner!

(photo via {tsj} photography)

But I have to be honest, I feel like I’m the lucky one for more than just winning a calendar—I’m blessed to be able to share a love of creativity with an extraordinary woman. Thanks, Tracie!