I got married in 2008 (unfortunately before I met Kevin) and think back on the day fondly to this day. Every year on our anniversary I'll switch my Facebook photo to one of our wedding photos, and think about how someday I'll get around to printing the photos. Did you catch the depressing statement in that sentence? Look again. "...someday I'll get around to printing the photos". That's right, it has been 9 years and every single one of our wedding photos is still on a CD. When searching for a photographer, the only thought in my mind was that I wanted all of the digitals. Looking back and knowing what I know now as a wedding photographer, I wish I had done better research and prioritized the budget to afford a photographer who offered an album.
Why is it so important to have a physical wedding album when we live in such a digital age? Let me explain...
1. Technology is constantly changing. Tell me, when was the last time you looked at your family photos that are stored on a ZIP disk? 1999, maybe? That's the last time I had a computer that was capable of reading them, anyway. With how quickly technology changes and how possible it is that a device gets corrupted, it's entirely possible that you could lose your precious memories. Hard drives crash, cloud storage companies go out of business, CDs get lost, or USB drives are forgotten in a pocket of a shirt that goes through the wash. Albums and prints though, they will never give you errors when you open them or have a customer support rep tell you that you have to pay to access your memories again.
2. Decor for your home - I can guarantee you that the album would be sitting proudly on the coffee table right now if I had one, and I would spaz every time my toddler went near it with his sticky fingers. Plus, if you hired a professional to take the photos, why not let the professional print them too? The albums that we offer are covered in a beautiful Italian leather in the color of your choice, so you can match your wedding colors or your living room decor. You may be thinking that anyone could run over to Wal-Mart or Michaels and grab a photo album, slap some photos in it, and be done with it. However when you leave it to the professionals you'll receive an album that is expertly designed from cover to cover, showcasing your day. The archival pages are thick and you won't be losing any loose photos or tearing anything. Only support American business? Great! The albums we provide are handmade in Indiana.
3. Heirloom to share memories - It's really difficult to share memories with your friends, kids, grandkids, and so on when your wedding photos are stuck on an ancient floppy disk. With our wedding albums, you can experience your wedding day over and over again with your family. We work with you after the wedding to design your album to your liking before sending it off to be printed. You'll get the final say so you can be confident that you'll have an album worthy of generations to come.
If you have photos on old devices, PLEASE get them printed. Back them up on a newer device if you have to. I personally lost photos of my uncle who passed away, all because an old hard drive became corrupt. Technology can be a wonderful thing, but you should not trust it to save your memories forever.
For all you married readers, do you have a wedding album? Get it out and reminisce for a moment... then leave a comment letting us know the emotions that come back to you!
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Kevin Thompson, the mastermind and lead-photographer behind Thompson Digital Image, has been photographing the world around him since high school (back in the film-only days). In 2007 he transitioned to digital photography and discovered a passion for shooting the beauty and essence found in life, both in nature and people. Having worked in quality control for nearly 40 years, Kevin is a perfectionist with his photography and it shows. Getting creative with his clients is something that drives, challenges, and excites him. It’s a never-ending pursuit of “doing better than before”. To wind down after a wedding he enjoys playing solitaire and doing sudoku puzzles, or the occasional shooter game on PS4. With Kevin shooting your wedding you don't just get a wedding photographer, you get a lifelong friend.
Katrina Mather, one of Kevin’s photographers, began shooting weddings in 2009 when Kevin was willing to take her on as a student. After that wedding she was hooked and has been shooting amazing couples ever since. When not shooting weddings and engagements she enjoys spending time with her husband and son, running half marathons, watching movies (a self-proclaimed Harry Potter fanatic), and riding her Harley-Davidson motorcycle. She has had work featured in Style Me Pretty and pushes herself to become better with every wedding she captures.
Amy Anderson, another of Kevin’s photographers, has brought an immense amount of energy and passion to the team and it shows. She loves capturing the many emotions people portray and experiencing their reactions when they see themselves in her art. When she isn't taking photos of the world around her, she is likely hiking, crafting, exploring, or relaxing by a bonfire. Or getting really excited over macaroni and cheese. Amy's biggest dream is world domination. Sorry, wait, her dream really is to be the most successful photographer in the world. Just wait until she is shooting your wedding and you'll see that her passion will easily help her achieve that dream.
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Thank you, Caitlin and Adam, for allowing us to share your incredible day with you.
Just a little perk to having multiple photographers photograph your wedding. The photo above as taken at the same moment by two of our photographers, just standing feet apart. Two fantastic photos with two different feels to them!
As we were taking portraits in an alley of downtown Rockford, we were approached by a Rockford police officer. Unbeknownst to the entire bridal party, this officer was there by request by one of the photographers to have a little fun with the bride and groom! He played along and had some fun with everyone before heading back to keep the city safe.
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A trend we are recently seeing (and are highly appreciative of) is the Unplugged Wedding. This is a ceremony (or even including the reception) where the bride and groom as their guests to please keep all cell phones, tablets, and cameras put away during the event. It allows them to fully be part of the day and see things first hand rather than through a screen. Not to mention, it allows the photographer and possibly videographer the ability to capture unobstructed shots of the day. The lovebirds likely paid a lot of money for these two professionals to do their job, and the last thing they want is cousin Phil's arm and cell phone in the aisle blocking the ever-important first kiss.
A quick search on Pinterest for "unplugged wedding" will provide a plethora of witty signs to display at your wedding, politely asking guests to put their cell phones and cameras away so they can enjoy the moment with you.
As you are planning your wedding, please take the time to consider having an unplugged wedding. You have hired professional photographers for a reason and are paying a pretty penny for us, so why not encourage your guests to simply enjoy the memories with you?
We love hearing wedding stories... feel free to share your experience in the comments with having an unplugged wedding or even when guests were disastrous with cameras!
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