Our annual family photo albums are definitely top on the list of “things I would save in a fire.”

Grayson pulls them off the shelf multiple times a week to flip through the pages, talk about the photos, and relive the memories and adventures we had. He loves sitting on my lap and reading them, and cozying up with Grandma or Dada to look through the pages.

I finally started creating annual photo albums last year during quarantine. I had printed a few albums of Grayson’s first year, but nothing that held all of our cell phone photos and images captured on my nice camera from our daily lives. When the world slowed down last spring, it was the perfect time to me to get caught up, organize my photos, design a few albums, and get them printed.

I am so proud of these albums, and I love seeing how much joy they bring to our lives. I made 2018 and 2019’s albums last year, and it motivated me to continue capturing photographs throughout 2020 (even when we were just staying home and not doing anything that exciting!). By documenting our everyday lives and the little things that make up the year, I love how it all comes together to tell the story of our family and our year. So 2020’s album, while it may not be filled with trips and friends and visits with family, is still chock-full of memories, so many silver linings, lots of laughs, and plenty of love.

I was hugely inspired by Kate L. Photography’s blog post about her annual yearbooks, and I decided to use the same printer (Blurb Books) and album size that she uses. I loved her colorful covers so much that I wanted those bringing cheer to our bookshelves, too, and I am so glad I did! The covers are one of my favorite parts of these albums! A huge thank you to Kate for the inspiration that I needed to finally tackle this project!

toddler looks at family albums photographed by Saratoga Springs family photographer Nicole Starr Photography

toddler holds family album on lap sitting on white couch photographed by Saratoga Springs family photographer Nicole Starr Photography

toddler flips through family album sitting on white couch in studio photographed by Saratoga Springs family photographer Nicole Starr Photography

toddler looks at family photo album sitting on white couch in New York studio photographed by Saratoga Springs family photographer Nicole Starr Photography

toddler sits on white couch looking through family photo album photographed by Saratoga Springs family photographer Nicole Starr Photography

I can’t even begin to count how many dozens of times I have walked down the stairs to find Grayson sitting on the couch, carefully turning the pages of an album and talking about the pictures. It melts my heart!

Overwhelmed with how to begin organizing your own photos? Another helpful blog post is coming later this week filled with tips to get you started!

Tips for organizing your photos here!

family photo albums photographed by Saratoga Springs family photographer Nicole Starr Photography

family photo albums from three years photographed by Nicole Starr Photography on white couch

Save it for later!

A sneak peek at our annual family photo album with Nicole Starr Photography

Yay! Today’s the day! You have your beautiful new artwork from your portrait session, and you can’t wait to display it in your home. You know just the perfect spot to hang it up, but wait… did you know there are a few simple tips to keep in mind that will help your artwork stay beautiful and last longer???

Today on the blog I’m sharing a few tips for how to care for your artwork. Don’t worry! It’s nothing too complicated, just a couple of little things to keep in mind so that your family can continue to enjoy your portraits for many, many years to come!

Saratoga Springs baby and family photographer, Nicole Starr Photography, shares tips to care for your artwork from your family portrait session

Photographic Prints

Keep your artwork out of direct sunlight to prevent fading and damage to the paper. All of our artwork is treated with a UV protective layer, but it is still a good idea to display your prints in a room that does not receive extreme heat or sunlight.
Photographic prints are meant to be displayed under glazing such as glass or acrylic. This is to protect the print from UV exposure, dust, and other elements that can be damaging to the composition of the material. Prints should be framed with acid free mats and acid free tape to avoid any moisture reaching your print and damaging it.

Wall Art

Canvases, framed portraits, wooden wall art. These tips are good for any heirloom pieces that are displayed on your walls! Follow these simple tips to enjoy your artwork for many years at home.

Keep your artwork out of direct sunlight, and avoid displaying it in a room that experiences extreme atmospheric changes (heat, cold, humidity).
Dust your artwork with a soft rag or cloth, or a wool duster.
Display your artwork in a room away from mess or a high traffic area — right near the stove in the kitchen is probably not a good idea since over time it can accumulate a thin layer of dust, grime, and cooking pollutants that could damage the artwork.
Prints should be framed under glass, while canvas is meant to be displayed without glass to allow it to breathe.
When transporting your artwork, pack it in a sturdy box and with bubble wrap, and avoid placing prints with glass on a flat surface to move them — they will break more easily if stored flat. I use painter’s tape to make an X across the glass of all of my artwork when moving them to prevent glass from going everywhere should one of them break. Luckily I’ve never broken a frame when moving, but I’m glad to take that extra step to prevent a big, dangerous mess!

Books & Albums

All of our albums are printed on archival photo paper, which means that your portraits are crisp, vibrant, and true to color on paper that is designed to last 100+ years. Our albums have ultra thick pages, making them durable for even the littlest pair of hands in your family to turn and enjoy. My toddler looks through our family albums all the time, and I never worry about him messing them up because they are meant to be enjoyed, and there is a coating on the pages that even protects against fingerprints!

But a few tips to keep your album looking just as beautiful as the day you brought it home:

Store your album away from direct sunlight to prevent UV damage and fading.
The pages are heavy and thick. To prevent them from separating from the spine of the book, store the album flat on a shelf or a coffee table (and not standing up on its side). I stack our family albums vertically on a bookshelf, and I love seeing the colorful linen spines all facing out into the room!
Keep your album in a room where the humidity does not fluctuate too much. If it gets too humid, the pages may warp as they absorb excess moisture. If this happens, simply place a heavy object on top of the album (with a dishtowel between the album and the object for extra protection) and let it flatten out again in a room that is not too humid.
Spots of stains on the cover? Wipe it down with a damp, white cloth.

Matted Portraits & Collection Boxes

These portraits are meant to be displayed under glass or acrylic glazing, so find a few of your favorite frames and pop them in around the house! The mat protects the portrait from touching the glass, and it is made from acid free paper to prevent any damage to the photograph over time.

You can also store your matted portraits inside the collection box when they are not on display. Be sure to keep them in a room that is not too humid.

The most important tip for caring for your artwork?

Put it somewhere where you can enjoy it every day!

Choose a spot that will bring a smile to your face when you see it — in the living room over the mess of toys, at the top of the stairs to look at after a long day, over your little one’s crib to enjoy at bedtime. Put your album on a low shelf in your living room with other favorite family books to encourage little ones to enjoy it with you, and don’t tuck anything away out of reach. Out of sight, out of mind, right? And I don’t want you to forget about these beautiful memories we created together!

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