Caring
for your photographs
Oh I hope you LOVE your gorgeous photographs!
By documenting these moments, you have given a gift to your children, your grandchildren and their grandchildren. You have given yourself a gift too; in a year or ten or fifty you will hold these photographs in your hands and you will be drawn back into that moment. Every detail, every sound, every fragrance, every touch. The connection, the interaction, the emotions.
Here’s how you can care for your prints, wall art, home art, albums and digital photographs so they are in the same condition in a decade or five as they are today…
Digital photographs on your USB . . .
BACK IT UP || Please treasure this USB but do keep in mind that technology can fail or accidents can happen, so I do require every client to back up the digital photographs that are on their Kirra Photography USB. Back it up multiple times. I recommend a cloud based service like Dropbox or Google Drive as well as a hard-drive or a computer.
Personally, I back up all the photographs and videos of my loved ones to three places – Dropbox, my computer and an external hard-drive that I keep at my parents property.
It’s a great idea to keep your cherished moments in multiple places! It insures you against loosing the USB, breaking the USB, technology failing, robbery, accidents likes fires and floods, unintentionally deleting a photograph and much more!
COMPUTER SAFETY || When connecting your USB to a computer or laptop, ensure that you eject it safely before you remove it. Don’t ever keep a USB in a computer or laptop as it can easily be knocked and broken.
KEEP IT SAFE || Cherish this USB by storing it in a safe, dry place away from moisture. Your keepsake box is designed with a place just for your USB and is the perfect place to keep it.
PRINT || Your photographs are high resolution and suitable for printing. Kirra Photography does not guarantee the printing of your photographs if choose to print them through a company that is not Kirra Photography’s professional lab. A significant amount of work and technical knowledge goes into the creation of your photographs, including the colour which is perfectly profiled to our professional printing lab. Each lab has a different colour profile, as well as using different inks, paper and printing machines. Each of these – colour profile, inks, paper and machines – all have an incredible impact upon your prints. You know the saying “you get what you pay for?” Well that is exactly true with printing! A lab where you are paying cents for a print will not have the quality or expertise that you and these photographs deserve.
The professional lab that prints our photographs uses museum grade art paper, the highest quality inks, the most comprehensive colour profile and printing machines that truly ingrain the ink in a way that means your prints will last.
Your torn edge art prints . . .
My favourite childhood memories are sitting in front of the heater in my grandmas lounge room on a winters evening after Sunday roast with old photographs spread around and hearing stories about each one. Do you remember those old photographs? They felt like thick paper, nearly cardboard. They had a beautiful texture and weren’t glossy. They looked like they did the day they were printed. Your torn edge art prints are of this amazing quality and there’s a few easy things you can do to maintain this.
HOLD THEM || When holding your prints, I don’t want you to have to wear special white gloves (though you can if you wish!). Your prints are there to be loved, to be held. We don’t want them marked though! So before holding them, wash your hands and make sure they are dry. Don’t have any food, drinks, paints, pens or playdoh near the prints.
STORE THEM || Avoid dust or damage by storing your prints in a safe, dry place. Your keepsake box is especially designed for your prints to be cherished. Your prints can also be put into photo frames. Try to avoid keeping your prints (and glass) in direct sunlight.
Your framed wall art . . .
Gosh nothing compares to having your photographs displayed on your walls. Not only do they look amazing, but the psychological benefits – especially for children – is just incredible! But that’s a whole other story for another day!
HANG || When hanging your print, it’s best to use two heavy duty hooks and when putting the hooks into the wall, make sure to use a stud finder! Having two people when hanging can also make it so much easier and avoid any accidents like dropping the frame.
CLEANING || We love to keep our framed wall art clean and all that’s needed is a light dusting. Do not use sprays or products! If absolutely needed, use a teeny bit of water on a microfibre cloth. To avoid finger prints when handling the frame, white cotton gloves are handy (see what I did there haha)
TRAVEL || If you need to move your framed wall art, like when moving house, use lots of bubble wrap to keep your frame safe from damage. It is also ideal to place it in a separate box where it cannot be thrown around or have weight placed on top.
Your wooden home art . . .
Your wooden home art is so unique! It can be displayed in many ways – hang it on the wall; display it on an easel; or it can be freestanding. The texture is so beautiful, the wood just peeking though. Here’s some ways you can love your art so it’s just as beautiful in decades to come!
HANG || If you choose to hang your wooden home art, use a heavy duty hook and be careful of where you hang it on your wall – a stud finder can help. It is much easier to have two sets of hands so your art doesn’t end up dropped on the floor! And don’t hang your wall art outside; I know it has such natural elements but it’s definitely an inside lover!
CLEAN || A light dusting is all that’s needed. Do not use sprays or products! If absolutely needed, use a teeny bit of water on a microfibre cloth. Your home art’s unique texture can scratch, so avoid dragging anything across it.
TRAVEL || If you are moving house or need to store your wooden home art, use lots of bubble wrap to keep it safe from damage. It is also ideal to place it in a separate box where it cannot be thrown around or have weight placed on top.
Your album . . .
Oh so much love goes into the creation of your album. From the design to the hand printing and binding – it’s overflowing with love and passion.
This album will be an heirloom in your family. Your family, through every generation, will gather around it’s pages and immerse themselves in the photographs. They, and you, will be drawn into the moments with senses ignited… the sounds, the sights, the fragrance, the feelings, the emotions. The connection and interaction! Oh this album!
LOVE IT || This album is meant to be loved. You don’t have to wear white cotton gloves, though it can definitely protect your album from damage and make it last longer. If you choose to not wear gloves, make sure to wash your hands beforehand and dry them completely. Don’t have any liquids or foods near the album – including pens and paint! Laying your album on a flat surface when viewing the pages will support the covers. When turning a page, go slowly and gently.
CLEAN IT || Your album won’t need much, or any, cleaning. If ever needed, only dust with soft, dry, lint-free cloth. Do not spray or use products on it.
STORE IT || Always store your album laying flat on a clean surface or in a protective box. Don’t stand it up and keep it in the dark, away from extreme heat or humidity, direct sunlight or any moisture.