PhotoWise Calgary

Category: Calgary Photo Books

Articles on the topic of custom professional Photo Books and personalized Photo Albums in Calgary, Alberta from the ‘Your Memories Matter’ blog

  • Cherishing The Memory Of Loved Ones You’ve Lost

    Cherishing The Memory Of Loved Ones You’ve Lost

    Throughout my life, I have cherished my cameras…

    I’d be willing to say that the camera is one of – if not the greatest – technological invention. Upon its creation, the camera began capturing our life moments, allowing us to hold on to our memories and learn about our ancestors in ways we never could before. They say “a picture is worth a thousand words” and that “the camera never lies” (Photoshop however….. 😉 ). These aren’t just whimsical idioms. They are true statements.

    In fact, I think it’s safe to say that they may even be understatements. Pictures, I’d submit, are worth a lot more than a thousand words. They preserve memories that enable us to recall stories and time periods of our lives that can last for hours. This is especially true when those stories are about our lost loved ones.

    Nothing feels worse that coping with the loss of a loved one.

    Although each and every one of us is guaranteed a life that will end at some point, this in itself does not lessen the pain. It hurts. We miss our grandparents, parents, friends, pets, and the many other relationships that effectively end when those individuals pass away. Naturally, we’ll always miss them and recall the happier times when they were here.

    However, it’s the pictures that contain their images that help us to truly hold on to their memories. Yes, they can initiate a bout with tears. But what would we do without those pictures? I truly cherish the photographs I’ve taken of the people and pets I’ve lost in my life. The pictures mean so much to me, as they represent various times in my life when I experienced such joy with the people I loved. Those moments are important. They deserve to be cherished forever.

    Cherish the memories of your lost loved ones with a professional photo book

    I feel that there’s no better way to cherish the memories of our lost loved ones than to construct Photo Books with their pictures.

    You may be wondering what makes a Photo Book any different than a photo album.  Let me begin by mentioning that a Photo Book can be compared to a coffee table book in that its pages are made up of the photographs themselves. They are high-quality, high-resolution printed pages of your photos that otherwise would experience a lot of wear and tear and other forms of deterioration throughout the years.  As opposed to heavy photo albums, people quite enjoy picking up a photobook and reminiscing over the photographs as they flip through the beautiful pages one by one.

    Photo albums don’t exactly help to prevent such deterioration.  In fact, in many cases, photo albums add to the diminishing quality of old photographs. When kept in dark and dusty places like closets and humid basements and garages, the pictures can endure degradation due to the environmental elements. Not to mention, when the photographs are handled, everything from finger smudges to the adhesive or plastic used in the photo albums can reduce their quality and increase the speed of their deterioration.

    Professional Photo Books help to preserve the quality of your precious photos for the long haul. Not to mention, they can be uniquely designed with text to tell a special version of your lost loved one’s life story. Photos are often arranged chronologically, but you always have the option of telling the story that you think best suits the person you’re commemorating.

    Please don’t hesitate to contact me today so that we can get started on a professional PhotoBook that perfectly preserves your cherished memories!

  • Photo Books Make The Perfect Holiday Gifts For Your Family

    Photo Books Make The Perfect Holiday Gifts For Your Family

    Welcome to the month of December!

    For many Canadians, this month marks the most joyous time of the year. With the holidays coming, many families are planning their get-togethers and parties and will be engaging in the annual traditions of eating hearty meals, singing carols and exchanging gifts.

    I’m willing to bet that, like most holiday seasons, you’re not entirely sure about what should be on your holiday gift list. Depending on the number of people you plan on shopping for, it can be quite the exhausting task to think of the perfect gift for everyone on your list. That’s why I’m also willing to bet that I can help you out your holiday gift ideas!

    How can all of your photos turn into the perfect holiday gift for your family?

    At PhotoWise, we proudly create one-of-a-kind Photo Books that have completely revolutionized the way photos are organized, stored and preserved. PhotoBooks, make amazing gifts for all family members as they uniquely capture your family history through vibrant collages that are created out of the photos you’ve been storing in various places for decades.

    Firstly, let’s start with all of those digital photos that are sitting on your phone, laptop, tablet and/or digital camera. Not only are they taking up all of the memory on those devices, but they’re not providing much usefulness other than the occasional swipe when showing them to friends.

    Many of those photos may have already been shared on your social media accounts. But they’re not exactly organized in a way that tells the story about the various happy moments you’ve enjoyed with your family members and friends. Not to mention, they don’t tangibly exist in a form that can be wrapped…and then unwrapped on Christmas morning!

    Secondly, let’s discuss all of those old photos you have collecting dust somewhere. You know the ones that you have tucked away in shoeboxes or are slowly deteriorating over time in those archaic photo albums? How great would it be to compile all of your most precious old pictures with the digital photos you have stored on your devices in order to create an incredible collection – all in one professionally manufactured Photo Book?

    Can you think of a family member who wouldn’t appreciate a Photo Book?

    I’m a firm believer that Photo Books are among the best ways to cherish the memories that you and your family hold so dear. Similar to coffee table books, Photo-books have pages that are made up of the photographs themselves. So, unlike photo albums, the pages of the book won’t cause any damage or produce deteriorating effects on the images.

    grandparents love to share memories over photobooks

    The Photo-books created by PhotoWise are made up of high-quality, high-resolution reprints of your photos. They preserve the quality of your cherished photos for decades to come. As well, Photo-books are generally accepted as some of the most thoughtful gifts one person can give to another. Especially when gift shopping is such a chore because of the confusion around knowing what your loved ones really want, Photo Books provide ideal gift solutions!

    Please don’t hesitate to contact me today so that we can get started on a Photo Book that will make the perfect holiday gift for your family!

  • Taking Pictures To Document Your Family History

    Taking Pictures To Document Your Family History

    Taking Pictures To Document Your Family History

    Is there anything more important than family?

    When you capture images of special occasions such as birthdays, weddings, graduations and anniversaries by taking pictures, you are documenting the legacy of your family. These are moments with stories that may be talked about for generations to come, but the images that accompany those stories are sure to keep the memories fresh.

    “Family pictures are the most precious,” believes photographer, Mary McCartney on TheGuardian.com, “I have a set of prints I carry around in my wallet of my kids, my husband and my parents. I look at those rather than writing a diary: they’re very evocative and textural and emotional, and take you back to specific moments. I change them every so often, after they get worn out.”

    family with grandparentsI recently had a conversation with a colleague about his family and how an important part of his family history was captured by photos. His grandmother passed away a couple of years ago at the age of 94. He explained that he although he was happy to have had such a strong relationship with her for so many years, he was still heartbroken because of the loss of such a beloved family member.

    He went on to explain the joy he was able to experience because of the time his grandmother was given to meet and get to know his infant daughter. The “overlap of life”, as he called it, is something he will always cherish. At the time of his grandmother’s passing, his daughter was barely a year old. This short “overlap”, however, will never be forgotten.

    “I have about three or four pictures of my grandmother and my now three year-old daughter together,” he revealed, “I don’t think that I have any photos that are more important to me than these. My grandmother’s memory was fading in her final years. But every time I visited her, she would bring up my daughter, expressing how beautiful she was. My daughter now views those pictures and knows that she is looking at ‘Great-Gran’ in those pics. I look forward to many years of telling her stories about the relative she barely knew, but loved her so much.”

    I couldn’t help but ask how and where those Grandmother/Daughter photos are displayed. My colleague informed me that they are framed and on display at his parents’ home – in the very bedroom that his grandmother used to call hers. He went on to express how he would like to have copies of those photos for himself (half-jokingly accusing his parents of swiping his favourite pictures).Toddler holding great grandmas hand

    It’s hard to recall a time when I’ve been happier to help a friend. The photo and document scanning services offered by PhotoWise ensured that these cherished photos were scanned at high resolutions and preserved in ways that he and his daughter will enjoy for the rest of his life. My personal recommendation was to create a photobook that included pictures of both his grandmother and daughter and, of course, photos of the two “overlapping” relatives together.

    Today, this custom family photobook is my colleague’s favourite personal possession!

    I invite you to contact me today to find out how we can help sort, organize and digitize your family photos to document your family history!

     

     

  • Dear Empty Nesters, I Can Help You Downsize!

    Dear Empty Nesters, I Can Help You Downsize!

    Dear Empty Nesters, I Can Help You Downsize!

    Welcome to June! It’s a wondrous month for most kids, because it represents the last month of school. For so many parents, however, it’s a time of year when they fear how crazy their homes are about to get with the kids being in them more often. Needless to say, most parents have their hands full during the summertime. That is, of course, parents of school-aged children.

    Empty nesters have the complete opposite dilemma. Their kids are all grown up and have moved out of the house, leaving them to resume lives as couples. For many parents of adult children, the transition to living without kids is a tough one. Their homes were designed to house a much larger grouping of individuals than just the two of them alone. So what to do? Many, as you are likely aware, choose to downsize.

    What makes downsizing so difficult for empty nesters?

    Most people find that they have homes full of no-longer-needed items. In other words, clutter becomes a major issue. Clearing the clutter, therefore, becomes an intimidating task. Hans Wydler and Steve Wydler lead the Wydler Brothers real estate team in Washington, D.C. They are practically experts in the field of helping empty nesters de-clutter during their downsizing processes.Close up portrait of middle aged couple over white background

    “The first three things we tell empty-nesters to do to get their home ready for market is to de-clutter, de-clutter, de-clutter,” they share in The Washington Post, “It’s amazing how many things one can accumulate over a lifetime. As we age, we also tend to hold onto things as they connect us with our past. We know first-hand. We lost our dad almost 20 years ago, and to this day, our mom still refuses to throw out any of his belongings.”

    What can help empty nesters let go of their belongings?

    A couple of months ago, I highlighted the importance of photo preservation in the PhotoWise Blog. In doing so, I pointed out that capturing images of our prized possessions is often a great (and even therapeutic) way to hold on to your cherished items. In fact, the photos can often serve as replacements of the items themselves.

    Interior designer, Kathia Emery agrees with this practice and lists it as an excellent method of overcoming the “emotional power our belongings have over us”.  As reported by Bridget A. Otto on OregonLive.com, Emery has advised many of her clients to “take photos of the things they can’t take with them — the things they might feel guilty about letting go, such as their grandfather’s chair or a family piano.”

    How can PhotoWise help empty nesters to downsize?

    One of the ways we’ve been able to help with downsizing is through our in-home Photo Organizing service.  I am happy to help you gather your photos from all of the albums, boxes, frames and nooks and crannies around your home and sort them into a nice organized and compact system.  From there we often scan these photos so that the whole family can enjoy them.

    Another option we offer to empty nesters downsizing is to create special photobooks with such titles as “Our Family Home”. In them we showcase photos that capture the various pieces of memorabilia, furniture and other belongings that used to reside in their older, much larger homes.  I had one client who took photos of each of his kid’s rooms – untouched – before they renovated so that there would always be photographic proof of how each room was personally decorated by each child before they left home.

    Dear empty nesters, let’s preserve those family keepsakes together!  Contact me today to learn more about how I can help you to downsize!

  • The Importance Of Preserving Your Children’s Artwork

    The Importance Of Preserving Your Children’s Artwork

    How to Preserve and Display Your Children’s Artwork

    In case you haven’t yet been able to tell, I’m the sentimental type. I can get misty-eyed watching romantic comedies or when someone does something thoughtful for me. That goes double when it comes to my kids! As a mother of two, I can’t tell you how many times I have had to wipe away tears of joy (“Oh my, this is so sweet…you made it for me?”) each time one of my children offered me a gift. (I’ll take the opportunity here to show you one of my favourite masterpieces my daughter made for me… bless her heart!)  daughters drawing of mother and daughter age 5

    As all parents can agree, there is no greater gift to receive from a child than one he or she created themselves. Everyday that my children came home from school with one-of-a-kind pieces of art was a special one for me. I cherished each and every one of their masterful works of art and went to great lengths to display them for all who entered my home.

    However…it didn’t take long for a problem to become apparent. There wasn’t enough wall space in my home to showcase these wonderful art pieces – and new ones kept walking in the door!

    What do parents generally do with all of their children’s art?

    Storing it all in plastic bins is a popular choice – but it doesn’t do the art much justice. (The same can be said for printed photographs, by the way…but that’s another story). Not to mention, such storage attempts will often serve to damage and decay the materials used to create the works of art. Turning your children’s work into faded, ripped and crinkled remains of once-cherished gifts is no way to honour the legacy of your young one’s efforts.

    Tiffany Doerr Guerzon of ParentMap.com hit the nail on the head by saying, “we all love the masterpieces our kids create. But if we kept it all, we’d be starring in the next season of ‘Hoarders’. Creative efforts deserve to be displayed, shared and archived, but it’s hard to keep up when your preschooler churns out multiple pieces per day.”

    What is the ideal solution for preserving the artwork created by your children?

    Appreciating our children’s artwork also increases the self esteem in our kids.  When they see a parents face light up in admiration of their work – they light up inside as well!  They feel valued and loved and an increase of self confidence! My quest to find a way to easily preserve and view my children’s drawings helped me to discover one of my most unique services. At PhotoWise, we proudly create artistic photobooks (“artbooks”, if you will…) that are complete with beautifully scanned images of your children’s precious artwork and drawings. I’ve found they are the perfect solution to the “What do I do with all of these drawings and paintings?” dilemma.

    kids art drawing with crayons

    We offer a variety of conceptual ideas for artbooks so that you may capture the history of your children’s artistic endeavours. For example, we can create artbook volumes that represent the different stages of school (ie. preschool, kindergarten, grade school) or we can split the book volumes up by age range (ie. 2-5, 5-7, 7-9). Or you could simply include the scanned images in your annual family yearbook! You certainly have options…

    At PhotoWise, we use top-of-the-line photo scanning equipment and software that offers high-speed and high-quality scanning. It enables us to professionally preserve priceless family photos, documents, certificates and children’s artwork up to 12″ x 18″. I’d be more than happy to help you sort through your favourite pieces in order to create these special artbooks that will both provide your family long-lasting enjoyment of your children’s art and save you a lot of storage space!

  • Personalized Photo Gifts Make For A Perfect Valentine’s Day

    Personalized Photo Gifts Make For A Perfect Valentine’s Day

    Photobooks Make For Perfect Valentine’s Day Gifts

    With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, I imagine that many of you are out shopping for gifts for your significant others. My hope is that your Valentine’s Day shopping isn’t of the “scrambling for something at the last minute” variety. Certainly, I can understand having a busy schedule being a reason that finding the perfect gift can be a tough task. And that’s why I’m so excited to offer a one-of-a-kind heart-melting approach to wowing the love of your life!red hearts and a valentines day gift

    Gentlemen, I have the perfect solution to your “What do I get my lovely lady?” woes. PhotoWise offers professionally designed photobooks and photo gifts to truly showcase how special your relationship is. I probably don’t have to remind you how sentimental we often get when it comes to commemorating special occasions such as Valentine’s Day and anniversaries. Photobooks and photo gifts are excellent choices for either occasion!

    It’s the romantic and sentimental choice. 😉

    You know the old saying “it’s the thought that counts”?

    Custom photobooks and photo gifts are the epitome of putting great thought into a gift!  This is because it takes some effort on your behalf to tell the story of your relationship through pictures. I’m certainly not the only one to think so. On AskMen.com, Steph Arthur agrees that what women most want as gifts for Valentine’s Day are personalized symbols of affection that show you put thought behind the gesture.

    “If you’re going to spend on her at all, spend on something original,” she advises, “Something personal, tailored to her to make her feel special. And it doesn’t have to be big. That’s the beauty about thoughtful gifts, size and cost have nothing to do with it. It’s literally just the thought that counts.”

    The best part about photobooks and photo gifts is that I make it very easy for you! I will work together with you to select the photos that you think best capture the love shared between you and your partner. I’ll even work with you on choosing a concept.

    Happy couple enjoying a photobookThe “10 Big Reasons I Love You” Book
    Step 1: Choose ten or more photos that you love of your significant other.  Step 2:  Make a written list of ten important reasons you fell in love with her. Step 3: Contact me to discuss the various options and send me your photos and list. Step 4: Voila! I will hand deliver your special one-of-a-kind gift to you and you can choose the right moment to surprise her with it!

    The Wedding Anniversary Canvas Print

    Another gift option to consider is having us turn your favourite wedding or honeymoon photo into a large canvas print that can be displayed on a wall in your home. Nothing quite says “I love you” like a huge display of the start of your life as a couple!

    Keep in mind that photobooks and photo gifts don’t just work well as Valentine’s Day gifts. They are ideal anniversary gifts as well. I point this out, especially because of the time it takes to complete the photobook package. I recommend the collection and submission of photos two months in advance of the date you wish to offer the photobook as a gift. For next year’s Valentine’s Day orders, I suggest getting the photos to us by December 1st.

    Designing custom photo albums and personalized gifts is my specialty!  Don’t hesitate to reach out to me in order to create the perfect for your wife or significant other today!

  • A Yearbook To Celebrate Your Family

    A Yearbook To Celebrate Your Family

    Year-In-Review: One Of The Best Ways To Celebrate Your Family

    Happy New Year everyone! I would like to offer you my best wishes and hopes that it will be a year that will provide you with many wonderful new memories!

    Here at PhotoWise, we’re big on preserving memories, and that’s why we offer a number of unique and special custom services that enable you to beautifully preserve your family photos and stories. (Including the family yearbook photo book!)

    We’ve just come off another wonderful holiday season and I’m willing to bet that you posed for family and friends to take photographs – as well as took a bunch of shots yourself.  After all, the holiday seasons are the biggest “photo taking” times of the year. (Those mobile phone cameras are so darn handy aren’t they?!)

    But what happens to all of those holiday photos after they’re taken?

    In years of past, the photos would usually end up in sticky photo albums, cut and glued into scrapbooks, or stored in shoeboxes. Today, they are mainly stored digitally on computers or mobile devices – spread throughout the many smartphones of the people who took the pictures. In some cases, a few of them end up on Facebook and social media but there’s never really any tangible account of the celebrations you enjoyed in each holiday season. All too often, the memories of those happy faces, activities and traditions become hazy as the photos get lost in their respective social media timelines or dropped into a miscellaneous (and eventually misplaced) folder on your computer.

    How can we help you to preserve your cherished holiday memories?

    We recommend the creation of an annual Family Yearbook!  Each year, around this time, we help our clients to collect their favourite photos from the previous year so that they can be edited, organized and exquisitely displayed in a one-of-a-kind hardcover custom photobook.  The family ‘year-in-review’ photobook is a big favourite in our family – everyone wants to turn the pages and reminisce about ‘that time when ….’ and laugh about the ‘out-take’ page that we add at the back for laughs.

    These professionally-designed yearbooks take away the frustration that often accompanies the thought of having to find the time and energy to preserve and organize your treasured photos all by yourself. In addition, the Family Yearbooks we create for our clients are excellent ways to establish priceless family heirlooms that can be passed down from generation to generation.

    Family Yearbooks are excellent ways to preserve your family traditions!  family yearbook photobook

    With our help, you can publish a professionally-bound family heirloom on a yearly basis. Our Family Yearbooks are custom-made to showcase your families traditions and celebrations.

    At PhotoWise, we pride ourselves on relieving our clients of the stress that comes with locating, sorting and organizing all of the photos that you have collected over the years. Allow us to offer you one of the greatest ways to celebrate your family, year in and year out!