PhotoWise Calgary

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  • 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 Deterioration: What Can Be Done?

    Photo Deterioration: What Can Be Done?

    Protecting Your Precious Photos From Deteriorating

    Sunlight. It can be a photographer’s best friend and a photograph’s worst enemy. Sensibly, photographers like having their subjects well-lit and natural sunlight helps to make for bright and beautiful pictures. However, no photographer would ever like to have his or her developed photos spend time in the sun. The same sunshine that helped to provide the perfect lighting for photos is often a culprit in the dulling and deterioration of their prints.

    How do photos deteriorate over time?

    Sunlight is far from the only enemy of your precious photographs. Photo prints, as well as negatives, are created with the use of chemical dyes that are sensitive to light, humidity and changes in temperature. The chemicals used to create the images are subject to fading, turning yellow and even cracking when the photos are placed in direct sunlight. (side note: This is why we recommend only framing copies of photos – not the originals – to hang on your household walls!)

    Dust, dirt, even natural oil residue from our fingers when handling our prized photo collections can contribute to their deterioration. Therefore, it’s important to consider the ways in which we store our photos. We often use shoeboxes, bins and non-photosafe albums to house our pictures and then store them away in the downstairs closet, garage, basement or other out-of-sight locations.  We assume that these photos are stored away safely, but the truth is that our homes don’t always provide safe havens for old photos.

    Now that the summer is here, high humidity levels can wreak havoc on photos that are piled on top of each other in your hidden shoeboxes or inside “magnetic” sticky albums. The added moisture in the air causes the prints to stick together or to the album pages and the damage can be extensive if the quality of air in the home is also poor.  Also, if any little critters are creeping around your basement and getting into the storage spaces containing your photos, you might find pictures that have deteriorated at excelled rates! (The adhesive in those old albums is delicious to some bugs and rodents.)

    What can be done to protect your one-of-a-kind photos from deteriorating over time?

    One simple option is to utilize the wonderful technology of photo digitization. By digitizing your cherished photos, you have the added benefit of being able to digitally restore them! Scanned photos offer security through safe multi-location back up and assures them of long-lasting lives.

    What are the top reasons to have your photographs digitized?

    In addition to protecting your cherished memories from becoming faded scraps of paper, digitizing your photos is a great way to preserve memories in the event that you lose your original prints. We don’t often think about the possibilities of fire, flood or divorce but these are just a few of the circumstances that can cause families to lose their one-of-a-kind photos. Digitally restoring your old photo album pictures will ensure that they are protected from fading and other damage before it’s too late!

    photo deterioration caused by stack of thick photo albumsAs well, those old “magnetic” photo albums that require you to stick photos on adhesive-laden pages don’t protect the images – they destroy them. Will you allow me to give you just one piece of advice today that will instantly make your photos safer?  Remove your photos from those sticky albums immediately. If you find they are really stuck and begin to tear when you attempt to remove them – contact me for help!

    PhotoWise offers Photo & Document Scanning to help you organize, preserve and enjoy your cherished photo collection. We happily give families the peace of mind in knowing that their fondest memories will be preserved forever and ready to share with the next generation. Contact us to find out how we can protect your precious photos from deteriorating today!

  • 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!