Welcome to the holidays! And let me guess, you are bombarded right now from every angle of different things to buy for the holidays for all your loved ones. I know I am.

I can’t even read my book without having advertisements thrown my way thanks to the Kindle, but when people ask me what I want for Christmas, most the time I shrug and don’t really have an answer.

You know why? Because, for the most part, when there is something I want, I go out and buy it. Unless it’s really frivolous or way expensive, I usually take care of it myself, and I feel like most people do the same. So it makes gift giving hard, as most of us already have the things we want (product wise at least).

Because of that,  I’m always a proponent of gifting things that either create memories or share memories. Because at the end of the day (and life if we want to get dark with it), it’s the people, the experiences and the memories that matter…. not the new gloves or the current cool movie which will be remembered.

This is why I think giving the gift of a photographic print from a memory you cherish with that person will always be more powerful and cherished. Here are my top 10 reason why to give a gift of a print for the holidays if you still are unsure 🙂 

My top 10 reasons to give a gift of prints for the holidays

10.  A print will always be there.

You don’t need electricity, a device or a screen to remember the moment. And it won’t be lost in the masses that is your camera roll.

9. This memory will stay strong

Let’s be honest; we are busy busy folks. And we document all things, but the silly thing is that we actually remember less of what we are doing (because our brain is multitasking taking the photo instead of focusing on experiencing the moment). So, create a print of you and grandma laughing together. I promise you, she will treasure that more than any scarf you could buy.

8. It’s a way of honoring your relationship.

Creating a print of a memory you have with your friend or family, putting it in a nice frame and sharing that memory shows how much you honor them and your relationship. You can see where they put the framed print in their home to see how much they honor you!

7. Print 2!

Do yourself a favor and print two when you make a print for a gift! One for them and one for you. This way you not only give them a gift of remembering the moment, but you get to remember it and honor it too!

6. Makes them smile 🙂 

The reason we capture all that we do is that we want to remember it. We want to remember how it feels to be in that moment at that time. Prints do that, and that makes us smile. The best part is, it will make them smile every time they look at the print and remember that moment.

5. Creates legacy

Next time you go to your grandparent’s house, look at their wall or stairwell and you’ll see family photos going back generations. For some reason (called the digital age) this doesn’t happen much anymore. Add to that legacy by sharing a print to their legacy wall. Or even better, create one of your own!

4. To be remembered

You want that moment to be remembered, your friendship/love/happiness/the list goes on… 

3. To stand out

Because it isn’t done anymore. Want to stand out from the crowd? Make a print, put it in a frame and give it to your best friend.

2. To decorate the house

Photographs are one of my favorite ways of decorating the house. Adding little bits of personality to show who lives there. Holidays are a great time, but also after any move is a great time to gift prints!

1. The extra effort and thought will be appreciated more than the “buy now” button amount of effort of the “stuff” 

We live in a “stuff” world. You should just see the crazy that is my kids play room. It’s full of stuff that they rarely play with (no matter how frustrating that is to me!) But giving a print and a memory shows you thought about what you wanted to give, what you remembered and how important they are to you. So much more than a quick Amazon search and pressing “buy now”.

So there you have it! My top 10 reasons to give a gift of prints for the holidays! Now, where do you print them you wonder? Well, that’s great because I’ll be tackling that next post!

Plus side is if you’ve worked with me with your wedding or portrait this year and want to order a print for any of the reasons above, then go find your gallery at client.rebeccaellison.com and at check out use the code XMAS2017 for 35% off any print order.  Order before 12/10 for Xmas delivery!