Where Will Your Portraits Live? 7 Beautiful Ways to Print and Display Your Photos

If you're anything like me, you have beautiful images sitting on a hard drive that you've been meaning to do something with. And I completely understand why it hasn't happened yet - life is busy, the options feel overwhelming, and honestly, the thought of losing those images to a failing device is just too sad to think about. That's exactly why I include a print credit in my packages. Because I want your favourite portraits to exist somewhere real - somewhere you can actually see them, touch them, and share them. The next question is a lovely one: how would you like to display them?

The Problem With Photos That Live on Hard Drives

​Devices fail. It happens. And the images you captured of your children at that particular age, your family as it is right now, or a loved one who is no longer here - those aren't replaceable. Printing isn't just about decoration. It's about making sure those moments actually last.
I also know that the world of print options can feel a little confusing if you haven't explored it before. So I want to walk you through some products I offer, so you can find what feels right for your home, your style, and your family.

7 Ways to Print and Display Your Portraits

1. Prints From a Professional Lab
​This is a wonderful starting point, and often the most flexible option. Professional lab prints are often sized in inches rather than centimetres, which makes it easy to find ready-made frames that fit beautifully.
Common sizes to look for:

• 6x4 inch - perfect for framing or gifting
• 5x7 inch - lovely on a bedside table or bookshelf
• 8x10 inch - a classic display size for any room
• Larger sizes can be taken to a framer for a more custom finish

Multi-image print packs are more economical and are a gorgeous option if you're thinking about gifting portraits to grandparents or building up a little collection for yourself or for making your own albums.

2. Fine Art Calendars
​These are nothing like the glossy, commercial calendars you might remember from years past. Printed on thick fine art paper and elegantly designed, a fine art calendar displays your favourite 12 images from your session - one for each month - in a way that feels genuinely beautiful. It's a wonderful way to live with your portraits throughout the year.

3. Albums
​Imagine having a fine art album made each year as your children grow. Lay flat albums with linen covers are both easy and fun to design - and if you'd prefer, I'm happy to do a complimentary design for you.
You can include many, if not all, of the images from your gallery. Make your favourites full page, or add up to 12 thumbnails. There are lots of page layout designs, and you simply drag your images in. A finished album is beautiful on a coffee table, tucked into a bookshelf, or kept as an heirloom to pass on to your children one day.

4. Folios
​A folio is two or three of your favourite images mounted behind archival mat board with a linen finish. They're beautiful on a bedside table, a desktop, or a bookcase. They also work as a premium, archival way to store a portrait that really means something.
Here's a thought I find quite moving: imagine your children or grandchildren finding a beautiful linen folio, opening it, and discovering a stunning studio portrait of you.

5. Folio Boxes
​Folio boxes hold a collection of your favourite matted portraits together. The ones I use come in linen (holding 10 images) or wood (holding 20 images), with a window at the front so one portrait is always on display - and you can swap it out whenever you like.
They can sit upright (portrait or landscape) on any display surface, shelf, or bookcase, or lie flat on a coffee table. It's a flexible, beautiful way to keep a whole collection of portraits in one place.

6. Custom Framing
​Custom framing is one of my favourite options, partly because you don't have to do it all at once. You can add to a gallery wall every year - a new favourite family photo, or portraits of the kids as they grow.
Some of the options I love:

• Framed with or without a mat
• A collage frame with two or more images together
• A beautifully framed torn-edge print, where the print floats on the mat board inside the frame - this one has such a soft, artistic quality
• A torn-edge circle print inside a circle mat in a square frame - this is particularly lovely for a portrait of a newborn, baby, child, or pet...

7. Canvas Prints
​Canvas is a more affordable option for wall art than custom framing, which means you can go bigger for less. If you have a large wall that needs a statement piece, a canvas can fill that space beautifully without the same investment as a fully custom framed piece. It's a practical, striking option that works really well for a single hero image.

​Why Printing With Your Photographer Makes a Difference

This is something I feel strongly about. When you print with me, I'm making sure that what you receive actually looks stunning - because I care about how these images come out in the world, not just how they look on my screen.
The gallery system I use allows me to work with different professional labs for different products, so each product is prepared and calibrated to look its very best. And with a print shop built right into your gallery, you can browse, swap images around to see which one looks best in a particular product, and place your order from home - yes, even in your pyjamas.
If you'd like a little help, I'm always just an email away. Or you're very welcome to come back to the studio and look at anything on my big screen before you order. I want you to feel completely confident about what you're choosing, and I can't wait to see what you print.

​Your Images Deserve to Be Seen

A portrait sitting on a hard drive is a portrait waiting to be lost. Whether it's a canvas in the hallway, an album on the coffee table, or a linen folio your grandchildren will one day open with wonder - your photographs deserve to live somewhere real.
If you'd like to know more about the family or portrait photography at my North Perth studio or your favourite Perth location, please get in touch. I'd love to help you find the perfect way to display your portraits and make sure the images you love are around for a very long time.

Juliette Scott Photography in Perth