Memories are worth printing

Years ago I had a film camera which was a Canon AEI and in those days you took a few rolls of 36 images, got them printed and then put your photos into an album.  These days everybody takes photos whether that's with their iPhone, iPad, point and shoot camera or Digital SLR.  They say that this is the generation with the most images ever however in years to come those images will no longer be around.  They are stored on phones, computers and these things break, get lost or the technology gets replaced.  I still have a couple of VHS videos in my garage.  Here is an article about the Lost Generation.

I do have a couple of Photography Projects that I print each year however I am way behind in my year books however it's something that I have come to live with and something I am chipping away at.

I recently came across an app for your phone called "Keepsake" where you can order a framed print direct from your phone in a couple of minutes and have it shipped to your door within 7 days.  This is the website if you want to check it out.  While is not necessarily frugal, ordering a framed print while I'm enjoying a coffee at home is fantastic.  There are different frames to choose from and different shape frames so the price will depend on what you choose.  Postage is included in the price so when you take that into account and the fact that it's professionally framed and ready to hang it's a great service.  They even include a picture hook for you to put in the wall and hang your print straight away.  The print was here within a week and it was wrapped with bubble wrap and in a cardboard package so totally protected for delivering interstate.

As it's professionally framed you can't swap the picture out yourself however you get a much better quality piece of art to hang immediately.  The app is simple and user friendly and I was done ordering in a couple of minutes.  The frames are made in Melbourne and shipped locally.  My picture was $49 so if you deduct say $10 for postage that's $39 and for that you get a professionally framed piece.  Alternatively you could spend 30 mins in Harvey Norman ordering a print and have to come back to collect it.  Then you can either get a frame from Harvey Norman or go to another store and collect a frame which could take another hour then dig around in your kitchen drawer for a picture hook.  You then have to put the print in your frame and hope that it's the right size and use sticky tape to keep it from slipping in the frame.  That, or spend 2 minutes on your phone and order a gift for yourself or someone else.

You can actually order a print for someone else as a "gift" and get it shipped directly to them with a note.  I would totally use this service again.

I think as a gift this would be amazing like Grandparents presents a pic of them with the Grandkids.  Someone's birthday, leaving work any type of celebration where you can give them a piece of artwork.  A few years back my sister gave her friend (our old neighbours) a photo of them together on their push bikes when they were about 10 years old in a little frame.  It was such an amazing gift for her 50th Birthday and the memory and the clothing and the types of bikes they were riding just took you back to your childhood.  Currently you can only use images from your iPhone and not directly download a photo from your computer to the website in Australia yet.  I believe that is coming.  My better photos are on my computer which is why this would interest me.

I think having framed family memories on your wall rather than on your phone or computer makes so much more sense and this was so quick and easy.  The original photo had our hands cut off and it's probably not the best photo, however it's one that I love and I have hung it up in the kitchen because I spend a lot of time here and see it every day.