What is guaranteed to go up in value? Photographs.

Looking around the apartment, I think about all the things we've bought. All the things we thought were essential.

All the things we are taught are essential.

Not many of these items go up in value – in fact many of these expensive things – big and small – will be tossed in a matter of years, or put on Craigslist for a tenth of the price we've paid for them. We just had to throw out a surround sound system after about 4 years' use.

In addition, a lot of the things we spend money on daily are gone within minutes, like that takeaway coffee you're holding right now. Those little things add up.

But photographs and family albums?

They will never be thrown out.

They will grow more and more valuable as life goes on.

They are the thing anyone would grab, if their house was on fire.

This is a gentle reminder that not only are photo sessions valuable, but they are a waste of money unless the pictures are printed.

For the price of just one fancy $5 coffee, you could print twenty 4x6 prints from a decent photo lab.  Instead of "investing" in a surround sound system in your living room, you could hire that photographer whose work you admire daily on Instagram.

Pictures from San Francisco Bay Area client homes – it makes me truly happy when I see their pictures in print. As long as I know the kiddos will have those tangible prints, I don't care whether they are ordered through me or consumer labs. I warmly recommend Nations Photo Lab's lustre prints – I use them when I want to order large batches of 4x6 personal photos that aren't going up on the wall.