How Displaying Your Photographs Boosts Self-Esteem
There's a study I think about a lot. Researchers found that children who grow up in homes with family photographs displayed on the walls develop stronger self-esteem and a more grounded sense of who they are. Not because the photos are beautiful — but because they're there. Because they're visible. Because they say, without a single word: you belong here. We are proud of you. You are part of this.
Professor Geoff Beattie from the University of Manchester described photographs as a kind of societal glue — something that cements us into our networks and helps children understand where they fit in the family. For kids, looking at photos of themselves isn't vanity. It's identity formation. It's learning the story they're a part of.
A clinical social worker named Cathy Lander-Goldberg put it simply: displaying photos in your home sends the message that your family and the people in it matter to each other.
I think about this every time I deliver a gallery.
Because here's the thing — digital files sitting in a folder on your desktop don't do this work. A photo on a screen, however beautiful, doesn't stop a child mid-sprint through the hallway. It doesn't catch their eye at breakfast. It doesn't quietly, daily, tell them the story of who they are and where they came from.
A print on the wall does.
“Displaying photos prominently in the home sends the message that our family and those in it are important to one another, and we honor the memories we have experienced.”
You receive all the digital files from your session. I want you to use them — not just save them. Print the ones that matter. Put them somewhere your kids will see them every single day without even trying to.
That's the whole point
Want to know more about what to do with your images after your session? Read The Art of Family Photography or reach out—I'm happy to help you figure out what to print and where.