If you lost your phone today, OR, if your profile on FB or Instagram mysteriously disappeared, would you still have back-ups of your photos?

Maybe this subject is at the forefront of my mind this week due to the SCARE I had last week at “almost” losing my own cell phone. Want to guess at my first thought? Yep, you’re right. I FIRST AND FOREMOST thought of the recent photos I took of our Napa day-trip to see Jordan (our son) up on his college campus…and Tori, on her first day of “real work” after graduating…and oh, yeah, the family photos we just took for fun!

We live in a day and age where everything that matters to us in the form of photos lives and breathes inside of our cell phones and in “virtual albums” on Facebook and Instagram. I think we’ve gotten comfortable with thinking that our photos are saved in these so-called albums inside of our social networks. Yes the social networks are giants and it seems that they will always be there. But there have actually been people that have lost their entire profiles with no explanation and I always think, “boy I hope they have backups of their photos!”

But never mind the scare tactic at losing your photos—beyond that, imagine the pure fun of an authentic real photo in your hand! Yes, this is becoming a lost experience because we are viewing our images on each other’s cell phones! Yes, yes, I know. This is the “digital age”, Teri. And not only embrace it, I love it. BUT. Yes, there is a but.

There is NOTHING like holding one of these memory books filled with your own favorite Instagram photos in your hands.  Or opening up a collection of your best photos in the form of amazing printed poloraoids! Not to mention an entire photo book (think “mini” or “maxi”—depending on your display preference) of the recent day trip you took with your fiends or family to the beach, cabin or theme park.

How? Enter in the amazing and fabulous resources that are available to print out your photos in a variety of ways.

You’ll find miniature and full-size photo albums as well as retro Polaroids and miniature prints together with stickers and fun little this-and-thats. Recently I created a small memory book out of an entire year of my Instagram posts. Everyone in the family loves this little book!

Here are a list of resources to check out for your own photo-print-adventure:

• CanvasPop – Those filtered photos are worthy of an at-home gallery. Create a high-resolution 12-inch square or 20-inch square stretched canvas print for the temporary price of $30 and $60, respectively. Buy multiple canvases for an artful wall vignette.
• SocialPrintStudio – The company offers multiple ways to print Instagram photos, but the 20- by 40-inch posters will make the most stunning addition to a living room wall. Between 50 to 400 photos are arranged in a clean grid on thick, archival paper for $25.
• Blurb – Haven’t looked at a photo album in a while? Blurb brings back what now seems like an antiquated way of sharing photos with a modern, Instagram twist. Softcover books with 20 pages of Instagram photos runs $11 and a hardcover is $22.
• Postagram – A fun way to show people you’re thinking of them, Postagram mails a postcard with popout Instagram photo and message to friends for $0.99 each. A thoughtful alternative to a birthday ecard!
• Instagoodies – Print books of one-inch stickers of your favorite Instagram photos. Attach stickers to the computer monitor, phone case, or wallet for a quick flash of happiness.
• Sticky9 – Take a cue from your mom and turn your refrigerator into bragging grounds for your works of art. For $15, Stickygram makes a set of nine photo magnets from your favorite images.
• TeenyTile – As the name implies, TeenyTile crafts two-inch tiles from your Instagram pics for sticking on your fridge (thanks to the included adhesive magnet), or whatever you choose to create with them. Each tile is priced at $4.
• Artflakes – Images get sticky with this company that takes your regular Instagram pics and whips them into vinyl 4-inch stickers. Buy them up in packs of 10 ($21), 25 ($42), or 50 ($63)
• Casetagram – Create a custom iPhone 6/6S case with this company that prints your Instagram on a slim-fitting shell. You can customize how your pics are arranged, then Casetagram prints them on a white or transparent case for $35.

So there you have it—so many fun and amazing ways to print and enjoy your instagram images and your cell phone pictures.

(the immediate above images from SocialPrintStudio)

By the way, YES, I am a professional photographer and I want you come to me of your professional portraits—but real talk, I want you to DOCUMENT your life in photos that you print and keep for memories because these are the tangible memories that you’ll treasure years from now. Cell phones? Hmmmm. Who knows where that technology is headed, right? Printed photos are REAL.