How to pick the ideal print size for your team pictures

This oughta be simple.

But for some reason, it's not.

I'm talking about photo print sizes. And I can relate to how you might feel overwhelmed when it comes to picking the ideal choice.

Let's talk about getting you the ideal print size from team picture day.

Visit just about any photography business's website, and there's an over-abundance of options. Or walk through the aisles of a Michael's store, and it's easy to get stressed out with all the choices of frames and colors and sizes.

It's all right. I've been where you are. And I can help.

I didn't start Creative Sports Photography to stress anyone out. Quite the contrary. I want to make choosing the ideal print size for you as easy as possible.

With that, I want to offer up this easy guide to help you make the right choice of print size.

What does Creative Sports Photography offer?

When it comes to prints, it's my mission to keep things as simple as possible for parents.

You have more than enough to think about. The last thing you need is for your team photographer to complicate matters any further.

That's why when you look at the product lineup for team picture day, you basically see easy-to-understand options for everything, from print sizes to print packages and so on.

Keeping it simple is CSP's strategy when it comes to print product offers.

I base this strategy off of my own experience as a parent who has in the past gone to a photographer's website and basically threw up my hands. Not because I didn't want prints. But because I felt overwhelmed by the dozens and dozens of options.

We parents need team photographers who understand what it's like to be us. I certainly do because I'm a parent of young athletes too.

When it comes to prints for team picture day, CSP offers the following sizes:

• A packet of four wallet-size prints

• 5x7"

• 10x13"

• 16x20"

The first step to choosing the ideal print size

There's a step to take before choosing the perfect print size.

It's this - where do you want those prints to go?

Are they a gift meant to stick on a surface like a refrigerator?

Do you want them frame and standing on a table or night stand?

Or do you want them framed and hanging on a wall?

The first step to ordering the perfect print is knowing where it will go in your house or office.

That's where it all begins. Intention matters because without just a little, easy planning you could end up with the wrong size. Nobody wants that.

Think about it and then let's head to the next step.

The small but mighty

The wallet-size prints have a clear purpose. They are meant to be handed out, a little gift to a grandparent or family member.

You might be thinking, well, who carries a wallet anymore? I've asked myself that question many times. But the truth is the wallet-size prints are quite popular.

When it comes to 5x7" and 10x13" prints, they are ideal for standing in a frame on a table top, especially when you have three to five of them.

The smaller the print size the more ideal it is for standing on a table.

What you don't want to do with a 5x7" is try to hang it on a wall. A 5x7" print on a wall quickly becomes swallowed up by the space, and the portrait loses its emotional impact when it looks tiny.

That's largely true for a 10x13" print too. However, there's one exception. If you have a small wall space, then a 10x13" or a gallery of 10x13"s can work.

Great photography is meant to be printed large

I've yet to find any parent or player who receives a 16x20" print of their portrait and not have their breath taken away.

And to be honest, every time I create a portrait with Creative Sports Photography, I do so with a poster-size print in mind.

I'm ambitious, what can I say?

Go big when it comes to choosing a size for a wall print.

A 16x20" print is ideal for wall space. It's meant to be a conversation starter, an eye-catching feature of a room, a quicken-the-pulse experience when you look at it for the first time and the 100th time.

Your child or teen wants to look heroic as an athlete, and that's what I aim for in athlete portraiture. It's hard to look heroic in a 5x7" print.

But a 16x20" poster? Watch their face, their eyes, their smiles when they see themselves in that size print.

One more thing to consider

Athlete portraits are done in one of two orientations - horizontal and vertical.

Choosing the right orientation comes down to a simple consideration of wall space.

If you have a narrow wall space and you want the room to feel more expansive, choose a horizontal print.

If, however, you have a wide wall space but want the room to feel taller, choose a vertical print.

Bonus suggestion to make you into a gallery superstar

Wanna impress your friends and family with a serious wall gallery of your family's athlete?

Think in odd numbers.

Odd number pairings when it comes to wall or table galleries are pleasing to the eyes.

For some reason, we human beings with our amazing eyes simply love and gravitate to anything visual that's arranged in numbers of 3, 6, 7, and so on.

We find odd number arrangements incredibly pleasing visually.

So if you want to create a wall gallery (or a table gallery), choose an odd number of athlete portraits.

You'll thank me for it ;-)

Ready to elevate your team picture day experience? I hope so. I know I am. Check out this link to get started and learn about how team picture day with CSP works, including pricing.

Dave Pidgeon is the owner of and chief image maker at Creative Sports Photography, an elite portrait service for athletes and teams. He's based in Lancaster, Pa., and available anywhere. You can contact him at dave@creativesportsphotography.com.