Clients often ask me what size photo print they should buy, and the answer depends on their intended use. If you want to send a print to grandma by mail then a 5x7 or 8x10 is probably fine, but if you wish to display a print in your home those are going to be too small to have the impact that wall art should have. A family photo, your child's senior photo, or even a multi-generational image should have an emotional and visual impact in your home. It should be something you notice, not walk by.
I refer to anything smaller than 11x14 as a "gift print" because it will be printed for sharing, or sitting in a frame on grandma's table or your office. I recommend a minimum of 16x20 for a family photo you intend to hang, just so you can see your loved ones' faces (even if that loved one is your family dog or cat!). If you ara going to put it over a fireplace consider a larger print, or maybe a set of two or three prints that let you trigger the emotion of the time it captures.
To help you decide, and before you meet to make your purchase, I suggest you take snapshots of the room, hallway, or stairs where you are considering for a print. If you tape a sheet of copy paper on the wall before you photograph it, your photographer can scale the images and preview them for you (see below). A standard fireplace mantel is roughly six feet across and if you order an 8x10 print it will look like a postage stamp when you hang it.
