Why You Should Get Prints of your Photos

I stumbled upon a great blog article on the Internet a few days ago that talked about the importance of turning those digital files into prints. I really thought I had bookmarked it to come back to later, but it appears I no longer have the link to the article or the name of the author. However, his post really got me thinking. He pointed out that most digital photos never get printed, something like 80% I believe. That includes personal snapshots and professional photos. It has become popular for clients to request digital images in lieu of ordering prints and most photographers are offering them now because clients are requesting them. It may seem like a good idea to purchase the CD. After all, you will have the files to print at your leisure by the printer of your choice. But there are a couple down sides to storing your photos as digital files. One is simply procrastination. I am guilty of this myself. I really intend to get those photos of my kids printed someday.

The biggest downside, according to the article, is technology itself. The author tells a story sometime in the future. The grand kids are digging through old family treasures and wondering where the family photos are. They stumble upon a bunch of shiny round things with holes in the middle. When they ask their mother about them, she tells them all the family photos are stored on those shiny discs, but they can no longer access them. The children are no doubt sad because this part of their family history is lost. The author makes a valid point with his story. Technology changes fast. The floppy disk has become obsolete. Photography itself has been dramatically changed. Only a very few die hards still use film. By the time today's young parents become grandparents, the CD may very well be obsolete, too. Take the time to order prints of your most cherished digital images so they are not lost to technology's changes. Frame them, make an album out of them, pile them into a box, but get them printed! Of course, the grand kids could frame the Cd's. Now that would be quite the family heirloom.