What a world we live in! Technology changes so quickly and many pieces of that technology that we thought would last, have gone by the wayside. Remember floppy disks?
Years ago having your portrait taken was a very big deal, too. Families dressed in their best, and the images that were taken were usually very formal and posed in the studio. On location photography was only for landscape, commercial, and real estate photographers.
Fast forward to the age we live in today and many studios have closed with the majority of portraits taken outside in a more lifestyle, casual setting. Digital cameras allow many to snap a few photos without knowing much about lighting or posing and turn out an image that to most people, is acceptable.
But, how many of you have lost digital images due to a phone or computer crashing? How many of you actually look at your images that are stored in the cloud?
According to a study from two years ago, our society produces more images than ever before. In 2017, it was estimated that 1.2 trillion images were taken with smartphones! Can you even fathom that? Most of these digital images were shared on social media, but so many were forgotten. How many of those images will actually make it into the tangible world of prints-blots of ink that coalesce into an image on a piece of fine art cotton paper, a canvas, wood or metal substrate?
Is printing dead, or at least dying? In truth, a certain type of print has declined, but that is ok. Years back when families had their portraits taken, the only way to get your images was to print them. Photographers did not hand over their negatives! Or, if families had their own cameras and took images, they would often drop their prints off at the 24 hour film service store because that was all they had. Many images were still taken and destined for shoeboxes or photo albums where they would live until the family decided to view them again.
And, when they did view them, they recalled to mind all the memories that those photos had. They enjoyed a bonding time with their loved ones, laughing, crying, and reliving the moments. That is what prints are all about. It is not the paper, canvas, wood, or metal that the image is printing on, but rather the memory that comes to mind when it is seen.
Another thing to keep in mind is this-how many of you have boxes of old prints from your parents or grandparents? Have you ever thought about how that is part of your history? Digital Images are not archival. Prints are. What happens when you have no digital images left? Will you be able to see any part of your history?
The above image is part of my history. This image was taken at Iwo Jima by a combat photographer. The two men are my uncles who I never knew because the next day they died in combat. My grandmother lost two sons that day. The print was sent to my grandmother, then my father, and now to me.
This is a tragic event, but one that I am so glad I have a print of. I never knew them, but when I see this print, I am reminded of my father, who passed away years ago. I look at this image and am happy to see my uncles laughing and looking happy the day before they died.
Will you have any pieces of your history to show your grandchildren and children?
So, is printing a thing of the past? Not at all. 48.1% of the people polled recently print their images on paper. And, that statistic does not include the professional photographers who offer printing services to their clients.
We are very happy to hear this statistic as we believe that having a tangible piece of your history; an heirloom, is extremely valuable and priceless. So, to those who print their digital images-hurrah! You are now securing a piece of your history and helping your family build a legacy through photography.
To the other 52% who do nothing with their digital images-please call us! We believe so strongly in giving our clients tangible heirlooms, that we are now offering this service to those who have digital images and a print release from another photographer. Why should your digital images live on your phones or in your computer?
We understand how busy everyone's lives can be, and often the usb drive you receive from your photographer just comes home with you and gets put in a drawer. You think, "Oh, I will get those printed someday." And, someday never comes. The usb drive that sits in a drawer, hidden from sight, is now forgotten. Out of site, out of mind.
Don't let the love you share sit in a drawer. Call us today so we can help you get your images living on the walls of your home. Statistics show that children who see their images in printed form on the walls of their home have a higher level of self esteem, feel more loved and valued, and feel like they "belong".
We offer Custom Design and Printing Services to help you on this journey at minimal cost, or no cost at all for our time. In keeping with our philosophy of only paying for what you love, you only pay for what you love. Do you want one 8x10 print? We can get that for you. How about a 16x20 canvas? No problem. Do you want an entire wall grouping designed and see how your images will look on the walls of your home? We can do that, too.
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