Why your photos shouldn't stay on a hard drive (and how to give them a home)
How many sessions end up in a folder nobody opens? A printed photo gets looked at, touched and passed down. Here's how to go about it.
Getting ready- A digital file is easily lost: a new phone, a failed hard drive, a forgotten account.
- An album is shared with others, passed down, and travels through generations.
- Start small: three framed prints and one album are enough to change how you live with your photos.
I often think about my grandparents' photos: a few slightly yellowed prints, kept in a box. There aren't many, but each one is precious. Today, we have thousands of photos, and paradoxically, we look at far fewer of them. They sleep in phones, on USB sticks, in folders nobody opens anymore.
The problem with digital photos
A phone gets lost or broken. A hard drive fails. An online account is forgotten, a subscription ends. And even when the files are neatly organized, we almost never look at them. A photo is there to help us remember: if we never see it, it isn't doing its job.
What a printed photo changes
A photo on the wall, you walk past every day. An album, you leaf through together, show the kids, bring out on birthdays. An image also stirs memories beyond what it shows: a smell, a sound, the warmth of a day. That's why I believe in albums so much.
You received your gallery, you loved it… and you haven't done anything with your photos in two years.
Set yourself a small goal: choose three images to frame this weekend, and order an album before the end of the month. Or ask me to help you with the selection: that's often the part where people get stuck.
Album or prints?
- An album tells a story from beginning to end. It's ideal for a wedding, a pregnancy followed by a birth, a year in the life of your family.
- Framed prints bring your walls to life. Choose one strong image for the living room, and more intimate ones for the bedroom or hallway.
- Small prints make lovely gifts: for grandparents, witnesses, godparents.
Picture a family who did a maternity session and then a newborn session. They bring both together in one album, and order two small albums for the grandparents. Years later, that's the book the child will go and pull off the shelf on their own to see “when I was tiny.”
To keep your files safe
Don't try to print everything. Choose the images that move you, not necessarily the most “perfect” ones. Those are the ones you'll want to see again.
Frequently asked questions
Why should you print your photos?
Because digital files are easily lost and rarely looked at. A printed photo is seen every day, shared and passed down.
Album or prints: which should you choose?
An album tells a complete story (a wedding, a birth, a year with your family); framed prints bring your walls to life. The two go hand in hand.
Want to talk about your session?
Tell me about your plans: I reply personally, with advice tailored to your date and location.
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