Printed Photos Are Your Memories

I used to only want digital images from a photographer because I didn’t understand the difference between printing at Walmart and printing through a photographer. While I thought I was saving something, I was really losing something; the very thing I wanted in the first place – my memories. Now I am much more educated about the benefits of printing photos.

I would get my photos back from a photographer and gush over them for a good week. Then life kicked in and I got busy. Printing my photos would get pushed down my to-do list and eventually I ordered some 4×6 prints 6 months later. 

UGH.

I can’t believe I just admitted that. I had the best intentions but didn’t know where the best place to print them was. I had no idea how big an 8×10 was (i.e., tiny) and never put our beautiful memories on my walls. It’s so sad to think about! I know I’m not the only one like this and that is why I have shifted my business to providing real, tangible printed products in 2021. I still offer digital images, but they aren’t the main product of my photography anymore. Once you see your artwork in person, you’ll know exactly why. 

Benefits of Printing Your Photos

Printed Photos Are Your Memories

Think for a second about the thousands of photos on your phone. Can you remember them all? Probably not. Now think about the photos hanging in your home. You can probably picture them and remember them much better because you see them every day. These are likely the photos that mean the most to you and fill you with joy. 

They are markers of important moments in your life or moments that mean the most to you. When the world is going to crap, isn’t that what matters most?

Technology Can Fail

Technology is forever changing. I can still remember when computers first came out and we got one in our home. It was a family desktop computer in our kitchen. Dial-up internet and AIM were the newest thing at the time. You couldn’t use the phone at the same time as the internet. We thought that was the latest and greatest, because at the time it was. Now, that’s dinosaur technology. If we had only saved our photos on that computer, they would be long gone. Printing photos ensures that they will last. 

No Password Needed

Something I’ve been thinking hard about is how I’m going to pass our memories on to my kids. My mom had a yearly photo book filled with printed photos of our memories. I could go to my parents’ house right now and look through them. If your kids wanted to look through their photos right now, would you have to hand them your phone and your google photos password? I hope not. 

I’ve been making a significant change lately and focusing on printing a yearly photo album and subscribing to a monthly printed photo service called Mootsh. Albums are a great way to preserve memories because you can fit so many more photos. Photo albums are made with thick pages that won’t tear and beautiful paper that is stunning to look at. This is something I’ll be able to pass on to my kids. They love looking through them even now and I don’t have to worry about something breaking or tearing or giving them any passwords. 

More Happiness

There is research to support that physical, tangible prints create a bigger emotional reaction than viewing photos through a screen. I believe it. I think we all look at screens way too much during the day. I don’t need or want to look at another screen to relive my memories. 

I’ve been making an effort lately to cut down on screen time. Less TV, less social media, less binging on Netflix. I have a strong desire to get back to the basics of living again. Getting out from behind a screen and making real connections is one of my main focuses for my business in 2021. I want to get outside. I want to read real paper books,. I want to play with my kids on the floor. I think the more technology we have, the more difficult it is to set limits. 

Printed photos bring back memories of looking through my childhood photo albums. They are real. No tapping. No scrolling. I want more of that in my life in 2021. 

In 2021, let’s get back to the basics. Back to what really matters. Relationships. Family. Printed photos. Real-life connections. Less screen time and more real life time. 

What do you feel are the top benefits of printing your photos? I’d love to hear in the comments below.