The Value of Printing Your Photos

As I was putting together my previous blog post, I pulled a shoebox of old photos to share. It was like a treasure trove. Sifting through them brought back lots of memories and smiles. There were some professional portraits, lots of snapshots, and a handful of outtakes (most of which made me laugh).

I have tens of thousands of digital photos saved on my hard drive and in ‘the cloud’. But it’s so easy for those photos to get buried, and I often forget about particular photos unless they pop up in my facebook memories. So I make an effort to display photos in my home. I post photos on our refrigerator, have framed photos on shelves throughout the house, and update the large canvas above our fireplace with a yearly family photo. I take annual birthday photos of both of my kids, and those are displayed in order in our upstairs hallway. I am working on yearly photo albums (these are an undertaking! I am several years behind) and keep a scrapbook with the kids’ school photos. When I redecorated my sitting room during the pandemic, I started looking for art for the blank wall and quickly realized that artistic photos of my kids would be most meaningful.

When I began my business, I made the choice to offer (only) digital images in my package, because as a consumer I liked the ability to share on social media, to have flexibility in printing and creating products, and the opportunity to back up my photos digitally. Clients were generally pleased with my packages which included digital files, but many times I would see them months later out and about and they’d tell me “Oh my goodness, I still haven’t printed any of our photos!” I even have a number of clients who view their album but forget to download their digital photos. When I have offered an 8x10 in special offers, clients have been excited to have the photo in their hands.

Photography is art and is meant to be shared and displayed. I’m excited that I will be starting to offer packages that include both digital and print images. I will also be offering ‘a la carte’ products, giving clients the opportunity to display their photos in a variety of ways.