I'm going to start this post by first explaining where all of this came from. Maybe you can relate and maybe you'll have no idea what I'm talking about. But I'm writing this because I feel like a really good part of life has been replaced by something that doesn't offer anything close to it's original. So please enjoy this one and take a moment to ask yourself the honest question; am I really getting the best value in today's photography market or have a I been duped into believing a lie and forfeiting the BEST?
So I ask you to come back with me to about 1990. Imagine if you will, 9 year old me with a camera (disposable flash bulbs on top) and a roll of film. I probably just got back from Wisconsin Dells or Indiana Beach and I have captured a bunch of images that I hit the shutter on but never got to see any kind of preview. I don't know if any of them came out, if they had been overexposed, or even if the people were looking at me when I said, "SMILE"!!! But I'm excited and I fill out my Kodak envelope at the store, insert my roll of film, throw it into the slot of the collection box and come back in 3 days to see if they are ready. When I do, I'll anxiously wait behind the counter for the clerk to ask me my last name, she will find my envelop of fresh prints and I will pay and proceed to the curb right outside the store where I will peer over my most recent works of art! Smiles, tears, hugs, blanks, overexposures, cheesy poses, blinks...they are all there and I LOVE THEM!! I will spend the next days pulling them out again and again, sharing with my family and with the people who are in them. They will create joy and connection and 20 years down the road, they have created joy and connection with my children as I share with them, the memories of my childhood.
The kids love when the picture box comes out. They love to hold them and dig through them, not knowing what memory they are going to discover next. I love when the kids bring out the printed photos because I get a chance to slow down and do some reminiscing while sharing a part of who I was with them. It helps me to remember that I too was a child and I find myself connecting to my kiddos just a little bit more. We all walk away so relaxed, so refreshed with a certain sense of joy that wasn't there just minutes prior.
My argument here is that printed images hold more than just ink. They hold emotion!
Now,
I know today's culture has taught you that digital images, and A LOT of
them, are what people value in today's world. But I am going to
ask you to take an honest look at that decision and answer for yourself
whether you believe the digital image to be of best value to you?
Let's revisit your last photo session with a professional photographer. How
many of the images from your session did you love so much that you
HAD to have them; or were some of your choices made because your package included
them and you had to choose something beyond the ones you absolutely
adored? Speaking of past sessions; where are those images? Are they printed so everyone can see and enjoy or are they still on your hard drive waiting for the day you have time
to sit down and place that print order? Maybe you have printed your
images. Do they look like the images you viewed when you purchased
them? Did they print correctly or are they dark and de-saturated? Does
the color look the same?
The
point I'm trying to make here is with the introduction of digital
photography we have been completely desensitized to the amazing effects
of photography and the value of a really good print. We put our focus on quantity and choices and we
overload the brain and the senses so that our treasured moments have now
become nothing more than an icon on a screen. We've lost the tender moment, heart stopping reaction we get
when see a face we haven't seen in a long time. We've lost the warm and
fuzzy feeling we get when we see a memory from a time we can't even
remember much of anymore. There's too much to look at all day long and
on the worst possible platform for the human body; A SCREEN!
The
decline of the photography industry over the past 10 years has made me
sad. There is a clear steer away from printed images and a drive toward
digital product. Look, I get it; we are living in a digital world, I
do not deny that, but there are certain things that just cannot invoke
the same kind of emotion and connection on digital format. Pictures are
one of those things!
"What about storage? I want to make sure I have these images forever."
Yes, that's a perfect reason for you to purchase the digit image and
digital images are still there for you. Go ahead and grab those to
store your most important files for safe
keeping. But if you want to relive a moment, experience a tender
feeling, or share joy with the people around you; get the printed art; big or small, and hold it in your hands, hang it and retell the story of that night
when your friends come to visit, stare at it and remember what life was
like when you took that photo 5-10-15 years ago. That's where the true
value is and that just does not happen when you stare at a screen.
Prints are important.
I love how Missy Mwac put it; "digital files do not become heirlooms". It's so true!
The galleries I send clients are narrowed down (as much as I can) to just the BEST images taken at your session as to not completely overwhelm you with choices. I want you to have the best, I want you to print the best, I want your heart to explode when you get to see the outcome of all of our planning and dreaming. Please don't let all of that sit on your hard drive.
Sharon Caudle
Crystal Lake, IL Photographer
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