In this digital age, it’s so easy to take photographs and forget about them. We all do it—fill up our cell phones with photos and videos and pull them out to show friends but don’t ever do anything tangible with them. As a Charleston wedding photographer, I obviously have a thing for photos, and I’m admittedly guilty of doing the same thing at times! But photographs were designed to be printed, and here are the top five reasons why you should print your photos:
1. Photographs are an heirloom
Let’s face it; photographs are an heirloom and are something you want to be able to cherish forever. And technology changes so quickly, that it would be such a shame for photos to get lost amongst hundreds of other files on an old computer. It’s so special for me to be able to go back and look through my parents’ and grandparents’ wedding albums, so I made it a priority to print my wedding photos as well as photos from each year we’ve been married. I put these all in a simple album so my children and grandchildren can enjoy them one day.
2. Photographs are designed to be printed
Despite the abundance of DSLRs, photographs were originally created and printed. While viewing images on a backlit screen is easily accessible and enjoyable, there’s something so much softer about looking at a framed photograph on a wall or looking through an album. Looking at a printed photograph is so much truer to the art form.
3. Photographs tell stories
What better way to tell the story of your Charleston wedding (and everyday life!) than to photograph it—and print it! It’s so much better to be able to look through an album of photographs than just swiping through them on your phone. I am working on a project before our baby is born to be able to tell the story of all of our years of marriage by creating a photo album for each year of marriage! I couldn’t keep up with making a highly stylized album for every year, so I simply printed a bunch of 4×6 photos and put them in a nice album. This allows me to enjoy photos that may not be technically perfect but hold memories that I’d like to save forever.
4. Photographs make great décor
What is more home-y than photographs of those that you love?! Photographs make the best artwork for homes—from your Charleston wedding photos to your family portraits and vacation shots, it’s a great way to remember the joy in life and bring happiness to the walls of your home.
5. Photographs have feeling
A photograph is full of life, so when you have a tangible photo, it shares the joy. It can remind you of the happiest times, serene locations, or the love of a family. And who wouldn’t want to feel all of those great emotions time and time again while looking at a print?!
