Why should you print your photos?

Martina Zando Photography | Las Vegas, NV Boudoir Photography

I have a confession to make: I have taken thousands of personal photos in the past few years and I have printed only 5 of them! I used to love going to collect photos after my travels, selecting the best ones to put in my family album, but I haven’t done it in a very long time!

Not all print products are created equal. Before becoming a professional photographer I had the great idea that I would go online to a cheap online printing site and get my wedding photos printed in an “album”. I am so ashamed of it. It looks cheap and of poor quality. It has a terrible binding and the colors are fading.

Since then I have been to numerous trade shows and I have seen and tested many professional quality print products from various companies. I have now committed to products from the best of those companies. When hiring a professional photographer you should also trust their expertise in products and prints and in their ability to help you to choose what would be the best product for you. Always ask to see examples of their print products before committing to a purchase. So why print at all, isn’t digital good enough?

Here are 5 reasons why you should print your photos:

The photos take life when printed. Why leave your photos in a hard disk for years to be completely forgotten? When printed all the beautiful details are visible, the colours are true and vibrant and they become a real, tangible piece of art.
A printed images’ life is longer than that of a digital. Digitals could be corrupted by time, a process called ‘data rot’. If we are not careful, we could all suffer from loss of digital data over years and some experts have warned that the 21st century could be an information black hole. Backing up your photos in multiple places is a safety measure in the short term, but not over decades. If we are not careful we might have more images from the 1980s than from the 2000s! A good professional print on quality paper with a UV coating will stand the test of time and can be passed on to the next generation.
You can see your pictures more often. Let’s face it, if they are in your PC or MAC you are unlikely to take the time to sit down and click into the correct directory. Besides, even if you do, what kind of experience is that!? The experience of looking through printed photos is unique. When printed in an enticing album not only will your photos retain all their beauty but you are more likely to pick it up and sneak a peek, just to remind yourself how beautiful you really are.
Your photos can become your house decoration. They will be completely unique art just for you. No matter if big or small, the prints will be just for you! If there is a picture you truly love, having a large print or canvas will make it even more stunning and impressive.
Photos connect people. When friends and family are visiting, they can see images which tell a story about you and your experiences. It starts conversations and brings people together. If your photos are more private in nature they can further connect you and your significant other instead.

When printing I use products from Graphistudio, a printing studio in Northern Italy with premium, unique products and Bay Photos from California for top quality wall prints and canvases.

Here are some examples of prints, canvas and album.