I’m old enough that I have shot film. I remember the days of taking film to the store and having to wait to see my pictures. Back at that time, my pictures were just snapshots but that anticipation of seeing those prints was there just the same. Nowadays, what do we do with photos taken? The vast majority live out their days on a hard drive somewhere and don’t see the light of day. Some get put on Instagram or some other social media to collect likes.
I believe that there is something missing from so many workflows these days……..prints. There is nothing quite like holding a print of your work in your hands, something substantial for your efforts. Lately both my wife and I are taking advantage of our hard work and we have printed out a few of our things to hang in our home. What a feeling of satisfaction comes from that!
Obviously we can’t print out everything we do, we don’t have enough walls, but once in awhile you have that special piece that you just want to see large. Surely you have photos that mean something for various reasons, trips to far off places, family times, or just a special photo that you’re proud of. Why not make up a print and hang it on your wall, or maybe give away as a gift? In my opinion, the print is the final step in the photographic process, don’t just store those images on a hard drive for no one to ever see.
