Raise your hand if you have hundreds (maybe thousands?) of digital images that you adore, and would not for one second consider deleting from your cloud storage. I’ll bet you raised your hand, just like me. Now imagine how you would feel if something happened in our digital world and all of those photos were gone. Forever. Maybe you would scream or panic? Whatever your reaction, it’s likely that you would feel like you lost all of the memories you’ve been a part of for the last handful of years. Follow through our tips below for why you should print and display your photos to ensure your memories last for generations!
1. The digitals you keep are special to you, show them off!
It’s safe to say that if you make an effort to keep digital photos from your family vacation 5 years ago, those photos are important to you. Take an afternoon to organize and print them, you will be grateful that you did!
There are many ways we can print and organize our photographs these days. You can always make the traditional prints at a local store or online print shop and keep them in a photo album with sleeves or a photo print box. You could choose a few of your favorites to display on your family room wall in large print or canvas form. You can even spend a few minutes creating your own printed album through an online retailer and have a book made. If you have professional photos to print, click over to read our 3 tips for printing your professional photographs.
2. Share in a favorite family past time
One of my family’s favorite memories is pulling out old photo albums, sitting together on the floor, and telling stories about each photograph. Even as kids, my siblings and I could feel the emotion of the frozen images taken years before we were born, and it made us feel as though we were there. Hearing the tone and love in our parents voices gave us a sense of how much they adored the people in those photographs that were taken long ago, even though we had never met them.
3. Archival
If the internet is gone tomorrow (alarming, yes?!), you will have something to hold on to. Yes, the idea of a major digital failure isn’t fun to think about, but it could come true some day. Ensuring you have tangible prints to hold and keep safe is a wonderful archival system.
4. Your children and grandchildren will be grateful
Just as you enjoy holding on to a few photos of your grandparents from their teenage years, or your great grandparents wedding photos, your children and grandchildren will love the same. Taking time to print a few of your favorite photos and sharing them with family is the perfect starting point for your legacy to live on.
5. You may forget some of your favorite moments
Do you remember that CD your wedding photographer gave you 10 years ago with 500 digital photographs on it? When is the last time you looked at those photos? For me, it’s been about 8 years since I looked at my wedding photos, and I’m certain that I don’t recall most of the moments. My goal for those photos has always been to create a collage wall in our master bedroom, and wedding album to display in our family room, as to keep that big day close to me. Neither has happened yet, but it will, some day soon! We’re all human, right?
Jessica is an award winning family photographer and wedding photographer in Asheville, NC. For questions and recommendations, contact her!
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