If I’d have read the title of this post even just a few years ago, I would have rolled my eyes. Here we go, another photographer preaching about how prints matter. Hang in there with me though, ok? Over the past 5 years I’ve heard many stories of prints making an impact, in my own personal life, and for my clients.

Here’s one such story:

A few weeks ago, after living an amazing 99 years on Earth, my Grandpa died. I asked my family what I could do to help and they asked if I’d make the slideshow for the funeral service. The next day a bag arrived with HUNDREDS of photographs piled in it.

Black and white photos with white borders, yellowed on the edges from the 1940s.

Small photos with rounded edges and faded colours from the late 1970s.

Glossy 4x6s from the early 2000s when digital cameras first hit it big.

To hold frozen moments of time from someone’s entire life in your hands might not seem like much at first, but stop and think of the weight of it all and it can be overwhelming. It’s nothing like using your arrow keys to flip through files on your computer screen or scrolling endlessly on your phone.

Nothing like it. 

Prints have power. They’re tangible, and heavy, and simply can’t be compared to pixels.

But, I’m still realistic too. I know we all want digital files to post on social media and to share via email with our friends and family. And that’s ok. All I ask, is that you consider using those digital files for more than archival purposes. Print a few, put them up in small frames around your house and enjoy them. Send them to your family with your annual Christmas card so that they can experience the beauty of tangible prints too. Make an album that you can flip through with your kids over and over and over again. (On a side note, there have been studies about how kids’ self esteem can be boosted by seeing themselves in photos, and as an important part of the family unit.)

Remember that there’s something magical about holding a memory in your hand. 

Want to talk more about prints and how we can work together to make sure your home is filled with beautiful memories? Send me a note today. Fiddle Leaf Photography offers newborn and family photo sessions in Edmonton, St. Albert, Sherwood Park and surrounding areas.