Edition Fifty One

Printing our photos.

My first encounter with photography was through physical prints.

The 35mm film prints from an Instamatic 133-X camera. The ones I remember best were from a vacation with my parents. In one of the photos I am sitting on a towel on the beach. A 2 year old chubby baby.

I remember looking at photos from my parents wedding . Photos where the whole family went on vacation. These photos printed and each of them a physical memory.

I didn’t realize until years later these moments would spark an interest in photography for me. The old Instamatic camera was something I would often play with, not knowing its true value.

Waiting in the rain. - printed.

For a long time I didn’t consider printing my images. Why would I? I could look at them whenever I wanted to on my phone or my computer. My photos [like most of ours do] appeared on platforms like Facebook, Flickr and Instagram. There wasn’t a need for physical prints.

This is where a lot of photographers, especially newcomers, make a mistake. Printing your photos are an important part of the photographic journey. If you’re a film photographer it may already be part of your process.

But digital photos are often not printed gathering dust on a hard drive somewhere.

How does a set of physical prints differ from a set of images on a digital device?

Back in the old days they used to print photos. Before I could store thousands of images on an SSD it was the thing to do. A photo on your digital device or a computer screen is the same as a physical print.

Only old people print photos.

A physical copy gives my photography a more permanent feel. It isn’t made up only of pixels anymore. I can touch it. I can feel the texture of the paper. I can look at it without the aid of a digital device.

It has a touch of nostalgia. Looking through my photos I remember specific moments. The smell of the rocks where we stood taking the photo. The giant sand pyramid we built on the beach. All these moments flood back when I’m holding these prints.

Printing your photos is being part of a rebellion.

A cold winter morning - printed.

The cold air on the winter mornings. The busyness of an intersection. A newspaper seller going to a car, dancing around the traffic. The anticipation of waiting for the moment when I click the shutter button.

The modern era of technology for all its marvels have tied us down. Bound us to computers, laptops and phone screens. We spend most of our time in unnatural state affected by too much blue light. Our minds overloaded with information.

It is a move away from technology.

And it is a reward. Completely different from the likes, shares and views we so often chase.

It has a different power than a digital photograph. Think about the power the photo albums has. Because it is something tangible it draws you in once you open it. As you flip through the pages you get lost in them. You don’t get distracted by notifications or reels.

As I write this the memories flood back into my mind. Holding a copy of this moment makes it more vivid in my mind. The physical copies make it easier for me to go back to a specific point in the journey.

They serve as mile markers.

For me the printed version of my photos are a way to slow down. When I’m sitting down with a cup of coffee and some photo prints there is no way I get distracted by my computer. To my thinking digital devices are a barrier between us and the photos. We can see them. We can see the photos of others.

The vast amount of photos we have access to stop us from pausing and thinking about the moments we captured.

A different way to share.

We get excited to share our images.

It is part of photography. The idea of sharing has shaped our lives. It isn’t so exciting anymore right? It’s too simple. In sharing [so quick] we lose something. Choose the share option and send it to whomever. Right not. Immediately. It is the simplicity of it which traps us.

Instead of going online and clicking 'share' - what if we shared physical prints? Sending photos all over the world isn't a practical one but amongst close friends? Or relatives?

A couple. - printed.

You show your friends a copy of a photo instead of pulling out your phone. You send them a set of photos for their birthday. What if we returned to this method of sharing photos with people in our lives? Print a few copies and hand them out to your friends. Make them into postcards which you can send on special occasions.

I printed some of my photos and carry them around in a small photo album. For any photographer this is a must. It is a great way introduce people to your photography. A great conversation starter. Bring amazement to them as they thumb through the album.

I recently had one of my photos turned into a canvas print. Having some of my work in a place where I see it hits different. Knowing I did that and seeing it in physical form is a small reward. It is another interesting way of showcasing our work.

In closing.

We know there is a move away from social media.

A move to break our dependence on technology. We don’t want to connect 24/7. There is a move into a direction focused on more retro activities.

Instead of spending hours on social media we spend more time talking to people IRL. Instead of sharing photos on Instagram or via a link on Facebook we pull out a small photo album and show them. They touch the photos and get a better understanding for our work. Of us as photographers.

Printing isn’t always an affordable option. But the effort [and cost] which goes into it makes sitting with a physical photo in your hands worthwhile. It gives a different experience looking though a photo album VS an online gallery. Go print some photos today.

Thanks for reading : )