Why printed photographs matter | Detroit Portrait Photography

As a full-service Metro Detroit portrait photographer, here at Kidlette we believe whole-heartedly both in the value of family photography and in the power of print. In fact, offering printed photographs is our main “raison d’etre”. Why are we so passionate about print? Many reasons, and here’s just a few.

1. Digital technology is not fail-safe.

Unfortunately, systems fail. Your phone will eventually die. Your computer will become corrupt, or so slow that you’ll want to chuck it out the window. Digital formats become obsolete – i.e., floppy disks, cds – even USBs are being phased out. Online platforms can crash or worse yet, go out of business. Who knows if we’ll even be working with jpgs in 20 years. And thieves like to steal electronics ­–phones, laptops, and external hard drives with all of your images on them ­ – but they tend not to take prints and photo albums.

Vint Cerf, widely acknowledged as one of the founders of the internet and a VP at Google, has said that we should be printing out everything we want to keep, as it’s very possible the internet may experience a digital dark age where vast swathes of information could be lost. “If there are pictures that you really, really care about then creating a physical instance is probably a good idea. Print them out, literally.”

2. Tangibility

When an image lives only as a digital file, it is easily scrolled by, swiped past, and forgotten. But a print is a part of the real world – it has a physicality, and becomes a part of your daily life. The tactile experience of holding photographs in your hands and turning the pages of a photo album, is something that just doesn’t translate into flipping through photos on a phone.

3. Prints have longevity while jpg files will deteriorate.

Jpg files are compressed and degrade each time you “save as” and open them. Your jpg is at the highest quality it’s ever going to be when it’s first created. It should be printed when its at its prime, not a year or 2 or more later when you finally get around to it. It has been said that a photo that isn’t printed is like a script that is never performed, or a song that is never played. Sure, there is value in the digital file, but that file needs to be printed to realize its true potential, just like the play needs to be staged, and the song should blare from the stereo, or better yet, fill a stadium.

And print quality matters. As a high-quality print, the life span of your images increases considerably. Prints have longevity, especially when created in pro labs exclusive to professional photographers. The professional prints we offer here at Kidlette have a life span of 100 years or more in typical home display (and 200 years or more with proper storage). They are UV-protected and fingerprint and scratch-resistant.

Some online print labs and consumer grade retailers sell super cheap prints for a reason. They’re distributing inexpensive paper and ink that will fade, scratch off, and smear. Their print quality – including color, contrast, clarity, and sharpness – is questionable at best, and certainly not calibrated to the profile the photographer intended. If you’ve invested in a professional photographer with professional cameras, professional lenses, and professional editing software, your end product should be a professional, archival quality photographic print. As photographic artists, our creative work is not complete until it is printed.

4. Important reminders

When printed, our photographs become reminders of what is important in life – our children, our grandchildren, extended family, friends, and pets. Prints literally let you FEEL the LOVE. And a 1975 study at Tulane University demonstrated that children’s self-esteem is boosted when they see themselves in printed photographs. Seeing themselves in print daily shows children that they belong, are valued, cared for, and loved.

5. Prints and albums will become your family archive.

Finally, prints and photo albums are looked at, talked about and kept as family heirlooms for generations. It has been said that our children will be the most photographed generation with nothing to show for it. We can’t let this happen. We need to print our images. The reason we have photos from 150 years ago is only because they were printed. One day we all will only exist in photos. Something we might not want to think about, but unfortunately, it’s true. Printed photographs become invaluable family memory keepers. They become our family archive, and our legacy.

At Kidlette, it’s our goal to best preserve your memories. That’s why we place photographic prints in the hands of each of our clients. If you are interested in senior portraits, headshots, or a personal branding or family photography session here in Metro Detroit or beyond, please feel free to reach out. Your life should be documented and we’d love to tell your story. You can contact us here.