The Photograph Isn't Finished Until It's a Print

Like I have said before, right now most people create and share photographs digitally.  It is incredibly convenient, and I certainly enjoy it as well, but there are some issues that make photo books and prints far superior.

One of the old-school photography sayings is "A Photograph isn't Complete until it's a Print."  Back in the older days photography, a photographer would take a picture to expose the film to light, resulting in a 'latent image' which would only appear after chemical processing in a darkroom, resulting in the Negative, a small inverse image on translucent acetate.  This negative is the 'original', used for making all prints.  However, it is only an intermediate step in the process, as you don't really have a photograph until you have used the negative to make a print on paper (and that process is just as complex as taking the image in the first place, but that's a whole other topic).   Getting the image on paper is just as important as getting the image on the film.

Now, the meaning has changed, and become even more important. 

We are so used to only experiencing photography on our computers and phones that it can be easy to assume that's the final product-- and for some purposes that may be the case.   We also assume that they are permanent in this form, but that is a false sense of security.  Digital images are easily lost, whether it be to accidental deletion, devices breaking, going obsolete, or being upgraded.  Even with care, hard drives can break down; I learned that the hard way when my hard drive backup containing the first five years of my photography became corrupted and could not be recovered.  Even if you save your photos on the cloud, or on social media sites, it is only a matter of time before a faceless corporation decides it isn't profitable enough to keep it preserved online. 

In contrast, physical works such as prints or books are real, tangible objects that you can proudly display in your home, or keep private to enjoy for years or decades in the future.  In this way, artwork you make can become treasured mementos that only become more valuable as time passes.  

Prints are special in that they are large enough that you can notice small details over time, rewarding a careful eye and repeated viewings.  Alternatively, photo books offer a compact way to keep many images letting you return to them when you are feeling nostalgic 

A lot of people wonder what they’ll do with their photographs, but there are many options depending on what you would like and your situation. From statement-making wall art to luxurious custom albums for private enjoyment, well-made printed photographs will showcase your images for years to come.

If you have any questions, I’m happy to answer them. Thank you for reading,

-Shane