“Or why should I order prints at all, I bought the digital files?”

Ok, so I’ve been asked this question many times. Why should I pay top dollar for a professional print when I can get the digital file and print at the drugstore for 12¢? And honestly, in some cases it makes economic sense. I won’t lie. My husband and I both work, we’ve got two young girls and we’re ALWAYS on a budget. So believe me, putting together print prices and trying to explain to people why they should invest in them is the hardest part of my job as a photographer.

And I really wanted to address it in a little more detail. So here are my thoughts not only as a photographer, but also as a consumer. First of all, not long ago I heard yet another sad story about a friend whose computer crashed. And unfortunately, ALL their digital family photos were stored on the internal hard drive. No chance at saving them, just gone. They just had never “gotten around” to printing any out. I’ve been guilty of it myself – we have tons of photos that I’ve backed up but never printed. If my computer or hard drive fails, I’m out of luck. Thankfully, I’m super careful about it and have back ups in multiple places! But I’ve even purchased discs from other photographers… and have yet to make any prints. It’s not that I didn’t like the photos, I loved them – that’s a main reason I wanted the disc in the first place. No, it’s more just that I got busy and let it slip by. Plain and simple. We all have very busy lives and I personally have thought, “I’ll get to it… eventually.”

But the scariest thing I can think of when it comes to my family memories is that they will be lost. I will have relied too much on my technology and one day it will fail me. And I will have no photos to show my kids when they are older 🙁 I get panicky just thinking it! My favorite memory growing up was going through all our family albums and snapshots. The thought of my kids not being able to do that… well, let’s just not think it.

So now that leads me to professional vs. drugstore prints. Is there really a difference? I mean, if the digital file looks great it won’t matter where I print, right? Well… yes and no. You will be getting top notch digital files that will print nicely anywhere. BUT, my years as a print graphic designer taught me that solid digital art means nothing if you take it to a mediocre printer. There are so many variables… the software they use, the age of their equipment, digital vs. press, even the brand of their ink… can all lead to different results. When I decided to go into photography I searched high and low and tested my digital files with many different print labs knowing this. The labs I currently partner with use the best archival inks and papers – meaning the prints you get from me will last decades without fading or peeling, and the colors and contrasts are exactly what I planned for them to be. Drugstore or Big Box photo labs just don’t care. They won’t call to tell you if your cropping or contrast doesn’t look right. Mine does. Bottom line – your digital files will look great no matter where you choose to print them. But they will look stellar, and stand the that test of time which you invested money in hiring a professional for, if you choose to print through a pro lab.