- 3 min read

Why having those digital files is not nearly as important as you think

Updated: Oct 6, 2023

The importance of digital files

Let me ask you, when was the last time you browsed way back through the images on your phone? Or those files you keep on your computer, when did you last look at those?

Right. I sure know I never do.

Then what is important?

What I definitely do though, is look through the album I have from when I was a little girl.

Or the album I have with our wedding photos. We didn’t have the budget for a fancy photographer but I love looking at the less than average quality photos our friends took. I can only dream of having on of those professional albums 😳

I also had the blog I kept from our adventure in the USA printed. It’s about six books and we like going through them. Laughing at all our silliness. I love hearing our daughter laugh and call out “Do you remember …?”. But we never scrolled through it when it was online.

And it is my plan to make albums of every trip we made in the USA. We have gorgeous travel photos but, again, we never take the effort of going through them on the computer.

Professional artwork

We acquired some artwork while being here in the US and I absolutely love that.

But I have found that there is something absolutely satisfying about looking at images on my walls that actually mean something to me.

I had a few professional prints made from my favorite images that I took from our horses. I had them hanging on the walls very for a short while before we sold our farm. They are in storage now but I can’t wait to hang them in our home in Switzerland. And once we are there, I will definitely have more images printed. We don't even know what house we are going to live in but I already have completely planned out how I am going to arrange them 😆.

This, for example is a massive metal print I had made from Sophie , my mare. The lighting was not ideal but once it's hanging in our new house, with adequate lighting, it will be breathtaking.

equine photography metal print hanging on wall

So, you had that photo session with a professional photographer. Should you really have your photo’s professionally printed? Definitely!

"But why?", do you ask. Let me give you a few reasons

Professional prints, with the proper care, are timeless.

Your photographer, if you choose the right one, works with a professional photo lab. Those prints, with the proper care, are designed to last for years and years and … .

Prints allow you to touch and feel your memories.

Prints become a part of your life. They literally come to life, eliciting emotions you would otherwise not be able to feel, because digital files merely live a ghostly existence.

Prints are ever-present reminders of what is important in life.

Unlike digital files, who only offer that fleeting excitement when, or should I say if, we scroll through them.

These quality prints, if chosen thoughtfully, offer a steady reminder of what life is all about. Unlike the constant overflow of digital prints everywhere, they offer a steady anchor in our life.

Prints offer a stronger experience.

Unlike digital files that are gone when you stop looking at them, prints stay with you. You can close an album, but it will still be there on a shelf, ready for you whenever you want to pick it up.

Prints offer the satisfaction that digital files can never achieve. Digital files are awesome in the greater process of creating the experience. And there is definitely joy in looking at them. Of course you don’t need to print all of them. But in the end, it’s the image that you choose to print that creates the ultimate, real-life experience.

The all-in experience

A professional photographer does more than just taking images and handing over a memory stick. They join their client in their journey of finding the best medium to showcase their favorite images in their home.

A caring photographer will create an unforgettable experience from the start, which will culminate in the creation of high quality artwork, that will bring the entire experience to life.