Something that I get asked quite frequently, and for good reason, is the story behind the name Paper Ban Photography. You see, in my younger days, I did everything pretty much digitally, specifically writing, drawing, and photography. I thought that was the way things should be done as it was more efficiently, and really, I spent a lot of time in front of the computer so it just made sense to just get rid of paper.
Somewhere since then and now, my perspective on the matter changed.
When I first printed one of my travel photos from a professional printing lab, I was honestly in awe of the print. So much more than when I was viewing it on my computer screen. Feeling the texture and the weight of the print in my hand, seeing the vibrant colors jump out of the paper, and finally seeing it hung on my wall was a beautiful feeling. And now, instead of having to hunt down that image in the many folders that I have on my computer, and scrolling through rows and rows of images, I can just look up onto my wall and remember a time and place where the world was pure bliss.
I know that we are in full-speed into this digital age with print magazines dying out and e-books on the rise. But there seems to be a push back onto bringing print into our lives. I believe that print will never die out completely as there is just something magical about holding a tangible item in one’s hand.
One thing is for sure – having things on paper has been around for such a long time and it will continue to be around but technology is constantly changing. Popular were the days of vinyl records, cassettes, and PalmPilots. As the generation gap increases, the youngsters of the world will become less and less familiar with such things and the information stored in those technologies will disappear altogether.
My point is, there is much uncertainty regarding what will happen to your digital images years down the line. What will you do when your grandchildren or great-grandchildren ask about your younger years?
My suggestion: get those photos printed! If not for you, then for your family for generations to come.
tl;dr – the name Paper Ban Photography is now ironic because paper is awesome!
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