Unswipeable Memories – Why You Should Print Your Photographs

Make Unswipeable Memories. And not just in an Insta-scroll-stopping way but in a “I wanna hold this damn photo in my hands” kinda way.

In the age of smartphones, digital photos have become the norm. They’re a convenient, easy method to store memories on our phones and computers. When it comes time to tell our stories, digital photographs are easy to show our perfect lives on social media.

However, as reliable as we may believe our technology to be, it’s not uncommon to lose our cherished memories when our social media accounts being locked, cancelled or worse, hacked. Perhaps it’s from losing or merely upgrading our phone and squander memories from nights out, adventures and journeys and neglect the photos of our friends, family and pets. Oh the phones full of dog and cat photos. In fact (note: this is not a tested fact) it’s far more likely to lose a phone than a house full of film and prints is to burn down. That’s why it’s important to consider printing your photographs.

Printing your photos helps preserve those memories that are so easily lost in the digital world. The tactile nature of a printed photograph gives us something to hold and cherish, making them more tangible and permanent. They can be hung on our walls as artwork or placed in photo albums for future generations to enjoy. Plus, there’s a certain charm that comes with holding a physical photo and sharing it with loved ones.

Moreover, printed photographs are unswipeable. They live indefinitely and when hung on our walls as artwork, we’re reminded of the great times we’ve had and people we’ve shared moments with. We can relive those memories by simply gazing upon the photo and reminiscing about the good old days. Printing photographs does require an investment in time, effort and money, but it’s worth it in the long run. Walking into your favourite room in the house full of prints and photo albums and books is a feeling hard to put into words. One that can’t disappear and swiped away into the ether of the digital world.

The memories don’t all have to be yours, either. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of collecting pieces by your favourite photographers. Far more than double tapping an Instagram post, proudly displaying their work in your home not only adds beauty and character to any living space, but it’s also a great way to support the artists you admire.

There’s no doubt more to say on the topic, I’ll end this short post with this; printing photographs is incredibly important. Yours, or from other photographers, holding them in your hands or seeing a print every time you enter a room holds unquestionably more value. And all that’s without even beginning to mention darkroom prints. Oooft, I think I’ll write something about that process soon. That’s a whole other rabbit hole.