And now for that unsolicited advice:
Digital Killed the Photo Album
Digital cameras take digital pictures that often dead-end on the photographer’s computer. Posting images online and sharing with others by email who are far away is all well and good; for most of us, though, not everyone we know is far away. Resigning your collection to a perpetual computer existence doesn’t use the full potential of good photographs.
Very few people go to the trouble of printing photos they’ve taken and then placing them in frames and photo albums. This is unfortunate because one of the biggest reasons we take pictures is to remember moments in time. Sure, all your friends or family could crowd around the computer and browse through your photo folder, but it’s not quite the comfortable, cozy activity of breaking out the photo albums and passing them around for all to enjoy.
Those who are not inclined to scrapbook need not perish. The benefit of knowing how to take better pictures means they will tell their own stories. A good photograph shouldn’t be dressed up at all.
The sheer volume of pictures a digital camera allows us (versus the limited number from a standard roll of film) can make sorting, printing, cutting, and placing photographs a daunting task. Too, the cost of paper and ink can be a little much for those who broke the bank just getting the camera.
So maybe don’t try to tackle it all at once. Depending on how many photographs you already have, take just an hour or two this month sorting out what you will print. Move or copy these into a sub-folder of your photo folder and call it “Print.”
Save a bit of money this month and the next for ink, paper, a manila envelope, and one or two photo albums. Keep the photos protected in the manila envelope until you have time to place them in the albums. Try to make time the next month to do just that.
If you do manage to get it all done and you’re feeling celebratory about your accomplishment, host a get-together at your house. Ask each friend and family member to bring a little something to eat and drink (because your photo project might not have left you with much money for refreshments), and leave the photo albums out where they can be shared. You might even want to take more pictures!
All images © 2008 Diana M Hartman
Article comments
1 - Joanne Huspek
These are all great tips, and those are some stunning photos! I assume you took them? I'm so thankful for digital. Back in the day, I spent hundreds of dollars with rolls of film trying to get a decent shot. Now trial and error is much more affordable.
2 - diana hartman
thank you joanne :)
yes, i took them all...for years i averaged about two good pictures per roll, the cost of which wasn't as hard to stomach as it would've been had i bought unexpired film...i like digital cameras, but i do wish i had a better one - and one that would be super easy to use...i'll be glad when fisher price comes out with a digital pentax!
3 - Teri Centner
Another alternative to keeping photos on your computer is putting them out on the Internet for your friends and family to see when they have the time and inclination. You can organize by subject, date, trip, location, etc., and people can comment or discuss the photos, which I think makes having the photos more fun.
I use Flickr, and often get comments from people I don't even know. Which is kind of fun! (I mostly take photos of stuff, not people, and I don't have kids whose privacy I want to protect, so I don't password protect my photos.)
Other online options include Snapfish, Kodak, Picasa, MyFamily, MySpace, Facebook and Webshots.