hey!
in today's day and age, many regular people who own a smartphone use it as their main source of taking photos. you may believe that with so many photos, you're actually keeping your memories and history pretty well-documented and safe. however, digital media can be one of the most unreliable forms of storage (future post about this coming to a blog near you).
the most reliable way of keeping history is physical media. our ancestors have been keeping their history preserved physically for ages. with the unpredictable lifespan and compatibility of technology and digital storage, a lot of our history could be wiped and taken out in a heartbeat!
one way you could get started with preserving your memories better is printing your photos. here are a few reasons why you should :)
p.s. these photos are from Pinterest, and they're not mine. but they are absolutely wonderful examples! if you're on here and would like your photo to be taken down, please let me know and i will honor your request.
seven reasons you should still print your photos
1. hard drives and devices could fail, eventually technology may evolve and be unable to read today's storage systems
although it may feel secure to have a SanDisk drive with safety measures, there are so many ways your data could be damaged. memory cells can degrade over time. your connector could get damaged. your files could get corrupted from read/write errors. you could even lose the flash drive altogether!
also, there is no promise of long-term compatibility of flash drives or cloud storage. who knows?! thirty years from now, Google Drive could be at it's end-of-life stages, and USB could be replaced with a very different connection. this can make digital storage somewhat unreliable when it comes to important files.
2. easier to display them
even though you can access trillions of photos just off of your smartphone, you're kind of limited to only viewing them on technology. sure, there are digital photo frames, but they don't really come cheap. for a few cents per print and a dollar or two on a photo frame or album, you can display so many meaningful photos in your room, house, or scrapbook!
3. you get the joy of sharing them! you can gift them meaningfully or share them casually
there are times where i struggle with giving thoughtful gifts. if you have many memories with someone special to you, giving them a framed photo or album could mean the world to them. it can be a daily reminder of a good time, and can show that you value your history or time with someone.
even if there's not a special occasion, sharing photos casually is cool, too! again, it's showing that you value the time you spend with important people in your life. it's also super fun to stumble across and reminisce.
4. your memories can now last a lot longer than your mind
this sounds really eerie, but it's true! having a photo is proof that you did something or that you had a connection with someone. your brain may no longer remember with time and age, or you may no longer be there to tell such a special story. with physical photos, especially if there are notes, dates, or memos on the back, your loved ones can read about your history and it can live on through them :)
5. less easy to forget about them
somewhat similar to #4, your brain may fail to remember a memory. with the amount of digital photos taken every day, it can be very easy to lose track of certain moments you wanted to remember (even if you took a photo of it on your phone!). with physical photos, you can pick out the specific things you want to remember and come across, ensuring that they won't get lost in cloud storage or phone galleries.
6. feels more authentic
this is also a major reason why people have circled back to collecting physical media and older tech. it can feel more authentic to someone for many different reasons. it could be nostalgia from their childhood or simpler times, the physical feel of photo paper versus pixels on a phone, the sentimental value of picking out photos and a lot more.
for me, it's all three i listed. my parents have photos they've printed that i've gone through, and it's so cool to have snapshots from what life was like when they were younger. also, the physical feel of the photo in my hands feels a lot more important than just glancing at it through my screen. the sentimental value also helps with the authenticity because i know that these are my special memories with people i cherish that i'll be looking back on for many years to come.
7. it's fun!
if you end up enjoying curating photos, this could end up being a fun hobby to pick up. many use physical photos in journaling and scrapbooking. also, i know of some people who like to learn of people's stories and histories from photos :)
look at all of these!!!! how freakin' cute!!!!!!
how to get started
step one: find a cheap way to print your photos
thankfully, there are many ways to go about this. you could go to your local Walgreens, but i doubt the prices would be very kind if you're trying to print a lot of them.
i can think of a few cheaper options! my best picks would be using a home printer, Snapfish, or FreePrints. home printers can get expensive, however, especially when it comes to purchasing ink.
FreePrints is my personal favorite, because i mainly just have to pay for shipping. you can customize the sizes for pretty cheap, but i mainly get 4x6 prints. i get eighty-five "free" every month, and i just need to pay $9.99 shipping. for that many prints, i think that's pretty reasonable. also, you can order less photos and pay less for shipping. it'll go anywhere from $1.99, and will max out at $9.99 no matter how many prints you order.
step two: find a way to store them
whether it be photobooks, journals, scrapbooks, shoeboxes, or on your wall, there are endless ways you could store your memories!
you can find a TON of photo books and frames at the thrift. a lot of them have fun designs or personality already. in my opinion, that's the cheapest and most fun option, but you could definitely go buy new as well.
for a while, i also had a photo wall! i printed out a bunch of photos and organized them on my wall. it's a great way to add some personality to your room while also being able to look back on them every day.
scrapbooking and journaling is a great form of self-expression as well, and definitely can become a hobby for you.
step four (optional): personalize them
this is a great way to add even more history to your photos. on the back, with a marker or pen you know won't leak or damage the photo, write the date and a memo or note on the back. if you're gifting it to someone, it could add even more sentimental value. if the photo's for yourself, it gives you a story to look back on that people can remember even after you can't :)
conclusion
this is not to say that digital storage is horrible and shouldn't be used. honestly, digital storage is amazing! it allows us to hold even more than we could before. however, the best way to protect your photos would be physically, and there are so many reasons beyond protection that make printing them a wonderful idea.
with love,
kierra
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