I firmly believe a printed photograph is the ultimate form of this art, yet printing is an art in and of itself. What goes into making a photograph a physical piece of art is liking putting a cherry on top; it is that little bit extra that brings the photographer’s artistic vision to life. This extra little bit can bring vitality to the photograph in ways that a digital image simply cannot. And holding that print can bring real life to you. For me, the experience is unparalleled both in inspiring awe and, in many cases, evoking extreme nostalgia.
For many summers growing up as a kid, I would attend a month long boys and girls summer camp, Camp Mac, in the Talladega National Forest in Alabama. I think those experiences were the epitome of being a kid. Water balloon fights, camping, sugary snacks, water skiing, archery, pranking other campers, awkwardly sitting in the corner avoiding eye contact with any of the girls during the Friday night dances…the list goes on. I remember my mom helping me pack for those summers and always packing me two or three disposable Kodak cameras. The ones with the dinky little flashes and no display so you just hoped everyone had their eyes open. And I especially remember coming home from camp and cannot waiting to get the film developed. The agony of waiting but the sheer joy of flipping through those awfully exposed, grainy pictures. But those pictures, filled with red eyes and blurry faces, somehow made the stories that much better.
At least for my generation and before, I am sure most of you have had a similar experience. That is, holding a photo of a memory. “Back in my day”, there were no iPhones for taking and viewing quick pictures. And odds are you didn’t have a fancy home computer with photo editing software or even a digital camera!
It’s only been till fairly recent has photography been associated as being more of a digital art with the advent of the internet and social media. Holding a printed photograph to where you can see and feel the texture of the paper is like non other. And selecting the correct paper to give the desired finished look and feel is an art in and of itself. I currently work with about (6) different fine art papers, all by Canson-Infinity. These papers are museum grade quality and made to endure a lifetime. The richness of the prints will give you a new appreciation for printed photographs…these aren’t your Walgreens prints.
To other photographers and anyone else with a camera, I encourage you to reconsider what it means to print your photographs. You don’t have to invest in a fancy printer with fancy papers…in fact I encourage you not to unless it’s an endeavor you are confident in embarking upon. BUT reach out to your local print labs and look into online printing labs. There are so many great, affordable options. Printing a photo for yourself or for someone else will make all the difference.