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A Print in Time Saves a Lifetime! - part 2 of 1 2

by John Baikie Published 10/04/2015

Many of us have images, such as the one above, of our grandparents and great-grandparents. The only reason we have is because people took the trouble to have prints made using a longlived technology. The only thing to add to this is to encourage people to note who everybody is, on the back, in pencil before the younger people in the picture pass on and the knowledge base is lost for ever. Undated, un-annotated prints are worthless as soon as nobody knows who the people are, that is the time when they are vulnerable to being pitched out! Ed.

So what should we be doing? I think the big thing is to emphasise theimportance of this to our clients. It's easy to think digital is more profitable,because you have little in the way of outgoing expenses, but is it? I disagree.I know I make more money if I sell products, be it albums or framed prints,and yes it is more work, but I love the feeling of seeing the client look atthose pictures for the first time. I don't know how many times in recentyears I have met a client after the first series of communications have takenplace via email and website links, for them to be blown away when theyactually get the album samples in front of them. Unless they have been toa wedding fair, they probably have no idea what a digital album looks andfeels like. Also when a client has only ever seen their images on a screen,then views the album layout as a PDF, then they open that box and take thealbum out for the first time...never fails to produce another 'wow' momentas everything looks so different in print.

Clients need to be aware of this. We need to show them albums andframed prints, or whatever other products you do. They need to be toldthe importance of having physical copies to show their children, and theirchildren, and so on. Otherwise we will look back on this entire generationas the one we can't see. In a generation where just about everybody iswalking about taking photos every day, either on a phone, a tablet or acamera, is it not ironic that this generation will be the one we have theleast physical memories of? The other thing worth pointing out is, that nowmore than at any other time, having prints and other products made, hasnever been easier or more cost effective. The days of having to hand writean order form, write out a cheque, package a set of negatives up and sendthe whole thing to the lab, are long gone. But back when I started, thatwas how it was done, and everybody had prints back then. Now I have mywebsite set up via Zenfolio; people place an order while I am out workingor in bed, the order gets directed straight to my lab, One Vision, and thengets printed and is shipped direct to client, all within two to three days ofthem placing the order.

There is something a bit special about the album. The new style of albumscan be customised in so many ways now, that you can create a realmasterpiece. I imagine people looking at my albums in 10, 20, 30 and moreyears' time with their grandchildren or other family members. I imaginethem sharing the same feelings and wanting to keep that album safe for thenext generation, and the next, and so on. Having my grandparents' photosfrom 70 years ago is a special thing, and I will make sure they are still in thesame pristine condition in the next 30 years and beyond. I for one, despiteoffering digital files, really push the sales on the albums and will continueto do so. I hope everyone can see the value of it, and pass this on to theirclients before we become the lost generation in a few decades. I sell myalbums as a family heirloom, and recent events have only reinforced thatnotion for me. I will also now be using a folder on my desktop to pop files infor printing my own personal pictures every week or two.

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1st Published 10/04/2015
last update 09/12/2022 14:58:15

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A Print in Time Saves a Lifetime! - part 2 of 1 2