All too often us photographers sit at a computer and stare endlessly into a screen.
We scroll through hundreds if not thousands of our images, saving them into folders on hard drives that we will most likely forget about and never to look at again.
Zooming in and out of images and pixel peeping our mistakes. How many of us photographers are guilty of this? Why take so many images and do nothing with them? Often taking the time to review your images or even print them can not only be fulfilling but can help you improve as a photographer. Here are 5 reasons why you should be printing more of your images.
(#1) Seeing Where You Might Improve
Printing your images allows you to take the time to review a photo. Maybe you hang it up on the wall and allow yourself time to see an image more clearly.
Ask yourself these questions.
Did I frame the image correctly? Did I expose the shadows or highlights correctly? Did I catch the action right on time? Or did I miss it by a half second? Should I have shot the image vertically or maybe horizontally?
Printing your image and being able to see it by itself, allows you to take a step back and observe the image.
So next time when you go out shooting you can take those observations and try to apply them to your next photoshoot
(#2) Do All Your Hard Work Justice
How many of us have spent thousands of dollars on camera gear? We generally tend to have massive sensors and sharp pricy lenses. 45-60 MP cameras yet most of the time we look at our images on tiny screens, like our IPhones or tablets.
Do your images (and camera gear) justice and spend the time to print out your images. Sometimes by printing your images, your image can take on a whole new look or meaning.
Try printing in different sizes. Maybe something large for your wall or a small 4X6 image for your desk.
The images today that can be created with a digital camera’s are incredible, so go ahead and print them out and see if your images take on a whole new light when hung up on your wall
(#3) Printing Images Can Make Great Gifts
When it comes time for the holiday gift giving season, printing your images can be a great gift for family and friends.
Printing your images and framing them to give as presents, is a great way to give out personal gifts to your loved ones to enjoy for years to come.
When you go out and shoot images, maybe the idea of giving an image as a gift to someone might inspire you to photograph something specific that you know they will love.
(#4) Print Your Images on Different Mediums
Try to get creative and print your work in different types of mediums.
There are so many different photography mediums that you can print onto like metal, canvas, poster paper, translucent photo paper.
Maybe you shot a very vibrant image that might look good mounted in a “lightbox” style format. Or maybe you shot a landscape image that looks “painterly” and would look good printed on a textured paper like canvas. There are so many different ways that you can print your images so get creative.
This is a example of 3 different images printed on translucent photo paper and mounted onto a lightbox.
(#5) Aspire to Get Your Work Hung on Other People’s Walls
The final tip may not apply to all photographers.
But if you are looking to grow your photography audience and are looking to sell your work, sending out your images to magazine editors or even approaching coffee shops about hanging your work in their space, may lead to some paid work or commission pieces.
These opportunities don’t generally just happen on their own.
Most of the time networking with people or going into cafes or doctors offices and asking if they would be interested in hanging your work on their walls will be the only way to get your work noticed.
Make sure to put pricing under your work!
However you decide to display your work, there is no doubt that by taking the time to print your images in any format will only help you improve your photography skills.
The benefits outweigh the costs that can be associated with printing. You can go as cost effective or as expensive as you like. There are so many options for online printing companies or 1 hour printing places.
Take advantage of these and get your printed and hung up for you or the world to see!
