A Soppy Post on Why You Should Print Your Pictures....

"A photograph isn't a photograph until it's been printed"

I've seen this quote at least a dozen times, and until this afternoon, it never really resonated with me. Not really. I understood the concept, it makes sense. However, I never really felt it. But today it hit me, tears and all. So instead of doing the 500 other things I'm supposed to be doing to get ready for a wedding fair we're exhibiting at on Sunday, I'm going to drink tea and share my experience with you..... Procrastination queen or soppy git, you decide!

Over the past few months there's been lots of scurrying around here, with the expansion of the business (everyone say hi to Craig!) lots of time has gone into re branding and rebuilding the website. Basically, lots of late nights working in our PJ's with copious amounts of tea and cookies! We've run a competition to give away free destination wedding photography (beyond excited to be sharing Sam & Adrian's big day in Kefalonia next year!!) and we've been meeting with lots of couples for next year and that's not even to mention the beautiful weddings we've already had the privilege of shooting and editing so far this year, with so many more on the horizon. And now we're getting ready for a wedding, which has also added to the ever growing "to do list" We've had countless deliveries this week for it, most of which is currently causing a small obstruction in our living room, still unboxed.

Then, this afternoon, amongst all of this busyness, the prints we spent hours deciding upon had finally arrived. Suddenly everything stopped.... Before I go on, just to be clear, the images we chose are images that I've shot from the past couple of years. Whilst they are some of my favourites, I've seen these images on my editing screen, on our website, on Facebook and Instagram, so many times. I know these images because I have spent so much time with them. Yet, here there were, in print. And suddenly, they were different. They were more vibrant, more storytelling and more emotive than anything I've ever edited and digitally shared. There was something so much more magical about them. Its like they were brand new. Its as if they were more alive. And yes, it made me cry! Which despite being a self confessed sap (kind of goes with the job in my defence!) genuinely caught me by surprise. It was then that the quote, the one I have heard so many times, sprung to mind. So there I am, sat at the dining table, looking at all of my beautiful couples, looking at the moments they shared, just filled with a new sense of wonder from the power of prints.

This is not a pitch to go forth and order prints from me, far from it, I'll happily recommend half a dozen places you can go and order beautiful prints from! My point is this - don't let your images sit idly in your phone or on a laptop or on some old hard drive that you've been meaning to look at but never quite find the time. Life is busy and life is short and these moments we document, whether its professionally or taking a selfie with your kids, are fleeting. Go, get them printed! I promise you won't regret it....

Hayley x