The 20-Year Digital Gamble

When I started my photography business in 2004, digital was the shiny new frontier. We all assumed digital files were “archival.” We thought as long as we could back them up, they would last forever.

In the photography world, archival means a print or film can survive in an archive for generations. For perspective, those color prints your parents bought at the department store in the 80s should last at least 50 years. Modern professional papers and printing processes now guarantee a lifespan of over 100 years.

Compare that to the digital files I sold on CDs in 2004. Those discs often fail after only five years—especially if the ink from a Sharpie ate through the data layer. Today, even USB drives fail or become obsolete as technology shifts. Digital files are a question mark; professional prints are a guarantee.

The “Slap in the Face” Wake-Up Call

I recently visited a dear friend I’ve been photographing her family for over fifteen years. I’ve captured everything for her, from her first Charlotte newborn photography session to family portraits of her now-large brood.

As we sat in her beautiful new living room, she lamented, “I’ve been so busy; I haven’t hung up a single photo of the kids in this house!”

I immediately jumped up to help. “I’m here! Where are the frames? Let’s hang them!”

Then came the slap in the face. She looked at me and said, “Alicia, they are all still on the drives. I’ve never printed a single photo you’ve given me.”

I felt like I had failed her. I thought I was doing her a favor by “gifting” her the files. In reality, I was just giving her a never-ending to-do list.

Busy Moms Don’t Need More Homework

No mom wants to finish a portrait session and leave with a “DIY” project. If you are an expecting mom or a busy parent in the Charlotte area, you already have a million things to do. You don’t want a digital download that sits in a “Gallery” folder on a laptop that might crash next year.

What you actually want is:

• A stunning, matted and framed portrait of your newborn on the nursery wall.
• A timeless family gallery decorating your stairwell.
• An heirloom album on the coffee table that your kids can actually flip through.

Think about the “DIY” reality: You have to find a lab, upload files, drive to a frame shop with a toddler in tow, choose a mat, choose a frame, wait a week, pick it up, and then find someone to actually hammer the nail into the wall. Nobody has time for that.

See Your Art Before You Buy It

I’ve changed my ways. At Insley Photography, I refuse to give you “homework.” My process is designed to be entirely stress-free.

I now use advanced design software during our design consultations to show you exactly how your family will appear as art in your home. You don’t have to guess which sizes will look best on your walls. I can virtually place your “timeless, matted, and framed to perfection” portraits onto a photo of your own room to ensure the scale is perfect. And we can adjust the artwork sizes in real time.

We recently did this for a local family to create a stunning gallery wall spanning their stairwell (link to video of finished wall gallery). We took the guesswork out of the equation, and the result is a daily reminder of their family’s legacy. mom was thrilled with the results.

A Better Way: Full-Service Photography

Photography studios provide a service, right? For Insley, that means planning, creating, and printing your beautiful artwork. I even include the installation of your artwork!

Stop letting your memories live on a hard drive. or worse the cloud you have absolutely no control over. You deserve archival art that is ready to enjoy the moment you get home and 100 years from now.

Ready for a different photography experience? One where we do it all for you?

Book your full-service portrait experience today.

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