Can Photo Albums Survive the Digital Age?

Photography has never been easier to access than it is in the digital age. Cameras, laptops, tablets, and best of all, smartphones — we always have a high-resolution camera with us. But too much of something is not necessarily a good thing, and the accessibility makes it feels as though photography has never been more disposable.

Gone are the days when we would capture priceless moments on quality film and wait impatiently till the photos were developed and put them in a photo album. Today, at the tap of a button, we can capture 10 or more pictures of the same moment. But how many of us think about them after posting on social media? Do photographs still hold the same value that they did years before the digital age?

Photo Albums in the Digital Age 

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the relentless barrage of visual stimuli that surrounds us today. Practically every waking moment, we have photographs, videos, pictures, news and so much more on our phones. Sadly, our meaningful photographs easily get lost among the clutter.

And so the photo album, an iconic symbol of our heritage, lineage, and growth in life, is threatened. Growing up, we could easily relive our earliest memories by looking at photographs on family photo albums. We could even go back and see how our parents grew up, where they lived, went to school, and so on, all from our family archives, which were photo albums. 

But today, how many of us can access digital photos we took 5 months ago? We have thousands and thousands of digital images on our phones. And they matter when we post them; in their 1-minute spotlight. But moments after, they’re forgotten just as fast as they were taken. Can we really replace print photos?

Reasons To Print Your Photos in the Digital Age 

• Photo albums Are Valuable Memory Holders and Keepers 

Want to make sure your photos survive your lifetime? Print them out and compile them into a photo album. Technology can fail, but paper doesn’t die! Vint Cerf, an internet pioneer once warned that a new digital “dark age” could soon wipe out massive amounts of digital information. It alludes to a time in history when there were very few historical records that have survived, making that period of history obscure to contemporary historians.

• Quality Over Quantity

Because 10 beautiful graduation photos neatly printed and put in an album are more valuable than 100 selfies and digital images. In fact, even one gorgeous framed portrait placed in the house is more valuable than a thousand digital photos hidden away in your camera roll. Putting away all your images on a USB drive that’s tacked away is after all useless. 

• A Chance to Tell Your Story

Oh, physical photos; the stories they tell! They allow you to record events; your kids’ births, first steps, birthdays, the first day of school, graduations, wedding days, name it! Better yet, you could add dates and locations and you have a priceless photo book that tells your story chronologically. Don’t let your stories get buried in the depths of cyberspace!

• Photography As Decor

What makes a house a home if not family photos hung all over the house? They’re more precious than flowers, paintings, and other decor pieces. 

That’s because they are personal. When we hang or display our family photo collection on our mantels, they take on an artistic feel. They bring a level of warmth and life to your interior styling that no other piece can.

The Future of Photo Albums

For those who appreciate their worth, physical photo albums are here to stay. We can confirm that they will endure for another generation or more because, like a superbly written play that is never performed, images preserved only in digital form rob us of something truly special. 

They eliminate the unique, tangible, and permanent feel that physical photos hold. When print photos are displayed in our albums, walls, and mantels, they truly come to life as a valuable part of our identity. 

Final Thoughts

We’re taking more photos but we’re also losing more of them. We even forget about having taken them. The tactile value of physical photos is something that has sadly disappeared in the digital age. But by printing our photos and displaying them on an album or on our walls, we can retain beautiful reminders of what’s important in the long term.

Buy Photo Albums and Photo Books From Photoland’s Largest Collection 

Taking photos is one thing, but keeping them for posterity is another. A photo album gives you something special, intimate, and intended to be preserved for a very long time. Contact Photoland for the best photo albums. Whether they are customised or not; our extensive selection will leave you stunned!

Please call us today for your photo album choices at (02) 9235 1933 or leave an enquiry.