the true value of digital files | ontario pet photographer

I think at one point or another, every photographer has to confront the digital file debate and share his or her thoughts. I’ve pondered long and hard about how to incorporate files into my offerings — it is a digital age after all, and that’s what people want — while still maintaning my “why” … why do I do Happy Tails? Why is the service I provide important? I think this is an important question to always keep in mind if you want to run a business authentically and with integrity.

I’m going to share a personal story, but will preface this post by saying that I believe in the freedom to run a business any way one chooses — there is no right or wrong. I could get into all the business reasons behind my handling of digital files and how it’s changed over the years (I used to include full-res files in my session fee and now I don’t), but that’s a whole other story for another post.

How I discovered the true value of digital files

Just before my son turned one and prior to starting Happy Tails, we hired a professional photographer to take our family photos. I wanted to capture that momentous moment in his life — the transition from a baby to toddler, the growing independence, the end of our year off together on maternity leave (getting a little teary-eyed here!). We hired a great photographer, who included a disc of files, had a successful session and received some wonderful images.

After receiving the disc, it floated around our house for a while — it was in the junk drawer for a bit, we made it “safe” by moving it on top of the fridge and eventually it made its way up to our office. Six months later (let me emphasize that — SIX months later), when I finally decided to get on it and print our images, I couldn’t find it. I panicked. Freaked out on my husband. I tore our house apart, and finally located it, ironically, in a filing box under the tab labelled “Important Purchases.”

I printed our favourite images the next day through a professional lab that I’m lucky to have access to, framed them and hung them in a prominent place in our home. I love them.

A year later we packed our lives into what seemed like a million boxes and moved. Those prints moved with us. The disc … well, it’s whereabouts is, again, currently unknown. I have the files backed up somewhere on our computer … among the 3,000 other files we have. But I’ve never gone looking for them — I don’t really think about them much at all. I In fact, I don’t really remember the other shots because my most favourite and treasured ones are hanging on my wall where I see them every day. They hold great value to me.

So, why was I so intent on receiving the digital files? What was their value to me when I was searching for a photographer? Perhaps for security — we like to have things because we think we can keep them safe, right? Or maybe because my intention was to share them with grandpa (which I never did, and he doesn’t know how to open an email attachment anyway!). Maybe I felt like I was receiving less if they weren’t included?

My experience has shaped how I include digital files in my business. I learned some important lessons:

1) Digital files are NOT archival. It’s just the nature of technology, which is transient and ever changing. Already disc drives are being phased out of computers (how will you access your disc?), and USBs won’t be the solution forever either. If you don’t lose them, you are already one step ahead of me! But they will degrade over time. The fact is, as much as you want to have your files so you can keep them safe, they won’t ever truly be safe. They will corrupt. End of story. My prints, on the other hand, will likely outlast me.

2) Memories deserve to be seen. After printing our images I really realized why we hired a photographer in the first place — it wasn’t for a bunch of files, it was to “see” our memories. And if you commission a photographer that you love, not only will they be memories, they will be art. Today, a few years after our session, the three prints hanging on my wall are worth more to me than the fee we paid to have them taken and all the files on disc combined. I got my money worth and more. Their value is immense and will only increase over time.

3) But man, I still wanted those files! I keep going back to this, and I can totally relate to the need of having something digital. It’s how we think these days. We want to share with family and friends, and we want to update our Facebook timeline cover with our favourite image. So, I get it.

Which leads me to my “why.” Why is Happy Tails important? Why do I do it? Because I believe the love for our pets, and the bond between pets and their families, goes far beyond words. Because I believe pets are treasured family members who leave a permanent mark on our hearts that withstands the passing of time. Because we don’t just want to remember what our pets looks like — we want to remember their unique personality and the joy they bring us.

And the best way to achieve this is to offer tangible photographic products that my clients can touch and see every day.

I’m still trying to understand where digital files fit in my business model, but I’m realizing it’s something that will evolve and change over time. Bottom line: People want them, so I offer them. But I beg, plead, implore, scream-from-the-top-of-a-mountain to all of you with files tucked away on your hard drive or hiding in a drawer somewhere: Please print your images! Go out today and do it! You will be so happy that you did. And that disc? Once you display your images, I promise you, it’s real value will become clear.

Wags,