Now that I’m studying media for the next few years (you can read all about that here), I’ve become passionate about some important trends that have come about during the digital age. I’ll spare you the boring history of media lesson. Instead, I’ll make a simple, obvious statement: print media is dying. (*If you’ve studied media and you’d like to debate about that claim, head over to the contact page and shoot me an email. We can discuss.)

Personally, I refuse to let print media go. My heart broke when Borders went out of business while I was in middle school. I believe in the therapy of flipping the pages of paperback books. Unfolding the morning newspaper rather than scrolling through it in your inbox. Most importantly, I believe in the importance of printing your special memories.

Take a second to pop over to the photos application on your phone. How many photos do you have? A few hundred? Maybe even a few thousand? I have 1,194. If you’re like me, those photos just sit on your phone until a random moment when you go searching for a random memory. Keeping an album on your phone is great because you have all of your pictures easily saved in one central location. However, don’t let an Instagram picture with a few hundred likes be the last time your photos see the light of day. Print them. Printing your photographs is a quick, easy way to take advantage of your memories. You can frame your prints, use them as bookmarks, or send them to friends far away at college. You can get incredibly creative with prints, just consult Pinterest!

There are many outlets that allow you to upload photos and receive prints. For clients, I use a trusted professional print lab that does a wonderful job of matching colors in photos. Those should be the ONLY thing you consider for any photos you receive from a professional photographer. You really want those prints to match the quality of the investment you made in hiring a professional.

However, you probably don’t want to pay a professional photo lab for a quick selfie you snapped on you iPhone. For those photos, my favorite outlet is Shutterfly. I promise, this isn’t a paid advertisement! As a photographer, I can assure you that their images are a decent color match for quick, inexpensive prints. Also, the best part is that they have a mobile app! Download it and upload as many pictures that you want from your photo gallery, and once you’re order is finalized, they’ll be shipped to you in about two weeks. Quick, easy, and totally worth the small investment. Also, Shutterfly always has great offers for prints, so you’ll never regret signing up for their email offers. I received almost 100 prints for FREE plus shipping with a great promotion they were running.

Go download the app and print your photos. It will probably take about as long as it did to read this blog post, and you’ll be so happy that you did!

What are some of YOUR favorite, creative ways to use your prints?