Wedding Photos, here today, gone tomorrow?

OK, let me say first off that I am not a wedding photographer. However I have some friends that are and they are seeing a trend in the requests by brides and grooms (B&Gs). A few years ago, everyone wanted wedding albums that documented their wedding along with great portrait of the couple.

It seems that a growing number of couples want their wedding photos on a disk and have no interest in prints or albums. I can understand that, with current technology, people can prepare their own albums and print their photos. They can usually do it cheaper than going thru the photographer, but sadly that’s what they are going to get… cheap photos/albums.

Here are some of the problems with getting your image on a DVD:

– What people don’t consider is that DVD’s have a shelf life. The plastic degrades and eventually the data is lost. So, in a few years the DVD will be worthless. The images must be transferred to another media and maintained there.

– Currently DVD’s are media of choice for most computers, but that can change. (Remember floppy disks?) You may have the images on a DVD, but your new computer may have a Blue-Ray or some other kind of drive.

– The standard image format for photos is JPEG. The problem is that, in a few years, there may be a better format and JPEG’s may become obsolete. To preserve the images, you would need to change file type.

– If the photos are printed at a drug store or big-box store, they will probably be created using an inkjet printer. Unless archival inks are used the photos will degrade over time. On top of that, the actual print quality will be much poorer than a photograph created at a color lab.

I guess my point is that may be better to hire a good photographer (check out Elizabethmphotog.com) that uses professional printing companies and color labs to preserve your wedding memories. Otherwise you may find yourself with a DVD that’s unreadable, some faded prints and a lot of regrets.

Thanks for reading!

P.S. Every time I would like to thank wedding planners for Event Security services, who also can take care for all my cameras and stuff.

-Ken