How do you use your photos?

[Strmbrg]

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I mean, do you print and frame them? Larger than A4 in that case? Do you mainly look at them yourself? Present them on internet? Present them on some kind of screen at home?

I used to make some prints in up to A4 before. And the alternate them in several wall-hanged frames at home. The last print I did was several years ago now. Now I mainly present them on a screen at home, on this forum and some even on Facebook. That's it.
I am not so very "dependant" on getting likes or similar responses*), but mainly just to share what I have done with others and to look at them myself.

*)Because of that I don't think so much about what kind of images that watchers might give me "thums-up" for, "copy" ideas that i see made by others or such.
Some internet-photo-groups (maybe mostly on FB and the like) consist of very much "same-same". I.e. I notis what kind of images that gets many "likes" and I therefore post similar ones myself. ("Flashy-sunset" is one unavoidable category.)

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[LocalHero1953]

My amateur performance photos are taken for other amateurs (see my website), and are used for publicity for productions, individuals and the theatre venue (the local ADC Theatre), so are used online, printed programmes and brochures, occasional media reviews and, to a lesser extent these days, in printed posters.

The photos I take for myself I may post on social media (FB & instagram) or here. We have a fair amount of space on our house walls, and my premises manager quite likes my photos, so our walls are covered with a mixture of family, travel and theatre photography, mainly printed by myself at A3, but some landscapes at A2. I use gallery hanging rails and hang groups of photos as close-spaced blocks.

In covid lockdown, I made a number of photobooks, and learned bookbinding. That's a slow process (both choosing/sequencing/laying out and printing/binding) so I haven't done many. But it is wonderful not being constrained by the standard layouts and printing formats of Blurb etc. I have made concertina books, stitched, perfect and coptic bound books, and books printed on Washi papers that still give me great pleasure.

I can't imagine making images that are designed only for me to see - it is important that others see them as well. I am always interested in their reactions and may take on board their comments - if I agree with them.

 

Edit: Seeing @M11 for me's note about Smugmug below: my website is hosted by Format, and I use a Lightroom plugin for Format that creates a link from a LR collection to a set of images on my website. Such plugins make internet publication simple.

 

Edited April 19, 2024 by LocalHero1953

[M11 for me]

I like to "work" on the photographs of my wife and my own in lightroom. Then some images go onto Smugmug Website which I use as a Plugin in Lightroom. This makes it very easy to work with as Lightroom and Smugmug are just one. Over a few days after having made the images public I normally rework the images again and again as we think that this or that is still not right. . .

[stuny]

Posted here and on Instagram, sometimes emailed to friends and family members, and on our site.

[Stevejack]

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. As a mostly a digital photographer I print a lot. Lots of 4x6 of family photos which I bind into little flip-booklets using a steel wire binding machine. The booklets get passed around at family gatherings. 
 

I also print contact sheets of about 20 photos per page of photos that I like, all with the folder name + file name under each image so that if I die my wife or kids can find specific photos down the line. 
 

I have so many photos stored digitally but with security / password protected drives etc I don’t really have any hope those digital files will be seen by anyone but me. 

Prints will be looked at, if not in the present then perhaps by our descendants.  Prints have a life of their own, they travel, and they re-appear when you’re not looking for them. I have in my possession prints of my great grandfather’s travels during WWI. My children’s children will hold the same prints that he held, over 100 years later. There’s a power to that I think. 

 

[Nijol Creative]

Thank you for sharing your experiences with photo usage. As a professional photographer and event planner, I appreciate the diverse ways photographers choose to display their work. Personally, I find value in both digital and print mediums. I often print photos larger than A4 for events, exhibitions, and client showcases, ensuring high-quality visual impact. Digital platforms like social media and professional websites are essential for sharing my work widely and engaging with a broader audience. Each medium offers unique advantages, and I enjoy leveraging both to reach and inspire people