The biggest mistake when taking a photograph is not printing it. What good is it for you to make an effort, hit a kilometer walk, achieve a spectacular landscape taking care of the composition and lighting in detail, edit it in your favorite editing program to leave it as you imagined if you later let it die on a hard drive on your computer . What a sad ending, don't you think? That is why today I am here to talk to you about developing photos and everything that entails, so that your photos, be they landscapes, portraits, street photos or whatever, see the light and have the life they deserve. Whether they are family memories or your most successful photographs, today I intend to help you give them that life.
WHAT IS DEVELOPING PHOTOS
Let's start at the beginning, with the basics. Reveal photosis to make the images that you have captured with your camera become visible on a support outside of it, either on paper or another surface. The normal thing is to send your digital file (or reel if it is analog) to a specialized laboratory, although as we will see in this guide there are other options.
HOW TO DEVELOP ANALOG CAMERA PHOTOS
Although analog photography is not as popular as digital, it is still there. There are many users who do not want to give it up for many reasons, nostalgia, pleasure, different results, each one has their reasons and all are equally valid, naturally. What is certain is that it is an almost magical process, and the satisfaction of having done it yourself is unmatched.
If you dare to develop your photos from your analog camera, you need a space where you can stay in the dark and some specific materials, such as chemicals and others that you may already have at home.
The process can vary depending on whether it is color or black and white or the type of paper, but basically the first thing you need to do is develop the film to get the negatives. For this step you need the developing tankand the chemicals that for the complete process are developer, stop bath, fixer and moisturizer. In addition to some utensils that almost certainly, as I have told you, you already have at home, such as a funnel, thermometer, scissors, bottles for chemicals or tweezers to dry the negatives. In the following video Carlos explains a way to develop a color film.
Once you have the negatives, it is when the printing is done, that is, going from the negative to photosensitive paper or photographic paper. In this part, an enlarger, the red light, the trays for the chemicals and the tweezers are also used.
Now we are going to see an example of how to reveal or print photographs with an enlarger.
WHERE TO DEVELOP PHOTOS ONLINE
If all this does not go with you and you are more of taking photos with your digital camera and having them sent to you on paper, well, hey, why not? Not everyone has to like it or have time for it, in the end it is another hobby.
That's what professional laboratories are for, who also have the right to work and earn their bread, right? And they do it really well ? Here is a list of some of the websites dedicated to revealing or printing photos online:
- Photobox
- hofmann
- Cewe
- cheerz
- Saal-digital
- blurb(for making professional quality photo books)
- PhotoSprint(Argentina, Chile and Mexico)
In addition to photos, its offer is very wide, from digital albums to wall mounts, including puzzles or magnets. Below I will give you more clues about the surfaces on which you can print your photos (more creative or more classic options, for all tastes).
HOW TO PRINT PHOTOS AT HOME
Want to develop your digital photos at home but don't know where to start? In this link we tell you what you need to know and do for easy development at home , from how to prepare the image to what paper to choose.
In this other buying guide we tell you how to choose the best printer for photos and we leave you with our recommendations . A must if you want to print at home, right?
To print at home you also have portable smartphone printers, which are good for home or anywhere else, I'll talk about them right away.
INSTANT CAMERAS
Instant cameras have become fashionable again and there is nothing like shooting and immediately having the photograph on paper in your hands. Seeing how it appears and enjoying that magic in situ is priceless, right? It is somewhat similar to analog development but in an automated way. Have you ever tried it?
It is true that the quality and size are very particular, but it is a snapshot and you have to know what moments they are for. And it is that these cameras are perfect for parties, family memories, gatherings of friends, family or travel notebooks, events in which you want the guests to take a souvenir, etc. Or even for the romantics of Polaroids, there are still many lovers of retro in general and of this type of photography in particular.
RECOMMENDED INSTANT CAMERAS
If you are thinking of buying one of these cameras, these are some of the instant cameras that I recommend the most.
FUJIFILM INSTAX WIDE 300
First of all I want to show you the Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 Instant to which I dedicated an article detailing its advantages and disadvantages. But I can tell you that if you are looking for photos larger than the "chrome" size of most instant cameras, this is your model.
INSTAX MINI 11
This other Fujifilm camera is available in a bunch of colors and its photos are the size of a credit card.
KODAK MINI SHOT 3 RETRO
In addition to a camera that prints with or without a white border, it also works as a smartphone printer, a 2-in-1, interesting, right? Also, retro lovers, you're in luck because the design couldn't be more retro, available in yellow and white. The size of the photos is also 3" x 3" square.
There is also the Mini Shot 2 Retrowhose difference with the previous one is that it prints on card size (5.3 x 8.6 cm).
POLAROID ONESTEP+
When vintage and technology come together, they give way to this vintage camera that allows you more creative options, since you can connect it to your smartphone and do everything from double exposures to light painting. Photos are the classic 3.5" x 4.25" square size with blank frame (image area: 3" x 3.1").
SMARTPHONE PHOTO PRINTERS
There is an alternative to instant cameras, these are the portable printers for Smartphones that we recommend in the link, such as the Instax Share that we reviewed in its day .
The advantage over instant cameras is that you can take your photo with your mobile, edit it however you want (even with text) and then print it. In addition to that you can print photos afterwards .
On the contrary, it is not so immediate, for the occasions that I mentioned before such as a party, a trip, etc., it is not the fastest, you need the mobile and the printer and you depend on a mobile application. For everything else, the truth is that they are practical.
If mobile photography is your thing, I cannot stop recommending our mega guide with tricks, tips and much more, to achieve the most impressive photos with your smartphone.
PHOTO ALBUMS
Photo albums are a small treasure in most homes. They are also one of the most valued gifts by those who receive it due to the emotional charge they contain. It is not one of the most expensive, and yet, both at the moment and over the years, it is one of the most valuable.
In recent years, digital albums are the ones that are seen the most, although there are also many romantics who resort to the albums of a lifetime on paper, either working hard and doing scrapbook-type things or directly pasting the photos printed on paper on the albums. albums that sell for it.
If you are a digital album, I can help you assemble yours step by step. What's more, beyond the technical or practical part, we have also thought about the aesthetic part and we have a few tips for you when it comes to achieving a beautiful digital album that does not go out of style .
In this other article you will find Caro's opinion on the digital album of Saal Digital. And if you are looking for "THE ALBUM" for a unique occasion , memories of a wedding, a special anniversary or a similar event, we give you an idea in the link.
SURFACES WHERE TO PRINT YOUR PHOTOS
The most common is to print the photos on paper, in a digital album or even on a canvas. Surely some other surface comes to mind, but... are you really aware of the number of surfaces on which your photographs can be printed depending on the use you want to give it? In this link I leave you a few ideas, but each printing house offers you an infinite number of options, you will surely find the perfect one for your images.
In the team we have tested, for example, canvas , forex and magnets and we tell you about our experience.
CREATIVE IDEAS TO PRINT YOUR PHOTOS
Are you looking for original ideas to print your photos? Maybe for a gift? Or simply because you have some photos that you want to bring to life into useful objects beyond merely decorative ones? In the article that we have prepared for you, and that I link to below, you will find a lot of creative ideas to print your photos and give them a lot of life.
In the end, it does not matter if you print with a laboratory, if you assemble it at home or use a smartphone printer, what matters, apart from taking into account what type of photo you are developing to give it one support or another, is that your photos come to life. This is the really important thing, friend. Taking photos only makes sense if you can touch them, see them beyond a screen, and make them last over time. If you want your photos to be eternal, print them.
