We have all heard time and time again about the marvels of the Internet and photo sharing. But I want to know what happened to the days when you could actually hold a photo in your hand. There is something to be said about the smell of a newly printed photo, the glossy look on the faces and the sounds of flipping through a photo album. I love the different picture frames around my house with large gleaming smiles from behind the glass, frozen in time. Call me old fashioned, but I like the physical evidence of my having taken a picture.

So, what to do? I am not about to go buy an old-fashioned film camera, they are too expensive and limit of creativity on those nights out on the town. I decided to invest in a photo printer so I could print out pictures I have taken. Looking online, I found lots of different options. From KodakÒ to PanasonicÒ, there are lots of photo printers to choose from. Looking and learning about each one was bringing me one step closer to my ultimate goal: to print out pictures at home.

I settled one day at Best Buy; I bought a Kodak Photo Printer. It is small, user friendly and fast. Having this printer has made me photographer and editor. I can edit my photos on PhotoshopÒ and then print out the pictures I like the most. The printer lets me print out pictures quickly and easily, and I didn’t spend all afternoon with my nose in a user manual. 

I have decided to make it a goal to print out pictures more often. I mean, why spend the time to take great photos if they are just going to sit on your hard drive all their lives? I want to admire my work, and I want others to admire it, as well! Fancy frame or no frame, I am going to print our pictures with my photo printer and just stick them wherever I want; on the fridge, on the mirror, on the wall and standing on a table. My house can be a photo gallery if I want. And sure, some of the pictures might be goofy, but like me, I am sure you have a slew of beautiful landscapes and travel photos that are collecting virtual dust!

My mother asked me why I bought the photo printer, she said it was a large investment, and I wouldn’t even know how to make the most out of it. Well, 25 printed pictures later, the machine still works great, and I am happier than ever before! I love that I can print out pictures whenever I want and, I finally feel that rush of looking through a stack of glossy, nice smelling, freshly printed pictures.