I was talking with my husband the other day about mobile phones, he has an iPhone 6 he bought directly from an Apple store in 2014 when it just came out. I noticed it was off and wasn’t reacting to my attempts to turn it on. I asked if it was broken but my husband didn’t think much of it and just though the battery needed recharging as usual. With an odd hunch I asked whether he backed up all the data and photos, nope was the answer of course.
He didn’t have to wait long before his phone decided it was time for a final battery charge and just a few days later it officially retired from duty without notice. I couldn’t help myself
I got so angry with Apple. This phone was bought about 4 years ago and very well taken care of with no scratches or scuffs whatsoever and it broke just like that. To top it my husband didn’t even use it that much as he had a business phone for daily use.
I was sitting there, boiling inside and remembered a conversation I had with my dad a few years ago when my washing machine broke down. He was telling me how it wouldn’t be an issue 15-20 years ago as things were made to last. And even if anything broke back then you could have it easily fixed.
So where am I going with this?
I guess I’m upset with our mentality, with how the western economy makes us spend money on goods and services affecting our priorities. I mean just think about it a new iPhone or any other modern mobile phone costs about £1000 and it’s a totally regular thing for many people to upgrade their phone every year. We don’t question spending this sort of money on a small piece of metal, even though it will be technologically outdated within a few months and binned/replaced every couple of years.
Now on the other hand when you think about it, how much do a beautiful set of photos cost when you book a professional photo session for your family? Photos that will bring joy and pride displayed in your home for many years to come and will be eventually passed on for generations treasured more year after year. Can you even put a price tag on something like that?
I couldn’t stop thinking about, how easy it is for the economy to lead us into a spiral of decisions where we’re forced to increase our expenditures without much consideration. Personally, I think £1000 is a ridiculous price for a mobile phone, yet so many people wouldn’t question it at all. But when it comes to professional photography it’s so obvious for many people to search for cheap services or skip their investment altogether.
It’s truly saddening that so many people would be happy to spend thousands on disposable gadgets, fancy prams, designer clothes etc but they would feel reluctant to consider a similar amount of money spent on professional photographs. A tangible, lasting Fine Art product that only gains in value each year. And really, from the top of your head how many things can you list that actually increase in value each year?
Our priorities took a sad consumption driven direction and we let it slip.
Thinking about the future, 10 years from today we will still have items waiting to be upgraded. But what is truly important for us? Is it really such a priority in a longer perspective? Is it really more important than preserving memories for your family through these years?
Professional photography offers something truly unique and precious. It’s not just about
capturing beautiful photos of your family to enjoy looking at. It’s telling your family’s story in photographs, year after year how you’ve changed and how your bond and connection grew stronger. This is how you and your family will remember this incredible journey.
So how do you want to remember it?
How do you want to be remembered?
What do you value more?