You have invested in professional photographic memories of the people you love most. Now it’s time to decide, with the help of your photographer, which photographs you want to own.

Your photographer asks, “How would you like to display your photographs?”.

If you didn’t know any better, you might have asked, “Can I just get all the digital files?”.

Technology is obsolete, or it’s revolting against us.

Remember that CD or USB of digital photos you invested in? Where is it now?

Is it kicking around in a drawer with random pennies and unidentified keys? Does your computer have a CD drive or USB port even if you found it? The harsh reality is that a memory stick in a drawer is pointless.

Technology is constantly changing. That’s why I am considering donating my Bob Dylan CD collection. Even if you could find your CD or USB of digital photos, does your computer have a drive to open it? Apple laptops haven’t had USB ports since 2018.

We also know that technology fails. Hard drives give up and get randomly wiped, and USB drives get corrupted. Phones take a trip through the washing machine, and anything stored on the Cloud is basically at the mercy of whatever company is saving it on their servers.

When technology fails and your photos are lost, they are gone forever. Investing in a photographer who can store and keep files safe is important for future generations.

Is that a risk you’re willing to take with your memories?

The scenario is that your memory stick becomes obsolete, and your photographic memories are a useless technological artifact. The worst-case scenario is that technology develops beyond human control, revolts against us, and enslaves humanity.

(But also that your memories captured in photographs are lost forever).