UH... Well... Just read it. I can't title this one!

[MLeeK]

I had no clue where to put this. It is professional related but it's also totally non photography too...
If you don't know who Ed Pierce is it's a great story to relate to clients when they ask to buy digitals.
Ed and Barbara Pierce were driving forces behind PhotoVision ED PIERCE | PhotoVision
Ed still is, he lost his wife to cancer this summer.
If you don't know what PhotoVision is-it's a DVD of workshops/webinars delivered to your door every other month. I have several years worth of them and they are EXTREMELY valuable for business and photography related education(sac?)

This was posted to Ed Pierce's facebook page last night:

Hi – It's Ed here and it's been almost 3 months since I lost my beautiful wife Barbara. The outpouring of sympathy, condolences and prayers has been truly overwhelming, so much so that I have had a difficult time saying thank you for all the love and support everyone has shown me, my daughter, Michele, and my grandson, Caden.

It has been 3 months, and most recently people have been asking "how am I doing?" I'll answer that in a moment but first I want to share something with you.

Many of you have seen and commented on the beautiful images of Barbara and me that were taken by Jeff and Julia Woods. If you have not seen them, I have reposted the images and put a link to the YouTube Video at the bottom of this post. They are truly the most valued remembrances of our relationship that I possess.

Having said that, I feel compelled to tell you the story behind those images.

Barbara and I were on a PhotoVision filming expedition and visited the Woods' studio. We had completed the day's shooting and Jules asked when was the last time Barbara and I had been photographed? Like most of us "professionals," it had been many years, June of 2006, ten days before our 30th wedding anniversary. So the Wood's did a session, after which they gave us all the images on a disc.

Fast forward to August 6, 2012, two days after Barbara's death. I was in shock and on complete overwhelm, obsessing over the details for the upcoming services celebrating her life. Photographs of Barbara!!! Other than snap shots, what did I have? Slowly, methodically I began my search, working backwards through my photo archives. Barbara was always in charge of redundant DVDs. Every year I started fresh with a new mirrored raid housing with the largest capacity drives available. I honestly did not remember the Woods' session. We had never gotten around to having anything PRINTED!!! As I plugged and unplugged each drive, I prayed I would find something acceptable (and prayed the drive wasn't locked up with age). My anxiety was turning into full blown panic!! And then I found them.... I cried for hours...

There are a number of lessons for every one in this story but for those of you who are professional photographers, the lesson I want you to hear loud and clear is DON'T SELL YOUR DIGITAL FILES WITHOUT PRINTS. (If at all.)

I was lucky, I was a professional with well thought out systems in place. What about your clients?

When a potential client says, "But photographer A, B and C will give me just the files" say, "I'm sorry I care too much about my clients" and ask them, "What's motivating you to consider having portraits made?" The answer is usually LOVE and if it's not and you suggest it, they will always shake their head yes. Then ask, "Can I tell you a story about a friend of mine?" and tell them my story...

In March, I will be traveling to Ecuador to work with the orphans there. A memorial fund in Barbara's name has been set up at Dando Amor. Contributions as little as $1.00 can be made at www.dandoamor.org through PayPal. If the economy hasn't hit you too hard, any amount would be greatly appreciated. And I promise every dollar raised will go to the children.

So how am I doing? Every morning I still have to remind myself to get out of bed and remember to breath in and out. But I know someday soon with the love of God and all our wonderful friends, I won't need to remind myself to get up in the morning and remember to keep breathing in and out...... Thanks everyone...Ed
Here is the link to the Woods portraits of Barbara and I Barbara Pierce - YouTube

 

[kathyt]

Thanks for sharing this. I am surprised I have not heard of her passing. This is so sad. I have the last few years of PhotoVision and they are a great resource. I agree to what Ed is saying. It is so important for your clients to walk away with something other than a digital file. They need to have a physical print or product in their hand and not just a digital file that sits in a drawer. I still get excited every time I open the box from the lab to see high quality prints. There is just no replacement.

 

[MLeeK]

Thanks for sharing this. I am surprised I have not heard of her passing. This is so sad. I have the last few years of PhotoVision and they are a great resource. I agree to what Ed is saying. It is so important for your clients to walk away with something other than a digital file. They need to have a physical print or product in their hand and not just a digital file that sits in a drawer. I still get excited every time I open the box from the lab to see high quality prints. There is just no replacement.

Me too! I just love to touch the products and LOOK at them and think "I created that..." It's like TOYS!!!!

 

[Big Mike]

I had heard of PhotoVision but didn't really know the people behind it. Touching story non-the-less.

There are many photographers, especially in the landscape/fine art genre who will tell you that printing is the best way to archive your images. As convenient as digital mediums are, we really don't know how long lasting they really are. So to archive an image, the best may be to print it with archival inks, on archival paper and store it properly. I guess we really don't know how long modern prints will really last either, but the archival quality of prints has improved A LOT over the last few years.

 

[kathyt]

Thanks for sharing this. I am surprised I have not heard of her passing. This is so sad. I have the last few years of PhotoVision and they are a great resource. I agree to what Ed is saying. It is so important for your clients to walk away with something other than a digital file. They need to have a physical print or product in their hand and not just a digital file that sits in a drawer. I still get excited every time I open the box from the lab to see high quality prints. There is just no replacement.

Me too! I just love to touch the products and LOOK at them and think "I created that..." It's like TOYS!!!!

I know! I cried when I opened my first huge canvas I had done of my son from Pixel2Canvas. It was stunning. Another important thing I took away from this is to get in the picture with your loved ones because you never know how long they will be on this earth.

 

[MLeeK]

I had heard of PhotoVision but didn't really know the people behind it. Touching story non-the-less.

There are many photographers, especially in the landscape/fine art genre who will tell you that printing is the best way to archive your images. As convenient as digital mediums are, we really don't know how long lasting they really are. So to archive an image, the best may be to print it with archival inks, on archival paper and store it properly. I guess we really don't know how long modern prints will really last either, but the archival quality of prints has improved A LOT over the last few years.

SOOOO righ, Mike!!
Did you notice in there where he said:

As I plugged and unplugged each drive, I prayed I would find something acceptable (and prayed the drive wasn't locked up with age). My anxiety was turning into full blown panic!! And then I found them.... I cried for hours...

I've no doubt that he archives in the best possible storage (I am SURE my archives look like doo doo compared to his), but he was worried that the old ones would be shot from age. NOTHING is guaranteed to work. EVER!