by Ashleigh-Ellan Kavanagh

Created on: April 17, 2010

There are many possibilities out there for any type of photographer, serious or recreational. One thing that confuses most, regardless of skill or how long they have been in the photography game, is what is the best way of making those photographs that are tucked away in their camera into beautiful pieces of physical art. It's simple enough to get disposable camera and conventional camera photographs printed, but what about those digital stunners?

One way is to use a regular computer printer. This is an easy thing to do, as most cameras regardless of price, come with some sort of software for Personal Computers. Just simply follow the instructions included, and everything is a breeze! However, easy as this seems, the quality of the print depends greatly on the quality of paper and the printer itself. This is a very cost effective way of printing your own photographs provided you don't have to go and make a massive investment in a high quality printer. Photo-specific printers can be purchased, however, quite cheaply and these are good creating a professional-looking print quickly.

My personal favourite method of relieving my camera memory of it's photographic gems is Internet printing. This is simple, as you can upload your photographs onto the computer then onto a website such as Snapfish.com. You can then review and edit your photographs and order various copies which arrive within days. The advantage of this is its speed and that you can not only print as photographs, but also on mouse mats, teddy bears and other gift items! However, if you don't like waiting a few days to see your masterpieces, then this method may not be for you. Cost varies, prints can start at as little as 9p each.

Many super markets offer a photograph printing service. This represents almost a half-way point between the two previous methods. It may require upto an hour waiting if you require a VERY high quality print, but often you can just plug a camera into the machines and away you go. Prints in seconds, with ease. What's also lovely is the range of other items you can get such as, again, mouse mats and teddy bears. Sometimes though, getting to these places can be a struggle, and the quality can vary depending what machine you use on which day, but overall this is a very effective method. Prints are not as cheap as online, but start at about 25p per print.

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