PHOTOGRAPHY BECOMES IMPORTANT WHEN IT IS PRINTED

In 1968, the pages of every newspaper were tinged with the epic vision captured by astronauts on a lunar mission: The first photograph of our planet Earth taken by humans. For the photographer Luigi Ghirri, that was not only the image of a world, but "the image that contained all the images of the world: graffiti, frescoes, paintings, photographs, films."

After that revolutionary year, the world was profoundly transformed, yet, paradoxically, that image remained unchanged in its evocative power, encapsulating Ghirri's concept.

Today, photography has become an integral part of our daily existence. If in 1968 it was a luxury reserved for the few, now we take trillions of images, invading the web. However, the crucial question arises: How much importance do we attach to images?

Each person can answer this question according to his or her own perception, but, in general, it seems that images have often become commonplace, confined to the memories of digital devices, consigning most of them to oblivion, in addition to the danger that they will be lost with the breaking of memory.

We are losing the sense of value of photographs. We no longer select carefully, and most importantly, we no longer print images.

Print a photograph goes beyond the mere physical act: it is giving it an identity, a choice; it is looking at it, touching it, displaying it, admiring it, contemplating it. It means attributing a tangible value to it.

Today, the unbridled rush to produce digital images seems to rob them of their essence. Perhaps we should stop, shoot less, and invest time in selection and printing. Only then can we regain the true value of photography, a print that will stay with us through time.

Digital photography sometimes becomes just a showcase for our narcissism, a vehicle to feed our need for social approval.

Eight years ago I printed photos of my daughter's birth, quickly printed on my home printer. To this day, hanging on my desk, they remind me every day of the miracle of that happy moment.