30/08/09

I've just gone and got 500 digital photos printed off. They're standing on the coffee table in order of date, like a mini leaning tower - the aim of the game being to get them all in albums before someone knocks it over.

The earliest was taken mid-2006 so that's three years of my life, stacked up over there. It turns out I mess with my hair a whole lot more than I thought. I was of the opinion that I hardly ever do anything with it, when the photos clearly show that I spend my entire time growing it, then lopping it all off, then growing it again, then lopping it off again, then growing it again again, then getting cancer.

I love my digital camera. I think it's a wonderful thing. If you compare the pictures I took when I couldn't see what the hell I was doing and only had 30 shots, with the ones where I had previews of everything and could take 600 photos if I was so inclined, it's not too hard to tell which gets better results. No more pictures of 'grey field featuring fuzzy blob person', or 'castle that looked really close through my eyes, but now appears to be 65 miles away'.

The only problem is ... well. It's like that Eddie Izzard routine about the fruit. You know the one. Something along the lines of : - 'You buy the fruit, you take it home, you carefully arrange it in a fruit bowl, and then you watch it rot.' Because you never do anything with them, do you? You download them onto your computer, and then they sit there. Forever.

And occasionally you might think it would be nice to get them printed, but then, weeeeelll, it's not like you can't look at them, they're on the computer. Hell, you could set up a slideshow of the damn things right now if you wanted. Not that you're going to - because there's a repeat of Poirot on in five minutes, and you're almost sure you can't remember who did it.

Until finally, finally, you go down to Jessops with three years of your life on a data stick, and ask them to do the lot.

Actually, I'm sure you don't. I'm sure you're far more organised than that.

But don't worry - I won't hold it against you.