So did I! Back in the olden dinosaur days, (pre-digital) A photographer had to run down to the local professional photography store to purchase film. Then they had to take their time creating amazing images.  After the session, they took the film out of their camera and sent it to the lab for processing and proofing. When the proofs came back, about a week later, we met with the client, showed them the proofs and then placed the order. If there was a hair out of place or a trash can in the background, it was fine. The image was finished at that point.

Fast forward to digital. No, we don’t have to pay for film or processing.  We don’t even have to wait to see the image. It instantly appears on the back of the camera. However, we do have to have a super fast computer to accommodate the huge files and our huge processing and editing software.  And since we don’t have a limit on how many frames we can take per roll of film, we tend to over shoot. Our mindset has shifted to “I’ll fix it in post” . So after our session, the photographer, herself, has to process the images through lightroom and prep them for viewing and ordering. This process requires an additional monitor for the client to view the images. So, in addition to this extra time for the photographer to prep your “proof” images, once your place your order, the photographer now has to “fix” all the small details to make the image perfect.

Personally, I would not go back to film. Digital has opened up so many wonderful doors for photographers and consumers.  But, once you are able to understand how digital photography has changed the game for professional photographers, you can maybe understand their hesitation when you need just that one image by tomorrow. It takes more time than you think.