We take a lot of photos these days. It is estimated that, worldwide, humans will take a record 1.3 trillion digital snapshots in 2017. But rather than being retained as impressions, they disappear into our clouds and hard drives.
As photographers, sisters Jenna Walker and Katie Thurmes get it. For many years they ran a photography studio in Denver with Jenna's husband, Matt.
“We knew our customers weren't printing their photos and they didn't like the options available for products picture,” says Jenna. “As photographers, we understood the deep emotional connection we all have with our photos, and we wanted to protect it. We wanted to create things that made sense. »
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So in 2012, when they started Artifact Uprising, a product and photo printing business, Jenna, Katie and Matt focused on quality and environmental impact rather than volume. Fine art prints are made using museum quality printing on archival paper; cards and photo books include the option to print on 100% recycled paper; and wooden display products are beetle-damaged pines that would otherwise have been discarded.
The company has experienced compound annual growth of more than 50% since its inception, and its Instagram account counts more half a million subscribers, five times more than Shutterfly. In 2015, the fast-growing start-up was purchased by VSCO, a photo software company and community with a huge number of professional and amateur photographers.
“We are going through a period of unprecedented technological change.”
“We are going through a period of unprecedented technological change,” says Jenna. "It's amazing and there are so many benefits, but at some point the technology will evolve again. What will we carry with us through this evolution?
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This article originally appeared in the March 2017 issue of SUCCESS magazine.
