In almost every home, photos can be found in albums, stored in phones or digital cameras, some are even on film waiting to be developed.

When I was a kid my grandmother still took photos with a box brownie camera. Since she didn't drive the easiest way to develop the film was to put it into a post paid envelope and send it off to Clark Color Labs to be developed. In a week or so, an envelope would arrive filled with glossy (or matte) photos and we would get our first look at the images. Sometimes the photos would be put into an album, but more often they were stored the "traditional way" in a shoe box.

While electronic storage offers a wonderful, space saving method for keeping photos, it is easy to forget how vulnerable photos stored on computers, phones, mp3s and other devices can be. Memory cards fill up and "unimportant" photos get deleted. Small devices like cameras and phones, often get lost, stolen or dropped. Computers crash and in a second those slide shows of the kids disappear into a blue screen never to be seen again.

Being able to view photos within seconds of clicking the shutter has taken away the rush get photos transferred to paper. Since there is no wait, there is no hurry to get prints.

I've used Clark photo for years and have always been satisfied with the quality and speed of processing. A postage-paid mailing label can be printed directly from the web site to submit film or memory cards for processing. There is also the option of uploading images directly to the site. Photos may be stored online indefinitely as long as you remain an active member. This provides an extra level of protection against loss, as well as offering a convenient way to share them with family and friends.

While it may be easy to print out photos at home, how many of us really take the time to do it. The cost of ink and paper often make home processing an expensive option when compared to commercial printing.