Digital Shutterbugs Focus on Retail Prints

A new study from IDC reveals the number of pictures taken and printed by digital photographers in the U.S. continues to rise, but fewer images are being printed at home.

A new study of digital camera owners’ photography habits from IDC has found that the averagenumber of images taken by digital photographers has continued to increase: users are expected to take an additional 18 images a month in 2005, while the average number of monthly prints is expectedto increase 29 percent during the year. However, the study also found that users’ printing behavior is changing with the increased volume of prints, with home printing declining in favor of havingphotos printed by retail and commercial services.

IDC’s 2005 U.S. Consumer Digital Imaging Survey also found a great deal of variability in digital photographer’s printing habits with one-third of respondents reporting they never print images and over 10 percent saying they print every image that they decide to keep. That could be a lot of printing: 15 percent of respondents claim they never delete any images!

The study speculates that the increases in both the number of images taken and printed may stem from lower prices and increased capacities on storage used in digital cameras. On average, respondents took 75 digital images per month, with 14 percent of respondents reporting they took more than 100 images per month. Six percent of respondents also report they delete all their images.