Exit Sign

I was listening to a podcast the other day and someone asked, "how do i get a style?" and the interviewee replied, "well you shoot long enough and you'll have one." This has resonated with me ever since. With the technology of digital I rarely have the time to print. The past couple of days I have gathered what i thought was some of my best work to date from previous commissions and personal photographs to put together a tangible book to show clients or enthusiast. I know I may be getting on this band wagon a little behind but my common practice has been to show a portfolio via some software and a CD, however, tonight with my prints before me I saw my photographs in a different dimension. I have seen what I believe to be my style. I believe for some people we have conformed to take a digital photo, slap it on the Internet and store it on a hard drive and then forget about it. I believe it is crucial we remember the genesis of what photography is. The final product: the print. I say all this to state there was some kind of revelation when I printed my photographs. I saw my work in a whole new light and learned something about myself in this passion. I am asking myself now if I hadn't printed would I have realized my style later. There is something real and intimate about a photograph when it's able to be physically touched.