Is a photograph real until it has been printed?
There's something tragic about photos that never leave your hard-disk. Thousands of moments preserved in digital form but trapped forever inside magnetic media. All those ghosts are frozen in silence, holding their breath with anticipation for a future that may never exist. File after file of photographic tragedy.
I want my photos to exist, for real.
Ironically the digital revolution in photography has made this more possible and easier than ever. Blurb, Momento, Lily and lots of other "print on demand" solutions have finally brought the camera full circle. Digital is good.
I try to make a point of producing a printed book/albumn of all my major trips. Why spend the time and money?
1. It helps me to appreciate what I have on my computer.
2. It helps my clients to appreciate what I just sent them on a disc.
3. The process of review and selection makes me more critical of my images and helps me to isolate areas in which I need to improve my shot selection for future commissions.
4. I love showing off a book of images to people when they come around. Loading a slideshow onto the television or computer is kinda naff, and websites are fundamentally "low-res" and lack that personal reflection.
A book is a book, you cant beat that.
