Printing my work means coming full circle on a project. Without print, projects feel trapped on drives and trapped in the perpetual moronic tornado of online noise. Print has become confrontational, in a good way, as it forces viewers to engage physically. It also forces viewers to put down their mobile devices.

As a photographer, print proves many things. Editing skill, sequencing skill, design skill, and the ability to wrap edges around a particular story. Print also forces me to choose materials and trim size, and print forces me to choose a realistic-sized run. How many books do I need? How many can I sell?
Should I go offset or use print-on-demand? Why not both?

Finally, print is the antithesis of modern, online, photography culture, obsessed with the now and with whatever superficial tangent will provide the highest ratings. Print is a slow, mindful approach to photography. A long-term, lasting, circuitous route to creating something meaningful, something demands far more attention than a thumb swipe while multitasking.

For creatives today, there are nearly endless options for putting their work in print. From the simple and affordable to the high-end, one-off. But print forces a decision to be made. A decision to do more than join the masses of followers. Print requires multiple skills. A true test of one's range of talent. Print takes time, extended focus, trial and error, and a perpetual series of tests.

But the rewards for print are unlike anything else, and print is revered at the highest levels of our industry. Ask any professional photographer what they want and "A book deal," is often at the top of the list. There's a reason for this. And don't forget, the challenge of print is not only educational it's also enjoyable. Taking the time to build something like this is so incredibly rewarding and helps shape your practice the next time you venture into the field. Practice, take your time, and enjoy the process.