Print Swap @ The Photo Outfitters

Last night I participated in a print swap at The Photo Outfitters in Charlotte. It was my first time doing something like this and it was so cool. I made three 12x18” prints of my favorite photos of late. I loved how they came out, and at the time I offered them as signed and numbered limited editions for one month. Each included a Certificate of Authenticity and was serialized and registered with the Hahnemühle My Art Registry.

At the print swap, I had a conversation that I’ve been thinking about ever since. One of the prints I picked out was created by one of the owners of The Photo Outfitters, Tony. I went to chat with him after the swap and Tony mentioned that this swap was something of a humbling experience for him. At the last swap his prints got grabbed up quickly which felt really great. But this time they didn’t get picked up as quickly. I admitted mine weren’t picked in the first round and I began to feel a little self-conscious as well.

One of the things I’ve been thinking about is how I really loved his print I picked. So much, that as I was waiting for my turn to go up and choose again, I was really hoping it would still be there. And I’m reflecting on the dichotomy of the experiences we had. On the one hand, when it came to our own work we both hoped it would get snatched up fast. But when it came to his work, I hoped it wasn’t chosen because I wanted it!

Photography is so personal to us and we all love our own work. And it can sting when we feel like everyone out there doesn’t immediately “get” our vision. Sharing our work is hard. It’s vulnerable. We’re putting a piece of ourselves out there into the world and hoping it does well. But I think one of the lessons I’m coalescing around is that my goal shouldn’t be that my work is widely loved. They say you can’t please all the people all of the time. So maybe sharing our work is about finding those people in the world who really love what you create. The people that hear what you have to say and vibe with it. That feels really special.

Thank you to Tony and Cannon at The Photo Outfitters for hosting the print swap. I love the pieces I picked and they’ll have a good home on my wall. And I feel so much pride that three more people have something I made that they’ll love. See you at the next one!