Musing Correspondence - 3/25/2026

Hello Dear Friend,

My how things change. It wasn’t long ago I was rejecting the title of artist in favor of photographer, adamant that it suited me better. Naive as I was in those days, it is an excitable reminiscence, tracing my creative journey. I think back to my first photography class in college, sharing sports photos for critiques, sure that I could make that square peg fit through the round hole of art school. Four years later I only managed to disorient myself entirely as to where I wanted to take my photography practice. Now here I am, approaching five years full time, just having dropped off a piece for exhibition, and preparing for an artist residency. 

The reason I am writing to you today is because I have made yet another change. For some time now I have grappled with this idea, one that will tremendously alter the future of my work, and alas I have finally been swayed. For the majority of my career I limited my editions for each piece to one hundred, going forward it will be only one.

My reasoning for this was simple, why should photographers be allowed to mass produce their masterpieces? Calling any of the images in my portfolio a masterpiece at this stage in the game is a far cry for sure but I hope you can understand the sentiment. While photography is an artform that lends itself toward limitless reproduction, the question I have toiled with on end is should it? Should we really be so open about our editions to the point we produce them indefinitely? Doesn’t that just further dilute the already over saturated market? 

The answer of course is yes and yet despite the simple conclusion the decision itself was very difficult. The norm of reproductions is cemented in the industry and it is a very easy advantage to capitalize on. My hesitancy was more about standing in defiance of the current than anything, worried that this move would only leave people puzzled due to its foreign nature. Ultimately though it was the best move for the trajectory of my work and I’m thrilled about the opportunity to solve the puzzling questions it will assumedly produce.

You may have a puzzled response yourself so let me save you the trouble of waiting for my answer to your questions. Painters can only produce one original painting, therefore the original canvas is worth far more than the reproductions. The Mona Lisa would be in every gallery on Earth if a reproduction carried the same weight as the original piece itself. While photographs can be reproduced with consistency, so long as the ink in the printer doesn’t run low, if there’s only one ever to be made, suddenly the moment preserved is as valuable as the moment experienced. Once I landed there I no longer cared to reproduce my images, each moment immortalized deserved a linear course of impact with me merely playing the role of transcriber.

So it shall be. From hence forth all of my new releases will be editions of one and once produced, will never be printed again. I’ll leave it there and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter.

Sincerely yours,

Justin