GraduateJoe In following up on the post about writing to my kids, I thought I'd add this. In terms of my written communications, my post is never a letter in the traditional sense. Rather, it's in the same format I first started using back in 1982 when I first entered the word of photography properly. Just the fairly standard fold over card which fits into a C3 envelope. In 40 years, what has changed? Not a whole lot in terms of the basic approach. I started off using cheap, glossy card stock I got from a local printer for nothing. It was hard to write on with a biro and smudged badly. I used a name stamp made by by Dad, photographed here, who worked in independent Newspapers as a linotype operator- my name, backwards on a heavy piece of grey lead which required a stamp pad and smudged easily.  I used Cow Gum to stick the photos down. And people liked them. I'd visit friends in Boston and Los Angeles and Chicago and my cards would be right there  on the fridge, nice.

So, what's changed? Not a whole lot in terms of the main idea - to send a personal, hand-written not to someone with an images which is, as far as possible customised to the recipient. I use much nicer, writable card stock, pre-printed with my name on the back, better quality envelopes - and I don't use Cow Gum anymore! The effect is the same, however - people love  receiving a hand-made, hand written message through the post.

My Dad really was the one who started me off on the writing thing. He was a reader and a writer and gave me my first fountain pen. If we ever needed a letter written which required some sublety and guile, he was the one for it.  He was a man of letters, in every sense of the word.