Perhaps, but it's impossible for any photographer to know how the client liked the finished project, and wether they valued the experience or not. Musicians have a direct access to their audience that I sometimes am jealous of. There is no applause for photographers to let them know their attempts were succesful. With magazines it was normal to only hear from the editors if there was a problem.
But recently I did a shoot for a friend. His reply at seeing the result was such that I asked his permission to include in my blog. And if you like the images and his reply, check out his most recent work at http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books_bios.cgi?entry=bk59&type=excerpt Which has excerpts from his new book, Losers Live Longer, and check out his facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1302736331
Hey Harry, Absolutely too fantastic! You are too much of an artist though--you captured the truth! Damn you! It's so funny seeing my surroundings, if I didn't know better I'd think the person in the photo was terribly affectatious, cocooning himself in trash and antiques
--when the truth is I try to reduce my life down to the barest necessities, so I guess somehow all this dark wood is necessary. (Atwood Sherwood Darkwood Darkwing Duck--see it's all beginning to make sense). But you really captured the unvarnished truth--that's what I look like when in the throes of it (I especially like the one where I'm rubbing my eyes and my mouth drops open). 
And there's a nice shot toward the end where I'm smiling that seems to acknowledge I don't take myself too seriously.
Oh yeah, and some cool pics which highlight my prominent arm veins. All masterfully wrought through your process. (I like the way the weird faces around me are gradually revealed through the sequence). Well done. If nothing else they will prove to be of some slight historic significance--the bear in his den, circa 2009. One day though we'll have to do a few glamour shots, i.e. photos in which I first splash some water on my face and comb my hair and maybe do a couple of sit-ups the day before. I'm reminded of that early episode of the Simpsons, where Homer gets this promotion at the Nuclear Power Plant and he's an utter fraud, but his personal assistant (played by Harvey Feinstein) helps to coach him and mold him--so anyway at one point they go to a tailors to fit Homer for a suit and Homer keeps holding in his gut and his assistant says let it out, let it all out, all of it! and Homer's gut bursts the dams, and then his assistant turns and points to the tailor, "You--Conceal it!" But seriously, outstanding work, very impressive, I'm duly humbled and in your debt. Best,Russell
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