The last thing people want is a surprise, these days.
To me, style is like your fingerprint. Nobody else has it.
A photographer is responsible for creating a climate in which they can do their best work.
The picture I was hoping for is never the picture I get, but yeah, I think they fail all the time. Fortunately my clients don't think they do, so I can continue to have a career. But I just look at them and think.
Shoot what you can't help but shoot
I never do pictures that I've done before - but I really try not to. Whenever I get an assignment I try to think how to shoot this person for this story in this magazine at this point in time.