Welcome to my blog!—Conversations about photographic art
November 2, 2012
This blog represents a new chapter in my development as a professional photographer and artist. Thank you for joining me.
I have been writing about photography in general, and about my photography in particular, for several years. This has mainly taken the form of personal journal entries and emails.
Here I will be sharing key thoughts and discussions about photography from those writings. More importantly, I will offer fresh and on-going material to help you in your own growth as a photographer. Below is a partial list of the subjects you will find in my blog:
- Finding your passion and developing a personal artistic style
- Creativity and inspiration
- Composition—art and technique
- Using color to create distinctive photographs
- Photographers—art and vision
- Business considerations
- Becoming an artist—life and process
New! See this website for workshops and monthly print sale specials.
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November 6, 2012
I admit up-front that my printing does not always go smoothly. Most of the time it does. But on some occasions, well, the outcome is disappointing.
Recently I have been printing my art to show galleries. Bigger is usually better with my images. I like 20×24” at least. Subtle details that I value are easier to see when they are larger. Plus, big photographs draw me in–and I really like that effect. But, it can be discouraging when the printing goes awry, for no matter how you cut it, costs are involved in printing, and larger images require more paper and ink than do smaller ones.
My favorite papers are Epson Ultrasmooth, Epson Hot Press Bright, and Epson Velvet Fine Art. I print on others too, for I enjoy exploring their aesthetic characteristics. For now though, these Epson papers are my preferred substrates. All three express images beautifully.
I use Epson K3 Ultrachrome inks. Like the papers, they are of very high quality. When I see the delicate and gently layered pigments soaking into and resting upon the surface of gorgeous cotton papers, I am reminded of dust on a butterfly’s wing. It’s that soft and thatluminescent.
Darker hues in my images are particularly susceptible to damage. Sometimes it seems as if their surfaces can be marred if I just look at them wrong. In reality, the issue is one of handling. It is essential that I be extraordinarily careful when positioning mat board on a photograph. Even a slight touch of the mat board on the face of an image can be enough to scar the pigments. Or if I’m wearing long sleeves, the mere brush of fabric can disfigure the finely textured dusting of color.
All it takes is a brief moment of distraction. Recently I was distracted and due to had to throw away a number of prints. But I persisted and came away with stunning images that I matted and framed. And those are real successes.
In the long run these lessons are valuable. Disappointment fades. Printing for me entails a gentle touch. It’s important to be careful as I remove the image from the rollers of the printer and move it to my matting table. Close, but not rigid, attention is required as I cut the mat and position it over the photograph. I am participating all along the creation of beauty. This calls for me to be fully present in the moment. And in the creation of art, being present is what it’s all about.