Prints & Print Making

ABOUT MY PRINTS

When a photographer makes the final print, the work fully his or her own. The words of Ansel Adams, that the negative (transparency) is like a musical score and the print is the performance are true. When I make a print I am often astounded by how much it departs from the original transparency, or how much it varies from previous prints. In the field, photography is the art of seeing; in the studio it is the art of print making. I want the viewer to see what I saw and feel what I felt in the most compelling way. Since there really is no “true representation” in any art form, each step of the process is a translation, an evolution towards self-expression.

I make my prints the way I like them. The photons, basically little electrical charges in the electromagnetic spectrum, go through dozens of electrical and mechanical conversions between the scene and the print, and my job is to organize them so that the print is an acceptable version of the original scene, and the viewer sees what I want them to see. I am a photon wrangler, reconstituting what I saw. It constantly amazes me that this is even possible. When I am successful, a good photograph has a strong personality and character that makes it unique and memorable.

I spent ten years mastering Ilfochrome (Cibachrome) printing process, which at that time was the most stable color printing process available. Over the past fifteen years I have been learning digital processes, scanning my film transparencies and fine tuning them in photoshop in preparation for printing with an inkjet printer. Digital photography gives me way more control over the subtleties of color, value and contrast throughout the entire image than was possible in the darkroom. Digital prints are sharper, and the prints are more archival. The digital process also allows me to assemble my multi-part panoramas into one seamless frame.

All of the images in this website are available digitally, and some as Illfochromes. I also have many Illfochrome prints not on this site that can be viewed at my studio in Boulder, Colorado.

Made from a film original which I scan on a drum scanner at very high resolution, and correct in Photoshop. As I make these myself in my studio, I have complete control over the final print. I prefer the very smooth, bright white, matte surface, acid-free and 100% cotton rag papers, which yield a large color palette with excellent resolution, which is very accessible to the eye. Sizes up to 8 feet long are available. Inkjet prints are sharper, longer lasting and more carefully controlled than darkroom prints.

Dramatic, highly glossy prints with a strong color palette and great depth with rich tones, made in the wet darkroom by enlarger from a color transparency in analog fashion. I control sharpness, contrast, and hence color, by a process called unsharp masking. These prints can be hung for viewing for 25-40 years without noticeable changes in color. They will last indefinitely in dark storage. I am not making these prints any longer, but some images are still available in this medium. Please inquire.

PRINT SIZES & PRICES

PRINT SIZE*	PRICE
11″ x 14″ or 11″ x 11″	$ 400.00
16″ x 20″ or 16″ x 16″	$ 600.00
20″ x 24″ or 20″ x 20″	$ 800.00
24″ x 30″ or 24″ x 24″	$ 1000.00
30″ x 40″ or 30″ x 30″	$ 1200.00
40″ x 50″ or 40″ x 40″	$ 1400.00
Inquire about larger sizes

PANORAMA SIZES & PRICES

HORIZONTAL DIMENSION	PRICE
22″	$ 400.00
32″	$ 600.00
42″	$ 800.00
larger than 42″	$ 1.50/ square inch of image area.

* =approx. image size. Paper size will be larger.
-These prices are for prints on acid-free Enhanced Matte Paper. For prints on 100% cotton Hahnemuhle add 10%.
-Any image can be ordered any size.
-Colorado residents have sales tax.
-Payment by check or credit card.
-SPECIAL orders require 50% deposit; balance due when print is ready.
-Price includes shipping by UPS, fully insured.

ORDERING

Images on my web site can be ordered in any size. I have hundreds of prints from the many locations and the different categories listed on the site, and of course the best way to see them is visit my studio in Boulder, Colorado. I am a one-man operation so special orders take 2-6 weeks. My prints are made individually by me, to the highest standards of craftsmanship. The square pictures are made from a 2 1/4″ film transparencies, the rectangular ones from 4×5″ film transparencies or digital capture, and the panoramas from multiple exposures. They all have excellent sharpness and detail. While it is impossible to make the internet images an exact match to an original print, they are a very close representation in overall color, value and spirit. Please contact me if you have special needs or questions.

PRINTMAKING SERVICES: ABOUT MAKING YOUR PRINTS

I make custom, archival, exhibition quality prints for photographers, painters and other serious visual artists. My job is to listen to your wishes and make prints that match your vision. I only make prints at the highest level of quality I am capable of, and I do not make small, quick, cheap prints. I make prints from 11″ x 14″ up to 44″ wide by almost any length.

11×14″ prints on 11.7×16.5″ paper:$40/$20. Hahnemuhle add $10.

16×20″ prints on 17×22″ paper: $50/$25. Hahnemuhle add $15.

24×30″ prints on 24″ roll paper: $ 70/$35. Hahnemuhle add $20.

30×36″ prints on 44″ roll paper: $90/$45. Hahnemuhle add $20.

The first first print price includes two 8×10″ test prints and ½ hour of photoshop time. Additional Photoshop work is billed on a time and materials basis: $75./hour and $5. for each 8×10 test print. Additional prints from the same file are ½ the first print price. I keep Epson Premium Presentation Paper and Hahnemuhle Photo Rag in stock. These are smooth, white, matte surface papers with excellent sharpness and color, and minimal optical brighteners. The Epson is pulp-based, and the Hahnemuhle a 100% cotton rag paper. I can print on other papers and canvas as required, with a minimum order. For those starting with film I can scan 35mm and 2 ¼” films on a 5,000 dpi Nikon Super Coolscan 9000 scanner, and 4×5″ film on a Howtek 4500 drum scanner at 2,000 or 4,000 dpi. Shipping and handling is extra.

If you live in Colorado and want to learn Photoshop and how to make your own prints, we can make your prints together. I will explain each step along the way, and discuss which tools will best achieve your vision. This is a good combination of learning and production at the same time.