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Lack of participation on printing forum.

fotografz

Well-known member
My images are printed a lot.

I just delivered three 9X12 (12X18 spreads) Wedding Albums with 60 pages/30 spreads.

I used to print my own slip in type albums, but the market moved to bound type books that require mounted silver based type Fuji Crystal Archive laser prints because the facing pages touch each other.

I print individual inkjets from an Epson 3880 for Wedding and Portrait clients from 8X10 to 17X22. Anything larger, I farm out.

Many clients have all kinds of my prints framed in their homes ... and send out Holiday cards with family stuff I've shot for them.

I'm a big advocate of making prints because I think they will be the only thing around 20 to 30 years from now.

Here's a link to one of my custom designed album e-proofs I put on line for client approval: The printed version ALWAYS looks better.

Sam/Andrey's Album - fotografz

- Marc
 
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docmoore

Subscriber and Workshop Member
Marc,


Any recommendations on printers for the albums and larger prints?

We used Shutterfly for a card this Christmas .... two prints from my daughters wedding and one of my own on the back...amazing 4 day turn around from order to delivery.

Bob

EDIT: Just looked at the link...unbelievably stunning layout for the album!

Bob
 

fotografz

Well-known member
My images are printed a lot.

I just delivered three 9X12 (12X18 spreads) Wedding Albums with 60 pages/30 spreads.

I used to print my own slip in type albums, but the market moved to bound type books that require mounted silver based type Fuji Crystal Archive laser prints because the facing pages touch each other.

I print individual inkjets from an Epson 3880 for Wedding and Portrait clients from 8X10 to 17X22. Anything larger, I farm out.

Many clients have all kinds of my prints framed in their homes ... and send out Holiday cards with family stuff I've shot for them.

I'm a big advocate of making prints because I think they will be the only thing around 20 to 30 years from now.

Here's a link to one of my custom designed album e-proofs I put on line for client approval: The printed version ALWAYS looks better.

Sam/Andrey's Album - fotografz

- Marc
Thanks Bob!

I put a lot into each album I design and no two are the same... much more work than what I get paid for doing, but what the heck ... it's what we do, right? Why bust a hump doing hundreds of good images and then fall down on the presentation?

My advice regarding printing books or albums is to find a local lab and develop a relationship with them. Even though most surviving brick & mortar ones are pretty commercial and offer lots of trinkets and trash photo products, there is usually someone that is more serious about it all and appreciates someone that puts a lot into their photography ...in my case it is Don Hite, the owner of Hite Photo near me. They pull proofs and I go and check them before mounting and binding the book.

Merry Christmas,

- Marc
 

Dan Bellyk

New member
My images are printed a lot.

I just delivered three 9X12 (12X18 spreads) Wedding Albums with 60 pages/30 spreads.

I used to print my own slip in type albums, but the market moved to bound type books that require mounted silver based type Fuji Crystal Archive laser prints because the facing pages touch each other.

I print individual inkjets from an Epson 3880 for Wedding and Portrait clients from 8X10 to 17X22. Anything larger, I farm out.

Many clients have all kinds of my prints framed in their homes ... and send out Holiday cards with family stuff I've shot for them.

I'm a big advocate of making prints because I think they will be the only thing around 20 to 30 years from now.

Here's a link to one of my custom designed album e-proofs I put on line for client approval: The printed version ALWAYS looks better.

Sam/Andrey's Album - fotografz

- Marc
Beautiful work Mark :thumbs:
 

fotografz

Well-known member
A large photography fan base to work with but poor to almost nil participation in the printing forum. 4 threads in Dec. and 47 in the entire year?
That is quite bleak to say the least. The average printing threads on Luminous Landscape are around 100 per month and over 1200 for the year.
Isn't anyone over here printing? Maybe it is just me but I am into photography so that I have something to print and mount. It is not only a business but a true passion.
Would love to see a survey of all the members here to see what they are doing with their images. How many have a print studio? % of people printing versus sending images online to one of the web viewing sites?
it is possible this site is more of a consumer site rather then the business oriented group on LuLa and that may well be the difference which is ok.
Come on guys and gals if you have interest we need your participation. Maybe you will get hooked like I have.
Dan, it would be interesting to see how many GetDpi members actually print their work on a regular basis.

My concern in general is the lack-luster interest in prints amongst the public. It seems the "Here today gone today" mentality of FaceBook dominates photography now. I fear whole generations of images are in danger of disappearing. In past, families at least had prints as a record ... now that is much less true. My lab owner read an article about documentarians and historians fearing there will be no record of whole generations in future.

As the years roll on, it gets harder to print just for yourself ... I have a large flat file drawer that is beyond being full and most all of our wall space features art or photos ... and we have a BIG house with lots of wall space.

I'm a real "pusher" of prints with my wedding and portrait clients ... and even have taken to including 17X22 and other print sizes to back that up. When clients ask how much it would be without the prints I tell them the price is the same :) Yet to be honest, the whole wedding and portrait business has gone to hell in a hand-basket, and price/quantity is the primary driver no matter how many value added aspects like prints that you offer. People just want to post pics on their FB sites and all is forgotten with-in 6 months.

As demand diminishes, it becomes more and more difficult to maintain your own printing capability. I now take every opportunity to make prints for people and even give them away out of principle ... like we went to a neighborhood holiday party to meet old friends and new members of the community, and I shot a few group shots ... then printed an 8X10 for each family and my wife delivered them the next day.

Without a viable outlet even passion is hard to maintain. We do it ... but it sure would be nice if more people would appreciate what it takes and value it more.

- Marc
 

Dan Berg

New member
Dan, it would be interesting to see how many GetDpi members actually print their work on a regular basis.

My concern in general is the lack-luster interest in prints amongst the public. It seems the "Here today gone today" mentality of FaceBook dominates photography now. I fear whole generations of images are in danger of disappearing. In past, families at least had prints as a record ... now that is much less true. My lab owner read an article about documentarians and historians fearing there will be no record of whole generations in future.

As the years roll on, it gets harder to print just for yourself ... I have a large flat file drawer that is beyond being full and most all of our wall space features art or photos ... and we have a BIG house with lots of wall space.

I'm a real "pusher" of prints with my wedding and portrait clients ... and even have taken to including 17X22 and other print sizes to back that up. When clients ask how much it would be without the prints I tell them the price is the same :) Yet to be honest, the whole wedding and portrait business has gone to hell in a hand-basket, and price/quantity is the primary driver no matter how many value added aspects like prints that you offer. People just want to post pics on their FB sites and all is forgotten with-in 6 months.

As demand diminishes, it becomes more and more difficult to maintain your own printing capability. I now take every opportunity to make prints for people and even give them away out of principle ... like we went to a neighborhood holiday party to meet old friends and new members of the community, and I shot a few group shots ... then printed an 8X10 for each family and my wife delivered them the next day.

Without a viable outlet even passion is hard to maintain. We do it ... but it sure would be nice if more people would appreciate what it takes and value it more.

- Marc


Marc,
Thanks for your response.
A little side story. Several years ago I ran a free group workshop for our local photography club. I think we had around 20 attendees. I started my talk with a little dissertation on color management thinking this was pretty basic stuff for a group of enthusiest photographers. The club leader raises his hand and says Dan I doubt these folks know what you are talking about.
A little shocked to hear that response I asked how many were printing there own work. 4 yes only 4 printed. I expected 80% not 20%.
Here was a group of experienced passionate photographers and hardly anyone was printing. So for that day anyway I changed my speech a little more towards promoting the advantages of starting to print your own work.

You are right digital media is changing everything especially for the non photography oriented consumer. I have very little work off the street. No moms bringing in their kiddie photos to print none of that type of work.
What is alive and well is printing and mounting for the photography and artisan communtities.
Photographers that want to see there work printed large for themselves or to sell. Digital reproductions of artists water color and acrylic paintings are also in demand.

Back on track I am not interested in promoting my print studio but instead the craft of printing. Once you get hooked it is pretty hard to turn back.
Learning curve and cost are usually what holds many back.

Finally my little story about the walls being full.
I have 6 grandchildren who live in a very large house with walls just full of my prints and mounts. Last week I brought 4 more for my daughter to hang and while walking up the driveway I swear I heard several of the kids say
"Lock the doors its Pop Pop and he has more pictures."
All kidding aside if you are not printing and would like to. Start setting aside a portion of your annual camera budget for printing equipment and after no time you can have your own little printmaking studio.
It will do more for your photography then you can imagine.
Happy printing.

Dan Berg
 

kdphotography

Well-known member
It does seem difficult at times to sell portraits in the digital age of facebook. The frequent request for digital files flies in the face of fine art printing and a professional photography studio. I am constantly having to educate prospective clients on the benefits of a professional photographer and professionally printed portraits/images. Digital and the internet have made photography much more accessible, yet at the same time I feel it has lowered the bar in terms of quality and expectations. It's just going on facebook, right? And it's gone.

That being said, I don't normally sell image files to portrait clients, but will provide web resolution image files of retouched portraits they have purchased. I've only sold my soul a few times by providing small print files (sufficient for 8x10), and that was where the portrait client had made such a large portrait purchase (Graphi family book, wall portraits, frames, smaller portraits) that I couldn't say no. But they are always final, retouched files---never raw, never un-retouched. The client knew, and I was confident, that everything my studio produced would be at a much higher quality level than they could get on their own. I truly feel the run and gun photographers do a disservice to the industry. Commercial clients are different, but even there I see the same attitudes and lowered expectations creeping in.

What had been mainstream in years past, I see as opportunity in a niche market, with both photography and printing. Portrait clients know I'm aiming to produce a wall portrait sized image, retouched and printed in house. Wedding clients know a Graphi wedding book is required and included in all packages. And I'm sure I do lose a lot of potential clients, but they were never a good match for my studio anyway. But I do try to educate along the way. It's difficult to do as fine art printing is more in hand/in person and can't be shared on the web or over the phone.

My 9900 easily earns its keep. My converted 9890 K7 B&W piezography printer not so much, but it's more for me to enjoy. :) I do hope to see that change this next year and produce more B&W K7 images for clients, as that definitely does provide exceptional B&W images and also in a market with few B&W options at this level.

Educating clients and marketing is non-stop. Pushing image quality and different presentation ideas is also constant. Hope we can all share approaches, printing and framing tips and learn a bit from each other.

ken
 
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