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| Digital Outback Fine
Art Photography Handbook
© Bettina & Uwe Steinmueller
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| 2 Fine Art Photography |
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2.1 The Photographic Print as ultimate goal
2.2 Leaving a lasting result (Longevity)
2.3 Presentation
2.4 Commercial vs. Art and Craft
2.5 Marketing
2.6 Publishing for the web
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| 2.1 The Photographic Print as ultimate
goal |
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| This book looks at photography as fine art.
Thus the ultimate goal of all photos is to be printed and presented to
please the viewer. Please understand that we also see all other kinds
of photography (photojournalism, product and portrait) as very interesting
areas of photography but not our focus. Also if you work with the print
in mind some things are seen in a different light. A slide show can handle
very high contrast, small web photos don't need that much resolution and
unlike photos for events and press speed is not a main issue. |
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| 2.1.1 Inkjet Printers
changed the game
With inkjet printers the possibility to print at home or your office
at an very affordable price is now open to everyone and the quality
can now match the best in industry. For the fine art photographer this
means a control never possible at such a low investment. Please don't
misunderstand that we think that printing now is really cheap. Papers
and inks add up to some significant spending. |
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| 2.2 Leaving a lasting result (Longevity)
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| One of the last domains of Ciba/Ilfochrome
and in recent years Lightjet color prints was the longevity of those
prints (30 - 60 years). No major gallery or museum would accept prints
which might just last 1-15 years. Of course this is also a major concern
of the the fine art photographer. Recently new inks (pigmented inks)
and paper were introduced to allow inkjet prints to last even longer
that 60 years. The authority in this area is Wilhelm Imaging Research
(www.wilhelm-research.com).
Also they had some major problems judging some recent paper/ink combinations
and the influence of ozone to their longevity.
Of course nobody could really test these data. But some tests indicate
that these figures might be somehow realistic. We only use pigmented
inks right now which gives us a good feel that our customers will enjoy
their photos over a long period of time. We don't think it is important
that these prints do not fade in direct sun light as this is not where
you would display fine art prints anyway.
Sometimes we hear the argument that the buyers don't ask/care about
the longevity issue. Yes, some might not know that this is an issue
but assume these prints will last forever. Be sure they will care once
they love your prints and it starts to fade. My parents had a Cibachrome
print of this photo |
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Venice Ponte, Italy 1977 |
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| hanging in their house for 25 years and
it still looks fine. |
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| 2.3 Presentation |
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| Of course the presentation of your fine
art prints is as important as your work itself. Thus matting and framing
is something you have to deal with too. This book will only briefly outline
some of our own experience. |
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| 2.4 Commercial vs. Art and Craft |
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| If we talk about fine art prints we want
to sell these photos. Of course there is a tension between the personal
view and the buyers opinion. At some point you have to please the buyer
and this might mean even make some compromises in what and how you create
your work. In this sense we consider our work to be commercial. |
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| 2.5 Marketing |
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| At some point marketing your work is
as or even more important than producing new photos. What if you pile
up a lot of wonderful prints and just the buyers don't know about it.
Sorry that we do not have good advice here as we are in the process
to do our own homework right now. |
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| 2.6 Publishing for the web |
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| This book is not about publishing for the
web as we do not see the web as the right place to view fine art. There
is so much more to a nice print than the web can show. Of course the web
can be one of your marketing channels but don't overestimate it. Again
you cannot show what a print looks like. |
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| References |
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| © Bettina & Uwe Steinmueller |
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