Take Out Photo

Expanding your palette for photo prints (part 3: canvas, metallic, watercolor)

2009-11-07T05:17:00.001-08:00

I talked about the basics in the last two parts, now let's tackle three more: "watercolor" (aka "cotton rag" or "matte fine art"), metallic, and canvas.

Canvas
In my experience, Canvas is what a family buys for those extra special photos such as the family portrait above the fireplace, wedding and bridal portraits, or individual portraits of children. The common theme here is "portrait," but if I did landscape photography, I'm sure I would have clients purchasing landscapes on canvas as well. A canvas print costs many times the price of a photograph on paper, so what makes it worth the cost?

If you think about the psychology behind it, I think canvas enjoys the strongest connection to artistic legitimacy (i.e. a connection to traditional painted portraits), and that we have been conditioned to think of canvas as more special than paper. I would call this phenomenon the "nostalgia factor." Rare is the person who commissions a painted portrait, so the next best thing in most people's minds is a photographic portrait on canvas. Canvas has a more painterly texture and you can even add textured coatings that might give the appearance of brush strokes. I don't think canvas is inherently better. If you want fine detail, for example, you would be better off with a smoother paper. If you want something modern, you might consider other options. But for traditional looks, canvas gives off a feeling of classic elegance.

Lately, the trend for wrapped canvas (aka "gallery wraps") has been growing. The marketing pitch usually tries to exploit the inherent association of canvas with "art" while simultaneously arguing that since the wrapped image looks great on its own, you can save money by hanging it with no frame. Sans frame, gallery wraps make canvas a "contemporary" option, which is a pretty smart way for people in the canvas business to keep their product relevant.

Metallic
This has become a very popular alternative photo paper, but you might have trouble finding it at most local labs. Look online (Mpix and Bay Photo are just two of the many online options) for places that do metallic. Kodak Endura Metallic is the market leader as far as I can tell. I can't really show you what a metallic print looks like, because you have to see it in person and look at it from different angles. It doesn't look like a photo printed on tinfoil as you might imagine. Think "glossy," but more interesting. It has a smooth surface, and a silvery base that you will notice most prominently in the lightest colors. Colors are more intense and vibrant on metallic paper. Black and white photos can look stunning on metallic, and some people swear that it's good for just about anything. Personally, I would never use metallic paper for family photos. I have heard people claim that it produces good skin tones, but I would only use it on more stylized photos. Cross-processed and bleach bypass photos would look even better in metallic.

Watercolor
I mentioned in my last post that "giclée" is snob for "inkjet." To be fair, a giclée is usually a high quality inkjet and it is usually done on watercolor paper. Hahnemühle photo rag is my favorite 100% coton inkjet paper. It's not even in the same world as Canon or Epson as far as I'm concerned. Some of the reasons have to do with paper's weight, its D-Max rating (i.e. how deep can the blacks get?), how evenly the paper absorbs the ink, color gamut, and so on.

I would recommend watercolor paper for more dreamy, romantic looking photos (perhaps at a heavier texture), for classic looking black and white, or for most anytime you want a quality matte finish.

And now it's time to play [wild applause], "What paper would Marc choose?" [confused smattering of claps] The game where we get to look at some of Marc's photos and find out which paper he would print them on! [sound of crickets chirping].

photo #1: Boy with dog

Traditional elegance, rich tones. Taken for a client with a tasteful European-influenced home. Canvas.

photo #2: Champion gymnast

Desaturated, stylized, masculine, cool tones. Metallic.

photo #3: Wedding photo

Romantic, pink duotone. Watercolor.

photo #4: Fire escape portrait

Urban, trendy, cross-processed. Metallic.

photos #5 and 6: Bride

Classic, timeless bridal portraits. Canvas for the photo on the left and watercolor for the more contemplative photo on the right. However, if they were displayed next to each other in a home, I would choose the same (either one) for both.

photo #7: CNN Hero, Peter Kithene

Rich, dark, earthy, and timeless. Ivory-hued watercolor.

Obviously, these are just examples with my opinions. But it is my blog, so I won't pretend to be objective.

Parts 1-3 have taken you through the basic choices, but we have only scratched to surface as far as expanding your print palette goes. I am on day three of being stuck inside the apartment, and I am going stir crazy. This isn't the last you will hear about photo prints this month (In the eyes of many photographers, we aren't even close to alternative processes yet), but it had better be the last post I do in my robe in between doses of Advil.

Expanding your palette for photo prints (part 2)

2009-11-06T08:25:00.000-08:00

The basics
Whether you print using an inkjet (that's called a "giclée" print in snob), or a chemical process at your local photo lab (usually a Noritsu printer at 1 hour photo centers such as Costco), you have choices to make. Often, you only get two options: luster (or "lustre" in snob) or glossy. A typical third choice is matte. The names are pretty self-evident in that they describe how reflective the paper is. But let's get beyond the boring and obvious and talk about preferences, specifically, mine.
Glossy: I hate glossy paper. Glossy gives off a glare, it tends to scratch easily, and it picks up fingerprints better than most crime scene investigators. It can create brilliant color, but the only time I ever use it is in Asukabook wedding albums (which have a special coating and really aren't the same thing) or in metallic prints (I'll save those for part 3).

Luster: My preference for most purposes. Works great for wedding announcements and greeting cards because it doesn't scratch and pick up fingerprints like glossy. Luster is the perfect default choice (just ask Smugmug).

Matte: Labs don't offer it as often as they once did, and maybe because of that fact, matte tends to come off as a more "artsy" choice. I often make matte my default choice for black and white.

Done.

If only it were that easy. Each one of the above choices includes a wide range of options that your supermarket photo lab doesn't have incentive to offer. Think of it like this. You go to buy paint, and they ask if you want "gloss," "semi-gloss," "satin," etc. but there is only one kind of each. "But that is what happens," you say, "I go to Sherwin Williams, and I get Sherwin Williams paint." (And since we're on the topic, don't you find their logo of paint spilling over the whole planet to be just a tad maniacal? You can't stop me now, Mr. Bond. In just 10 minutes, my giant paint bucket will cover the earth in "Enticing Red" semi-gloss! bwah ha ha!).

The fact is, there are different kinds of paper under each category of finish. Spend a little time browsing the photo papers and art papers sections at inkjetart.com and you will begin to see how many choices are out there (three links in one sentence, they should send me free stuff). And the same thing goes for papers used by print labs. The luster Fuji Crystal Archive paper (used by Costco, for example) has a heavier pebble grain texture than the luster Kodak Endura paper (which I prefer). Next time you get a print done at a lab, turn it over and look at the paper, or ask the lab what paper(s) they use. Or if you print photos from your inkjet, look at the inkjet art forum (that's four links!) and see how many choices are out there.

It doesn't have to get overwhelming, and there is no way I'm going to attempt to outline every option (as if I could). But I am going to get a little more specific in future posts during the month. Yes, I'm afraid there will be a part 3, probably a part 4. If you've heard enough about paper already, if I lost you at "luster," don't worry, as soon as get out over this stupid (cold? flu? who knows?) and get back outside, I have some more visual posts to keep things interesting.

Expanding your palette for photo prints (part 1)

2009-11-05T09:56:00.000-08:00

Blame it on the really nice stereo system I got when I was 14, but I just can't listen to my ipod without expensive headphones. The same thing happened to a friend's wife, but with chocolate. A few months in Paris developing a refined palette, and now she can't order chocolate cake in most restaurants. It happens to everyone. Sometimes it leads to what we call "expensive taste." In children we usually dismiss it as "being picky." For the ill-mannered, it turns into snobbery. But for the polite, it is an expression of appreciation, of gratitude for good work.

When you look at a painting, do you see the picture or the strokes? When you look at a photo, do you notice the paper? the type of process? If you're an editor and you read my blog, you probably notice that I have an ongoing battle with punctuation. But hopefully (comma or no comma?) that doesn't get in the way of the message.

Since I'm spending a month about everything but the image, I thought I'd start with a look at printing processes and papers. My view on the choices is like my view on chocolate. I love a good Michel Cluizel bar, but I won't turn down a Hershey's kiss either. Each has its place (and that place is currently around my expanding waistline). And so while I would never criticize someone for liking Hershey's, that doesn't mean I don't think they're missing out if they haven't tasted chocolate from a plantation in Madagascar where mangoes once grew.

One of my goals this month is to look at the range of possibilities for printing your photos. Some will be cheap and readily available, some will be more expensive and more involved. There's a place for all of it, and I don't think that the most expensive is necessarily the best solution. The point is to explore the options. What's out there? How much does it cost? Would you want to try it?

When I first started my photo business, I was really into different kinds of paper. I offered various high-end art papers at an extra cost, but soon learned that most people really couldn't care less if their photo were printed on a nice heavyweight Hahnemühle cotton rag or on a basic Epson paper. It took me a while to put the paper back into perspective with the purpose. Just because one paper might be more expensive or better for art prints doesn't mean it is always the right choice.

Nevertheless, I have to warn you. Exploring your options can be dangerous. Keep reading this month, and you might develop some new expensive habit. For that, I apologize in advance. But don't say I didn't warn you.

Just before coming to Paris, it looked like my ipod had stopped working. I took it to the Apple store and the "genius" told me that my earphones had died. He offered me a free one of those plain white kind that come with an ipod. I rejected the little white bundle on impulse, quickly pushing it back to the other side of the counter. "No thanks," I said, trying my best to look gracious. Surely he understood. His t-shirt says "genius" after all.

November Monthly Special: Everything but the image

2009-11-03T12:32:00.000-08:00

This will be an unconventional monthly special. I have decided to dedicate the month to everything BUT the actual image in a photo. Frames, albums, books, decorating ideas, unconventional use of photos, papers, printing processes, and so on. I want to tackle the problem/exciting challenge (depending on whether your a half-full or half-empty kind of person) of what to do with the photos you take.

I don't scrapbook, and since there is a multi-billion dollar industry dedicated to scrapbooking, I won't try to compete. But I will talk about other book ideas that may or may not fit within your definition of a scrapbook.

I am not a professional framer, but there is a great one down the street here in Paris, and if I can get an interview, I'll give you some tips about framing.

Because I try to do monthly specials that force me to learn new things, I hope to explore alternative printing techniques as well as a variety of display ideas.

And because holiday season is already upon us, I hope to come up with photo-related gift ideas, both homemade and bought.

And here I am doing my post on November 3rd! I had better get moving.

As for your participation (we had 6 last month, that's better than the month before), should you decided to post something and share it with a link below, I'm sure everyone would enjoy it. For example, tell about a favorite photo gift you have given or received. Share how you print and display your photos.

Sure, we all take photos, but then what?

Happy Halloween from Paris!

2009-10-31T11:09:00.000-07:00

In George Romero's classic zombie flick "Dawn of the Dead,"the American undead—creatures of habit—head straight to the shopping mall. In Paris, they look at cafe menus, text their zombie friends on iphones, smoke, keep up with fashion, take photos, protest, and go on walks with their babies.

Scenes I stumbled upon today on my way home from a photo show...