Digitalsilverimaging

The Fine Art of Printing in a Digital World

General News

Doug Menuez and Sandro Miller on Staying Relevant as Professional Photographers

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Doug Menuez & Sandro Miller ©Doug Menuez's Leica
Doug Menuez & Sandro Miller ©Doug Menuez’s Leica

Doug Menuez and Sandro Miller continue to be creative, successful, and relevant after almost 40 years in the business of photography. On June  22, 2019, Doug Menuez and Sandro Miller generously shared volumes of valuable and entertaining information in an event hosted by Digital Silver Imaging and PhotoPolitic™. About 30 photographers and industry professionals gathered in Sandro’s beautiful Chicago studio. Also present was special guest Jim Stallman Senior VP and Creative Director of Leo Burnett and four industry movers and shakers, Patrick Rynell, EVP/ECD, Ainara Del Valle, ACD/AD, Jennifer Meinders, ACD/AD, Jon Lueken, Sr. Producer.

So how do these successful photographers define “The Art and Science of Staying Relevant?” The take away is condensed into these few brief paragraphs.

Stay Creative

Personal Projects | Pro Bono Work | Fine Art | Get out of your comfort zone

Both Doug Menuez and Sandro Miller pursue personal work as part of their work/life balance. Doug believes that working with nonprofit organizations can give an editorial photographer like himself the ability to photograph new and interesting subjects with fewer limitations. Doug has also published 4 books, most notably Fearless Genius, his unprecedented documentation of the digital revolution. Fearless Genius was #1 on the Amazon Bestseller list and it continues to provide exposure as a multimedia project, film, and a traveling exhibition of prints all produced by Digital Silver Imaging. 

Sandro Miller’s expansive personal work often starts with a project that becomes an entire large format fine art book. Projects like the one he did with John Malkovich or his trips to Cuba became books and many of the images end up as fine art prints for gallery sales and exhibitions. Although Sandro has a distinct style, and can be considered a portraitist, he is constantly finding new paths and subjects for his work.

Sandro’s spacious studio ©Andrea Zocchi

Stay Organized

Make a business plan | Strategically target your customers

According to Doug Menuez what put him on the path to success was a solid business plan and the discipline to stick to it. Both photographers emphasized that having the business acumen and the right people in that field was invaluable. Sandro Miller stressed focusing your promotional efforts on a manageable group of targeted clients/agencies and galleries. Casting too broad a net often doesn’t work and can result in work the photographer is not excited about executing. Miller stated that he focuses on about 20 potential customers at a time.

Refreshments ©Doug Menuez
Refreshments ©Doug Menuez

Stay Above the Crowd

Use prints and printed media to stand out

The consensus was that regular posts on social media were necessary but didn’t necessarily get you work. Doug said that one of his most successful and expensive promotions was his “F…You Book.” It was a portfolio of work he loved (not work that everyone advised him to show, that’s where the “F…You” comes in). He said that this piece got him more and better jobs than any other promotions.

The advice from Sandro was to send a signed print, as he said, “People just can’t throw away a signed print.” He also uses his books as a way to rekindle art director and ad agency interest in what he’s doing. Both photographers have an active fine art presence, with gallery representation and the print sales supplementing their income and increasing their exposure.

Jim Stallman Senior VP and Creative Director of Leo Burnett echoed what both photographers said. He underlined the point that as a creative director he is overwhelmed with emails and electronic communications. His advice was to do something tangible that shows your own creative genius, something that represents you, not what you think someone wants to see.

Stay Informed

Research your customers | Know the brand | Be prepared for the shoot

Before you start a job, or start to promote your work to a client, know what they do. In editorial, documentary, or product work the research is the first step. Sandro stated that he might shoot for an entire week before the actual photo session is scheduled. In the preceding week he will test lighting, concepts and other aspects before the client arrives in studio. Dig deep, acquire knowledge and be prepared.

Portfolio reviews were an optional component ©Doug Menuez
Portfolio reviews were an optional component ©Doug Menuez

Stay Personal and Connected

Pick up the phone | Meet people | Attend Events

Doug Menuez, Sandro Miller, and Jim Stallman all agreed that photography is all about making personal connections and keeping them fresh. Don’t send an email if you can call the person by phone. Expanding your community in person makes you memorable. Knowing that you can work with a person and they can work with you makes all the difference. 

This also extends to the photo shoot itself. Don’t just start blasting away. Talk to your subject. Again both photographers emphasized the pre-shoot preparation. If you know your subject you can make conversation and the shoot will be more successful.

We hope that PhotoPolitic™, Doug Menuez and Sandro Miller will choose to repeat this event in the future. It might be the best $189 dollars that you can spend on your career. We’d like to thank Doug Menuez, Sandro Miller and Jim Stallman as well as Chris Armstrong from PhotoPolitic™ for asking us to play a small part. The entire day was videoed and is available to PhotoPolitic™ members. To stay informed about future events follow us, Digital Silver Imaging and PhotoPolitic™ on social media.

Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Metallic

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Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Metallic is a FineArt inkjet paper with a shimmering surface and a specially formulated inkjet coating for FineArt use. Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Metallic’s high-gloss premium inkjet coating with a unique metallic surface guarantees deep dark blacks, bold colors, and a metallic silver look. A great choice for images with metallic elements, reflections, ice and glass, architecture and landscape shots. Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Metallic meets the most exacting standards of age resistance and is acid and lignin-free, making it an ideal choice for museums and collectors. Consider Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Metallic as a distinctive choice in papers or as an alternative to prints on metal or prints on acrylic.

  • 340 gsm, 100% cotton
  • Natural white, without optical brighteners
  • Sophisticated surface texture
  • High-gloss premium inkjet coating for outstanding printing results with a unique, silvery-shimmering metallic effect
  • Acid and lignin-free
  • ISO9706 compliant / museum quality for a high age resistance
  • Compatible with pigment and dye inkjet systems
  • Contains no optical brighteners

Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Metallic is available through our Custom Pigment Printing services and our Value Printing service.

Aspect Ratio Versus Print Size

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Aspect ration versus print size is an important issue to understand when printing your photographs. When digital cameras appeared on the scene they were designed to mimic the look and operation of analog cameras. Even today’s DSLR cameras have sensor sizes based on traditional analog film formats.

Why does aspect ratio matter when printing?

It matters because aspect ratio, the proportion of your camera’s sensor length vs. width, determines how your image fits on a piece of printing paper. If you choose a print size that does not match the aspect ratio of your camera image, then you will need to crop your image to fit on the print. Use the chart below to give you an Idea of the print size that matches your camera’s sensor or film size.

 

 

How Long Will My Print Last?

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The question  How long will my print last? is one that we at Digital Silver Imaging get asked a lot. How long a print will last? is an important question because as a fine art lab many of the prints we make end up in museums, galleries and private collections. We need to provide our customers with prints that are archival and will retain the fidelity of the image for the longest possible time.

The Research

To answer the How long will my print last? question we’ve done our best research and compiled data from reputable sources like Wilhelm Research, University of Illinois, and the Getty. We also took information published by Fujifilm and Kodak on their own products as well.  The chart we’ve created compares the archival life of our DSI Digital Silver Prints and our Museum Quality Pigment Inkjet Prints to other popular printing media, most notably Kodak Endura and Fuji Crystal Archive prints, home and office dye-based inkjet printers, and HP Indigo Prints which are primarily used to produce photo books. In our chart, link below, we’ve also compared the life of the print when stored and displayed in different conditions.

The Method

Henry Wilhelm
Eric Luden and Henry Wilhelm in the lab at Digital Silver Imaging.

The only way to accurately asses the archival life of specific type of print is through an accelerated aging test. These tests seek to replicate the effects of a variety of environmental factors on a print over time. For our chart we have primarily drawn on data provided by Wilhelm Research as it is produced with the highest scientific standards, and Henry Wilhelm has been at the forefront of this research for decades. The data sited is all public and footnoted in the chart accompanying this article and on this post.

Please note that our DSI Digital Silver Prints® are almost identical to traditional silver gelatin /silver halide black & white photo prints. In fact the Ilford Galerie Digital Paper that we use in our trademark process is a traditional black & white silver halide black & white photo paper. The only substantive difference is that the Ilford Digital Galerie Paper we use is panchromatic.

We found no accelerated aging data on traditional silver halide/silver gelatin black & white prints. However as this product has been in continuous use for 140 years and there are many examples of those prints in existence, the lack of accelerated aging testing seems inconsequential as actual data exists.

What about “Big Box’” Photo Prints and Photo Services like Shutterfly

Most big box retailers either don’t specify what the media and/or type of print they are providing. Some use mini labs made by companies like Noritsu. These mini labs are usually Digital C-Prints (Kodak Endura or Fuji Crystal Archive Paper) and operation and maintenance of these units depends on the persons in the location running the machine.  A variety of other methods are also employed. Not an option that inspires much confidence for a photographer serious about quality.

At the time of this posting, photo services websites like Shutterfly make their “paper prints” using Digital C-Print equipment on Fuji Crystal Archive paper. Websites that offer a variety of services, websites, storage, prints, like Smug Mug also make Digital C-Prints, because they contract with several labs those could be on either Endura of Crystal Archive.

What is the best looking print?

In this post we are doing our very best not to be subjective and “best” is a subjective term. When measuring color gamut it is clear, color prints produced on a professional inkjet printer like the Canon Prograf 6000, 4000 and 1000 used by Digital Silver Imaging can reproduce a wider range of colors than a digital C-Print on Kodak Endura or Fuji Crystal Archive. However inkjet prints are not, in the strict technical sense, continuous tone. Continuous ton prints have a different look  than inkjet or transfer media.

Conversely a DSI Digital Silver Print is a continuous tone true black & white print. There are no dyes or ink in a DSI Digital Silver Print and the image is made of silver salts that have been exposed to light. Both types of prints have a distinct look. However, the archival life and stability of both the DSI Digital Silver Print and our Museum Quality Pigment Inkjet Prints make them the most archival print available for black & white and color prints.

So How Long Will My Print Last?

Two types of prints standout as far as longevity, a photo print made with either professional brand name high quality pigment inks, and silver gelatin black & white prints. They show distinct advantages, especially when the print is intended for more than just dark storage. On display these types of prints will maintain their image fidelity much longer than either a Kodak Endura or Fuji Crystal Archive print, although the Fuji Crystal Archive print is far superior to the Kodak product. Professional high quality pigment prints also have the advantage that if you know what printer and ink is used, and the paper the image is printed on, you are virtually guaranteed that you are getting an archival product. A digital C Print depends on how well the equipment to process the print is maintained and the freshness and type of chemistry. HP Indigo prints are intended for mass production printing and do not meet the standards that a museum, gallery or collector should accept. Office and home inkjet prints are fine for documents but should not be used for photo printing.

What’s not included

At the time of this post we feel that there is not enough data to determine the archival life of professional quality dye sublimation prints, such as our Prints on Metal. From the quality of the pigments used, and the substrates they should be very stable but we ae waiting for more testing to be completed. In addition, we have not included Cibachrome prints as those products have not been manufactured in decades. Also not included are analog C Prints, those color prints produced in a darkroom. Analog C Prints should have an archival life similar to digital C prints as the basic paper technology is the same.

Print Permanence Chart

Print-Permanence-Chart-9-19

Sources
2.Wilhelm Research, The Permanence and care of analog and digital photographs – FotoCoservacion 2011, June 20-23, 2011 3. Deterioration risk as determined by the University of Illinois, https://psap.library.illinois.edu/collection-id-guide/photoprint 4. https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/pdf_publications/pdf/atlas_silver_gelatin.pdf , Wilhelm Research – HP Indigo Digital Presses – Print and Photobook Page Permanence 5. & 6. A Survey of Print Permanence in 4×6-Inch Consumer Digital Print Market 2004-2007, www.wilhelm-research.com, http://www.wilhelm-research.com/Collected_Papers/The_Wilhelm_Research_Archives_Volume_1_Technnical_Publications_1968-2015_(v4.5_2015-02-15).pdf 7. http://imaging.kodakalaris.com/sites/prod/files/files/resources/paper-endura-techpub-e4070.pdf 7. http://imaging.kodakalaris.com/sites/prod/files/files/resources/paper-endura-techpub-e4070.pdf 8. Kodak uses different permanence testing standards than Wilhelm Research 9. ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/printers/HP_Exstream/Shutterfly_4AA0-1195ENWrr.pdf, https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2017/08/16/1086575/0/en/HP-wins-five-year-Shutterfly-deal-accelerates-digital-print-momentum.html

Why Shoot Film?

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Film Processing - Coney Island Teenagers 1949 ©Harold Feinstein
Coney Island Teenagers 1949 ©Harold Feinstein

Why shoot film? With a new full frame digital camera hitting the market every couple of months, this is a good question. Photography has become a ubiquitous part of our lives with smart phones, iPads and Instagram. Arguably the ease and quality of producing the quotidian photographic image has also improved with the digital age, so what’s the appeal of the archaic image technology of film?

Film Forces You to Think

Ansel Adams stated that previsualization is, ”the ability to anticipate a finished image before making the exposure.” Shooting film makes the photographer think about exposure, composition and point of view before depressing the shutter release. In many ways film can make photography a more contemplative process. Slowing down and concentrating is both transformative and rewarding.

George Harrison & Astrid Kirchherr ©Astrid Kirchherr

Film is Archival

Film is a long lasting hard copy of your image. Unlike a digital file, one bad keystroke can’t delete your negative. Properly stored color negative film should last for decades and b&w is expected to last as long as 500 years if properly processed and stored. A good CD’s archival life is 25 years. And who knows what electronic media will be supported in the next 10 years.* BTW does anyone have a driver for a Jazz Drive that works with High Sierra?

Film Makes Big Beautiful Prints

A good scan of a negative or positive can make an amazing print. This analog/digital combo is truly a match made in heaven. We have had many projects where film was scanned and then printed as silver gelatin DSI Digital Silver Prints® or Museum Quality Color Inkjet Prints. To name just a few; Tod Papageorge – Studio 54, Michael “Nick” Nichols – Wild, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Anthony Hernandez – Retrospective San Francisco MOMA. Combining analog and digital processes makes creating editions and large high quality prints easier then in the past.

Film can be Economical

Many of us have at least one old film camera laying around. If you compare the cost of a full frame digital camera and lens with a used/free film camera the difference could pay for a lot of film and processing. This claim has to come with a caveat, I have a friend who “binge shoots” film. She says that for her film is “like crack!” She is currently looking for a 12 step program.

Film is Fun

The hands on nature of film, the “magic” of seeing your negatives for the first time, big sturdy cameras made of metal, wood and leather, using a mechanical device that maybe older than yourself, the randomness that can occur, all this makes film an experience that is rich and multifaceted. Film is fun!

Is film photography going away?

In a recent conversation with KEH Camera, they state that film camera sales remain strong and a substantial portion of their business. Both Ilford and Fuji Film report strong film sales. Shooting film has become hip, and millennials are the largest consumers of film. With all this evidence I think that film will be around for a little while longer.

Gum Bichromate & Ziatype Workshops

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Two Gum Bichromate Images ©Anne Eder

Gum Bichromate Workshop

Gum bichromate is a 19th century photographic process using gum arabic, photo-sensitive dichromate, and watercolor pigments to create monochromatic, duotone, or full color images. The results are each unique and 100% archival. This workshop will take participants through the steps from generating large format color separation negatives to final printing. All the materials needed for this workshop will be provided.

Date: Saturday July 29, 2017
Time: 10:00-6:00 with a break for lunch
Place: Digital Silver Imaging, 9 Brighton Street, Belmont, MA
Fee: 249.00

GB Workshop

Student Discount: Currently enrolled students can receive a 10% discount. Use promo code: Student10 at checkout. You will be asked to present your valid student ID at the workshop, if you do not have a valid ID you will be charged the full $249.

Images produced at a previous Ziatype Workshop

Ziatype Workshop

Ziatypes have the look of platinum/palladium prints but are not as difficult or expensive to produce. This beautiful alternative processes maybe the perfect match for your photographic imagery. The Ziatype Workshop is for beginners and photographers with basic knowledge of the ziatype process. Expert instructor, Anne Eder, will take participants through the complete process of making ziatypes from digital image to finished ziatype print.

Anne will step participants through the entire process, starting with making a contact negative on an inkjet printer, coating of light sensitive paper, exposure with sunlight, and the final archival wash.

During the course of this day-long workshop participants will focus on:
• Perfecting negative conversion curves for better print results
• Creating a negative to express your vision
• Understanding ziatype chemistry
• Creating additional color and tone in your ziatype

If you are curious about the advantages of ziatype printing here is a brief list:
• Ziatypes utilize a printing out process (POP), images can be evaluated as they print, resulting in far fewer underexposed or overexposed prints.
• Greater contrast control without graining
• Greater paper acceptance, prints well on most papers.
• Greater color control. You can “dial in” various shades of brown to red brown, purple to neutral grays.
• No developer needed.
• Excellent blacks (dmax)

All materials needed will be provided, prints will be made on Hahnmühle Platinum Rag paper.  Participants need to bring 3 to 4 images on a flash drive, CD, or their laptop. Images should have good tonal scale in both the highlight and shadow areas. Two negatives will be made, one larger and one smaller, so a larger size file is better as it can always be reduced without image degradation. Files should be 300ppi, actual size. Participants will be able to keep, the prints , negatives, and custom curves made during the workshop.

Date: Saturday August 19, 2017
Time: 10:00-6:00 with a break for lunch
Place: Digital Silver Imaging, 9 Brighton Street, Belmont, MA
Fee: 249.00
Zia Workshop
Student Discount: Currently enrolled students can receive a 10% discount. Use promo code: Student10 at checkout. You will be asked to present your valid student ID at the workshop, if you do not have a valid ID you will be charged the full $249.

Instructor Bio: Anne Eder, holds a masters degree in Photography and Integrated Media, and has studied with Christopher James, author of the Book of Alternative Processes. Her gum bichromate images and studio practice are featured in Gum Printing: A Step-By-Step Manual Highlighting Artists And Their Creative Practiceby Christina Z. Anderson, published by Focal Press/Routledge 2017. Her work has been exhibited internationally and is held in both public and private collections.