Digitalsilverimaging

The Fine Art of Printing in a Digital World

News

Through Their Lens – Personal Projects by Veterans

by

Jason Alfaro (Thornton, CO) | Project Title: SantosInstagram - @righteye_media
Jason Alfaro (Thornton, CO)
Project Title: Santos
Instagram – @righteye_media

Digital Silver imaging is proud to support Through Their Lens – Personal Projects by Veterans, an exhibition and ongoing photographic education initiative by the Colorado Photographic Art Center in Denver.

This program provides six months of advanced photographic education to participants free of charge. Since the program launched in 2017, 60 local Veterans have graduated.

Starting January 13th, 2024 come see the largest showing of Veterans’ photography CPAC has ever presented, including photographs by 10 artists in the current class and 17 alumni. You can meet exhibiting artists at a free Opening Reception Saturday 1/13, 5 – 8 PM. Free and open to the Public.

 

Robert Grimmer (Laporte, CO)Project Title: Saving Ukraine: Medics of the Zero Line Instagram: @robertgrimmerphoto
Robert Grimmer (Laporte, CO)
Project Title: Saving Ukraine: Medics of the Zero Line
Instagram: @robertgrimmerphoto

Launched in August 2017, the Colorado Photographic Arts Center’s annual Veterans Workshop Series gives local military Veterans with a passion for photography access to advanced photographic education free of charge. Since we and our partners launched the program seven years ago, 60 local Veterans have graduated.   

Over the past six months, participants learned to refine technical skills, hone ideas into a body of work, create a portfolio, and write about their artistic practice. For the first time, Veterans attended the program in CPAC’s new facility at 1200 Lincoln Street and enjoyed the benefits of learning in a dedicated, state-of-the-art classroom. Their final projects will be shown to the community through an exhibition from January 12 – February 17, 2024. 

Each artist was asked to consider a personal project and to explore a narrative that goes beyond a single frame. The result is a broad range of subject matter, because each project is a deeply personal expression of the individual. For example, Cherie Sutton’s layered self-portraits explore her experience with aging combined with her multifaceted personality and lifestyle. Jason Alfaro’s portrait series of his friend Santos, a former Marine and Green Beret, underscores the transformative power of relationships, whether with the land, animals, or one another.  

As a mentor to the artists throughout this rigorous program, I have seen tremendous growth and development of each artist’s project. It has been an honor to work closely with them, hear their stories, and try to see the world through their eyes. 

– Samantha Johnston 

Executive Director & Curator, Colorado Photographic Arts Center

 

Cherie Sutton (Littleton)Project Title: Fleeting Beauty Facebook: Cherie_Sutton_Photography
Cherie Sutton (Littleton)
Project Title: Fleeting Beauty
Facebook: Cherie_Sutton_Photography

Jess T. Dugan – Customer Profile

by

Book cover "Every Breath We Drew" by Jess T. Dugan
Book cover “Every Breath We Drew” by Jess T. Dugan

Jess T. Dugan was born in 1986 in Biloxi, Mississippi. Their work explores identity and gender through several mediums, namely photography, video, and writing. They received their MFA in Photography from Columbia College Chicago, their Master of Liberal Arts in Museum Studies from Harvard University, and their BFA in Photography from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.

Dugan has had a wildly successful fine art career thus far, with works in the permanent collections of over 50 museums. At only 37 years old, Dugan’s work hangs proudly in The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, the International Center of Photography, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Library of Congress – just to name a few.

Book Cover "Look at me like you love me" by Jess T. Dugan
Book Cover “Look at me like you love me” by Jess T. Dugan

Jess has published a few different projects as photography books as well. Most recently, Look at me like you love me was released last year, and marked their first time publishing with MACK. This career milestone brought even more notoriety to the body of work, which has been ongoing for nearly eight years. The images reflect on desire, intimacy, companionship, and the way that these emotions have the potential to rule our lives. Dugan combines self portraiture with portraits of individuals and couples, and includes still lifes and personal writing as well. Viewers are tasked to consider all of the moving parts that encompass a life, their own and others.

Previously, Jess put out To Survive on This Shore: Photographs and Interviews with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Older Adults, in collaboration with Vanessa Fabbre. The body of work was published with Kehrer Verlag in 2018, and emphasized the visibility of a generation who blazed trails for the entire community. The sitters speak candidly about their individual experiences, and their words accompany their images. The release of the book marked the end of a project that began in 2013, and the work has received abundant praise since. To Survive on This Shore has been on view all around the country, from Portland to Provincetown.

Their first book, Every Breath We Drew, was published in 2015 by Daylight Books, and combines self portraiture with portraits of others. In a study of queer experience and actively constructed masculinity, these portraits examine the intersection between individual identity and the search for connection and intimacy. The settings are typically very personal, such as the interior of the subject’s kitchen or bedroom, creating a deeper connection with the careful consideration of each portrait.

J. Sybylla Smith had the pleasure of interviewing Jess on her podcast “Got Punctum,” and writes:

“Jess Dugan utilizes their skilled observation and keen awareness of the dynamics of portraiture to pose questions on love, loss, risk, trust and belonging. Sixty poetic images possessed of affection and agency, are intermixed with poignant and highly personal prose, to create an object of beauty and an accompaniment to the trials and triumphs of a fully lived life.”

Post by Josie Rybczyk

Doug Menuez and Sandro Miller on Staying Relevant as Professional Photographers

by

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.

Photoville 2018 “Illuminated” by J. Sybylla Smith

by

Photoville specializes in throwing light where there is darkness. These five examples are beacons of creative curiosity paired with intelligent investigation. While diverse in subject matter, each exhibit shares a common intent – to reveal truth and clarify its relationship to power.

(l-r) Tomas Van Houtryve, Brian L. Frank, Sarah Blesener
Work by Catchlight fellow Thomas Houtryve, Nathan Alexander Steiner and Green River, 2017

The San Francisco-based non-profit, Catchlight, works to amplify visual story-telling to drive positive social change. Their exhibitions honored three inaugural Catchlight Fellows. Sarah Blesener in New Americanism highlights the intersection of youth, religion, nationalism and military-style training.  In Out of Bounds Brian L. Frank gives an intimate portrayal of targeted policing and criminalization of youth in marginalized communities. Tomas Van Houtryve looks at the weaponization of photography through the use of drones and other technology in Blue Sky Days. Each artist documents current U.S. activities which ask viewers to consider the complexity and validity of our national narrative. (This exhibition printed and sponsored in part by Digital Silver Imaging.)

The McFarthest Place - Mark Kauzlarich Emergicube curated by James Estrin and David Gonzalez Co-Editors of the NYTImes Lens Blog
The McFarthest Place EmergiCube by Mark Kauzlarich

The McFarthest Place is an EmergiCube based on the inspired idea of photographer Mark Kauzlarich, namely; how far away could one live from a McDonald’s restaurant? He discovers it to be a county in South Dakota and documents the social, economic and political landscape of this slice of rural Western life. EmergiCubes, scattered throughout Photoville, feature emerging photographers culled from the New York Times Portfolio Review. Co-Founders and Editors of the Lens Blog, James Estrin and David Gonzales, select participants and co-curate these exhibitions. Read about each of these talented artists here.

 

Maggie Steber, Men Born From Blossoms
Sara Terry, (Re) Thinking Dejeuner sur l' herbe

The Photo Agency VII is a powerhouse of international photographers known for their global social documentary coverage. Seven women photographers, photojournalists and filmmakers from this collective are featured in Her Take:(Re) Thinking Masculinity. Expanding on a conversation begun at their last annual meeting this exhibition provides a format to move forward an inclusive dialogue on gender, power and representation. Anush Babajanyan, Jessica Dimmock, Linda Bourname Engelberth, Ilvy Njiokiktjien, Nichole Sobecki, Maggie Steber and Sara Terry each reflect a unique and nuanced perspective to (re)consider.

64,000 Luceo

Luceo is a creative visual agency which builds transmedia platforms to inform public perception and move us towards a positive future. This year their exhibit sought to humanize drug use, to shift our public policy focus from a criminal lens to a public health one, and to decrease the stigma associated with injection drug use. Stemming from their collaboration with the Colorado-based, Harm Reduction Action Center, Luceo created the immersive experience, 72,306. It actualized in concrete forms the reality of our current overdose epidemic. A bell was sounded every seven minutes and 41 seconds (how often a death via overdose occurs) and a metal ball was released down a chute to add to last year’s total of 72,306 overdoses. Simultaneously, a wall of portraits simulating the individual drug users went from a black and white image to a red one. Visitors could not escape being emotionally moved by the reenactment of the facts.

Léon Hendrickx, Juno, Amsterdam, 2016
Léon Hendrickx, Sapphira Cristal, Philadelphia

Amsterdam-based photographer Léon Hendrickx explores drag queens’ identity beyond exhibitionism in Kings and Queens. The subject, as collaborator, staged the location, wardrobe and pose of these compilation portraits featuring themselves in and out of drag. Hendrickx’ exploration looks at identity, love, and gender. He unearthed more questions than answers within the entity he coined sexual transcendence. The exhibition was supported by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York. A book of the work is expected to be released in October 2020 and is available for pre-order here.

J. Sybylla Smith

This post re-published with the permission of J. Sybylla Smith. Sybylla is available for consultation, teaching, curating and lectures @ https://jsybyllasmith.wordpress.com.

Optimum Permanence Achieved by DSI Digital Silver Prints®

by

Optimum Permanence Certificate of Conformance - DSI Digital Silver Print©
February 2017, Certificate of Conformance

Optimum Permanence means that Digital Silver Imaging’s Digital Silver Fiber Prints® meet the highest archival print standards. Our custom built black and white print processor produces consistent high quality results every time. We don’t take terms like “Museum Quality” and “Archival” lightly. At Digital Silver Imaging we are constantly evaluating our processes and materials for quality and performance.

When you make a DSI Digital Silver Fiber Print® you can rest easy that “Optimum Permanence” is our standard every day.

What is a “Certificate of Performance ?” To obtain the certificate we submit print samples to the labs at Ilford Photo Harman Technology Ltd. in Great Britain. The lab tests our prints to see how they have been processed and how they will perform over time. Receiving an “Optimum Permanence” rating is simply as good as it gets.

B&H Photo Profiles our Switch to Canon Prograf Printers

by

Canon Prograf 1000 Printer
Digital Silver Imaging’s Canon Prograf 1000 printer at work

B&H Photo & Video profiles our switch to Canon Prograf Printers from Epson printers. B&H’s Jill Waterman interviewed our own Eric Luden about the advantages of the Canon Prograf 1000 and Canon Prograf 4000 printers. Jill did a great job in providing B&H readers with real life reasons why the new Canon printers outperform their Epson counterparts.

If you want to know more about why Digital Silver Imaging switched to Canon Prograf printers or are thinking of switching yourself Jill Waterman’s interview is great source material.

Follow this link to the B&H article.