Okay, so you've made a bunch of prints. Now what?

[hipsterdufus]

So I'm thinking about starting to make prints from some of the work that I have been doing lately. This is all fine and dandy; I can frame some of them and use them for decoration in my house. However, one thing I've noticed on RFF is that a lot of folks are constantly making new prints from their own work. I'm just wondering what these folks are doing with them. Do you constantly rotate the pictures in and out of frames around your house? Do you give them to friends? Do you put them in a drawer and forget about them?

I have a whole bunch of prints from when I was in college 10 years ago that I rarely look at. They sit in a box in my basement. If I start printing every picture I like, will that be their fate as well? Just wondering what other people are doing...

 

[ampguy]

I give them away, and rotate them. In winter, I like summer photos, and in the summer, winter photos.

Right now, I like larger than life photos of cats. Probably have 5 prints for every frame.

 

[benlees]

It's funny. I started wet printing in November 2010 because I wanted to learn and the equipment is practically free. Before that I had maybe 15 prints from the previous 2.5 years. Now I print almost as much as I scan. Some of the prints I like the most now are ones I passed over to even have a crappy scan of.

Of course, I am just trying to teach myself how to do this and it is a lot harder to get good results with this than with scanning- in terms of getting everything out of the negative that you want- not the over all quality.

Most will end up in a box. Just another archive.

 

[tlitody]

unless you have a reason to print them such as for sale or as a gift or as an archive or to hang on your wall, then this is when you realise it is the process you enjoy and the finished print is superfluous. It was just nice being able to photograph and print it.😕

 

[hipsterdufus]

I suppose I can understand the idea that archival is its own reward. I would like to leave something behind when I die; I'm just wondering what my odds are that those who inherit my final possessions will keep the prints instead of burn them...

 

[tlitody]

I suppose I can understand the idea that archival is its own reward. I would like to leave something behind when I die; I'm just wondering what my odds are that those who inherit my final possessions will keep the prints instead of burn them...

you offer them to your national photo archive free of charge when your toes turn up (or before). They'll take a look an decide if they're worth keeping. If they say no then you've been wasting your time.😀
Or your local museum if have plenty of local imagery. They like that sort stuff for historical record. Infact I think a lot of people photograph with this in mind.
If they are family images then why not create a family archive for future generations with the idea that future generations add to it.

 

[jsrockit]

Yeah, mine sit in boxes...

 

[bhop73]

I don't wet print, but I do print photos on my photo printer. I just stick them in a photo album.. like old times. Sometimes i'll print some to give away to friends, or hang on my wall.

 

[Ronald_H]

Well, I'm filling a ringbinder and most of the pictures on my wall are 5-6 years old. As I only recently started wet printing, it's about time to renew 😀

And I give away a lot, yes. I got my whole darkroom for free, including a huge pile of paper and even chemicals. So why not make a few people happy?

And honestly, I'll never be Ansel Adams, but it really isn't all that hard to make good prints. It' wonderful to see my best photos in 'real' BW. No more nasty digital prints on color paper.

 

[daveleo]

lend them out

lend them out

I very recently started printing (all 8"X10") some of my stuff. Now have a collection in a ring binder, and I matte and frame them and lend them out to cafes (for free) and friends. When they or I get bored, I switch them around.

There is no money to be made (it costs me $$$ for materials) but it's a big kick seeing my stuff hanging in a coffee shop, and knowing that people gush over how wonderful the pictures are (when I am not there 😀 ).

At least someone now actually sees my photos ! ! !

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I only print when someone buys one, or I need one for an exhibit, or I need to test a new paper, etc.

 

[presspass]

Several things. I have multiple boxes of prints going back to the late 1960s; I make a book every year for our local volunteer fire company; and I give some to the local historical society. I also hang some on the walls. And I still have plenty left over and still I print, and print, and print.

 

[Neare]

A reason would be - if you're working with film and don't print your work, why are you doing photography?

Scanners these days means you don't have to print to see a full result but keeping to the full analogue process requires printing. What you do with them after that point is up to you, display them, exhibit them, sell them or archive them.