New York April 15th ICP Symposium

[Calzone]

Well, like your hero Salgado, not everything needs to be huge... varying print sizes seems to be the norm with a lot of one person shows. I don't have any reason to print huge right now... so I might take your advice and start leaving a larger border on the standard 13x19" paper (instead of the little half inch you get when printing at 12x18") my printer allows for.

John,

I'll bring some early prints where I printed 13x19 almost full sized on 13x19. When compared to 12x18 images on 17x22 paper the smaller images look actually bigger even though the image is slightly smaller.

I also listened to Robert Rodriguez who is the Artist in Residence at the Canson booth every year at PhotoPlusExpo, and also the framing experts at AI Friedman. The borders add a lot to the image.

I think you are correct that everything does not have to be printed big, and there seems to be an optimal size that is image dependent. No doubt that some of my prints are "Monsters." LOL. Anyways otherwise I would not have my reputation for being bold and a bit crazy, but also know you don't know unless you try.

Still some images becon to be printed even larger still.

Anyways I'll also be sharing lots of my mistakes so we all can learn from them. Also made tweaks to compare that sometimes are interesting for the shifts in emphasis. Some minor tweaks were rather dramatic. I even printed a "Joe" print of Columbus Circle that actually depicts the reality of when I took the shot. Anyways very different than the "Calzone" version.

As far as hero's go that French lab in Paris earned my respect. Those guys are amazing.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Cal,
I've been using Canson paper in my H/P Printer and I tried out the Platine Fibre Rag
and Rag Photographique and I must say oops!, I did something wrong there's ton's of
lines that's not in the regular photo I use. I must of set it wrong or something.

Bob,

I really love the Canson papers. Also less expensive than Jon Cone Type 5.

Sounds like you might want to reload your profiles for Canson papers. You might have a corrupted curve.

Cal

 

[cz23]

All the best with your presentaiton, Cal. Sounds like it will be both informative and entertaining.

In my living room I have many framed 12x18" BW prints of places we've been and people we've met. I also have two very small BW prints from a Magnum 6x6" sale - Eve Arnold and David Seymour.

Alas, I must admit, theirs are more powerful than mine. 🙂

John

 

[Calzone]

All the best with your presentaiton, Cal. Sounds like it will be both informative and entertaining.

In my living room I have many framed 12x18" BW prints of places we've been and people we've met. I also have two very small BW prints from a Magnum 6x6" sale - Eve Arnold and David Seymour.

Alas, I must admit, theirs are more powerful than mine. 🙂

John

John,

Many thanks.

I shoot a lot, but humbly I have few images that I think are any good. Anyways I know I'm stubborn. LOL.

I think I will bring out the two Magnum prints I own that are from Bruce Davidson's "Welsh Miners" series. The two images are 6x9's of the little girl in front of the tombstone, and the little boy with the dolls and baby stroller. I got these from an art dealer bartering excess cameras in exchange for the prints. These small vintage prints are very rare and are hoarded with none on the market.

I once had the opportunity to ask Bruce Davidson what was the little girl doing when he took the picture. "Singing," Bruce Davidson said.

Anyways I'll be thinking of you when I show off these prints to the attendees. Thanks for reminding me.

Cal

 

[Range-rover]

Bob,

I really love the Canson papers. Also less expensive than Jon Cone Type 5.

Sounds like you might want to reload your profiles for Canson papers. You might have a corrupted curve.

Cal

Thanks Cal and good luck on Friday night.

 

[icebear]

ICP, 1114 Avenue of the Americas.

Friday April 15th 6:00PM room "A" or "B."

Cal

What Time are we to be there this Friday ???

I guess 5:45 seems a good time to grab a seat😉

 

[Calzone]

I took off a half day from work yesterday to start to pack up and finish some prints. Basically I felt like an art mover. LOL.

Started configuring the 30x40 shipping container with illustration board inserts. The Digital Silver Imaging prints just fit, and there was a lot of creative problem solving to safely pack up a stack of 24x36 and the 13x19.5 prints.

I haven't seen the DSI prints in a long time and they look really good. I can see in the stack of 20x30's the evolution of higher contrast verses the early prints everyone has seen.

Anyways between the shipping container, a large portfolio, and a laptop I figure I have about an 80-85 pound load.

Be prepared to be blown away. The prints really do speak for themselves.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Thanks Cal and good luck on Friday night.

Bob,

I'm pretty well prepared. The awkward and hard part will be the transport.

Cal

 

[Range-rover]

Bob,

I'm pretty well prepared. The awkward and hard part will be the transport.

Cal

How many prints are you taking?

 

[Calzone]

How many prints are you taking?

Bob,

The paper I'm using is 320 grams per square meter, and in total about 35-40 pounds of prints. Each 24x36 alone weighs pretty close to a pound I figure, and I'll be bringing almost 30 of those that I printed. The DSI prints weigh even more at 30x40.

Packaging adds considerable weight. The shipping container weighs about 30 pounds.

Printing at this level gets pretty serious.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Joe,

Remind me to give you the F2 Prism cover in my right pocket tonight.

Funny mechanism is that if I tell someone to remind me I will remember, even if I don't get reminded, but almost otherwise I will forget.

Anyways, I'm a complicated person. LOL. Hope I didn't confuse anyone.

Cal

 

[gdmcclintock]

Some polaroids from Cal's terrific symposium.

 

[lamefrog]

Wow this looks great ! Thanks for the pictures.
I'm sorry I missed this, I didn't think I'd be in town.
Congratulations, Cal.
Philippe

 

[icebear]

Indeed impressive prints by Cal.
A unique opportunity to compare different print sizes, border ratios, paper type, print techniques, toning, gloss overcoat effect etc and get first hand inside into printing from a RFF member who is way ahead in the learning curve. Well done Cal !!

And a shot of shots of prints 😉

 

[Calzone]

Many thanks for everyone. I actually learned more than I taught.

Understand that I kinda used this event as a peer review that highly reminded me of art school. I spent a lot of "studio time" and then had to present my work to my peers and professors. Like in art school you just kinda have to come up with a proposal of what you want to do/achieve.

I would like to especially thank John and Chris for this opportunity, and it is a great venue to have a pop-up presentation, and an honor to present a body of work. I can think of many in attendance that could take advantage of this venue. It is a lot of work, but this symposium dramatically advanced me and accelerated growth.

I had to make a goal and meet a deadline, but I learned that my utilization of the Monochrom and the way I used it really was an extension of my high dynamic range work in film using Diafine. I also rapidly advanced my printing skills with a true large format printer (Epson 7800). I had to organize my thinking that otherwise would have been disorganized. Today I feel more grounded as both an artist and a photographer as a result.

Anyways know that this opportunity exists for others, and I highly recommend it. Just talk to John and Chris. Think of it as a peer review held in a prestigious location.

BTW to make this event even more momorable I decided to take the shipping container that I call a "mankiller" (named for these heavy shipping containers that utilize heavy shielding to transport nuclear materials at work), a handtruck with a computer and a portfolio of 17x24 prints on the 6 train during rush hour to get to ICP. Pretty much a dumb thing to do. LOL.

Basically I reverted back into 1970's mode when I didn't care. For those who do not know the 6 train some people say that more people ride the 6 train in a day than the entire mass transit system in Washington DC.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Fred,

Thanks so much.

It was a very rewarding event. I think I got more out of it than what I gave. Really nice having a group of respected peers.

Went on a nice ride yesterday on my new Ti IBIS Mountain Trials. I just set it up with a ti mustastch bar that makes it a really great climber. I went to Inwood Hills Park via Hudson River Park. The long steep winding climbs out of the saddle were just what I needed. I blasted down the Harlem River Drive Prom-man-odd for the return trip home.

The new bars allow utilizing lots of upperbody strength to climb. I could really grind up those hills and stretch my chain, even with 63 gear inches set up for road singlespeed. Anyways and artist enjoying his solitude suffering alone. LOL.

Cal

 

[Range-rover]

Cal it looks like your symposium was a great event, great to hear.

 

[Calzone]

Cal it looks like your symposium was a great event, great to hear.

Bob,

Very rewarding, but it was a lot of work. Really advanced my art and my identity. Really proud of what I can do. It also was a great honor to put my work out in the world, even though it was a limited audience.

I can't explain how much I learned, especially about myself as an artist.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I spent all of Sunday morning performing maintenance on my two printers (got up at 7:00 AM).

Cleaning the capping station to ensure a good seal so that dried ink that can cause clogs can easily be prevented, and the wiper blade that scrapes the bottom of the print head develops an accumulation of dried ink after a while.

I also wet the absorber pads with Piezoflush and sponge off the ink accumulation there that might transfer to the print heads. The 7800 was overdue, and now I have to consider being more mindful of cleaning the 7800 more as more ink flows through this monster. Generally I do this about once a month or every three weeks if I'm printing a lot.

I now find the 3880 as being cramped for space and harder to manuver my hands inside the tighter space. It becomes evident that the 7800 is the pro printer and is easier to service.

Anyways I made the best of the bad weather.

In the end I'm considering storing my 3880 and eventually converting it into a color printer. I will likely buy another set of carts and will load Jon Cone pigment inks that are combatable with Epson K3 inks, but are cheaper.

Cal