Yes, it is time to be smart instead of macho... it isn`t the same NYC we could do that in years ago.
I look forward to your book... that one of mine is an early copy. 🙂 It would look a lot differently now. Very cool that you still had it lying around.
John,
Interesting to note is that I had kept separate a lot of the shots I took at fashion events. In one way it seemed not me, but now that I look at things it is basically just displaying part of NYC that is somewhat "gated" that normally I would not have access to.
Through "Maggie" I basically got a pass into a world that otherwise would exclude me. At best this really shows the disparity, privilage and what is really going on here.
Lots of a different kind of contrast here. Partly about the stratification in NYC, partly about elite lifestyle, and a lot about material culture and consumerism as well as class issues. When I used your idea "People" as a vehicle, I found I had a lot of treasure in my Lightroom files.
Also It took years of printing extensively and obsessively to get to the level I'm at as a photographer, printer and bookbinder. Of course this is limited to only B&W.
My Book of Proofs will be housed in a 25 1/2 by 17 1/2 Museum Box. The "Dropped-Side" allows for easy removal. The use of a presentation box elevates the book into a fine art object. The print size is only 13.3x20 inches on 24 1/2x 17 sheet. The spine utilizes screw binding posts.
This book is both a reference book and an "estate piece" that is meant to be a "one-off" and pretty much an artist's possession. I learned from the gallery workshop I took of how to consider and exploit rarity into pricing.
In the end when limited editions sell out, it is wise for artists to retain Artist Proofs for both creating an estate/legacy, and for also keeping "on-hand" a body of work just in case a museum, gallery or curator comes your way. The idea here is by having records and an archival system that you encourage these possible opportunities.
After printing my Book of Proofs, next will be a set of Artist Proofs, then the limited edition. In my case these 13.3x20 images will only be an edition of 6. When they are sold, that's it, except for the bigger prints (some images will not get printed bigger). The big prints will be only an edition of 4, but with two Artist Proofs.
The idea with two A/P's is to always have one print for the estate, and a second print ready for exhibition.
Stepped pricing utilizes early buyers with discounts and late buyers with higher prices. Know that with wet printing of my analog work will be open editions, but I will print out in batches of three, and after a batch is sold out the next batch will have a mucho significant price increase as to limit my market.
In the gallery workshop I learned a lot about making my prints a commodity by manipulating a market.
The books are impressive. They display I skill. It is clearly expressed that it took a long time to get where I'm at.
You have always been a big promoter of books. For you they are tools for editing, and in my case also, but especially in my case my books are cost prohibitive, even as art objects. In my case they are part of the process, but also an artifact.
In a ways these books will likely be more valuable than my prints.
Cal
