lueej
fiat slug
hi RFFers,
Exactly one month from now, I'll be having a small show at a store/gallery called Stripe Men here in Santa Cruz, CA for the First Friday Artwalk. I am looking for tips and advice, and maybe even critiquing as I decide how and what to print and show. This is my first time ever showing work. I didn't expect anyone to have my work up because I'm just a young amateur, but this store took me in. Unfortunately their communication wasn't the best, and I wasn't very clear on when I would be showing until about 2 weeks ago.
Anyways, I'll be working with:
-Epson V500 scanner & 35mm negatives
-Epson 9800 printer, most likely renting at Contact in LA
-Epson Velvet (or another paper if anyone has recommendations) in either 8.5x11 or 13x19 depending on feedback here
-all of my work that I choose will be rescanned and corrected, etc. not everything on my Flickr is properly/satisfactorily post-processed.
-I am a college student on a budget, and I'm not really trying to make a profit here. I merely would love to show my work and break even, maybe have some $ earned for more film! I care more about the fun of showing but like I mentioned, I am on a student's budget too.
so, as far as questions (thank you in advance RFF community!) :
1) Will the V500 be sufficient? I wanted to print at least 8.5x11 and I would be very pleased to go up to 13x19 (in my mind, both including a white border surrounding the image).
I know this is all subjective, but I feel that "sufficient" to me would be having a print viewable from about a foot away. What settings do any V500 users recommend for scanning 35mm (C-41) negatives? I don't have any processing programs besides GIMP. If the V500 isn't up to snuff, would anyone in the area have a better scanner or recommend a lab?
2) Is renting the Epson 9800 at Contact a bad deal? It will be $8 per sq. foot if I use my own paper. The printing facilities on my campus have the same equipment, but it is in a locked room only open to art majors.
3) Is Epson Velvet a good paper? It seems to have okay reviews, and I am looking for a matte/flat finish sort of paper.
4) Would you recommend framing the prints or not to show/sell? I am leaning towards frames if I print 8.5x11 or smaller, but otherwise frameless. What do you feel is the best way to present prints without frames? Hanging from a line?
5) How should I price my prints? The shop is very nice, sort of middle upscale, I would liken it to a male focused version of Anthropologie. The current showing artist who has B&W pinhole prints (13x19 or a bit bigger) is trying to sell them for $400+ but my friend who works in the shop said there has been very little interest.
6) I was given a show based on the curator liking my work from a trip to NYC, but I have not been told what I am to show...am I right to believe that it should be up to the artist what they show?
I am still unsure what works I would want to print. If anyone has the spare time to go through my flickr/IHNK (same material, different viewing styles), links are in my signature! 😉 I would really appreciate feedback on which images all of you RFFers feel are strong. I am not ruling out combining frames on one sheet of paper in a diptych or such, and would not mind if two separate prints complemented each other and I presented them together, etc. All I mean is to say that I am open here! I'm not quite sure any of my work would be cohesive together, so it seems open ended at this point.
here are some photos I have in mind to print. I would love to hear opinions, good and bad! like I said, I am not set on only showing a selection from here, so feel free to peep my other work! :
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
Once again, any and all advice and feedback is so greatly appreciated. Thank you RFF!
Exactly one month from now, I'll be having a small show at a store/gallery called Stripe Men here in Santa Cruz, CA for the First Friday Artwalk. I am looking for tips and advice, and maybe even critiquing as I decide how and what to print and show. This is my first time ever showing work. I didn't expect anyone to have my work up because I'm just a young amateur, but this store took me in. Unfortunately their communication wasn't the best, and I wasn't very clear on when I would be showing until about 2 weeks ago.
Anyways, I'll be working with:
-Epson V500 scanner & 35mm negatives
-Epson 9800 printer, most likely renting at Contact in LA
-Epson Velvet (or another paper if anyone has recommendations) in either 8.5x11 or 13x19 depending on feedback here
-all of my work that I choose will be rescanned and corrected, etc. not everything on my Flickr is properly/satisfactorily post-processed.
-I am a college student on a budget, and I'm not really trying to make a profit here. I merely would love to show my work and break even, maybe have some $ earned for more film! I care more about the fun of showing but like I mentioned, I am on a student's budget too.
so, as far as questions (thank you in advance RFF community!) :
1) Will the V500 be sufficient? I wanted to print at least 8.5x11 and I would be very pleased to go up to 13x19 (in my mind, both including a white border surrounding the image).
I know this is all subjective, but I feel that "sufficient" to me would be having a print viewable from about a foot away. What settings do any V500 users recommend for scanning 35mm (C-41) negatives? I don't have any processing programs besides GIMP. If the V500 isn't up to snuff, would anyone in the area have a better scanner or recommend a lab?
2) Is renting the Epson 9800 at Contact a bad deal? It will be $8 per sq. foot if I use my own paper. The printing facilities on my campus have the same equipment, but it is in a locked room only open to art majors.
3) Is Epson Velvet a good paper? It seems to have okay reviews, and I am looking for a matte/flat finish sort of paper.
4) Would you recommend framing the prints or not to show/sell? I am leaning towards frames if I print 8.5x11 or smaller, but otherwise frameless. What do you feel is the best way to present prints without frames? Hanging from a line?
5) How should I price my prints? The shop is very nice, sort of middle upscale, I would liken it to a male focused version of Anthropologie. The current showing artist who has B&W pinhole prints (13x19 or a bit bigger) is trying to sell them for $400+ but my friend who works in the shop said there has been very little interest.
6) I was given a show based on the curator liking my work from a trip to NYC, but I have not been told what I am to show...am I right to believe that it should be up to the artist what they show?
I am still unsure what works I would want to print. If anyone has the spare time to go through my flickr/IHNK (same material, different viewing styles), links are in my signature! 😉 I would really appreciate feedback on which images all of you RFFers feel are strong. I am not ruling out combining frames on one sheet of paper in a diptych or such, and would not mind if two separate prints complemented each other and I presented them together, etc. All I mean is to say that I am open here! I'm not quite sure any of my work would be cohesive together, so it seems open ended at this point.
here are some photos I have in mind to print. I would love to hear opinions, good and bad! like I said, I am not set on only showing a selection from here, so feel free to peep my other work! :
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
Once again, any and all advice and feedback is so greatly appreciated. Thank you RFF!
