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!
michaelwj
----------------
Seems like no one has replied yet...
I took a look at your shots, some of them are very strong, some of them not so much (the 2 sahara hotel and time sq(?) shots for instance are uninteresting imho). Make sure your blacks are black (if you want it to be black - you're the artist of course)
I think grouping and display order will make or break it really, but you have some good material.
As far as the tools you are using, all I can say is don't hang anything you are not completely happy with, give it a try and see how it goes, if you are not happy with the quality, try something else.
Above all, enjoy the experience and I hope it goes well.
Cheers,
Michael
I took a look at your shots, some of them are very strong, some of them not so much (the 2 sahara hotel and time sq(?) shots for instance are uninteresting imho). Make sure your blacks are black (if you want it to be black - you're the artist of course)
I think grouping and display order will make or break it really, but you have some good material.
As far as the tools you are using, all I can say is don't hang anything you are not completely happy with, give it a try and see how it goes, if you are not happy with the quality, try something else.
Above all, enjoy the experience and I hope it goes well.
Cheers,
Michael
lueej
fiat slug
Thanks for the tips, Michael!
I got some free 8x10 prints made up from a few images I scanned with the V500 (no scanner correction, 3200 (epson rated) dpi, highest quality TIFF) and edited them in GIMP, exporting as JPG due to the photo place that made the prints specs. I know that this cuts quality, but how badly? The prints are not very sharp, but the scans seem to be much better.
However, I know the format and scanner both have limitations. Can anyone recommend a place to have my negatives scanned? (or if anyone in Southern California near Orange County/LA is willing to scan with a better scanner to help me out?) I am planning on making the prints at Contact, which I mentioned above. They also have a Nikon Coolscan 9000 for rent at a price of $20/hr. Is that a bad choice?
I got some free 8x10 prints made up from a few images I scanned with the V500 (no scanner correction, 3200 (epson rated) dpi, highest quality TIFF) and edited them in GIMP, exporting as JPG due to the photo place that made the prints specs. I know that this cuts quality, but how badly? The prints are not very sharp, but the scans seem to be much better.
However, I know the format and scanner both have limitations. Can anyone recommend a place to have my negatives scanned? (or if anyone in Southern California near Orange County/LA is willing to scan with a better scanner to help me out?) I am planning on making the prints at Contact, which I mentioned above. They also have a Nikon Coolscan 9000 for rent at a price of $20/hr. Is that a bad choice?
lueej
fiat slug
well, I ended up having the negatives scanned, doing some upsampling, and printing myself at Contact.
you're all invited to the reception this friday night in santa cruz, info below.
https://www.facebook.com/events/651243661584264/
http://stripedesigngroup.com/blogs/...photography-by-luigi-villanueva-at-stripe-men
happy new year!
you're all invited to the reception this friday night in santa cruz, info below.
https://www.facebook.com/events/651243661584264/
http://stripedesigngroup.com/blogs/...photography-by-luigi-villanueva-at-stripe-men
happy new year!
noisycheese
Normal(ish) Human
@lueej,
You have some very nice images - you will have a good exhibit, I'm thinking. Best of luck on Friday! I would like to come to offer moral support, but will regretfully have to bow out. I hope you will understand my absence (I'm 2000ish miles east of your location...)
You have some very nice images - you will have a good exhibit, I'm thinking. Best of luck on Friday! I would like to come to offer moral support, but will regretfully have to bow out. I hope you will understand my absence (I'm 2000ish miles east of your location...)