What’s Gonna Happen to Your Photographs?

[Sega]

Only really got rid of photos of ex's and stuff I didn't like but then I'm not really old enough to have amassed years and years and it could be 60+ years before I die of old age so who knows will be around to decide what happens to my stuff, maybe it'll be Museum worthy or maybe it'll be only fit for the bonfire they'll probablyburn me on.

 

[raid]

"Publish or perish."

Anything that I've finished and consider to be of sufficient quality and intent to have survive me, I publish and register with the Library of Congress. They'll preserve it. Whether anyone ever looks at it is a different matter.

Anything else, whether I've rendered it or not, is up to whomever deals with my estate. I won't be worrying about it anymore at that point.

I regularly put together small collections of photos, annotate them, and send them to family and friends who might want them. But most of my friends and family who matter are around my age ... once we're all gone, the rest is ephemeral to anyone else beyond maybe their children and grandchildren.

Nothing is permanent, nothing lasts forever.

G

I seem to have the same philosophy about it all.

 

[Calzone]

So for many of us who remain under the radar, is it possible to have your archive discovered so that we can enjoy the fruits of our labors while we are alive?

Pretty much I'm an ordinary guy, but my framing and positioning my life as a gentrifier living in NYC is what makes my photography to have a deeper meaning.

In Vivian Mayer's case it was that she had died and was unknown.

Also even a Magnum photographer has a few select images that are truely Iconic, which to me once seen are easily identified and remembered. Lots of chaff in their work too.

I see it as a game of numbers.

Cal

 

[Archiver]

@Calzone

I like that you are both a gentrifyer of a neighborhood and simultaneously/consecutively a documenter of that gentification. My semiconscious motto for photography is 'the immortalization of time', with the recognition that everything changes, everything has its time, and everything passes. Your work exemplifies this. The warehouses became lofts that you built. The lofts are homes to new couples and families. The families will go elsewhere once they outgrow them.

I don't know if you exhibit or publish, but you may consider building a series of projects around the changes you've witnessed and helped make. And if it's good enough, do like Godfrey. Create a book, publish it, register it with the Library of Congress and give them a copy. I wonder if there's an Australian equivalent of this process...

In Melbourne, there was a fascinating exhibition of images called 'At Dusk, Under The Clocks', a reference to a central train station in the CBD that has a series of clocks over the entrance. The photographs were of a Melbourne recently gone, taken during the 60s, I believe. Your work could potentially fit such a project.

http://openjournal.com.au/at-dusk-under-the-clocks/


Edited to add: The photographer was a school teacher by day and amateur photographer by night. His work was rediscovered almost 50 years later by his wife, and an auctioneer pushed his collection. A magnificent coffee table book was made, and his work is finally being discovered and enjoyed decades after it was made. Angus O'Callaghan is now in his 90's.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/321826063/angus-ocallaghan-melbourne-1968-1971

Wow, he's back shooting at 93 and uses an Olympus Pen-F!

https://thedesignfiles.net/2016/05/melbourne-angus-ocallaghan/

 

[DougK]

I hope I'm still shooting when I'm 93.

 

[Peter Jennings]

Lately, I’ve been thinking about making books of my best stuff as a way to preserve photos. Anyone have a preferred photo printer/publisher that they would recommend?

 

[Bill Clark]

What I did when I had my business, using Photoshop, I would start out with the background on its own layer. Then I would put each photo on each page on its own layer. That way I could resize, move them around on the page, add or delete photographs. I would then save the file as a psd. Then I would flatten it and save the file as a jpeg. I used many features in Photoshop on each layer. Borders, opacity just to mention two.

The jpeg I could email to the client for approval.

But if changes were needed opening up the psd file would bring back all the layers I used.

It gave me flexability which is a feature I offered to clients that hired me.

Then I would have the lab print the pages on Kodak Endura, usually metallic paper.

I used an album company that had a seemless way of binding the pages. Panos were another feature I offered.

I believe on line books are available and perhaps they offer the same features.

 

[jarski]

Am expecting short lifespan for my photos after me, be they printed or digital. Currently am keeping all in a cloud, so I can return to them whenever feeling like. If they were in a hard drives somewhere, that would be more restricting.

Btw, has people noticed how even published books nowadays disappear so fast? Because the volume of books has increased and are cheaper to make in smaller batches, many almost serve what newspapers did few decades ago. Sure they are stored and kept “somewhere”, but does anyone besides the writer and his/her parents remember them long afterwards?

 

[Calzone]

Recently I made a bunch of prints: 12x18 image size on 17x22 sheet. I figured out a way to use linen tap to create a flexible hinge, and used 4 inch long binding posts to create what I call a "Workbook." The reverse is where I place notes, file numbers, dates, settings, paper used... This workbook I used for a development tool that promotes the next step of printing limited editions.

Pretty much this is to help organize the mess I made concentrating on primarily "image capture with a disregard to printing." Understand that this book is archival and printed on rag papers without any optical brightners utilizing all archival materials.

An art dealer told me that my idea of said "workbook" being a one off makes it have lots of "value added." This is pretty much an "estate piece" and part of my "artist's collection." Pretty much I hope at least one person will keep my legacy alive and preserve this body of work.

I intend to begin printing limited editions in two sizes: 13.3x20 on 17x24 sheet; and 20x30 on 24x36 sheet. I was taught in a gallery workshop that I should retain artist proofs to build out a collection of my own work. Pretty much this is speculating on one's success, and that in the future this will become "treasure" worth lots of money.

I was told that some artists even keep two artist proofs: one for their estate; and a second just in case something wonderful happens like a museum wants to give you a retrospective that the work is on hand and in one place. Pretty much this is banking on yourself.

I think I would add to this a "Book of Proofs" made of 13.3x 20 images printed on 17x24 sheet. First off the IQ from actual prints really displays my work the best because I consider myself a fine art printer who specializes in B&W printing only.

This book of proofs is even more dramatic even though the image size is only slightly bigger than in my "workbook" because more detail is revealed, and the images really open up more where the mids sing. I know if I ever run into a publisher that this "book of proofs" could easily sell a book to a publisher, and also it is a great tool to promote my limited editions.

My photography is widely published because my gal is the "Accidental Icon" a college professor who is now a celeb because she started a fashion blog 4 years ago and has over 630K followers. Next Sunday she will be in a TV broadcast ad on National Television for a tech company that is a household name.

Much of my photographs involving fashion gets "lifted" and is used by others without even photo credits. Imagine a full page shot of mine in Vogue Italia, but without photo credit. Shame on you Vogue Italia. How much does photo credits cost? You suck.

How about NBC World News Tonight doing a feature/profile on my gal. A producer looked me in the eye and asked to use some of my photography and said, "We'll give you photo credits," but she lied because photo credits were not given. How dishonest is that?

And then there was the BBC when they did a live broadcast interview of my gal. I saw my name mistakenly given photo credit to another photographer's shot, and also perhaps worse another photographer mistakenly given credit for my shots. What ever happened to accuracy or integrity in journalism?

Be very-very careful when dealing with news organizations, PR firms, and publishers. They lie, cheat and steal. It has been my experience that they say they "have no money" but the truth is that they just don't want to pay, and because so many want "exposure" and are willing to work for free this devalues trying to get paid or compensated.

As a matter of honor I do not work for free (slavery), and I do as much as possible to protect my work.

Another thing I learned from the gallery workshop is how records and documentation is valuable, especially curators, collectors and the like. At this point it is actually good that my fine art prints are not out in the world yet. Again, "Time is the best editor."

Cal

 

[ptpdprinter]

Has anyone left special instructions in their will as to their photographs? I am assuming everyone has a will. You could get hit crossing the street this afternoon.

 

[Calzone]

Has anyone left special instructions in their will as to their photographs? I am assuming everyone has a will. You could get hit crossing the street this afternoon.

PTP,

Not yet. Guess I'm an optimist. LOL.

Also I'm a lucky guy. This is mucho funny because I'm kind of a reckless guy. Pretty much only one way to live.

Cal

 

[jawarden]

I have no plans for my photos at all. As I make them I give some away to family and friends and if they enjoy them that's good enough for me. If every picture I ever took disappears one day (which surely will happen eventually) I'll be okay with that. What I do with my photography is important to me today as part of a balanced life, but it's not important with a capital "I".