Nice print!... Now what do I do with it?

Daniel_OB · Dec 22, 2006

“Looking at my photographic activity for the last year, I realize I have exposed and developed a lot of film. I do a contact sheet and scan the film for databasing in my on-line photo catalog. I haven't printed much...

Why? I'm not motivated.

Why not motivated? Because I don't know what to do with my prints. I can only mount and hang so many. I found that I was collecting stacks of un-mounted and un-loved prints. So I stopped printing.

If I knew what to do with a good print beyond throwing into a stack somewhere then I'd be actively printing again.

What do you do with your prints? What keeps you motivated to make more and more?”
------------------
I think you shoot because you have a camera.
Whenever you take a camera in your hand ask yourself: why you want to make that “picture”. WHY? No answer just do not shoot.

You are not motivated because you do not know what and why you are doing. Might be photography is not right think for you. You figure out. Find someone to direct you, or attend a workshop.

There will be no point to print again because you do not like them. If you like them your post will looks very different.

I hang my prints on walls, send to galleries, sometimes sell (I found difficult time to part with them), bust my memory, let my imagination to flow producing stories while analyzing them, looking what and who I am, ….. I just love any of my prints. They are large part of myself, they make story about me, they are source of life to me.

It is rare case that I just take cam and shoot. It usually go to making some drawing on paper while listening to some music, ….
and then thinking is it better if use photography or painting...
And why you use camera instead of brash or pencil. Is visual art really you are for?

Hope this will help

www.Leica-R.com

SchwinnParamount · Dec 24, 2006

Daniel_OB said:
I think you shoot because you have a camera.
Whenever you take a camera in your hand ask yourself: why you want to make that “picture”. WHY? No answer just do not shoot.

You are not motivated because you do not know what and why you are doing. Might be photography is not right think for you. You figure out. Find someone to direct you, or attend a workshop.

There will be no point to print again because you do not like them. If you like them your post will looks very different.

I hang my prints on walls, send to galleries, sometimes sell (I found difficult time to part with them), bust my memory, let my imagination to flow producing stories while analyzing them, looking what and who I am, ….. I just love any of my prints. They are large part of myself, they make story about me, they are source of life to me.

It is rare case that I just take cam and shoot. It usually go to making some drawing on paper while listening to some music, ….
and then thinking is it better if use photography or painting...
And why you use camera instead of brash or pencil. Is visual art really you are for?

Hope this will help

www.Leica-R.com

Actually, I think you've hit it on the head. I DO shoot sometimes just because I have a camera at hand. And not just one either. I own multiple Nikon 35mms, 2 6x6, 1 6x4.5 a 4x5 Crown Graphic and various rangefinders. Possibly I own multiples because I love to collect them. More likely, I own many cameras because I know that they're mostly un-repairable. So I have backups of backups.

It seems I am most likely to be shooting when the subject is obvious and right before my eyes. I love wrestling, running, cycling and swimming and make a point to go to various meets and tournaments. I bring a camera and make lots and lots of images. Some get printed, others are put on my website.

Now the hard part. I love the idea of working with my large format gear. There is a stack of about 100 4x5 negatives in my darkroom, most of which have not been printed from. I've struggled to find a subject for each image.

When I go out with the 4x5, I have no subject in mind. I won't be shooting any sports-related subjects, nor any portraiture. Instead, I look for the kinds of things I see other photographers on APUG shooting. Rocks, trees, barns, skys, buildings, building details... things like that. In other words, visual art.

Maybe you're right. Perhaps I am more verbal/logical and less visual. No, it cannot be. I suspect that everyone has a level of visual artistic ability. The question is, how much? How well trained is your ability? What technical skills do you have in your medium?

You suggest a workshop in L.F. work. I see the sense of the suggestion. To be serious and productive as a visual artist, I should be seeking instruction and inspiration. Perhaps my artistic vision is in place but my chosen mechanism of expression is wrong. Perhaps photography IS for me but my method needs work.

Murry: I am very encouraged by your comments. Thank you for your kind words!!! I've read the and appreciated the comments everyone on this thread (with one non-constructive and petty exception). By and large, the APUG community is a fine group of people. It is a pleasure to be a part of APUG

gr82bart · Jan 2, 2007

SchwinnParamount said:
I've read the and appreciated the comments everyone on this thread (with one non-constructive and petty exception). By and large, the APUG community is a fine group of people.

Ooh! I missed this. Looks like papagene is never going to get his print after all. Oh well. I tried. There's only so much a coordinator can do.

Regards, Art (Ironic this thread is the ethics and philosophy sub-forum isn't it?)

haris · Jan 2, 2007

I have my prints in portfolio, on walls, give them t opeople, and that keeps me in illusion I am photographer...

Daniel_OB · Jan 12, 2007

Schwinn
In your post above You talk about your cameras instead of subjects you want to photograph. Forget for cameras. Talk and think about subjects, then look on them as photographer (not as a painter or as a sculptor,...). It will open the vision. Connect subjects in front of you with a part of your life experience and try to transfer part of your life into that subject. It is you, it is your personality, your life. Every phototograph should be a short story about one part of your life. Work on projects (group of photographs). Walk the street and see: on one side people fighting each other, on another side a man and a woman kissing each other. Where you will point you camera. A photographer that is violent in nature, like tio fight, bad childhood,... will point on the fighting side, you answer who will point to second side.
Making such photographs that reflects YOU, you will start to like them very much.

www.Leica-R.com

SchwinnParamount · Jan 14, 2007

gr82bart said:
Ooh! I missed this. Looks like papagene is never going to get his print after all. Oh well. I tried. There's only so much a coordinator can do.

Regards, Art (Ironic this thread is the ethics and philosophy sub-forum isn't it?)

Ethics?... please. this is coming from a guy who badgered me into agreeing to the photo exchange against my better wishes in the first place. I agreed to send one just to get him off my back. I wish I had not. Does "Great tube Art" ( a sophomoric reference to his... whatever) tell you all that he resorted to begging for volunteers for a print exchange? Nope, not a word. Sorry papagene, I'd send you a print if I had one to send and if I wasn't being badgered by great tube.

A little perspective, I am publicly accused (they call that slander by the way, G.T.) of having no ethics because I didn't send a photographic print? So then, which sin is worse? I suspect what is happening here is that the organizer of an exchange cannot stand the idea that his exchanged failed in any way to produce 100 participation and he's justifying his existence as an organizer by publicly accusing those he feels let HIM down.

kjsphoto · Jan 15, 2007

If you don’t print you cant get better and trust me making scans of negs then Photoshop never match a real print and you will never know what the negative is capable of. This is a mistake i think many make.

You need to sell prints? Hit the local galleries in your area, talk to local business, hang them around town, etc. There is always an outlet or good images to be shown and sold, you just have to make it happen.

If not then just shoot digital as there is no difference then, neg scan , digital image all the same.

The real beauty comes from a silver or alternative print. Get printing man you owe it to yourself!

And of course there's always eBay...

SchwinnParamount · Jan 15, 2007

kjsphoto said:
If you dont print you cant get better and trust me making scans of negs then Photoshop never match a real print and you will never know what the negative is capable of. This is a mistake i think many make.

You need to sell prints? Hit the local galleries in your area, talk to local business, hang them around town, etc. There is always an outlet or good images to be shown and sold, you just have to make it happen.

If not then just shoot digital as there is no difference then, neg scan , digital image all the same.

The real beauty comes from a silver or alternative print. Get printing man you owe it to yourself!

And of course there's always eBay...

Kevin, you're sure right about that! I finally got access to a darkroom after I lost mine in a flood. I used the community darkroom at Evergreen State University (Olympia WA). I've got to tell you. They've got it going on! 15 Beseler 4x5 enlargers, a great print mounting room with all sorts of great equipment, super fiber print washing facilities, a huge and very well organized darkroom sink where all the water comes out at 68 degrees... they've got a temperature regulator there. I made a few postcard prints from my old stock of Kodak postcard paper. they turned out OK. Not great. I'm going to have to learn how to make the Kodak paper behave with that fancy computerized Ilford multicontrast head.

gr82bart · Jan 18, 2007

SchwinnParamount said:
Ethics?... please. this is coming from a guy who badgered me into agreeing to the photo exchange against my better wishes in the first place. I agreed to send one just to get him off my back. I wish I had not. Does "Great tube Art" ( a sophomoric reference to his... whatever) tell you all that he resorted to begging for volunteers for a print exchange? Nope, not a word. Sorry papagene, I'd send you a print if I had one to send and if I wasn't being badgered by great tube.

A little perspective, I am publicly accused (they call that slander by the way, G.T.) of having no ethics because I didn't send a photographic print? So then, which sin is worse? I suspect what is happening here is that the organizer of an exchange cannot stand the idea that his exchanged failed in any way to produce 100 participation and he's justifying his existence as an organizer by publicly accusing those he feels let HIM down.

LMAO!

You made my day.

Regards, Art.

Daniel_OB · Jan 18, 2007

SchwinnParamount
I think as I know you now more, might be you are geting what photography is all about. Just not satisied and want more, tipical and normal artistical problem, and at the same time realising that photography is not about equipment but about hard work, which is true. Might be it is normal for final stage of learning about photography. Unfortunately or fortunately, so many photographers never reach that stage.
Working around "blocks" with your experience is not possible and funny. You are just walking and walking around your canvas thinking what else to add to your picture before you declare "d-o-n-e". I guess it is good and would not accept it as a problem. I think you should not stop your own way, or change direction, and all will just pop-out.

www.Leica-R.com

Steve Roberts · Jan 19, 2007

What do you do with your prints? What keeps you motivated to make more and more?[/QUOTE said:
Have you considered working topwards a photographic qualification or distinction? The Royal Photographic Society here in the UK has three levels of distinction - Licentiateship, Associateship and Fellowship that are obtained by submission of a panel of prints, slides or (even) digital images. I obtained my LRPS almost three years ago and am now working towards my Associateship. The project gives me a focus (should I need one), there's no time limit (unless self imposed) and I can do whatever else I feel like along the way, including selling (rarely), giving away (more often!) or doing anything else with material from the ARPS project.

The RPS has links to photographic societies around the world (notably the PSA) and in the magazine distinctions are applied for and awarded to people just about everywhere on the planet. Here's the link:
http://www.rps.org/

You'll still end up with the prints, but also with the satisfaction of an "end product"!

Best wishes,

Steve

kraker · Feb 13, 2007

SchwinnParamount said:
What do you do with your prints? What keeps you motivated to make more and more?

I used to just show them to a group of friends and fellow-photographers. But that's just "show once, then put on the stack again". And indeed, that's not a real motivator.

Just yesterday, I took some ancient poster off the office wall and put some of my prints there. The first reaction was discouraging: "Hey, where did that poster of Ancient Rome go, and why is it replaced by pictures of some modern building?". All reactions since, however, have been motivating. Nice prints, nice compositions, are they yours? Hey, that's a square format, etc. etc. Yes, this is motivating! I have postponed this because I wanted to properly frame the prints; finally, I decided against it and just used some 'poster buddies' (sorry, that's what they are called over here) to put the photos on the wall. Should have done this much sooner. It's a kick to get feedback. I will print more, that's for sure!

Nice print!... Now what do I do with it?

haris

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