The single greatest characteristic that I have observed is the use of carefully parsed language. Almost at the level of some shyster lawyer...but not quite that accomplished. That has a real tendency to piss some people off.
The single greatest characteristic that I have observed is the use of carefully parsed language. Almost at the level of some shyster lawyer...but not quite that accomplished. That has a real tendency to piss some people off.
Originally Posted by Donald Miller
That is you, Donald. The most carefully parsed soul on the web.
Recall what David Millard wrote:
“Although I appreciate seeing the images submitted because of Donald Miller's thread, I'm still reminded of Humpty Dumpty's response to Alice: "When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less".
Donald, IMO you are quite the Ego. But that does not give you the right to use words as you choose.
Sandy King
Just a quick update -- I will be sending out e-mails later this week to everyone who has signed up for a newsletter with a preview of what we intend to do in great detail and will be able to field any questions asked. The website should also be 100% functional by the end of this week as well. There may be, though, some questions that take a little longer to answer because of the difficulty of the question that I will need Michael's help with.
Our mission is to publish the extaordinary high quality books of fine art photography, while being able to offer a photographer the ability to help publish their book for rates that will be far less expensive than if they were to do it on their own - coupled with distribution and marketing packages to help the photographer beyond the actual production of the book. Rest assured, any project either myself or Michael Smith will be associated with, must meet the strictest standards for printing and reproduction.
There are currently only two US printers in which we would feel comfortable working with. Both printers have centered their entire businesses around offering extraordinarily high quality reproduction. I currently use one for the magazine and Michael has used one in the past for Lodima Press. The use of either printer will be depenent upon the actual project itself and various other factors.
I hope that by the end of this month, or the beginning of February, we will be able to start accepting submissions. We will have a very careful and detail oriented submissions process that will be available on the website.
My next update will announce the launch of the website.
I must say that I need an anti-nausea pill after reading about how backward these two peoples are. However, on rethinking a good kick in the butt or a case of beer or walk along the beach at dawn is what we need!
First, the people who work in India and China are not in chains. The earn what they do, which is very little but it does allow them to survive and feed their families. I have no doubt that they love their children, have fun, mischief and celebrations like in any other familiy. The more work the print press gets, the better. I don't know that being able to afford 2 cars, 8 TV's, carpets in the house in which billions of mites are having reporoductions orgies yielding feces for fungi to grow on and give us allergies! Having TV dinners and iPods doesn not make a better way of life. We are all exploited one way or another. We just waste stuff on a more lavish scale! It may be P.C. to say we won't give them the contracts, but if you did find a great shop, then it would be anticapitalistic even amoral not to give them a go at the contract! It's fine to say, "I have no sophistication or confidence to deal with these foreign socieites." That's fine by me.
I find it so unbelievable and even naive that one might imagine that neither India nor China has top level craftsmen to match almost anything we do here. Forget Belgium. They are nuts from making lace, and they are still in the art of the middle ages where craft, not massive turnover is important.
China and India are massive economies with millions of small shops able to do whatever you want. You just have to find them.
In any case, back to Michael and Paula, I dropped by at Photo LA and their work is extraordinary. The print quality is indeed second to none. I can believe that the prices will have to rise, probably by 50% to cover the rise in the Euro.
Michael seems to be more interested in doing beyond first class work than getting rich.
I'd be intrigued to know he found the same satisfaction getting work done in the USA. We'll have to see. If the project goes through, my best wishes for success.
I'll be reviewing some of the Lodima books shortly.
Asher
While at Paula's and my Lodima Press booth at Photo LA several people stopped by to tell me about this thread.
After reading through it entirely, I agree with Jorge. The announcement that David made is premature.
By email, I have asked David to make no more postings or announcements or responses about this without my approval of every word. He does antagonize people and if I am to be involved in this in any way, that can no longer happen. I will be talking to him shortly.
My history with David: When the first Inked magazine came out, I read David the riot act. To say it was terrible is an understatement. Since them, however, and much to my surprise after such an inauspicious beginning, Focus magazine, the magazine that Inked transformed into, has actually become quite good in many respects.
Not long ago David asked if Lodima Press would partner with him in a business helping photographers publish their books. He would handle all business matters. Lodima Press would take care of the creative side. There are still questions Paula and I have regarding this and before anything gets started, those questions will be answered and any problems resolved.
I do not know how much money photographers will save working with us. I do know that if Paula and I are involved we will strive to help them have the best book possible given the budget constraints.
Paula and I do consult with photographers about their books. Our fee for this for the past six years has been $1,500 a day (no matter how long the day is) and was never $3,500 as Don Miller wrote earlier in this thread. Paula and I met Mr. Miller one day at his home in Kansas. We thought we had a fine meeting. but ever since then he has had a derogatory attitude toward us. We cannot understand why. His misstating our consulting fee is, I would think intentional, or else he has a faulty memory.
We print books in Belgium because, Salto, the printer we use is, in our opinion, the best printer in the world. Almost without exception the photographers whose photographs we have printed have told us that the Lodima Press book of their work has the best reproductions of their work ever. Because of the decline in the dollar, printing books with Salto in 600-line screen quadtone is very expensive.
Will the reproductions in the books Focus Fine Art publishing prouduces have reproductions that fine? I cannot say for sure, but probably not. But will they be good? Yes, at least I hope so.
it is an interesting thing about printing books to the quality Lodima Press does. Most people do not see the difference. And of those who see the difference, most do not care. But Paula and I are fanatics about quality and so we continue to print our books in Belgium.
Printing in Asia: Some Asian printers are very good. We pritned a book in China (CrashBurn Love: Demolition Derby) a book that did not need 600-line screen quadtone, and the 200 line screen duotone reproductions are excellent. Since Lodima Press only works with Salto, we formed another imprint, BackStreetBooks, for printing books in China.
Anyhow, I hope that explains my involvement in this a bit. Paula and I are traveling now and will be until the end of January and so I may be unable to repond to any further postings to this thread. For my part, I would let the thread end. Better, I would have the entire thread deleted and would ask David to start over with a new announcement when his web site about this is up and running and is fully functional.
Michael A. Smith
David, I will try here since my PM's to you have gone unanswered. When can I expect to receive my copy of the Special Collector's Edition that I paid for in December?
Thank you.
Merg Ross
Stand in line Merg. I am still waiting for the Spet. 2006 issue I paid for prior to that.
He said it would come. Trust me I am in sales.
John
David doesn't come to the site any longer. Try calling.
He apparently does not come to his own site either. I e-mailed him there two weeks ago.
John, thanks. Perhaps it will show up eventually.
He still sneaks around here - last time was yesterday, so I'm sure he read the post and is simply hoping Merg will go away if he ignores him long enough...
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