print exchange questions

[John Brady]

Hi Andrew and fellow participants,
I have been looking through all the threads on the forum for rules on the print exchange but I can’t find them. I know there has been some discussion but I have not seen anything diffinitive If they have already been posted I apologize for asking but would appreciate it if you could point me towards them. If they have not here are some questions I have.
1. What size print? (my vote would be up to 17x22 unless it is to difficult or cost prohibitive)
2. can the print be color or Black and White? (my vote would be both)
3. mat, rc or both? (My vote would be any material the artist chose)
4. format? (my vote film only, 4x5 or larger format)
5. Should the work be signed? (my vote would be optional)
6. What information about the print should be included and how should it be include? (my vote would be the camera used and size, the film used, the lens used, approximate date, if available aperture and shutter speed, the location of the image, method of development, If scanned what scanner, if digitally printed what printer and if a rip was used which one and what paper the image is printed on)
7. 1 image printed 20 times?
8. deadline to submit?
9. where to send?
10. how should the prints be packaged? ( my vote would be the box the paper used to make the prints came in)

I am sure I missed somthing?
jb

[darr]

See:
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=20211

[Michael Graves]

Maybe I'm getting old blind. But I can't see anywhere it says whether the prints should be mounted or unmounted? And should I send 19 copies of the same image? 19 different images? Mix and match?

[Eric James]

In one of the many threads it says ~"unmounted to reduce cost".

I assumed it was 19X one image - HDC and Andrew had an exchange recently that suggested 20 copies were necessary. Maybe this is true but I don't need Andrew to mail back my own print:)

The size limit is also specified somewhere as 11X14 or smaller.

Cheers,
Eric

[Capocheny]

In one of the many threads it says ~"unmounted to reduce cost".

I assumed it was 19X one image - HDC and Andrew had an exchange recently that suggested 20 copies were necessary. Maybe this is true but I don't need Andrew to mail back my own print:)

The size limit is also specified somewhere as 11X14 or smaller.

Cheers,
Eric

Hi Eric,

You're spot on... I don't need to have my own print sent back to me either! :)

It's a group of 40 divided by 2. That means 20 people in each group to exchange prints. Therefore, all you really need is 19 prints...

I believe it was 11x14 or smaller... unmounted.

B&W or Color was deemed acceptable.

Likewise for RC I believe. Andrew?

As for signage on the print... I think that's also an individual matter and some people will sign their submission while others won't. I'll most likely be signing mine. As for information... that's likely something that people can choose to do, or not. I'll have to see if I can dig up the info on my print.

And, IIRC, it should be done with a lf camera.

Deadline: January 31, 2007. Prints must be in, on or before this date.

The Print:

Only prints from large format negatives (4x5, 5x7, 8x10, 11x14...) contacts, enlargements.
All silver prints must be on fibre.
digital prints from LF negs are fine.
Alternative processes accepted too.

I think there's also the need to send Andrew US$20.00 for shipping costs? Andrew?


And, everybody send Andrew a LARGE cup of Timmie's coffee even though better can be had at that little place called "A!" :) Eh?


Looking forward to seeing everyone's prints... :)

Cheers

[Andrew O'Neill]

HDC and Andrew had an exchange recently that suggested 20 copies were necessary

Sorry for the confusion. The rules were posted back a couple of weeks ago.
There are 20 in your group. You make one for each person in your group (19 prints).
You then package them and send to me.

The Rules:

RC, fibre, digital, b/w, colour, alt. processes are all accepted.
an LF camera must have been used (4x5 and up)
prints no bigger than 11x14, unmounted.
Signed or unsigned...up to you.
Provide information about the gear used (camera, lens, filter, particular camera movements), information about the negative (film used, developer, etc) and info about the making of the print.

Sending:

Carefully package them in a bubble wrap type envelope. Also include info about the image (there is always a story behind it...include technical stuff too, 'cause this is a learning thing). I would like to recycle the bubble wrap envelopes and send prints back to you.
Also include your mailing address on your info sheet.
I will also need a bit of $$ to cover postage. Anywhere between $15-$20US should cover it, but I'll give you a better idea later. Last time some participants included a prepaid fed ex envelope ( I think it was fed ex...) If you want to go that route, that's fine.


Deadline:

January 31, 2007. Prints must be in, on or before this date.
I will then send out to everyone soon after this date.

I want to communicate through email everyone but I am still waiting for a few people to email me their contact info:

Gary Smith
Rider
Brian Sims
Mark Sampson

Guys, I need to hear from you. I need your email addresses...

Thanks!

[Andrew O'Neill]

Sh#t! Capocheny beat me to it...but I still need to hear from those four participants.
Hey Capocheny, are you going to be able to get away this Saturday for a shoot up at Ashcroft?

[TLGG1]

Was interested but the RC thing is a real downer. No one printing fine work uses RC papers because they just.......... don't........... last. Why invite trouble by letting this plastic junk in?

[Eric James]

And, everybody send Andrew a LARGE cup of Timmie's coffee even though better can be had at that little place called "A!" :) Eh?


Looking forward to seeing everyone's prints... :)

Cheers

My Timmie's offering is on the way - I hope the postal employees along the way read the "this end up" label because I wasn't able to plug the drink hole (duct tape wouldn't stick - WHAT IS IN THAT STUFF that melts duct tape adhesive?).

[Andrew O'Neill]

Was interested but the RC thing is a real downer. No one printing fine work uses RC papers because they just.......... don't........... last. Why invite trouble by letting this plastic junk in?

Can't please everybody. I personally don't use it. I agree with you that it's no good and I can't understand why anyone would go to the trouble to lug around an expensive LF camera and lenses, spend lots of money on LF film and then make the print (which is what it's all about) on cheap RC paper...but, some people are learning on the stuff, so why not let them in so they can see the beauty of fibre? Hopefully this print exchange will convince the RC users to use fibre...

[Andrew O'Neill]

My Timmie's offering is on the way - I hope the postal employees along the way read the "this end up" label because I wasn't able to plug the drink hole (duct tape wouldn't stick - WHAT IS IN THAT STUFF that melts duct tape adhesive?).

Hey! They have Timmies waaaaay up there? Cool! or as Timmies would say, "Steeped!"
Did you ever get the Red Green Show up there, too? They took the use of Duct tape to a whole new level!

[Andrew O'Neill]

Thanks darr, for the link!!

[Capocheny]

WHAT IS IN THAT STUFF that melts duct tape adhesive?).

Eric,

That's why I'm trying to get Andrew to change his caffeine source but....

I saaaaay nutting! :)


Andrew,

LOL.........now, now... watch your language. There's kids on here! :)


Ashcroft... I'm there!

Cheers

[Eric James]

Hey! They have Timmies waaaaay up there? Cool! or as Timmies would say, "Steeped!"
Did you ever get the Red Green Show up there, too? They took the use of Duct tape to a whole new level!

No, we drink quality coffee in AK - we also watch quality TV, so yes to the Red Green Show:)

I ordered your cup from a shop in Milton ONT - I called around and they had the freshest vat.

Cheers:)

[Colin Robertson]

Actually, for the time/cost involved it would be easier for Andrew if we all made 20 prints. That way he doesn't have to spend time making particular sets for each individual- he just sorts out 20 piles of mixed prints. Okay, so you'll get one copy of your own print mailed back, but organisation will be way easier for Andrew, and you avoid the risk of getting the 'wrong' set returned. As for RC paper, maybe it would do us all good to see prints we ourselves would never normaly make. Kinda like a learning experience.

[John Brady]

Thanks for clarifying the rules, sorry I missed it from your earlier post ( It's hell getting old).
ciao, jb

[Ole Tjugen]

Was interested but the RC thing is a real downer. No one printing fine work uses RC papers because they just.......... don't........... last. Why invite trouble by letting this plastic junk in?

There are some advantages to RC, and some disadvantages. By now the main disadvantage seems to be not so much in the arcival properties as in that some people refuse to accept that they can be used for "real" work!

Since I'm not planning to use any esoteric toners this time I'll use FB paper. But if I had decided to make a multiply-split-toned print, I would definitely use RC - getting one right is very difficult, getting 20 right on FB is nigh on impossible.

[Brian Ellis]

Clyde Butcher did pretty well with RC paper (until he switched to digital) - a couple thousand dollars a print, exhibited all over the world, owns two galleries devoted solely to his own work, etc.. Of course it's rumored that he spent over a hundred thousand dollars to replace the ones that went bad but that's another story.

[Kirk Keyes]

Andrew -

You should request that people send shipping envelopes that are 11x14 in size as I'm sure there will be prints that large. Last time I only sent you an 8.5x11 envelope and you had to get something larger to accommodate the larger print thtat was in the group.

Kirk

[Matus Kalisky]

RC versus Fiber ....

Hm - I will probably get laughed out (with my english for sure) - but I had for the first time in hand a photo printed on fiber based paper only recently (well, OK and maybe what I was 10). It was an Ilford demo sample - and I have to admit that the dfference was noticable ... It made me to thing about doing my own contact prints.

But the questions:

Do I get it right that fiber papers are only for B&W prints?

Is the fiber type of paper used only for "classical" printing process, or one prints on it digitally (= laser print) too? - I have a heck lot of problem finding a lab in Germany that would print on fiber based paper.

thanks

M..

[MIke Sherck]

RC versus Fiber ....

But the questions:

Do I get it right that fiber papers are only for B&W prints?

Is the fiber type of paper used only for "classical" printing process, or one prints on it digitally (= laser print) too? - I have a heck lot of problem finding a lab in Germany that would print on fiber based paper.

thanks

M..

They haven't made fibre paper for color prints in... ages, as far as I know. About the only way to get a color print on non-RC paper that I can think of is to spray-paint it on (inkjet, giclee, whatever they're calling it today.)

I think that Ilford has just released a new fiber-ish inkjet paper but you'll have to wait for others more knowlegable than I to clarify. I spend all day in front of a computer and am not about to spend my leisure hours in that enforced state of catatonia (like California only with more regulations.)

Hope that helps.

As for me, I'm planning on fiber prints but I'm still in the process of deciding the image I'm going to use. Every time I go out I get another one that makes me start to question my previous decision. (I hope that's a good thing!) But there is one point which confuses me: what's this "timmie" thing all about? Coffee, tea, some weird developer?

mjs

[Andrew O'Neill]

what's this "timmie" thing all about? Coffee, tea, some weird developer?
Sorry for keeping you out of the loop...timmies is a nick name for Tim Hortons,which is a famous coffee/doughnut shop here in Canada...Tim was a hockey player who was killed back in the 70s. I'm addicted to their coffee...Capocheny has been trying to convert me over to this decaf stuff at some place that is too difficult to pronounce that begins with an "A"...

Kirk, good point about envelopes large enough for 11x14 prints....everyone send envelops that are large enough for these prints.

[alec4444]

There are some advantages to RC, and some disadvantages.

I'd imagine one of the advantages to RC over fiber is based in contact printing.... Without a vacuum easel I'd imagine RC is easier for large contact prints.

I personally like the look of fiber based paper better, but I'll be enjoying anyone's RC prints right up to my death, so I certainly won't take offense to it!

:)

[Andrew O'Neill]

Two more to go:

Rider
Brian Sims

Just need your email address, thanks!