Popularity of 16x20, 20x24 B&W Prints?

[neil poulsen]

Out of curiosity, what's the popularity of high quality 16x20 or 20x24 size black and white silver photographs? I generally print pretty small, but I'm wondering about venturing into 16x20 and/or 20x24 enlarged prints?

[Ron Bose]

Interesting question ...

In my mind, small well printed images are jewel-like. That's why I love my Type 54 Polaroids and that's why I'm heading toward 5x7 contact prints.

I like to hold prints in my hands and admire them. IMHO a 16x20 or 20x24 print can only really be hung to be appreciated.

No doubt others will disagree ...

[BrianShaw]

No doubt others will disagree ...

No, I will not disagree. That is what I think, too.

[Bill Kumpf]

I mostly hang 8x10 prints matted to 11x14. That fits my wall space best.

[Eric Biggerstaff]

I am a fan of any size print as long as the image is right for the size.

I tend to print small, mainly because at this point in time the work I produce seems better suited to a small image size. When my work gets much larger than 8X10 it doesn't feel right to me. However, as time goes and my vision or photographic direction changes, I might print large if the work seems right for it.

I collect a lot of images and they range from 30"x40" down to 6"X6". I like them all, the large seem perfect being large while the small are great being small. While some images would work well large or small, most have a size that is the correct fit for them.

I don't always like it when a photographer prints images in a range of sizes and then prices them by size. I think they should pick a size or two that best represents the image and limit it's production to those selected dimensions.

[Kirk Gittings]

Are you asking personal taste or in terms of sales?In terms of sales, it depends on the client. True connoisseurs of photography, collectors etc. don't care much about size and appreciate small prints. But people who's interest is decor (architets, interior designers etc.) often prefer larger prints because of the decorative "presence" that larger prints have on a wall. I personally prefer 11x14 with a generous mat.

[Ted Harris]

If you are printing for yourself the you print whatever size you prefer. I you are printing for others, for sale or for exhibition, then larger prints are often (not always but often) more attractive, easier to sell, etc.

[Hugo Zhang]

16x20 and 20x24 contact prints are really nice. Last year this time, I found myself embarressingly calm standing in front of enlarged famous prints of "Winter Storms" and "Moonrise". Looking at Weston's 8x10 contacts gave me the oppposite feelings.

[tim810]

I just saw a William Wegaman exhibit in Winchester MA Last weekend. It was in a small gallery, there where about 30 of his 20x24 polaroids on the wall. It was beautifull. I like the fact that you needed to stand back from some of his images for them to work and some you could not see the subject matter unless you almost put your nose on the print. It was amazing.
I Like fitting a print to one maby two speciffic sizes and that is it. The image also has to fit the space it is in too. My apt has some larger prints but for the most part they are either 4x10 or 8x10 with at least a 4" matt.

[Ralph Barker]

I have a couple of 16x20 prints that Bob Carnie did for me (I don't have an 8x10 enlarger) hanging in my house. Most of the others, however, are 11x14s along with a few 8x10s - all matted to at least the next "standard" size.

[mrladewig]

Are you talking about for your own private use or selling in galleries or what?

To a certain degree, I think it depends on subject. Visit the classical section of an art museum and its unlikely that you'll find a still life painted 8 feet tall, but you may find a full length portrait painted this size. Some landscapes lend themselves to larger print sizes, but I'm not sure I'd want a 20X24 head and shoulders portrait of myself hanging over my fireplace. At the same time a 4"X5" print of an Ansel Adams photo would leave me wanting for a larger print size.

I've seen folks talking about what size they sell most often and in this case if you are trying to sell at art walks and festivals, it seems that matted 8X10 and 11X14 prints are the best sellers but often large prints help to bring folks into the booth.

[Ron Bose]

16x20 and 20x24 contact prints are really nice. Last year this time, I found myself embarressingly calm standing in front of enlarged famous prints of "Winter Storms" and "Moonrise". Looking at Weston's 8x10 contacts gave me the oppposite feelings.

I've experienced the same. I like to handle small prints and the 'wife' will wonder why I have a smile on my face when looking at them. With large prints (16x20 plus) it's a different experience. I remember standing in awe in front of the huge prints at Ed Burtinsky's show at the Art Gallery of Ontario a few years ago.

So I guess it depends on the subject. I think that a 5x7 contact print of a small object is just right and a 20x24 print of a landscape is just right too. The same can't necessarily be said if the landscape were 5x7 and the small object was 20x24.

Then you'll see Wyn Bullock's prints, I got these from the Lenswork offering, I think that they'd work big or small.

[bob carnie]

Hope you like the prints Ralph, the hardest thing to do is print for someone else who is a very good printer..

For years the standard print size in my shop would have been 11x14 thereabouts.
Portfolio printing was a huge business for me in the late 80's and 90's.
Before that I was making murals on large horizontal enlargers mostly very large,large colour prints that were face mounted to plexi. Funny how that is in vogue now 25 years later.
Now I am finding a standard print size is 16x20 to 20x24 for most of our Black & White work.
There has been a tremendous swing to large mural fiber prints and I have made the adjustments in my space to make these very large tritoned prints.
Standard size now is 30x40 and for a fee we will make 48inch X 72inch tri tones.

We just finished a few shows where we mixed in 30x40 images with 20x24 images and strangely/not so strange we found that buyers would purchase the large mural prints and we saw a increase in the 20x24 sales.* for sure most photographers and buyers were always gravitating to the larger prints, but the Visa card was pushing towards the smaller*

I remember my first job, my old boy would make a couple of very large prints that basically were the eye candy and his mid size prints would sell better.

If the workflow and neg can handle the move to a larger print, I have to say Today I prefer the 30x40 size over any other.
20x24 prints for me are the easiest to make, I find smaller prints much harder than 8x10 and I am not sure why.
Possibly the compression of tones or the ability to get into the print and separate the tones with dodging and burning.

[Bruce Watson]

Out of curiosity, what's the popularity of high quality 16x20 or 20x24 size black and white silver photographs? I generally print pretty small, but I'm wondering about venturing into 16x20 and/or 20x24 enlarged prints?

If your work feels best to you at smaller sizes, print smaller sizes. If it feels best at larger sizes, print larger sizes. The image will tell you what it wants. All you have to do is ask it.

As for me, the work I like to do generally calls out for larger prints. My smallest standard print size is 50 x 40 cm, but I've printed a few smaller than that when the image called for it. My biggest is 150 x 93 cm and it's beautiful at that size.

Can't really say what's popular because I'm more interested in what my images are telling me they want than what the prevailing fashion of the day might be. Sorry.

[Doug Howk]

I'll contact or enlarge from 8X10 thru 16X20; but, for some reason, I prefer 12X16 for most subject matter. Maybe its just my eyesight but the prints seem intimate but not small. Now if I could just get more 12X16 paper choices on this side of the Atlantic.

[tim810]

I think there is a preportion (ie.. 8x10, 12x20 20x24) that an individual gravitates to. It probably has somthing to do with an individuals perspective or how someone views the world on a daily basis.
Tim

[Richard M. Coda]

I personally prefer 8x10 contact prints, but I do have a few "best sellers" that really work better at larger sizes (16x20 and up). I have a show coming up in April and I will be showing 3 16x20 or larger prints and the rest, either 8x10 contacts or 11x14 enlargements from 4x5. "Bin" prints will be 100% smaller prints. I have heard that the larger prints sell better... maybe the larger price tag has something to do with it.

[neil poulsen]

In asking this question, and I appreciate everyone's responses, I'm wondering about what people like to purchase. What they like.

I suppose there could be a contrast between what people like, and what people buy. Bigger can be more expensive.

I've always printed small, often from smaller 6x7 negatives. (My primary camera is my 4x5.) But, I could easily "expand" to larger negatives and larger prints. So, I was wondering about how repceptive people might be to this.

[Salty]

I have a number of 16x20 and 20x24 prints, but they're all family related. I have Zero large prints of landscapes or still lifes.

[Bruce Watson]

In asking this question, and I appreciate everyone's responses, I'm wondering about what people like to purchase. What they like.

You should have asked this in the first place! ;)

I've bought sizes from 8x10 inches to 20x24 inches. Depends on the image and how much I want it. Typically buyers don't get to make a size choice -- all they see is what the dealer has to show. So again, it's up to the artist to decide what size print best suits the image.

Wander around a big show like AIPAD or Photo LA. You'll find everything from tiny contact prints of MF negatives to wall sized murals. I think buyers are more interested in making a connection with the image than they are in the size of the image. One dealer told me that if they like it enough to buy it, they'll find a place to hang it.