Anyone else printing smaller?

[Andrew O'Neill]

Usually print around 8x10. Good size to look at while holding in your hands. If I want something for the wall, I'll print a bit larger.

[Greg Y]

I proof print on 8x10" paper & even there...w/ borders 6" x9" or 7.5" sq from rolleiflex negs. Occasionally i'll print a 20x24" for a sale, but these days 11x14" is pretty much my standard end game. 16"x20" for prints to hang on my walls , framed to 22"x28."

[Alan9940]

I usually print 35mm to 5x7, square format to about 7x7, and contact print both 4x5 and 8x10. I rarely make a print as large as 10x13" and made exactly one 16x20" enlargement from an 8x10 neg. So, yeah, I tend to print small as I like the intimacy of these smaller images. I remember my photo mentor telling me that bigger doesn't make it better. That's not why I tend to smaller prints, but I do agree.

[HMG]

I too like the intimacy of a smaller print. Exception would be one intended for exhibition where there's a largish audience - but I don't do those.

[Serge S]

I remember seeing a Stieglietz exhibition & was surprised by his small framed prints. It opened my eyes to the power of a smaller print.
I like to print 4x5 at around that size. I also like larger prints, but generally prefer going larger than 8x10 - as it seems an in between size to me- not small & not big enough.
Interesting topic-it's a personal choice - plus the framing & Matt are an important component to the final presentation.

[paulbarden]

90% of my work is contact printed. These days, the vast majority of images I print are from 5x7 and 8x10 negatives. I think the act of viewing a smaller print is much more intimate, and encourages a deeper connection with the viewer.

[Richard Wasserman]

Andre Kertesz's early work (approx. 1912-1918 or so) were contact prints that are about 6x4.5cm.

After both my parents passed I found some negatives that my father had made of my mother before they were married. He used some type of roll film camera, I contact printed them on Azo and had 7 of them framed together. It's a treasure.

[jp]

If you ever get a chance to visit an exhibit of small prints; do it.. Stieglitz was mentioned... All the pictorialists and some contemporary photography is small and you get drawn right in.

Most of my large format is contact printed. It does look nice and is very much easier than dealing with the process of big prints. Soft focus doesn't look good big either.

[Bernice Loui]

Images made using Soft focus (sorta-focus) lenses are best contact printed. Alternative, 2x maximum projection enlargement print size. More than 2x, the soft focus effect degrades rapidly..... and the print must not have any visible film grain when the print is viewed with a magnifier.


Bernice

Soft focus doesn't look good big either.

[esearing]

I see several small print practitioners. Yamamoto Masao - Small things in silence. I was inspired by the large screen images I saw online but the book shows most of those images in sizes 4x5 or smaller. Holden Richards has been posting some nice 5x10 images lately too.

I have always liked 8x10 (7.5x9.5 with borders) for holding and 11x14 is starting to feel huge. I like Bob Carnies's idea of the box set especially now that I am shooting 5x12 and finding pano frames is difficult.