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Thread: Marketing Platinum Portraits in 11x14 , Is this posible and then How?

  1. #31

    Re: Marketing Platinum Portraits in 11x14 , Is this posible and then How?

    Actually I expect Bob Carnie to be doing the PT PD for me in "the project" I will be doing. It is a specific project and has special social goals. The PT PD is one aspect of the whole project. My Large order of Ilford film has arrived to day and the testing will begin during the month. The expertise of Mr Carnie will be a tremendous asset for the success of the project. We have not worked together yet and I do look forward to his guidance in tailoring the film to the PT PD process.

  2. #32
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: Marketing Platinum Portraits in 11x14 , Is this posible and then How?

    Well, now we know

    Good luck!
    Tin Can

  3. #33
    bob carnie's Avatar
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    Re: Marketing Platinum Portraits in 11x14 , Is this posible and then How?

    Quote Originally Posted by Torontoamateur View Post
    Actually I expect Bob Carnie to be doing the PT PD for me in "the project" I will be doing. It is a specific project and has special social goals. The PT PD is one aspect of the whole project. My Large order of Ilford film has arrived to day and the testing will begin during the month. The expertise of Mr Carnie will be a tremendous asset for the success of the project. We have not worked together yet and I do look forward to his guidance in tailoring the film to the PT PD process.
    Well once you see my prices things may change... It is much harder to work from In camera negatives than the way I and many people do today which is by calibrated digital inkjet negs. I will have to do some legwork to catch up to the incamera negative issues and how I would solve them. I am a big fan of Ian Leakes methods of controlling contrast with different developers we will see where this may or may not go.

  4. #34

    Re: Marketing Platinum Portraits in 11x14 , Is this posible and then How?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tin Can View Post
    Well, now we know

    Good luck!
    Thank You !!!

  5. #35

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    Re: Marketing Platinum Portraits in 11x14 , Is this posible and then How?

    [Edit: I now see that you mention this is “part of a project.” Whatever that may quite be, it strikes me that that might change some of the parameters — people might be more inclined to be part of something that is perhaps part of an ‘art’ project, is going to be happening for a limited time, etc. So that might change a little the approach I took below, which probably holds more for someone contemplating embarking on a business in general doing large format, analog portraiture…]

    Well, this is just my two cents, and it seems from reading through many of the replies (including your own) that you have experience as a photographer as well as someone who (hopefully) will be able to actually make the prints, but … speaking as someone who makes a good portion of their living shooting tintype portraits in another big city (Los Angeles), to me it looks like an incredibly tough slog.

    For one (again, this is just what I can offer, but it might be a good starting point…), it’s a tough slog for me, and tintypes have a lot going for them that a platinum (-palladium) print won’t — for one, as someone else mentioned, most people are probably not going to care much about what happens behind closed doors, whereas with wet plate (positives at least), there is an immediacy to the whole process. The sitter can see their image within a minute or so of it being taken, emerging from the fixer — which to a photographer may not be all that exciting after seeing it potentially thousands of times, but for a non-photographer is usually magical. People ooh and ahh, they film it, etc. At an event, especially, with many crowded around the fixer tank, it almost becomes a sort of performance. For a person to then be able to take the varnished image home an hour or so later … I just don’t see how sending someone off after a few exposures and telling them their print will be ready in several days will have anywhere near the same sort of appeal.

    There are so many more aspects to it — tintypes lend themselves to being done at events, for one, which can make for a relatively lucrative day. And in the studio, if I take several (as I usually do), people often end up wanting more then just one (I offer any additional for half price, so if someone wants three, for example, that doubles what I make). Beyond that, and more generally, almost everyone has at least some idea of what one is (they have seen them in antique stores, read about them, have some in the family, etc.). In comparison, I’ve been involved with photography since the late ‘90s, and have seen only a small handful of platinum prints in person — a few I have just started to make myself, one I had printed for me years ago, and a few a friend showed me that he had done. I can’t recall a single article I’ve ever seen in print or online (that would have reached a non-photographer audience) about platinum prints, let alone portraiture. I doubt whether 99% of people out there would have any idea what one is, why they might want one, etc. As someone else mentioned, why would someone want a platinum-palladium print rather than an expertly done silver gelatin print?

    Also, 11x14 is pretty big - maybe it’s a great size for a couple or family, but if it’s a more tightly framed individual portrait, does everyone want to see themselves that large? I have had people comment about that in the studio, actually — that even 8x10 might be larger than they want on their wall.

    I could go on, but for one, you specifically asked for platinum-related experience, which I don’t have, and for two, I have the impression you are going to forge ahead no matter what — which is admirable, and I wish you the best of luck. And who knows — you may have an angle (certain connections with people or institutions, an Instagram with many thousands of followers, etc.) that will give you a leg up. Or you may be somewhat independently wealthy and not have to rely on whether such a venture necessarily ends up being financially viable (which is great…nothing wrong with that). Again, it doesn’t look like an easy road to me, but I look forward to seeing how it goes. If you can make a go of this, it would be a real inspiration to many out there, I’m sure.
    Last edited by michael_los_angeles_photo; 3-Nov-2021 at 17:43.

  6. #36

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    Re: Marketing Platinum Portraits in 11x14 , Is this posible and then How?

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	ACD8AC5C-208A-48F3-B7DF-3EC85025A515.jpg 
Views:	126 
Size:	37.8 KB 
ID:	220936Again, for whatever it’s worth, here is an 8x10 tintype I took Monday. (This is a quick iPhone pic of it in the wash tray…) He owns a horse ranch and is also an actor in a Western-themed series. I used a 420mm Universal Heliar, and overall I’d say it has a look to it. So just to perhaps ponder whether what you would be producing would have a particular look or ‘feel’ to it (or however you might want to conceive that aspect…) that might capture people’s attention, at least beyond the look of the platinum-palladium printing (which to me, the first time I saw one, was really beautiful … but also not quite as different from a b/w print than I somehow had expected). But again, just my two cents…

  7. #37

    Re: Marketing Platinum Portraits in 11x14 , Is this posible and then How?

    Quote Originally Posted by michael_los_angeles_photo View Post
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	ACD8AC5C-208A-48F3-B7DF-3EC85025A515.jpg 
Views:	126 
Size:	37.8 KB 
ID:	220936Again, for whatever it’s worth, here is an 8x10 tintype I took Monday. (This is a quick iPhone pic of it in the wash tray…) He owns a horse ranch and is also an actor in a Western-themed series. I used a 420mm Universal Heliar, and overall I’d say it has a look to it. So just to perhaps ponder whether what you would be producing would have a particular look or ‘feel’ to it (or however you might want to conceive that aspect…) that might capture people’s attention, at least beyond the look of the platinum-palladium printing (which to me, the first time I saw one, was really beautiful … but also not quite as different from a b/w print than I somehow had expected). But again, just my two cents…
    Thank You for the good wishes

  8. #38
    Drew Wiley
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    Re: Marketing Platinum Portraits in 11x14 , Is this posible and then How?

    I'd think having a big interesting camera along with an interesting personality would have more client pull or appeal than a set of academic art credentials. But those credentials might come in handy leading to public exposure of your work in some formal venue. I have never really sought out any portrait commissions - not my thing - but every one of them was a spinoff of people having seen completely unrelated prints of mine in one kind of exhibition or another, and themselves approaching me, wanting portraits of the same print quality.

  9. #39
    Zebra
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    Re: Marketing Platinum Portraits in 11x14 , Is this posible and then How?

    I have thought of similar ideas going from 10 x 12 format up to 20 x 24--offering both Collodion and Pt/Pd as choices. I don't have near the chops that Torontoamateur does but the idea itself interests me mainly because I like people (sorry Bob you just barely missed the cut line on that statement) and the act of portraiture brings me great pleasure. In the non-paid, non professional setting I work in I can only offer that the experience is what should be highlighted in equanimity to the final product. Bigger cameras require a collaboration between the photographer and the talent as all know here, and out of that comes a shared story. In my opinion that story is what should be marketed if possible. Unfortunately this possibility you are pursuing will have to wait for me until retirement as my 'pay for my kids college education' job requires much of the waking hours. In that retirement however, how I have envisioned pursuing this is to find out what its worth for me to move at someone else's cadence, add on enough to be kind to myself, find ways to put out my sign, and then not really care how many want to ante up to my price. If it builds into something organically at the rate of hard work I wish to contribute to it--great!! If not and its an occasional diversion up against the cost of the marketing I do well i'd be okay with that meandering as well. Hardly a recipe for success unless of course you are willing to look slightly askew at the word success.

    I think you are pursuing something really rewarding and fun, and many many niche markets more off the beaten path have found success. I say go for it and if it can start small as one option then that could be the foot in the door for that success to find its way to you. I'm envious you are at the stage you are thinking of moving forward. Exciting.

    If I can ever get up there again to harass Bob and Dinesh it would be great to catch up and see how the pursuit is going!

    Good luck,

    Monty

  10. #40
    Zebra
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    Re: Marketing Platinum Portraits in 11x14 , Is this posible and then How?

    Michael,

    That is a wonderful wet plate portrait. Well done.

    Monty

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