Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/02/05
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi Folks, Last weekend I went to a talk by local photographer John Rosenthal at the opening of his new show. I invited the LUG, but went solo. :( Well, y'all missed out! ;) It was a good talk (it oughta be...he used to be an English prof and is also an NPR commentator) and the prints were gorgeous. He shoots 35mm B&W film, and used to hand-print all his photos meticulously...I've seen them and they were really nice. But now it's all scanned negatives ending up as large-format Epson prints on HPR...they looked absolutely beautiful. He spoke about the added precision and control he has over the image when working in PS. He does some of the digidarkroom work himself, but I suspect he leaves rather a lot to a local guy who I know does a lot of printing for him and other high-end photogs around these parts. (Perhaps taking the traditional role of master printer into the digital printing age?) Anyway, prices ranged from $600 for an unframed 16x20, to $1400 for a framed 31x39, to $2000 for a framed 35x49. Framing was a single 4ply overmat and black aluminum frame. Surprisingly (to me, anyway), the prints had been trimmed to leave no border and the reveal showed the entire print. I suppose they must have been dry mounted to stay so flat against the backing board. The title/signature was just below the print on the backing board. He talked photo-philosophy a little. He sees photography as the "true democratic art form" because a photograph can make _anything_ an interesting subject. You don't have to be rich, famous, or beautiful, to be the subject of a great photo. Great art in photography comes, he believes, through the photographer "deciding what they will make equal in their photographs...and whether it is a real equality or a false equality." I took my M2 along, as well as my summitar 50/2 and some Kodak T400CN, for a few photos while he spoke. Whence my PAW: http://www.sandlerphotographs.com/paw/2006_05/ Thanks for looking, Aaron