Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/02/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>snip< >> Permit me to suggest a different tack: >> >> 1. Do a contact print to pick out the best 20 shots. >> >> 2. Reproduce in postcard sizes. Generally, people are happy to receive >> about 15-20 or so good B&W prints. It is also more economical for you and >> you spend less time in the darkroom - one hour of enlarger work at most. >> >> 3. If you want to be reimbursed in kind, ask for films rather than paper. >> Most people do not know how to buy paper. They are generally quite happy >> to buy you "half a dozen" rolls of film for all your efforts. >> >> 4. Be prepared to get just a word of "Thanks" only. There are some who >> will think that they are entitled to everything without cost to them. >> >> Dan K. >> >> >> >Am I argumentative or a natural devils advocate?. I can easily take the >opposite opinion on your first three points with out even trying to be a pain. >Showing contacts are just a bad as showing them machine proofs you've >turned your work to **** before they've even seen it. When they hire you >its hard to get around showing them the contacts but if then don't, it >your work, controll it. Don't start out by showing them your dirty >underwear. Every shoot consists of one or two magic moments the rest is >****. You don't invite the critics to see the rehearsals, it kills the magic. > >Blow up one or two or three 16 by 20s or 20 by 24/s. If you don't put >them under glass at least mount them on a board and better yet in a cut >mat. Otherwise you are contributing to their stack of snaps and you know >what? The chances are great that they have better ones then the ones we >would give them. They live with the little monsters after all so they >have the advantage. They barely care if its in focus its the moment that counts. >Put that big print on the wall and that's that. I personally never >except money from people that I approach first. If I do the approaching >its on me. I works better that way in the end. >When the neighbor sees the print on the wall and calls you quote them a >least a grand. Your odds of getting it is much better if you didn't let >the other guy get off with some film and/or paper. Love or money. No >price to be put on love. And no high enough price to be put on a >professional quality image of their precious monsters. >Mark Rabiner > You are neither. You have merely misunderstood the reasons for contact prints entirely. I do not know how you got the idea that I am suggesting showing the contact prints to people. I do contact prints for my own convenience so that I can pick the best shots to enlarge. The issue of showing dirty underwear has never been part of the discussion and I am sure we need not bore the rest of the LUG by bringing up the matter. B&W postcard sizes are convenient dimensions to show and give to people. I find that most people shoot in colour and are happy to receive B&W prints. The monochrome prints stand out from their coloured ones. When they want an enlargement, it can be done at a later date. I find that people pick their favourite shots to enlarge and this is so often different from my favourite shots. I respect their decisions. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I congratulate you for your ability to choose the one or two or three shots which you think are the best and blow it up to all sorts of sizes and mount it in your favourite styles and still find your recipients most thankful and eternally grateful to receive them. My own experiences have not been so rewarding. Dan K.