New Epson Printers Help Photographers Make Legacy Prints

The new SureColor® P Series of Epson printers are designed for photographers who want to make their own archival prints for exhibition and resale. The series includes the 24-inch SureColor P6000 and SureColor P7000 printers and the 44-inch SureColor P8000 and SureColor P9000 printers.

Equipped with Epson’s latest PrecisionCore® TFP® printhead and newly developed UltraChrome® archival ink technology, the SureColor P printers are designed as worthy successors to Epson’s groundbreaking Stylus Pro series of wide format inkjet printers for professional photo and fine art printing and graphic arts proofing.

The SureColor P6000 and SureColor P8000 printers are designed for advanced amateur and professional photographers, graphic designers, and commercial printers and feature an 8-color UltraChrome HD inkset.

The SureColor P7000 and SureColor P9000 bring advanced printing solutions to photographers, fine art reproduction houses, and commercial and flexographic print shops and feature the new 10-color UltraChrome HDX inkset.

In the UltraChrome HDX commercial edition for proofing of packaging and graphic design, one of the light black inks for black-and-white photography is replaced with a violet ink that enables the printer to achieve 99 percent of the Pantone Color Matching System.

Epson SureColor P7000 (Photo ©Steve McCurry)
Epson SureColor P7000 (Photo ©Steve McCurry)

“I manage the printing needs for some of the world’s most elite visual arts organizations, including individual fine art photographers who expect ultra-high-end output with exceptional color accuracy and immaculate image quality,” said Mac Holbert, founder, The Image Collective and co-founder of Nash Editions, the world’s first fine art digital printmaking studio. “The SureColor P-Series, and specifically the SC-P9000, simplifies the printing process, making it easier than ever for me to achieve that demanding level of quality quickly and efficiently. Paper loading is a dream with this machine, and when paired with the reformulated UltraChrome HDX ink set with dramatically increased black density and fantastic print longevity and permanence, the result is gorgeous output that will stand the test of time.”

Reformulated UltraChrome Inks

Epson UltraChrome HD and HDX inks leverage next-generation Yellow pigment ink technology for up to twice the overall print permanence than previous generations. The inks also provide improved black density for prints with greater impact and optical clarity.

Epson SureColor P9000 (Photo ©Elizabeth Carmel)
Epson SureColor P9000 (Photo ©Elizabeth Carmel)

Preliminary print permanence ratings for the new Epson UltraChrome® HDX pigment ink technology indicate that – depending upon the type of paper – the new inks can provide print permanence ratings of up to 200 years for color prints. Print permanence ratings for black-and-white prints are likely to exceed 400 years when the black-and-white prints are output with Epson’s “Advanced Black and White Print Mode.”

According to comprehensive tests conducted by Wilhelm Imaging Research, Inc. (WIR), the world’s leading independent permanence testing laboratory, Epson UltraChrome HDX pigment inks can provide up to twice the Display Permanence Ratings of earlier generations of Epson UltraChrome inks with most Epson photo and fine art papers, including the new line of Epson Legacy Fine Art Papers.

Epson Legacy Fine Art Papers

Epson unveils new Legacy Paper line that includes Legacy Platine (featured), Legacy Fibre, Legacy Baryta, and Legacy Etching fine art papers.
Epson unveils new Legacy Paper line that includes Legacy Platine (featured), Legacy Fibre, Legacy Baryta, and Legacy Etching fine art papers.

Epson’s new Legacy Fine Art Paper products use an advanced microporous inkjet receiver layer to produce deep, rich blacks, expanded color gamut, and smooth tonal gradations with outstanding image The first four Epson Legacy Papers are as follows:

Legacy Platine is a 100 percent cotton fiber paper with a bright OBA-free, smooth satin finish. With the unique feel of an art paper from centuries past and an outstanding color gamut, this paper is exceptional for both color and black-and-white printmaking.

Legacy Fibre is a 100 percent cotton fiber paper with an exceptionally bright, OBA-free, smooth matte finish. With an outstanding black density, this paper is ideal for all types of high-end printmaking.

Legacy Baryta paper has a white, smooth satin finish and uses two barium-sulfate coatings. Inspired by the F64 group, this paper takes the best of revered silver halide technology to new levels of quality

Legacy Etching is a 100 percent cotton fiber paper with a bright OBA-free, uniquely textured matte finish. This paper has the feel of traditional etching papers.

“As a photographer, your vision is only as good as the substrate it is printed on, and with the Epson Legacy Baryta, I have found the perfect substrate complement for my images,” said Greg Gorman. “Printing on the Legacy Baryta, I don’t feel like I am sacrificing anything from my vision of what my image should be. Plain and simple – on this new paper, my prints look like jewels.”

“The smooth surface texture of Legacy Fiber has precisely the characteristics that I prefer, complementing both the best white and the best Dmax I’ve ever seen in any fine art paper, thanks to its superior coating,” said Joseph Holmes. “Together with the new, more permanent UltraChrome® HDX ink set of the Epson SureColor® P-Series printers, Legacy Fiber is a mature medium for realizing my photographic legacy and has, in turn, become my preferred option for printing all of my work.”

All four Legacy Papers will be available in cut sheet (8.5 x 11, 13 x 19, and 17 x 22 inches) and 50-ft. rolls (widths: 17, 24, and 44 inches, with 60-in. rolls by special order). The cut sheets will be available in January 2016.

Print Your Legacy

“We’re excited to see how the creative community utilizes these amazing new tools.” said Mark Radogna, group manager, Professional Imaging, Epson America, Inc.

In announcing the printers, Epson emphasized that artists have the unique ability to inspire change: “You have the responsibility to remind us of our past, while making us excited for our future.”

To remind photographers and their clients about the power of the print, Epson has launched a “Print Your Legacy” marketing campaign.

The multi-platform campaign utilizes Epson’s relationship with some of the world’s most renowned and iconic photographers – Jeremy Cowart, Gregory Crewdson, Lois Greenfield, Steve McCurry, Mark Seliger, Monica Stevenson, Tim Tadder, Amy Toensing, and Stephen Wilkes.

Short videos underscore the importance of the print through their words and images. The video content is running across Epson’s social media channels, including YouTube and Instagram.

 The Epson SureColor P-Series is currently available through authorized Epson Professional Imaging resellers.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Epson Pro Imaging

Epson Legacy Papers

Epson Print Your Legacy Campaign

 

B2B Website for Commercial Remodelers and Builders Seeks Photography Pros

DezignwallLRDEZIGNWALL is a B2B social website, specifically for commercial interior design, exterior design, architectural, products manufacturing, supply, contract, purchasing, development, procurement, and service professional, community.

Dezignwall creates a virtual marketplace to showcase and source projects and products specifically for the commercial remodel, new build, and contract environment.

Globally, the commercial construction and remodel industry totals in the trillions. This market includes interior/exterior designers, architects, and manufacturers of products for anything from local nail salons, coffee shops, stadiums, and malls to world-class restaurants, hotels, casinos, and travel and entertainment venues.

According to Dezignwall CEO and founder Joseph Haecker, “I realized that my commercial design colleagues needed a Houzz-like website specifically for our commercial needs. During the recession, I saw businesses close because they could not engage clients outside of their current marketing reach. What makes Dezignwall different is that we are a business-to-business solution, specifically for global commercial professionals.”

The web-based platform mixes a Pinterest-like focus on images with a Houzz-like search functionality. It also offers social-sharing tools for commercial design-team collaboration.

By making products and design images available in real time, Dezignwall wants to make it easy for commercial developers and design team to: (1) find sources of inspiration; (2) engage with manufacturers of products and services; and (3) work collaboratively in a virtual and mobile environment.

Referrals for Trusted Photographers

The site, which is currently in private beta, is seeking photography professionals for their “trusted photographer” program.

According to the site’s founders, “The success of this marketplace will greatly depend on our ability to produce high quality photo images in very large quantities.”

The DEZIGNWALL Trusted Photographer Program is a referral generator for commercial photographers that seek to grow their own business through exposure to new markets. Membership is free, and leads are provided free.

For more information visit the Trusted Photographer Program section of www.Dezignwall.com

LINKS

Dezignwall

Update Your Photography and Business Skills at PDN PhotoPlus Expo

Whether you are in the professional photography business or are serious about updating your skills, check out what’s happening at the PDN PhotoPlus Conference and Expo in October.

The PDN PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo is the largest photography and imaging show in North America. The 2015 Conference runs from October 21-24 at the Javits Center in New York. The Expo runs from October 22-24.

PhotoPlus_220x145Last year, PDN PhotoPlus Expo attracted more than 21,000 professional photographers, photography enthusiasts, filmmakers, students, and educators from around the world.

“Our vast schedule of photo walks, master classes, conference seminars, keynotes, and portfolio reviews, combined with our large expo hall filled with hundreds of exhibitors demonstrating the latest imaging technologies, has created a wonderful playground for anyone who loves the visual arts.” explains Jason Groupp, Director of Education and Membership of the PHOTO+ Group

PPEThe expo features 220 exhibitors and thousands of new products. The educational programming includes over 80 seminars, keynote presentations, and special events. Whether you need to learn basics such as posing, lighting, retouching, editing, and printing or explore niches such as portraiture, commercial, or travel photography, the program has sessions that can help.

Business development programs at PhotoPlus Expo can help you find ways to expand your range of products and services and update your skills.

Sample Courses

For example, here are a few of the courses that will be presented during the 2015 Conference.

The Headshot Game and How to Play it!
Peter Hurley will explain how to forge a career in a hot genre that helps professionals of all ages improve their digital identities and establish personal brands. Hurley offers valuable insights about how he developed one of the most successful headshot businesses in the country.

Learning to Thrive as an Artist: Business, Marketing and Style for Photographers Commercial photographer and director John Keatley discusses one of his biggest passions—business! He will explain why photographers need to develop both an artists’ mindset and an understanding of the skills needed to market your work.

An Artist’s Journey: Surviving the Evolving Photo Industry
Jeremy Cowart, one of the most influential photographers on the Internet, will explain how to stay relevant in an industry in which new apps, new cameras, new tools and new technologies are released every day.

Focus on Filmmaking

It’s Moving! Tips for Photographers Who Start Shooting Video
European cinematographer and filmmaker Nino Leitner will share tips for photographers who are starting to shoot video. Where are the similarities in shooting practices and workflows? Where are the differences? Learn to avoid the typical caveats and get inspired to think about your images in constant motion.

Creative Concepts for Event Filmmakers
From single-day creative shoots to high-end, multi-day scripted productions, cinematic storytelling can reach far beyond a live event and command high value. Learn how Los Angeles–based Pacific Pictures has become one of the world’s most sought after studios by creating and selling some of the industry’s most prolific live event concept films. Award-winning filmmaker Kevin Shahinian explores creative storytelling techniques and cutting-edge, conceptual film productions that can take your documentary filmmaking skills and business to a higher level.

One-Man-Band Filmmaking
Do you shoot by yourself, handling all the lighting, audio, directing and carrying around all your gear? With the right approach and tools, the New Age filmmaker can accomplish anything independently. Joe Switzer will discuss topics such as project management, outsourcing and the corporate project workflow.

Filmmaking Essentials For Photographers
In this class for emerging photographers and professionals pursuing new markets, Eduardo Angel will demystify the most common filmmaking terms and shooting techniques. He will also cover the most essential selection of gear to increase the production value of your video projects and provide an overview of the business of motion. After this class, you will have a better understanding of the similarities and differences between the disciplines of stills and motion.

Printing Skills and Innovations

Another way photography pros can distinguish themselves is through skills in fine-art printing and conservation framing or by offering high-quality imagery on durable, ready-to-hang aluminum or wood panels or as brilliant, extra-large backlits. Four PhotoPlus Expo sessions can bring you up to speed on the latest workflows and options for in-studio and lab printing.

The Craft and Passion and Fine-Art Digital Printing
According to Stephen Johnson, making a photographic print has always been a challenging process. It could involve days in the darkroom, and deep consideration of the results and possibilities. He contends that the time, craft, and care needed to make a fine print in this digital age is not dissimilar. The processes are very different, but the attention to the craft and need for passionate concentration on the potential beauty of the photographic print remain. Focusing on pigment-ink photo printers, he will discuss workflow issues, color management, adjustment layers, color-cast corrections, custom profile generation, editing, and inspection. He will also explore print aesthetics in the digital age: What makes for a beautiful print? Do new possibilities enhance our notion of what photography can be? Or are we merely trying imitate traditional photographic processes?

The Basics of Fine Art Printing
Rocco Ancora will encourage photographers to take control of their own printing. He will explain how to choose the right printer for your business and how to determine the right media for the print. As he demonstrates how the digital capture-to-print process comes together, he will explore a world of new possibilities and digital imaging practices.

The Basics of Custom Framing: An Overview for the Photo Industry
Framing industry expert John Ranes will explain the essential elements and equipment photographers need to expand into custom framing. Topics to be covered include: conservation framing, sourcing options, and revenue-enhancement offerings. John will review pricing, costs, margins, and volumes to help you determine whether custom framing is right for your photography business.

The Latest Technologies for Large- and Very-Large-Format Printing and Production of Brilliant Backlits
Renowned image permanence expert Henry Wilhelm and several of the world’s most accomplished printmakers will show how new printing processes are expanding the definition of photographic prints. For example, new flatbed printers can use very long-lasting UV-curable pigment inks to produce visually stunning prints up to 10 x 20 ft. on a wide variety of substrates including acrylic, sheet aluminum, Dibond, glass, plywood, uncoated artists papers, and traditional gesso-coated artist canvas. When UV-curable inks are back-printed on acrylic or glass, you can produce brilliant LED-illuminated backlit images at a wide range of sizes. With the dye-sublimation process used to make ChromaLuxe prints, images are infused directly onto specially coated sheets of metal or wood, and table tops. Photo labs can ChromaLuxe prints in sizes up to 4 x 8 ft. The ChromaLuxe prints are extremely resistant to scratches and abrasion and require no additional mounting or framing for display.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

PDN PhotoPlus International Conference and Expo

 

Spherical Video Camera for Virtual Reality Content Launches on Kickstarter

Sphericam, the first 360 degree video camera made specifically for virtual reality film production, launched on Kickstarter June 30, with a funding goal of $150,000 by July 30.

Sphericam 2 is a spherical, 360 camera that allows you to capture absolutely everything around you in high resolution without any blind spots. You can watch the resulting videos on a VR Headset (like Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR or Google Cardboard) or on your iPad, tablet, PC or mobile phone. (PRNewsFoto/Sphericam)
Sphericam 2 is a spherical, 360 camera that allows you to capture absolutely everything around you in high resolution without any blind spots. You can watch the resulting videos on a VR Headset (like Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR or Google Cardboard) or on your iPad, tablet, PC or mobile phone. (PRNewsFoto/Sphericam)

About the size of a tennis ball, the Sphericam 2 includes six cameras that work seamlessly together to capture great-looking VR video content straight out of the box.

As huge companies like Oculus Rift and Samsung work furiously to create the best virtual reality viewing platform, Sphericam 2 has been created to fill a growing market void of actually creating that virtual reality content.

Sphericam 2 is perfect for recording stunning footage of adventure sports, journalism stories, and events such as weddings or birthdays.

A host of mounting options gives users multiple ways to hold the camera and capture footage. The camera also includes WiFi and wireless streaming, allowing users to easily view and share content on a smartphone or desktop. Sphericam 2’s iOS and Android app also allows users to monitor, transfer, view, edit and spread the virtual reality footage instantly.

“Sphericam 2 is poised to bring incredible cinematic content to Oculus Rift, Google Cardboard, and the VR world. Our camera has been designed to be the highest performing and most usable virtual reality camera on the market today,” said Sphericam creator Jeffrey Martin. “Every specification from frame rate to sensor type was chosen to maximize performance on today’s VR hardware.”

Features include:

  • Dazzling crystalline design housed in a rugged anodized aluminium body
  • Six high-resolution lenses maintain constant exposure, WB settings for artifact-free 360°shooting
  • Jaw-dropping 4K resolution that leaves nothing to the imagination
  • Unmatched shooting flexibility with 24, 25, 30, 48, and 60 fps
  • Detail-devouring 2.4 Gigabits per second of raw capture gives incredible latitude for post production and color grading
  • Tiny distance between sensors minimizes parallax
  • Automatic, real-time stitching is possible to minimize post production times

Sphericam 2 can now be purchased via Kickstarter beginning at $1,299, which is $200 off of the final retail price.

LINKS

Kickstarter Campaign: Sphericam 2

Sphericam 2

Adobe Introduces New Creative Cloud Features and New Stock Image Service

In keeping with their mission of “changing the world through digital experiences,” Adobe has launched a milestone release of its flagship Adobe Creative Cloud tools and services. They also announced the availability of the new Adobe Stock content service.

Umang Bedi Unveils Milestone 2015 Creative Cloud Release
Umang Bedi Unveils Milestone 2015 Creative Cloud Release

The 2015 release of Creative Cloud includes major updates to Adobe’s desktop tools, including Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC, Premiere Pro CC and InDesign CC. It also provides new connected mobile apps for iOS and Android.

Adobe Stock is the first stock content service to be integrated directly into the tools creatives use every day.

Adobe Stock Content Service

Adobe Stock makes 40 million photos, vector graphics and illustrations accessible directly within CC desktop apps.  You can launch Adobe Stock with CC desktop software, add watermarked images to Creative Cloud libraries, and then access and work with images across multiple desktop and mobile tools. When ready to license an image for finished work, you can do it directly within the CC desktop software application. You can also edit a watermarked image in an applications such as Photoshop CC. When licensed, the edits are automatically applied to the purchased full-resolution image.

Based on the acquisition of stock content provider Fotolia earlier this year, Adobe Stock is available in 36 countries and 13 languages worldwide, including the US, UK, Australia and Japan. It is expected to be available in India in the near future.

Because Adobe Stock is a standalone service, you don’t have to be a Creative Cloud member to download, purchase, or sell stock images. You can buy single images as needed or purchase a monthly plan.

If you are a Creative Cloud member, you can save up to 40 percent when you add an Adobe Stock annual plan to your Creative Cloud membership.

Adobe Stock may shake up the $3 billion global stock image market, because Adobe customers not only contribute to stock image services but are also regular purchasers of stock content. An estimated 85 percent of creatives who buy stock content use Adobe tools. More than 90 percent of stock content sellers use Adobe software to prepare photos and images.

Photographers and designers who contribute content to Adobe Stock can access a worldwide community of stock content buyers and receive industry-leading rates for content.

According to David Wadhwani, senior vice president of Digital Media, “Adobe Stock extends Creative Cloud’s value as a vibrant global marketplace.”  When accessed through Creative Cloud, the new service simplifies the buying and selling of stock content.

“Our customers–the best photographers and designers on the planet–will have the opportunity to contribute millions of new photos and images to Adobe Stock,” says Wadhwani. “This is really going to raise the bar in the world of stock content.”

Improvements to Creative Cloud

Wadhwani believes Creative Cloud 2015 is Adobe’s most powerful and comprehensive release to date.

Since Creative Cloud was introduced in 2012, Adobe has championed the idea that mobile devices should be integral to the creative process, with free companion mobile apps working seamlessly with CC desktop tools.  Adobe has now released Brush CC, Shape CC, Color CC and Photoshop Mix on Android for the first time, bringing connected mobile workflows to millions of creatives worldwide. Adobe has also updated many of its popular Creative Cloud mobile apps for iPhone and iPad, including Adobe Comp CC, Photoshop Mix, Photoshop Sketch, Illustrator Draw, Brush CC, Shape CC and Color CC.

In addition to these updates, Adobe debuted Adobe Hue CC. Hue CC provides an easy way to capture and share production- quality lighting and color schemes — for video, film and broadcast — by using an iPhone camera and then applying these light and color moods into a Premiere Pro CC or After Effects CC project.

At the heart of Creative Cloud is Adobe CreativeSync, a signature technology that intelligently syncs creative assets: files, photos, fonts, vector graphics, brushes, colors, settings, metadata and more.

With CreativeSync, assets are instantly available, in the right format, wherever designers need them — across desktop, web and mobile apps. Available exclusively in Creative Cloud, CreativeSync means work can be kicked-off in any connected Creative Cloud mobile app or CC desktop tool; picked up again later in another; and finished in the designer’s favorite CC desktop software.

Advances in Desktop Tools

With the 2015 release of Creative Cloud, Adobe magic and Mercury performance provide speed and technology breakthroughs across 15 CC desktop applications:

Photoshop CC: Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Photoshop CC introduces Artboards, the best way to design cross-device user experiences in a single Photoshop document and quickly preview them on a device. Photoshop CC also includes a preview release of Photoshop Design Space, a sleek new work environment focused on the needs of mobile app and website designers.

Lightroom CC: Photoshop CC and Lightroom CC both gain the new Dehaze feature, which appeared first in October 2014. Dehaze eliminates fog and haze from photos, including underwater shots, for startlingly clear images. Haze can also be added to a photo for artistic effect.

Premiere Pro CC:  The new Lumetri Color panel facilitates powerful color corrections using intuitive sliders and other simple controls. Morph Cut makes it easier to deliver polished interview content. It smoothes jump cuts in talking-head shots to create a cohesive, polished sequence.

After Effects CC: A new Uninterrupted Preview allows artists to adjust the properties of a  composition and resize panels without impacting playback. Also, the ground-breaking Adobe Character Animator brings 2D figures to life using a webcam to track facial movements, record dialog and apply movements in real time onto a pre-configured character.

Illustrator CC is now 10 times faster and 10 times more precise than CS6. Powered by dramatic boosts to its Mercury Performance Engine, users can now pan and zoom smoothly without delays. With the new Chart tool (preview), designers can create beautiful custom charts and share them with others via CC Libraries.

InDesign CC gets its own Mercury performance surge. Zooming, scrolling, and paging through complex documents is now twice as fast. InDesign now also allows users to publish and distribute documents with a single click.

Dreamweaver CC has new responsive web design capabilities that let designers quickly lay out and build production-ready sites that adapt to any screen size.

Adobe Muse now includes instant access to premium fonts from TypekitAdditional updates to these and other CC desktop applications make this one of Adobe’s biggest releases in years.

Creative Cloud for the Digital Transformation of Enterprises

Adobe’s expanded Creative Cloud enterprise offering includes enterprise-grade administration, security, collaboration and publishing services for design-driven brands, businesses and large organizations.

These enhancements are designed to help large commercial, education and government customers who want to speed the development and publishing of customer experiences, as part of their digital transformation strategies.

The new enterprise edition of Creative Cloud includes all the product features from the Creative Cloud 2015 release, plus expanded security options and deep connections with Adobe Digital Publishing Solution (DPS) and Adobe Marketing Cloud.

Two new security capabilities ensure protection of corporate assets, including customer-managed encryption keys and a new managed service hosting option, which offers dedicated storage behind a customer’s firewall.

Creative Cloud for enterprise also supports an upcoming release of DPS, empowering existing teams in organizations to rapidly design and publish mobile apps without writing code.

A public beta of this major update to DPS is available this week, with more information available here. Content from Creative Cloud for enterprise also syncs with Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), a key component of Adobe Marketing cloud, to accelerate marketing campaigns by streamlining creative-to-marketing workflows.

LINKS

More Details About the 2015 Release of Creative Cloud

Adobe Stock

 

 

CrowdPress Offers Crowdfunding Platform for Creatives

CrowdPress is developing a crowdfunding platform for artists, photographers, and designers worldwide who want a hassle-free way to deliver printed rewards to their backers. A public Beta version of the site was launched in March. A full version is coming later this year.

“Current DIY crowdfunding platforms do not provide the support artists need once their projects have been successfully funded,” said Aaron Corson, founder and CEO of CrowdPress. “After backing more than 50 creative projects, I have experienced firsthand the challenges artists encounter after their projects were funded. With CrowdPress, I wanted to design a site that enabled talented artists to focus on doing what they love — create amazing art — without the hassles of working with printers, managing logistics, or dealing directly with customers.”

CrowdPressBeta

After a creative project has been funded, CrowdPress manages the printing, packaging, and shipping of the rewards to the project backers.

Artists, photographers, and designers from anywhere in the world are encouraged to submit their projects to the CrowdPress Beta. During the Beta phase, only poster projects are available. In the future, CrowdPress will expand to other printable rewards such as T-shirts, calendars, comic books, playing cards, phone/table cases, and 3D-printed items.

LINKS

CrowdPress

Harold Davis Explores New Frontiers of Photographic Art

According to renowned artist-author-printmaker Harold Davis, Photoshop, DSLRs, and pigment-ink printers have empowered artists to produce photographic works that go far beyond what they could print in traditional darkrooms. Now that digital capture equipment, processing software, and printing technology have matured, he believes digital photography has emerged as an entirely new art medium.

With his background as a classically trained painter, accomplished professional film photographer, and meticulous printmaker, Harold Davis is proud to be at of the forefront of this new art medium. Through his experiments, craftsmanship, and unique insights, Harold Davis is expanding the definition of photography to include realms that go beyond documenting the decisive moment.

“Gates after Rodin” is part of the Multiple Exposures collection by Harold Davis. The series shows an unusual photographic technique in which Harold Davis captures in-camera multiple exposures that are precision timed in the studio using strobes and motions choreographed with a model or models. The artisanal pigment prints are output on Moab Slickrock Metallic Pearl on an Epson Stylus Pro 9900 printer with Epson Ultrachrome HDR inks. Photo: ©Harold Davis
“Gates after Rodin” is part of the Multiple Exposures collection by Harold Davis. The series shows an unusual photographic technique in which Harold Davis captures in-camera multiple exposures that are precision timed in the studio using strobes and motions choreographed with a model or models. The artisanal pigment prints are output on Moab Slickrock Metallic Pearl on an Epson Stylus Pro 9900 printer with Epson Ultrachrome HDR inks. Photo: ©Harold Davis

Harold Davis describes his current work as “Digital paintings that use photographs as the medium.” With the power of Photoshop and advanced digital printers and inkjet media, he believes that photographers who have the vision to tie it all together can craft images and styles that are uniquely their own.

Castelo Marvao by Harold Davis
This artisanal pigment print of Castelo Marvao in Portugal was printed on Moab Exhibition Luster 300. Photo: ©Harold Davis

To put his concepts in perspective, let’s review how digital photography workflows have evolved and why traditionalists in the art world must overcome some misperceptions about how Photoshop is being used.

Photoshop Preceded Professional Digital Cameras

First, it’s important to remember that Photoshop and digital photography didn’t always go together.

According to the timeline Adobe created for Photoshop’s 25th anniversary, the first version of Photoshop debuted in February, 1990 – about 15 months before Kodak launched the first DSLR camera.

In an interview on Adobe’s website, one of Photoshop’s creators Thomas Knoll explained that the first few versions of Photoshop were primarily for graphic arts and publishing. Photography workflows weren’t practical with Photoshop until inkjet printers enabled photographers to scan their film, manipulate the file in Photoshop, and then print each image without the cost of making film separations for each photo.

In the mid 1990s and early 2000s, DSLR cameras became more powerful and less expensive. The popularity of Photoshop surged, because digital photography made it faster and easier to bring digital files into Photoshop.

To inspire the huge new wave of photography enthusiasts to “shoot like the pros,” the digital camera and printer manufacturers encouraged professional photographers to adopt digital photography and the “digital darkroom” in which Photoshop was used in conjunction with pigment inkjet printers. This required the technology developers to make products that could generate digital prints that were as good as (or better) than the prints that buyers expected from professional film photographers.

This took a while, because many established pro photographers were reluctant to change. Many photography pros might still be shooting film if their editorial and advertising clients hadn’t demanded the workflow and cost benefits that digital capture provided.

Unfortunately, eager newcomers to professional photography never learned how to shoot film. Many regarded Photoshop as a fast way to “fix” photographs that weren’t properly composed or lit on location. Plus, graphic designers routinely “doctored” images of models and celebrities that would be featured on magazine covers. Because some of these photographs looked “unnatural” and “off,” photographs that were “manipulated” in Photoshop were initially shunned by photography contest organizers and art collectors.

Those attitudes are changing because most professional photographers today have become much more skilled in the nuanced use of Photoshop. Digitally manipulated images have become the norm – in print and online. Most people really can’t tell if an image has been “Photoshopped.”

So now, photographic artists feel free to experiment and explore everything that’s possible with Photoshop. In addition to replicating film photography, Photoshop can be used to execute the artist’s inner visions.

Photographic artists such as Harold Davis don’t necessarily care if their work looks like a traditional “photograph” or not. They make images and visual stories that until now could only exist in their mind’s eye. Today, if an artist can dream it, they can depict it in photographic art.

Experience in Multiple Disciplines Pays Off

Harold Davis thoroughly understands the vast differences between film and digital photography because he has such an eclectic background. In the 1980s he supported himself as a commercial film photographer after studying painting in college. In the 1990s, he took a break from art and photography and wrote books about software and computer programming. He missed all the technology iterations that professional photographers struggled with as the digital imaging tools matured.

By the time Harold Davis’s publisher asked him to write a book on digital photography, most of the quality and permanence hurdles had been resolved. Digital capture, processing, and printing technology had become incredibly powerful, versatile, and accessible.

When Harold Davis picked up a DSLR for the first time in 2004, he quickly discovered that with Photoshop and new advances in printing media, he could combine his love of painting with his love of photography. He quickly recognized that his Photography 2.0 digital photography career would be vastly different from his Photography 1.0 film photography career.

One collector of Harold Davis’ work appreciates his unusual and effective use of technology in support of the classical tenets of photographic art and is excited about its possibilities: “I would compare his work to Ansel Adams’ and Edward Weston’s work during the crucial 1930s and 1940s time frame.”

Inspiring Others to Make New Forms of Photographs

To inspire other creative souls to push the boundaries of what’s possible with digital photography, Harold Davis leads workshops, posts webinars, and write books on topics such as Monochromatic HDR Photography, Creative Black & White, Creative Landscapes, Photographing Flowers, and Creative Lighting.

The Way of the Digital Photographer cover

His newest books encourage photographers to develop their own visions of what a photograph might be. In his award-winning photography book, The Way of the Digital Photographer, Davis emphasizes that previsualizing an image today not only includes how a shot will be composed and lit but also how it will be processed in Photoshop and printed. Creative choices can be made during every phase of the process.

His next book (which Focal Press has scheduled for publication in August, 2015) is entitled Achieving Your Potential as a Photographer. The book presents an organized and cohesive plan for kickstarting your creativity and taking the resulting work into the real world. The concepts are accompanied by a workbook of exercises that can help you refine your thinking and skills.

Making Artisanal Prints and Limited Edition Portfolios

In a recent post on his blog, Harold Davis answered questions about “Making the Artisanal Inkjet Print.” Unlike the inkjet prints you buy from places such as Costco or giclee printmaking studios, artisanal inkjet prints are crafted one by one in the studios of solo artists. They take their time and fret over every detail. Taking into account file preparation, printing, and post-print issues, Harold Davis says he might spend five to ten hours making one print. Sometimes, he prints the same image 20 times until he gets the desired result.

“Just as much craft, skill, and artistry go into making a good artisanal pigment print as ever went into a print made in the chemical darkroom,” says Davis. His printer of choice is the Epson Style Pro 9900 with its Ultrachrome HDR pigment inks.

This artisanal pigment print “Star Magnolia” is featured in the Botanique limited edition portfolio of floral images. Botanique shows the type of art that can be created with the new digital workflow and backlighting technique Harold Davis invented to create luminous translucent imagery. The image looks fantastic on Moab Moenkopi Unryu Washi paper. Photo: ©Harold Davis
This artisanal pigment print “Star Magnolia” is featured in the Botanique limited edition portfolio of floral images. Botanique shows the type of art that can be created with the new digital workflow and backlighting technique Harold Davis invented to create luminous translucent imagery. The image looks fantastic on Moab Moenkopi Unryu Washi paper. Photo: ©Harold Davis

He considers paper selection an important element of the printmaking process and has experimented with a number of different papers. Because he is a huge fan of the range of Moab photo and fine art papers and an expert printmaker, Harold Davis was named a Moab Master in 2012.

Harold Davis numbers and signs each print he makes, but doesn’t sell limited editions of single prints. The concept of “limited editions” arose from printing processes in which it made sense to destroy the plates after relatively small number of copies were printed. But most photographers are unwilling to destroy any of their best files that could be used to make additional prints. So if a “limited edition” of one size print sells out, they might simply change the size of a print and call it a new edition.

“What I affirmatively do is keep track of my prints,” explains Davis. “That way, I can look up how many copies have been printed of any one image. Knowledgeable gallerists and collectors I have discussed this with tell me that this provides them with all they really need – a good sense of how many copies of a given print have been made.”

Harold Davis does make limited editions of the portfolios he prints. The first portfolio he made (in collaboration with his wife, graphic designer Phyllis Davis) was called Botanique. Each collection contains 21 original floral prints that emerge delicately from the hand-assembled presentation box. The images are printed on a variety of substrates, including Moab’s Moenkopi Unryu Washi, Moenkopi Kozo Washi, Moab Slickrock Metallic Pearl, Moab Lasal Exhibition Luster, and translucent archival vellum.

Because so much work is involved in hand-crafting each portfolio, Botanique is limited to an edition of 25 copies. Each book is hand-signed and numbered, and accompanied by a 9 x 12 –inch print of Harold Davis’ popular “Red Poppies” image.

Harold Davis has also released a portfolio entitled “Monochromatic Visions” and is currently working on “Kumano Kodo.”

Images from the Monochromatic Visions series by Harold Davis. Photo: ©Harold Davis
Images from the Monochromatic Visions series by Harold Davis. Photo: ©Harold Davis

Monochromatic Visions consists of twelve high-dynamic range black and white prints, created in an edition of 12 portfolios (plus three artist proofs). The idea of the portfolio is to show the capabilities of new high-tonal range black and white printmaking in the context of an apparently classical portfolio presentation.

The center spread of the limited-edition Kumano Kodo portfolio crafted by Harold Davis and Phyllis Davis. Photo: ©Harold Davis
The center spread of the limited-edition Kumano Kodo portfolio crafted by Harold Davis and Phyllis Davis. Photo: ©Harold Davis

A Modern Pilgrimage: The Kumano Kodo portfolio is based on photography of Harold Davis made during his journey through rural Japan in 2013. This portfolio is unique, hand-assembled and strictly limited to 12 copies plus 4 artist proofs. Each copy is hand-signed and numbered, and embellished with the artist’s hand-applied personal Japanese inkan.

The primary portion of the portfolio is printed on one continuous 16 ½ foot long piece of archival Japanese kozo washi produced at Awagami on Shikoku Island, Japan. (This paper is distributed in the United States as Moab Moenkopi Kozo.) This printing technique combines traditional paper with technological innovation and ideas into a handmade artist book creation.

The portfolio is wrapped in a cover showing a view of Kumano Sanzen Roppyaku Po, meaning “the view of 3,600 peaks,” from a high pass on the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail. The cover is printed on a single piece of archival, mould-made cotton paper.

Webinars and Workshops

To learn from Harold Davis, you can watch some of the webinars he has posted, order one of his books, or apply for an upcoming workshop in several locations in California, at the Heidelberg Summer School of Photography in Germany, or the Maine Media Workshops in Rockport, Maine. In October, he will lead a 15-day photographic adventure to the Sea-Girt Villages in Italy.

Achieving Your Potential cover

Harold Davis is excited to be pioneering new forms of photographic art. He believes the type of prints and portfolios he is currently creating could never have been produced before because the technology simply didn’t exist: “I am able to create in a domain where many techniques and crafts have come together for the very first time.”

“Times of disruption bring great opportunity,” says Harold Davis. “Basically, digital photography is emerging as an entirely new art form.”

LINKS

About Harold Davis Studio

Book: The Way of the Digital Photographer

Book: Achieving Your Potential as a Photographer

Webinar Recordings Harold Davis Workshops and Events

Blog Post: Making the Artisanal Inkjet Print

RELATED POST

Can You Believe Photoshop Debuted 25 Years Ago?