Photography used to be all about The Print. From the grainy images coaxed from film mailed home by photojournalists to the posed, wardrobe-coordinated family portrait, there’s a rich tradition of sharing and showcasing photography in the printed form.
You might think that the humble photo print has very little place in today’s digital media world — not so, we say.
As photographers, we believe in the unique viewing experience provided by art in a tangible form.
There are two main reasons why photos should still be converted into prints.
First, it’s about substrate, baby! Never before have we had more choice and opportunity in terms of what when it comes to selecting substrate. That colourful shot of your prize antique car? Probably would look fantastic printed on aluminum. That cloudy day you visited Tofino with family? Perhaps matte paper would convey the somber weather appropriately. When we view images on our smartphones, tablets and computer screens, we’re looking at photos that are lit from within. A print, however, needs to be lit from outside. In other words, the surface characteristics of what you are printing on really matter. Is the surface smooth and shiny or textured and soft? How well does the substrate hold or absorb ink (especially important if your image has dense shadows)? What you choose to print on is critical to how someone experiences your print.
Which brings me to point No. 2: prints are individuals. They are each one a physical object that is affected by its environment including the lighting in the location where it is placed (we all hate that sharp glare reflecting off a glass-framed print) and its history. Just like our own bodies, prints absorb nicks and bruises, fade in the sun and rust or mold in humid climes (okay, hopefully our bodies rust only metaphorically). No two prints are the same, even when made from the same printer on the same day. This makes prints special.
But don’t take our word for it.
There are many opportunities to view prints within a short radius of home. Go see these displays and decide for yourself if prints have a place in today’s photo age.
• Cochrane is full of talented shooters who share their work. Check out the Cochrane Camera Club’s regular display at Guy’s Café, or see if Coffee Traders or Java Jamboree are featuring a photographer. We’re so popular here in Cochrane that Calgary shooters have displays up in Bentley’s Books and Java Jamboree at the moment.
• There’s a new photo association in Alberta called IRIS (irisphotoalberta.ca) which is all about using the power of images to inspire respect between different peoples. They are plugged in to the Exposure photography festival going on right now so head to the Calgary Public Library or (after February 21) St. Mary’s University College to see story-telling images from a photo-cultural exchange to Arizona.
• Finally, we at oopoomoo have some prints of our own up in Bragg Creek (including a shot taken in Cochrane. Can you tell which one it is without peeking at the tag?) Across from our prints are the six winning images printed by our very own Winter Photographics here in Cochrane – take a jaunt to Creekers Bistro in Bragg Creek to check them out. We think the show’s printers, Branded Visuals and Winter Photographics, did a fantastic job, but you can give your feedback to us at oopoomoo.com.
