p.5 #1 · How Many Members Still Print Their Own Photography?
Jim,
Thanks for sharing this information. My wife and I moved into a new house that we built and still have many bare walls especially in our living room. We have a Samsung Frame from about 5 years ago and haven’t tried it with any of my photos, but your experience isn’t prompting me to try it now.
I would love to hear more as you try the Leon / Sony combo.
Pat
Jim Dockery wrote:
Thanks for starting the thread Dan, I just found it and have been thinking about printing/not printing for a few years now. My printing history:
I learned to print B&W back in high school when I was a photographer for the school newspaper. I never really mastered the art and turned to slide film for my own photography, which was mostly done while mountain climbing. For many years I worked on multi-media slide shows using two projectors and a dissolve along with a big tape deck for music. I presented these to schools and clubs, but didn't make any money from it. I only got a few small prints made for myself and friends.
When I got a job teaching for the Department of Defense Schools in Germany I found a darkroom on base that was a recreational opportunity for the GIs. Not many took advantage of it, so I ended up having it mostly to myself for a number of years. I was amazed to find a Leica color slide enlarger and Jobo developing system brand new still in the boxes. I talked the older German fellow in charge into letting me set it up, so I taught myself Cibachrome printing. I had to buy the paper, but all the expensive chemicals were provided! Over the years I made many 16 x 20 prints and sold some to friends I worked with. I'll never forget the thrill of removing a big print that had taken me 30 minutes to expose and develop from the developing tube. When I nailed it I finally really felt like an "Artist". When I came back to the states I really missed printing, but had plenty to decorate our house and no room to display more.
When digital finally caught up to film in both files and prints I got an Epson printer and started printing again, mostly to make nice photo albums. Just before I retired from teaching I bought an Epson 7900 on sale along with extra ink and a bunch of Epson paper - Exhibition Fiber being a favorite. I found a restaurant/pub that gave me a large space to display my work and managed to sell quite a few large framed pictures, but when they went out of business I was too lazy to find a new venue. I also finally got the dreaded clogged print head since I didn't print often enought, so I luckily managed to sell the printer to a guy who did fix it, and all my paper and extra ink. I really miss that thrill of creation seeing a perfect print come out, but realized it is too expensive to do very many, and what to do with them anyway?
My wife and I have been talking about getting a large high quality acrylic print as a show piece in our living room along with some kind of enhanced lighting to really show it properly. I couldn't decide which picture to use, and it would be a VERY expensive once in a life time investment (for us).
For the last few years I've been looking at the TV/Picture frames, Samsung's The Frame being the leader. This would enable display of hundreds of pictures over the years, and double as a TV. I was ready to get one this year when I finally went in to test it with my photos and they looked terrible. The art mode is really designed for paintings and lowers the contrast and brightness that rendered my photos flat and lifeless.
In the end I took a chance on a new system using a Sony Bravia 9 TV along with a frame made by Leon that has the same functionality of The Frame without the manipulation of the images displayed. It's on order and should be installed in a couple weeks. When I get it set up I'll be posting a thread to show it off and discuss this new paradigm. ...Show more →
I have two HP wide format printers that will print posters well, but I never liked the quality of my serious photos from them, but posters and full size standups have always been very acceptable for what they are. One is an HP5000 and the other, an HP 5500 with a duplexer (meaning that it can print both sides in one pass). These have been in storage for several years, as I don't have the room to set them up in or near my studio (and my wife won't let me put them in HER part of the house). They will both very likely need maintenance before use now, but I'll make anyone a great deal on them if they are interested. Either one, or both. It has become very obvious to me that I will never have the space to put them back into use. Both will handle the wide rolls of paper and they are on wheeled stands. Still have significant ink in them too, if you can get it flowing well again.
I have two HP wide format printers that will print posters well, but I never liked the quality of my serious photos from them, but posters and full size standups have always been very acceptable for what they are. One is an HP5000 and the other, an HP 5500 with a duplexer (meaning that it can print both sides in one pass). These have been in storage for several years, as I don't have the room to set them up in or near my studio (and my wife won't let me put them in HER part of the house). They will both very likely need maintenance before use now, but I'll make anyone a great deal on them if they are interested. Either one, or both. It has become very obvious to me that I will never have the space to put them back into use. Both will handle the wide rolls of paper and they are on wheeled stands. Still have significant ink in them too, if you can get it flowing well again.
Charley ...Show more →
Many thanks Charley! I did much printing when I was still working. When I retired many years ago, the enthusiasm for printing my own photos got "lost"
I never had any demand for my prints anyway. Self enjoyment it was but then all my "wall space" got filled up and I had rooms full of framed and then unframed prints that eventually got destroyed.
Yes the "wife" had her POV also and I had to defer to that!
Thanks!
Dan
p.5 #4 · How Many Members Still Print Their Own Photography?
Jim Dockery wrote:
Thanks for starting the thread Dan, I just found it and have been thinking about printing/not printing for a few years now. My printing history:
This is a great story Jim! I started printing when I took photography classes back wen the dinosaurs roamed the Earth!
The classes required students shoot, develop and print their own images.
Then "life" got to be too complex and I could not keep up with employment and leisure.
Look forward to seeing your images.
Dan
p.5 #5 · How Many Members Still Print Their Own Photography?
I usually print my better shots here in my studio, but then add them to a catalog of my work, or give them away. The flower shots that I recently posted were printed in either 4 X 6 or 5 X 7 size and then just given away to anyone who showed interest. When someone enjoys what I do, it pleases me and gives me the reason to keep photographing. If no interest in my photos I would probably give up on photography. That day is coming, and likely soon, since my body is beginning to fail me big time now.
p.5 #6 · How Many Members Still Print Their Own Photography?
CharleyL wrote:
I usually print my better shots here in my studio, but then add them to a catalog of my work, or give them away. The flower shots that I recently posted were printed in either 4 X 6 or 5 X 7 size and then just given away to anyone who showed interest. When someone enjoys what I do, it pleases me and gives me the reason to keep photographing. If no interest in my photos I would probably give up on photography. That day is coming, and likely soon, since my body is beginning to fail me big time now.
p.5 #7 · How Many Members Still Print Their Own Photography?
Timphoto wrote:
I printed frequently with my Epson Sure Color P600 until Epson had supply chain issues (their words, not mine) and no longer produced reliable ink cartridges for my printer. It's an issue with the proprietary chips in the ink cartridges.
Anybody need a $600 boat anchor?
According to Inkjetmall, the P600 was part of the last series of printers where you could buy 3rd party inks. With the dismantling of the consumer protection agency, Epson has now made it impossible to use 3rd party. So, the P600 has value to someone (like me) who wants to print B&W or color using refillable cartridges such as Ink Jet Mall (Cone). The question is, are any of the channels clogged and how many?
I have an unused 4880 that I'm planning to fire up. The problem for me is that I have color and B&W images to print, so ideally I'd have two printers (as if one doesn't take up enough room).
p.5 #10 · How Many Members Still Print Their Own Photography?
I've always considered the negative or file half of photography, and printing the other half. The problem is that printing takes a lot of time. Years ago, I bought an Epson 4880 and never fired it up, because once you do, you have to print (maintain the printer). I had two 1280s, and they produced some nice prints but were a PITA. If you go a few months go by without printing anything (easy to do), then you have to print nozzle checks and prints to clean the heads. I'm hoping the 4880 fires up without issue.
So now, I'm finally in a position to commit to printing. After reading part of the inkjet mall website, it sounds like printing (with 3rd party inks), is in jeopardy. Why use 3rd party? The quality is better. The problem is there are not printers (at least Epson printers) being sold where you can use third party cartridges. Also, the popularity of printing has gone down. Just post on social media I guess.
I have an interest in using the printer to make (inter)negatives for contact printing in the darkroom. I have boxes and boxes of inkjet paper and boxes and boxes of Kodak Elite paper (mainly 16x20) that I hope I can process without fog. (That's a whole topic in itself.)
Then the question is, what am I going to do with all the prints? No idea. I just love holding a print in my hands. In fact, I only have room on the walls for about 6 largish prints.
p.5 #11 · How Many Members Still Print Their Own Photography?
Strong supporter for the Epson ET 8550 printer……anyone using one should check out Keith Cooper (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=keith+cooper)…what he doesn’t know about this printer (most photo printers really) probably isn’t worth knowing.
I still use an Epson Pro R3880….still works faultlessly. It might be the latest Epson printers are ‘better’…but I bet that the same image printer properly on mine and the later model would be hard to tell apart without careful inspection.
p.5 #12 · How Many Members Still Print Their Own Photography?
anthonygh wrote:
Strong supporter for the Epson ET 8550 printer……anyone using one should check out Keith Cooper (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=keith+cooper)…what he doesn’t know about this printer (most photo printers really) probably isn’t worth knowing.
I still use an Epson Pro R3880….still works faultlessly. It might be the latest Epson printers are ‘better’…but I bet that the same image printer properly on mine and the later model would be hard to tell apart without careful inspection.
Yes, the 3880 is a great printer that just keeps going. I have both a 3800 and 3880 and keep them on glossy and matte so I don’t have to waste ink going switching between inks. I got the printers used for a song.
p.5 #13 · How Many Members Still Print Their Own Photography?
I’d be a little cautious about older Epson printers in general, though if you get a super good deal on a lightly used one that doesn’t show evidence of head clogs AT ALL it might be worth it.
I’ve had a couple of their printers. For years I had the 7900, a solid printer for sure. But it eventually developed clogged heads that could not be cleared. (I tried everything and consulted with a whole bunch of folks about it. The consensus was that eventually it happened with those printers and that it made more economic sense to just get a new printer when it occurred. You can pay to have the heads replaced, but it costs not much less than the discount price for a new printer… and while the heads would be new the rest of the mechanism would not be.)
(These days I have a P9000. No problems yet. Knock on wood. We also have a P900 and an old P800 that mostly gets used for printing cards, plus a 3750 for general non-photographic printing.)
p.5 #14 · How Many Members Still Print Their Own Photography?
I'm another non-printer, despite having grown up as the family darkroom assistant and printing hundreds of photos using an enlarger.
I think I've printed a grand total of three photos since the late 1990s. I have no place to put prints, nobody I know wants them, and I'm happy to have my work vanish into the digital ether when I'm gone. I shoot mostly film these days and I still don't print; I scan the negatives. I do keep the negatives and those are piling up in looseleaf binders and I may end up drastically culling them at some point.
I love looking at prints and once spent an entire day at the Guggenheim looking at a Paul Strand exhibit; we're going to see an Irving Penn exhibit at our local museum in the next week or two. But I have zero desire to print my own photos. Maybe it's just because I'm in the "decumulation" phase of my life and getting rid of stuff so the idea of adding more physical things is unappealing to me.
p.5 #15 · How Many Members Still Print Their Own Photography?
I have just recommitted to printing with an upgrade to the Canon 1100 after printing with the Canon G620 A4 printer.
We are living in an age of viewing photographs on small phone screens, where you’re only inclined to spend seconds before swiping to the next. Holding a print or a book or passing by a photo on your wall, for me, is so much more impactful. I honestly feel my photography has made significant improvements because I print.
The process of printing can be one of the most challenging and frustrating but also one that is so rewarding. I highly recommend it.
p.5 #16 · How Many Members Still Print Their Own Photography?
I gave up printing (at home) when my old Epson 1270 died. I continued to have lab prints made for several years in my capacity as a semi-pro. Now that I've mostly retired from that, about the only thing that gets printed is work for family—which comes with its own perils. The last serious family job I did was a reunion pic which was handed to me in bits and pieces (not all the attendees were present for the main shot), but the ringleader was sure with my Photoshop wizardry I could place the 9 people in among the group of ~30... and I did. All the shots but one were taken outdoors in roughly the same spot at approx. the same time of day (the shooter asked for my guidance beforehand so I knew what I was in for). The one outlier was a cell phone image taken indoors in bad light. What fun.
p.5 #17 · How Many Members Still Print Their Own Photography?
I have two imagePROGRAF PRO-1100. One ran OEM ink and another aftermarket. You couldn’t give these printers away. I think that after all of the giveaways and rebates that I paid $50 per printer..new. I moved to Texas and rented while my house was being built. Now, four years later, I doubt that the printers are recoverable. I’ve considered purchasing another printer, but all of my equipment purchases are top secret. Each Sony, Leica and Hasselblad upgrade looks like the previous, so the boss doesn’t notice, or is polite enough to feign ignorance. A large printer would not have the proper stealth coating to survive the purchase. My solution has been to use MPIX to print my large prints and 100 page premium album. I order a few albums per year max. Their albums on inkjet and premium paper are really superb. You just have to wait for a 30-40% off sale. Anyway, I enjoy printing, but I don’t see this in my future.
I’ve fallen prey to the mobile to smartphone transition, but not the paper print to digital image transition.
p.5 #18 · How Many Members Still Print Their Own Photography?
bjhurley wrote:
I love looking at prints and once spent an entire day at the Guggenheim looking at a Paul Strand exhibit; we're going to see an Irving Penn exhibit at our local museum in the next week or two.
More folks really ought to go to shows like those. I’m afraid that a lot of photographers today have never really seen great prints.
p.5 #19 · How Many Members Still Print Their Own Photography?
I totally agree with this sentiment. Printing is part of the creative process and to fully appreciate that process seeing an actual print of a photographers work adds so much more. Alas it’s not always particularly easy to do.
gdanmitchell wrote:
More folks really ought to go to shows like those. I’m afraid that a lot of photographers today have never really seen great prints.
p.5 #20 · How Many Members Still Print Their Own Photography?
pjmsj21 wrote:
I totally agree with this sentiment. Printing is part of the creative process and to fully appreciate that process seeing an actual print of a photographers work adds so much more. Alas it’s not always particularly easy to do.
You are right about the difficulty of getting to see great work in person. Unless you live in a metropolitan area or travel to one, it is far harder to find good exhibitions. I urge photo folks to make that part of their travel plans.
