Why I Continue to Print My Images - Professional Photography -
Professional Photography » Why I Continue to Print My Images
Why I Continue to Print My Images

By David Saffir

 

I have read a few articles lately that question whether photographers really need to make prints anymore. Why bother with a print when the image can simply be shown on the computer screen or displayed via projection? It’s a good question.

Let’s turn the issue around for a moment: What are the reasons for making a print? 

I think that the answer will be as personal to each photographer as the subjects they choose to shoot.

Here are my two cents, focused first on the fine art side of things: (1) I make my own prints because I want to take ownership of the expression of my art; and (2) I use digital printing technology because it offers such a wide range of possibilities for expression of the image. An image printed on glossy paper may have very different visual and emotional content than one printed on a softer, textured canvas or natural white, watercolor paper.   

A print is a fixed, tangible expression of my vision. The variations in electronic display and projection technology frequently make it impossible for me to maintain control of the appearance and impact of an image--particularly from one venue to another.

In my opinion, the steps involved in creating a print (removing imperfections, adding enhancements, controlling color and resolution, selecting the media, and choosing the print settings) are essential, inseparable parts of my photography. Giving someone else control over these elements is something that I’m just not going to allow as a photographer/artist.

Making prints gives me great satisfaction. As I review my finished work, I feel as if have fully explored all of the possibilities inherent in an image. A print hanging on the wall has a depth and richness that matter to me. The experience of viewing a print on a wall simply can’t be duplicated with an electronic display.  At heart, I guess I’m still an analog kind of guy.

 

Posted 01-28-2009 4:30 PM by Eileen Fritsch
Filed under: , ,
Powered by Community Server (Non-Commercial Edition), by Telligent Systems