Screen or Print

[Stuarte]

Our small but vibrant photo group in town is holding its Year One exhibition this weekend.  We'll be exhibiting about 70 prints and for many of us it's the first time we've had prints larger than 5x7 made.  In our monthly meetings we share our photos on-screen and between the meetings we share them in our Flickr group.  Needless to say, most people in the group are not pixel-peepers, and that's part of the charm.  It's a delicate balancing act between keeping nervous newbies on board and satisfying the more ambitious members.

For the exhibition I've had some pictures printed and mounted, and found them disappointing in terms of reproduction.  So I've decided to buy a Canon iPF5100 and do my own in future.  Thinking about this, and looking forward to it, I realise just how much on-screen has become the de facto medium of sharing and indeed of display in photography.  I bought my first digital camera iCanon G3) in 2003 and it took me until 2007 to get any photos printed; I had 500 5x7 done for about £70. I bought my 5D in 2006 and it's taken me until this month, with the exhibition, to get any more photos printed up. Until now I've been more than happy to see my pics on screen only.

I'm wondering what effect the pre-eminence of on-screen is having on photography.  How will screens shape the development of it?  For myself, I don't need small prints - I much prefer flicking through my photos on-screen.  But I'm really looking forward to taking my best efforts and printing them up to A2 size.

[Joe Behar]

Our small but vibrant photo group in town is holding its Year One exhibition this weekend.  We'll be exhibiting about 70 prints and for many of us it's the first time we've had prints larger than 5x7 made.  In our monthly meetings we share our photos on-screen and between the meetings we share them in our Flickr group.  Needless to say, most people in the group are not pixel-peepers, and that's part of the charm.  It's a delicate balancing act between keeping nervous newbies on board and satisfying the more ambitious members.

For the exhibition I've had some pictures printed and mounted, and found them disappointing in terms of reproduction.  So I've decided to buy a Canon iPF5100 and do my own in future.  Thinking about this, and looking forward to it, I realise just how much on-screen has become the de facto medium of sharing and indeed of display in photography.  I bought my first digital camera iCanon G3) in 2003 and it took me until 2007 to get any photos printed; I had 500 5x7 done for about £70. I bought my 5D in 2006 and it's taken me until this month, with the exhibition, to get any more photos printed up. Until now I've been more than happy to see my pics on screen only.

I'm wondering what effect the pre-eminence of on-screen is having on photography.  How will screens shape the development of it?  For myself, I don't need small prints - I much prefer flicking through my photos on-screen.  But I'm really looking forward to taking my best efforts and printing them up to A2 size.

Stuarte,

I really believe that once you get comfortable with making prints, you won't look back.

You don't have to make large prints, as a matter of fact most everything I do is 13x19 or smaller. I would suggest that you find a paper (maybe 2) that you like and make some prints. Get some frames and hang your prints on your walls. The pleasure I get from looking at a print as I pass it by in the hallway is hard to describe. The pleasure you'll get from visitors commenting on it is even nicer.

As nice as an image looks on screen, I still believe that the ultimate expression of a photo is the print. Add to that the convenience of not having to go to the computer to look at a photo and the extra dimension a nice matte and frame add, and its no contest for me.

YMMV

Joe