I so appreciate Harvey Stearn's article on this subject! As a photographer fairly new to the scene my interests this past year have been focused around the "print". In my naivety and caught up in the fast, slick world of the internet presentation of my images I didn't pay attention to all things print-like.
It wasn't until I started watercolor painting again on a regular basis that I began to think, differently. The tactile sensation of the paper, the hands on experience of creation, water, pigment, hard work, failure and success. This has always been the part of my artwork and painting that I've loved so much. I created (with help of course) my first Giclee print and it changed me. Sadly, I miss this experience within my photography.
I wanted to take my images out of the realm of the digital presentation and bring them to life, to REAL lie. Something I can touch and feel. Once I started educating myself in the process and experimenting with printers, papers, profiles, I was hooked. It changed the game, but it also set me back to the back of the classroom and the realization that I knew so little. I'm finding this new direction so incredibly exciting and so satisfying as an artist.
I hit the books, hit Lula and have driven the local print houses crazy (sorry guys) with my questions. The trial and error curve is unbelievable. My Right Brain world cringes at having to read about ICC profiles and color gamuts but the very first time I saw my properly calibrated, profiled, hand-made, matted and framed image on a wall it was almost... Religious! I'd taken my photography into the world of "Art" and less that of internet fodder.
Now, I have successfully merged my Fine Art background with my photography and it's created a whole sense of excitement and adventure as I know perfecting this will take a lifetime but I'm game.
I'm in the process of creating a "series" of prints that combine my watercolors and photography together for the first time. I've painted in watercolor (using my own photographic images) then printed via Giclee. Combining that with fine art photographic prints on paper the results have been so much more than I'd expected.
Harvey has some wonderful advice and guidance here that I find personally so valuable and timely. Spectacular images of some of my favorite subjects and landscapes. Much appreciated.
Last night, I was contacted by a gallery owner in Colorado who said "we'd love to have you!" This time, I have something to give them and this article was perfect!
The image attached is a Giclee print of one of my photographs and is part of my new series.
