.

Epson Print Academy – Downloads


The Epson Print Academy Track 2 downloads contain dozens of PDFs, test files, and actions. They’re electronic. So they’re green. They’re portable. They’re transmittable. And they’re updateable. They evolve and grow as the sessions do. Items include Color Management (Rodney), Sharpening Workflow (Schewe), B&W Conversion (Gorman), Fine Art Workflow (Holbert), The Art of Proofing (Caponigro) and much, much more.
They’re for attendees only!
Find out about the next Epson Print Academy near you here.
Check out my downloads here.
Check out my Fine Digital Print workshops here.

Epson Print Academy – Atlanta 11/8


The Epson Print Academy will be in Atlanta tomorrow Saturday, November 8th at the Renaissance Atlanta Hotel Downtown. It’s the first of a 15 city tour. Track 1 & 2 are both updated with new sessions. Track 1 is hosted by Jack Reznicki with live demonstrations and informative videos featuring industry professionals giving an excellent introduction to the medium.  Track 2 features advanced sessions by Andrew Rodney, Jeff Schewe, Greg Gorman, Mac Holbert and John Paul Caponigro. The gallery features images printed with the new Epson Stylus® Pro 7900 printers with UltraChrome® HDR inks. Attendees will be registered to win one 4880 printer (given at each venue) and one of the 7900 printer (given July 2009). At $79.95 and $149.95, these sessions are a phenomenal value. Don’t miss them!
Get more information here.
Find out about the next Epson Print Academy near you here.
Check out my Fine Digital Print workshops here.

Creativity – Commenting On Images


How many times have you been frustrated by the feedback you get and give?
Often it’s too simple.
“I like it.”
“I don’t like it.”
But you want more.
If you knew more you could improve more.
So, go further!
Whenever you’re looking at images ask yourself for more with one simple word. “Why?”
You many be surprised how hard it is to put your thoughts and feelings into words.
Don’t quit.
Try anyway.
You’ll find out some really interesting things.
Later, start asking others, “Why?”
You’ll get some really interesting answers.
Check out 12 books I recommend on critical thinking in photography here.
Get feedback in my workshops.

Vote!


It’s election day in the USA.
Make your voice heard!
Vote!
If you have a firm opinion vote your conscience. If you’re undecided vote your gut reaction. If you don’t like the candidates, vote for the independents or write in a vote of no confidence. If you’re don’t feel voting will make a difference, I assure you it does. Men and women have died for the freedoms we enjoy. Men and women are still dying while trying to get the freedoms we enjoy. A healthy democracy (government for the people by the people) requires participation. Many people are hoping for record turnouts this year.
Be a part of history. Vote!
PS    Even if you haven’t registered, in many places it’s not to late; some places allow registration at the time and place of voting if you present a valid form of ID and a document stating residency (tax bill, rental agreement, paycheck, etc).

Dan Steinhardt – About Paper / Meaningless Terms


Last week at The Fine Art of Digital Printing workshop The Fine Art of Digital Printing workshop (taking place at Brooks sponsored by Epson) spoke about paper. We always have special guests at these events and we were delighted that Dano was able to come this time. Dano explained a lot of interesting things about paper (three types – swellable, microporous, cotton fiber)(the history and myths of OBA’s – optical brightening agents – used in paper coatings, some longer lasting than others)(longevity facts – it’s a combination of many factors, lightfastness being only one).
One of the funnier things that everyone came away with was how many terms we’re used to hearing and using that are essentially meaningless and can be potentially misleading if you make assumptions often associated with the terms. “Fine art paper”, “museum grade”, “archival”, “pearl”, “luster”, “stipple” are all marketing terms with no definite meaning. “Permanent” means water fast, but doesn’t imply light fast. “Compatibility” simply means the paper will transport through the printer – nothing more. So it pays to know which terms are truly meaningful/useful and which terms aren’t.
More to come on this. Stay tuned.
Look for upcoming Epson Print Academy dates here.
Check out The Fine Art of Digital Printing workshops here.
Check out my Fine Digital Print workshops here.

Peg Fredi – Simulating Alternative Processes / Waxing Prints


This week at The Fine Art of Digital Printing workshop (taking place at Brooks sponsored by Epson) Peg Fredi wanted to simulate the look of the alternative process prints she’s been making with digital contact negatives. She tried several toning solutions – variations of traditional warm toning solutions. She found that she like the black of the inkjet prints, which is even blacker than alternative process blacks. She tried several paper types, ultimately deciding on Epson Velvet paper, which she then planned to wax (with butcher’s wax) to enhance the surface further. Actually, waxing print surfaces has been around a long time. It adds an extra dimension and quality to any print. And it doesn’t affect longevity. It pays to experiment. You may find new solutions that are just right for your work.
Have you finished your prints in unusual ways? Tell us about it! Comment here!
See Peg Fredi’s work here.
Look for upcoming Epson Print Academy dates here.
Check out The Fine Art of Digital Printing workshops here.
Check out my Fine Digital Print workshops here.

Steve Robeck – Thinking File Structure


This week at The Fine Art of Digital Printing workshop (taking place at Brooks sponsored by Epson) Mac Holbert and I reviewed file structure at the end of the week – by processing student work. Everyone participating in the workshop got a valuable review of the file building workflow Mac and I use and recommend. Steve Robeck also got more than one possible window into the art of interpreting digital files. Time and time again, you modify how you apply a tool, eliminate it from the process, or add another. In this case we added a Photo Filter adjustment layer applied selectively to the highlights to add subtle warm ambient color and we used an additional Hue/Saturation layer to increase the saturation of yellow accent colors throughout the image. Adopting a consistent file structure and working methodology is important. And, knowing when and why to make exceptions is equally important.
Look for upcoming Epson Print Academy dates here.
Check out The Fine Art of Digital Printing workshops here.
Check out my Fine Digital Print workshops here.

Carlos Conseco – Print Surface


This week at The Fine Art of Digital Printing workshop (taking place at Brooks sponsored by Epson) Carlos Conseco discovered how important it is to test materials and evaluate images side-by-side. He printed one of his best images on a variety of surfaces – Epson Watercolor, Velvet, Ultrasmooth Fine Art, Luster, and Exhibition Fiber. They were all good. Each material added something new to the expression of his print. Materials affect print quality in technical ways (glossy papers produce blacker blacks) and aesthetic ways (matte papers seem softer and more organic). So he slept on it before making his final decision. The most important thing he learned was that materials matter.
What papers do you like? Why? Comment here!
Look for upcoming Epson Print Academy dates here.
Check out The Fine Art of Digital Printing workshops here.
Check out my Fine Digital Print workshops here.