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02/20/2013 06:31:54 PM · #1
Hi all, I've just been contacted by the third person who'd like to show my images in their locale.... The first two I said I'd wait a bit, but this opportunity sounds really amazing: an introduction, they'd have an inaugurational dinner and they'll help sell them to anybody that's interested. I've got 4 spaces that are 3x1 meters in dimension.

So my question is: what do I do?? As this is still a hobby for me (being a chef is my full time job) most of the images I have are for this site, and as one can quickly see I haven't got a definitive style like jagar or gyaban or the rest of you folks... I don't think I can just throw up some random stuff but at the same time I've only got 10 days to get this shot, printed and hung if I want to do it.

I may skip this one as well, as I really feel like it's too early still for something like this, but at the same time it'd be a pity to let an opportunity such as this fly by. Any suggestions or help is appreciated!!!
02/20/2013 07:20:09 PM · #2
first, congratulations!

next, it's really more a matter of how much money you can put into something like this. as much as anything, presentation can make a difference.

you have options. pick a handful of images and print them as large as possible (16x20, 20x30) with simple, tasteful frames. or pick a bunch of images and print them smallish (8x10) and frame them with large mats. or go for a mix. or you might even consider an handful of canvas prints.

the key here (as far as these types of shows go) is to have a ready inventory. if you aren't there, yet, then make that your goal. it's not always feasible to create an inventory overnight, so you might want to first start with a list of what you'd like to have and then work towards that. you'll want to have a number of images that can work together or separately. you might want a handful of different collections, depending on what you shoot. you might want to have a handful of display pieces and some on-hand for sale pieces (for example, a nice 16x20 framed and 10-20 5x7s matted, mounted, and clear-bagged).

also, be realistic about the benefits of these types of shows. seldom do they really make money, at least during the show. typically, the benefits are visibility, ego-boosting, and contacts for additional work.

in this situation, you might feel a little rushed to pull something together. if not, don't fret - other opportunities will come your way. at the very least, enjoy the fact that you're producing stuff that others would like to share in real life instead of only on digital screen.
02/20/2013 07:25:04 PM · #3
Do it! You gotta start where you stand. Oh and congrats :)
02/20/2013 07:25:50 PM · #4
hey skip! thanks man, i was hoping you'd reply at some point, but i didn't expect it to be so soon!

Anyway, yeah, your advice is sound, I'm going to look through the last two years to see if I can find enough images to have a relatively coherent theme that fits the place. I'm not expecting to sell anything or to make money, but as I have several contacts in the printing business I should get a pretty good deal on that side of things. I'm really looking for exposure at this point...

The Big Thing is the official Week of European Photography which is in May - I need to be ready for that as I've already been in contact for a show. It's a pretty important event here and a good showing there gets really good, and international, contacts.

Thanks again for the help!
02/20/2013 07:32:57 PM · #5
Well apart from doing everything skip suggests, might I add that you toss your lovely blue-winning entry into the mix...maybe use some of the outtakes and build a little section on the street photography....and if I am right you have a couple more ribbons kickin round, might they find a place in the space too...

Again huge congrats on your blue and even huger congrats on being asked so often to get your stuff up!! Go at it like you are expecting a quiet mid-week lunch bunch of mebbe a dozen, and unexpectedly up rolls a tour bus with 53 hungry souls piling out. You know what to do and how to do it. You know you only have a certain window to work with and get it done. Just apply those same principles now to your photography, you will be fine.

ETA...hey get to work on your food photography! You know how to cook and whip a bunch of linecooks into shape, go do it!! :-)

Message edited by author 2013-02-20 19:35:20.
02/20/2013 07:48:04 PM · #6
hey snaffles! that's so true, I really need to get my macro lens into action and get some food photography done... Also because HAD I DONE THIS MONTHS AGO those images would be perfect for this showing. good advice either way, I work well under pressure so I'm going to accept the show and get it done like you say. I'm off to bed now as in too few hours I'm back at work! thank you!
02/21/2013 08:11:57 AM · #7
You are most welcome, if anyone knows how to bear down and work well under pressure its a chef! Now get to work!! *whipcrack*

Oh yeah...sure you know this already but be careful to not shoot food photography in the kitchen, waayy too hot and usually too humid. Plate it up and do it in the dining room. Have fun! Make me drool! :-)
02/23/2013 09:29:37 AM · #8
hey all i've heard from the printer and they said 50x80 cm prints on 3mm forex is their best offer, around $20 USD each. anybody have experience with this material? is the max resolution high enough to get a decently small viewing distance?
02/23/2013 11:36:15 AM · #9
Originally posted by mrchhas:

hey all i've heard from the printer and they said 50x80 cm prints on 3mm forex is their best offer, around $20 USD each. anybody have experience with this material? is the max resolution high enough to get a decently small viewing distance?

Congratulations Chris! Sounds like a great opportunity. As I think Skip said it would be hard to shoot specifically for this exhibit with it coming up so soon. So maybe just try to put together a group of images you already have that can hopefully fit into a broad theme ideally, though they don't really have to.

I like your idea for Forex prints (though I haven't seen this material) in that like metal, canvas, etc. they will arrive ready to go with no need for framing. That printing sounds very reasonable in price (wonder if they could do metal for a little bit more) and when pieces sell you might just cover your investment. But that really shouldn't be the goal.
I put an exhibit with sixteen metal and canvas prints up a few months back. The printing costs were fairly substantial as some of them were quite large. I sold enough to make a good dent in my printing costs and that felt good right there. But first, the gentleman who bought my largest image said he wanted me to start shooting architectural images for his company. That hasn't happened yet but in itself will be better than selling prints if/when it happens. Then toward the end of the show an art consultant saw my work and contacted me to supply large metal prints for a new building. I have now completed that job (and started another for her) and that one job paid for all my printing costs of that exhibit many times over. It's the exposure you want!

So again, congrats. And I say go for it!

Message edited by author 2013-02-23 11:42:20.
02/23/2013 11:47:10 AM · #10
Wow Brent congratulations on that outcome! I can't say I expect anything like that to happen here, but like they say "you never know!"

Forex is like a compressed hard plastic it seems, it was suggested by the printer because it's really strong and doesn't cot much, so you're right framing won't be necessary.
02/23/2013 12:29:46 PM · #11
Thanks Chris :) In looking at what I wrote now I think I could have made my point about opening up opportunities without such a spotlight on myself (I'll blame that on still being excited by developments). This thread is about you and the honor of being asked to do an exhibition. I hope you go through with it and just being able to see people viewing your work will be reward enough I am sure. Anything else will be just gravy :)
And to not plant too much optimism, I have had another smaller exhibition up elsewhere for about a month now. And other than the occasional email from someone saying they enjoyed my work, the most I have gotten out of it is a lesson about not secure hanging an image in a busy traffic area. Crash, boom, sadness, lol!

Again, I haven't seen the Forex prints in person. But online they look like they do a nice clean presentation of work like a metal print does. You can hopefully visit the printer to se some examples first,
02/23/2013 01:30:53 PM · #12
No problem dude hijack away! It's always exiting to have these opportunities and it's nice to share amongst others that understand the highs and lows!

Anyway, like I said I really don't think it's time for a show- we'll see how it goes. And I seem to remember your thread about the image falling near the staircase? Hopefully that won't happen but being plastic maybe it'll just bounce. ;)
02/23/2013 03:47:19 PM · #13
I would echo what other have said; do not expect to sell enough to cover your costs on the show. You are hoping for contacts and commissions that will lead to future opportunities. Plus once you have a set of images printed and ready to hang, subsequent shows are cheaper and will lead to more exposure. The images are important, but the title tags and the business cards and the promotional materials that are there for potential clients to take are what you are trying to sell (It isn't the pictures in the frame, it is your services and skill set that are being sold)
02/23/2013 03:57:45 PM · #14
That is awesome. Congrats.

Did they contact you out of the blue? Or did you contact them at an earlier date, and they got back to you?
02/23/2013 05:28:26 PM · #15
As a chef I know a lot of people in the restaurant world, this woman contacted me because one of my repeat customers works in fashion and suggested the idea to her. With the costs being lower on subsequent shows I'll be using these images at least twice more. In the next few months I have the option of another 3, two small ones and one relatively important one in may.
02/23/2013 07:54:14 PM · #16
I was on my cell phone before and hadn't time to type, i wanted to thank brennan for the advice... my main goal in this show is to do it, if that makes sense. the first one will always be tough, but as i wrote quickly before i have several other offers in the next few months for spaces, and would really like to focus them on specific themes and topics. this show will have to be (basically) "chris's two years at DPC" :) :) :)

I've gotten the three themes i'll be using down to: street (B&W), portraits, and "creative" images like this one.

I would also like to rework this image a lot but unfortunately i can't recrop at this point and I think Jedusi was right about landscape. I'll see what I can come up with.
03/04/2013 12:27:22 PM · #17
Just got the prints back from the shop.... OMG. How disappointing.
All the color ones are ok, I figured they'd be a bit different in the cmyk change and they turned out ok if not perfect...

But all the B&W's are dark! Like, really dark. Like 2-3 stops dark.

My blue ribbon image looks like a single face in a sea of black...
I haven't even got time to reprint as the show opens tomorrow. How disappointing. I have no idea why they'd be this way, no changes should have occurred to the exposure in the printing process.
03/04/2013 12:32:19 PM · #18
Originally posted by mrchhas:

Just got the prints back from the shop.... OMG. How disappointing.
All the color ones are ok, I figured they'd be a bit different in the cmyk change and they turned out ok if not perfect...

But all the B&W's are dark! Like, really dark. Like 2-3 stops dark.

My blue ribbon image looks like a single face in a sea of black...
I haven't even got time to reprint as the show opens tomorrow. How disappointing. I have no idea why they'd be this way, no changes should have occurred to the exposure in the printing process.


Ouch. Very disappointing when that happens, I am sad that your first showing that would happen. Even when I specified printers to NOT add black they usually do. So what I do is go and add more brightness to images (like 30-50% depending on the image) and then send off the pic.
03/04/2013 12:40:53 PM · #19
Originally posted by mrchhas:

Just got the prints back from the shop.... OMG. How disappointing.
All the color ones are ok, I figured they'd be a bit different in the cmyk change and they turned out ok if not perfect...

But all the B&W's are dark! Like, really dark. Like 2-3 stops dark.

My blue ribbon image looks like a single face in a sea of black...
I haven't even got time to reprint as the show opens tomorrow. How disappointing. I have no idea why they'd be this way, no changes should have occurred to the exposure in the printing process.


No way to find someone who can print them today? Even if it's not going to be a super print, would be better than what you already got. I'm so sorry for you Chris :(
03/04/2013 02:21:17 PM · #20
Originally posted by snaffles:


Ouch. Very disappointing when that happens, I am sad that your first showing that would happen. Even when I specified printers to NOT add black they usually do. So what I do is go and add more brightness to images (like 30-50% depending on the image) and then send off the pic.


printers add black?? this is a tragedy. I only knew about the famous RGB - CMYK transition.

Thanks alex, I'm going to call the dude tomorrow morning and ask him to reprint 5 or 6 that are just un-lookeable. this is how my jagar shot looks (no exaggeration)



ACK! (good news is of the 4 people that have seen them so far I've already had two offers to buy. :)
03/04/2013 06:19:44 PM · #21
You could try asking the printers for a make-good...I am assuming that you weren't able to proof the prints in any way before they went to press?

And I don't know if ALL printers add black, but having had 6 years worth of calendars and probably a few dozen or so prints for clients done up, I've learned that they often do add some extra black. Don't ask me why...*sigh*

But hey if you've already got people offering to buy prints, wtg dude!! Maybe mysteriously dark prints are the way to go ;-)

Message edited by author 2013-03-04 18:20:33.
03/04/2013 07:24:51 PM · #22
So sorry to hear about your printing issues Chris, but nice to hear some have sold already! :) Maybe there really is a market for mysterious dark prints...
03/06/2013 11:27:55 AM · #23
NEXT IN THE NIGHTMARE
well I finally got a chance to get to the location and start hanging the salvageable images but low and behold I've only got an hour or so free today between work shifts and they don't have any of the supplies necessary to hang photos apart from some little chains and "S" hooks... which would be fine if they were placed in the right place to hang images but NOPE.

so I spent my hour adapting everything as best as possible... and then quickly leaving (with plans on going back with power drills and many many screws and wire.)

I know, I should have foreseen this situation but I was assured "there would be more than enough stuff to use and they'll help you out; they're used to changing the shows all the time" and I walked into
"yeah, so here's the place to put your photos, if you need help call someone else." not the best situation.

when I go back, hopefully tomorrow if i can, i'll get some shots to show the situation.
03/06/2013 05:23:47 PM · #24
hang tight, chris, it'll all work out in the long run. to quote someone else, "some day we'll look back on this and it will all seem funny..."

you're getting a lot of the hard lessons out of the way early, and you'll be in much, much better shape to deal with this going forward. keep on rockin!
03/06/2013 05:55:21 PM · #25
Originally posted by Skip:

hang tight, chris, it'll all work out in the long run. to quote someone else, "some day we'll look back on this and it will all seem funny..."

you're getting a lot of the hard lessons out of the way early, and you'll be in much, much better shape to deal with this going forward. keep on rockin!


Thanks skip. I know you're right!
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