[alt-photo] Re: Pt/Pd printing Video

Thu Apr 29 19:03:15 GMT 2010

Yes, I'm not surprised.  I had some prints in this gallery once, and I've probably mentioned this before-- but they were cyanotype over platinum/palladium, and the gallery owner had labeled them simply as platinum prints.  I told him that he should really correct that, as they were cyanotype over platinum/palladium (kind of obvious by the tell-tell blue seen in them), and he just glared at me and said something like, "That's just way too long a description for the label- plus, we don't want to *completely* confuse people, do we?"    So, yeah, I get it.

On Apr 29, 2010, at 2:36 PM, Keith Gerling wrote:

> Diana, it is refreshing to hear you say that.  I think the the majority of
> people could not care less about ANY of the things we hold near and dear.
> When I stress archivability, I can read their minds: "this guy thinks his
> work is an *heirloom*??"  I once printed an inkjet copy of one of my
> gumprints for an individual that had purchased the original and was not
> surprised to hear that the inkjet was the one on display (paper was easier
> to matte and frame then plywood).
> 
> On Thu, Apr 29, 2010 at 1:06 PM, Diana Bloomfield <
> dhbloomfield at bellsouth.net> wrote:
> 
>> Well, I think beginners probably should shy away from the process.  I do
>> think pt/pd is an inordinately expensive process, and not all that
>> satisfying, really (for me, anyway).  I stopped platinum printing, for the
>> most part, because I never felt I could raise my prices enough to offset the
>> costs, or to make it worth my while.  I also found most people (unless
>> knowledgeable photographers or collectors) didn't really care about whether
>> something was a platinum print or not, and had no idea what you were talking
>> about when you said it was a platinum print.  You can educate people, of
>> course, but in the end-- honestly-- I don't think anybody much cares. I've
>> printed some of my same images in other processes, and no one was ever put
>> off that it wasn't a platinum print.  Maybe it was my printing ability (or
>> lack of?), but I think people mostly appreciated the other processes more.
>> It really is expensive, and heaven forbid if you're prone to making
>> mistakes.  Not that I am, of course, but I have heard that people do--you
>> know-- make mistakes.
>> 
>> Diana
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On Apr 29, 2010, at 1:53 PM, Jeremy Moore wrote:
>> 
>> Eric,
>>> 
>>> The problem is the way he brings it up in the video it sounds like the
>>> cost in materials to print one 11"x14" pt/pd print is $150. We're just
>>> spitballing that maybe this cost is printing for others. Hearing a
>>> figure like this makes beginners shy away from the process.
>>> 
>>> -Jeremy-
>>> 
>>> On Thu, Apr 29, 2010 at 10:30 AM, EJ Photo <ejnphoto at sbcglobal.net>
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Well, OK so you are trying to hold the guys feet to the fire when he is
>>>> cost
>>>> estimating an 11x14. The cost of a simple 11x14 will be a be variable
>>>> depending on how you buy your paper, chemicals, pay for your power, etc.
>>>> 
>>>> He may have been giving one , just a ball park figure to spend on
>>>> negative,
>>>> through to finished print.
>>>> 
>>>> As for an hourly rate for printing, commercial photographers charge a
>>>> good
>>>> deal more than $50/hr. The skill set to be a high end printer is every
>>>> bit
>>>> as respectable as a shooter. As what ever you can work out to is OK. The
>>>> work will speak for itself.  $150 for an 11x14 platinum may seem like a
>>>> lot
>>>> to you , but as a cost item, less than what I charge to make one.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Eric Neilsen
>>>> Eric Neilsen Photography
>>>> 4101 Commerce Street, Suite 9
>>>> Dallas, TX 75226
>>>> 
>>>> www.ericneilsenphotography.com
>>>> skype me with ejprinter
>>>> www.ericneilsenphotography.com/forum1
>>>> Let's Talk Photography
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org
>>>> [mailto:alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org] On Behalf
>>>> Of
>>>> Jeremy Moore
>>>> Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2010 9:33 AM
>>>> To: The alternative photographic processes mailing list
>>>> Subject: [alt-photo] Re: Pt/Pd printing Video
>>>> 
>>>> I definitely understand costing out that high to print for others, but
>>>> he mentions this in an instructional-esque video and doesn't qualify
>>>> it at all.
>>>> 
>>>> -Jeremy-
>>>> 
>>>> On Thu, Apr 29, 2010 at 8:42 AM, Diana Bloomfield
>>>> <dhbloomfield at bellsouth.net> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> I agree, Loris.  I just happen to know a couple of people who
>>>>> consistently
>>>>> do some printing for others (again, not platinum printing), and knowing
>>>>> 
>>>> what
>>>> 
>>>>> their material costs are for what they do, I know they charge more than
>>>>> $50/hour, though they may not tell the client the cost per hour, or
>>>>> break
>>>>> 
>>>> it
>>>> 
>>>>> down that way for them.  People are better off, all the way around,
>>>>> doing
>>>>> their own printing-- if that's at all possible for them-- but that's
>>>>> just
>>>>> 
>>>> my
>>>> 
>>>>> thought.  I've done some printing for people before, and I did charge a
>>>>> lot-- mainly because I felt it was a somewhat thankless job and it was
>>>>> my
>>>>> time--  but how much people are willing to pay for someone else to print
>>>>> their work is always surprising to me. If the demand is there, you may
>>>>> as
>>>>> well charge what you can get (law of supply and demand).  I always think
>>>>> about how much my dentist charges (which seems outrageous to me), and I
>>>>> figure I'm as good at what I do as he is at what he does-- you know,
>>>>> maybe
>>>>> even better-- though I do have a few crowns that look really good.  Of
>>>>> course, they should.  They cost me a small fortune.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Diana
>>>>> 
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