How John Stanmeyer Chooses Which Images To Print

John Stanmeyer is a Photojournalist, founding member of the VII Photo agency, contributing photographer to National Geographic Magazine and other major publications around the world. With thousands of photos to sort through, how do you choose which images to print? Learn how John Stanmeyer chooses which of his photos are printed:

When in studio, which is where all the printing magic occurs, the decision on which image is never direct or simple. When printing for myself, to feel and see an image in the beauty of the physical, I tend to choose complicated photographs. Photographs with subtle essential details in shadows, in highlights, bringing to life the moments I see in person, gently toned on a screen, bringing into the world all its uniqueness of the physical.

Majority of printing occurs in print sales to clients. Collector print requests can vary, whether seen on the pages of National Geographic magazine, on my Instagram page or website. Here too, the selections by each collector are unique, often the unexpected.

While there are is a broad range of prints requested, the most sought is the World Press image, Signal, from Djibouti. Signal is also one of the most complicated print…there are so many subtitles in the bluish inky evening under moonlight along the Red Sea.

Signal, Djibouti

The incredible power to create tangible art is achievable through a good monitor, in combination with an excellent printers and brilliant paper.

Elevate Your Art Through Prints

by Les Picker

Ansel Adams famously said, “The photograph is the score; the print is the performance.” I’d like to elaborate on that theme for those of you contemplating fine art printing and for experienced printers looking for new perspectives.

I grew up in New York City, where my father was a highly regarded amateur photographer. It was natural for us to go to museums and galleries to see exhibits of fine art prints by some of the greatest photographers; Dorothea Lange, Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Henri Cartier Bresson, and others. I remember strolling through those galleries, mesmerized by the magic of the printed art. So, for me at least, prints were an organic part of the art of photography.

My grandfather was a professional photographer. He converted a bedroom in his apartment to a darkroom. To this day I remember the magic of seeing an image suddenly appear on a blank sheet of paper as worked under that red light.

Today the world of photography is drastically different. In the digital age, it is no longer a requirement to print, and this is a true sea change. In the past, the only yardstick we could use to measure an artist’s work was through the print. Today we have the Internet. There are some popular photographers who probably have never actually printed a single one of their images. They post on Instagram and have tens of thousands of followers. If they need a print they send the file to a lab.

So, Why Print?

With the arrival of the Internet and the profusion of digital printing labs, it makes perfect sense to ask, why bother to print? The answer is both simple and complex and if you consider yourself a serious photographer, whether amateur or pro, it’s worth taking the time to ponder it.

Simple first. If you want to sell your work, you have to print it. Most people do not buy digital images. Magazine editors are an exception, but they pay pauper’s pocket change for that privilege nowadays.

Not that selling prints is easy or should be your main objective with your photography. I’m just saying that if you want people to hang your art on a wall, you’ve got to print it.

Okay, so why not just use a lab? If you’re thinking of selling inexpensive prints or want to gift them, sure, go ahead and use a lab. But, I’m here to tell you why you shouldn’t. If you’re a serious artist, that is.

There is nothing at all, in anything that you presently do to advance your photography, that will elevate your art like personally printing your work, whether in the wet darkroom or digitally. Nothing. Full stop.

Printing is an extension of your photographic art. It requires you to view your work critically. If your work is not up to par in camera, it will look horrible on paper. Even if it is technically perfect, nurturing it to a final print is like going from making a baby to actually birthing one (with apologies to all you women out there for this awful and completely inaccurate analogy). The process is difficult and oftentimes painful. Creating a print forces us to scrutinize our art at a level that challenges our perceptions of our own work (and even our self esteem, truth be told).

But printing also works in reverse. As you become more attuned to extending your art to the print, you begin to reassess what you choose to capture in camera, how you capture it and, most importantly, why you choose to capture it. While in the field you start to imagine what the image will look like in print. And that is a true gift. You will begin to think through your imagery, to pre-visualize the composition and the resultant print, and to slow down.

Here’s a secret that professionals know but don’t often talk about. One of the major differences between a successful, experienced pro and an amateur is that the pro knows when not to take a picture. I see so many photographers desperately press down on the shutter release at 12 frames per second like their lives depended on it, hoping that one of a thousand shots will work. Understanding that your final statement of your art will be evidenced on paper will slow down that process and result in far better images in camera.

And More

There is another aspect of printing that I feel doesn’t get enough attention. I’m talking about the tactile sensuality of fine art paper itself. In today’s world I believe we have the finest photographic art papers ever made. In our studio we use Moab Fine Art papers (a division of Legion Papers) and we are sponsored by them. Of course there are other wonderful paper manufacturers out there. Still, when we handle a printed sheet of Moab Entrada Rag Textured, for example, the tactile sensation itself adds to the artistic experience. I know that sounds a bit esoteric, but that’s the point. The reverence with which you hold the final print, by definition will make you a more thoughtful photographer. Call it the Zen of Photography or whatever you will, but don’t knock it until you have experienced it yourself.

Did you know that the average length of time a person spends scanning an Internet image is 2.3 seconds? Contrast that with how many minutes someone spends viewing a fine art print. ‘Nuf said.

And speaking of viewing Internet images, I frequently watch people spending time on Instagram and “liking” images. I am stunned by how quickly they are able to scan and hit that heart emoji. I asked a young man at an airport how he was able to judge them so quickly. “Oh, if the picture jumps out at me, I know that I like it.” Really?

So this is what so many photographers do to get that fleeting attention. They ramp up the contrast, clarity or whatever. They super-saturate and over-sharpen. They over-HDR images to gain followers.

Working an image to print, especially in black and white, makes you appreciate tonality. It gives you an educated understanding of subtlety. Prints that celebrate minimalism are lauded worldwide. Collectors pay boku bucks for such works.

Consider the Source

Of course I could be criticized for this being a self-serving blog, as my assistant and I teach digital fine art printing in our Maryland studio. I have written an e-Book on fine art digital printing (available free due to the generosity of our sponsors, Moab and X-Rite). I frequently lecture on the topic and serve as a judge at print competitions. And I sell my fine art prints.

But in my defense, I did not come to fine art printing easily. Truthfully, way back when I hated the wet darkroom and its carcinogenic chemicals. Plus I’ve never been a patient person and taking an entire day to generate one measly print did not fit my definition of productivity. And, as an environmentalist, the thought of chucking those chemicals down the drain did not please me. But, having been raised to appreciate fine art prints, I was delighted by how quickly digital printing evolved.

And the papers! We are living in the golden age of fine art papers, with literally hundreds of wonderful choices. Printers have become so sophisticated and reasonably priced they are marvels of engineering, putting out prints that are a joy to behold. So for me, my workflow doesn’t end until I see that special image on fine art paper.

There are more than a billion people out there who consider themselves photographers. As long as they enjoy what they do and what photography does for them, that’s fine, no matter where their workflow ends. But to rise to the level of a true photographic artist, nothing is as helpful and enduring as printing your own work.

“The photograph is the score; the print is the performance.”

The Power of Print: Jim LaSala

Learn about why Jim LaSala prints his photographs and uses Moab Paper for his fine art prints. "I printed this image on juniper which has tremendous color latitude and brought out the color exactly the way I had seen." Jim LaSala specializes in Fine Art Photography, Portraiture and Street Documentary.

Jim LaSala's favorite papers:

Entrada Rag

Juniper Baryta Rag

6 Reasons Why Photographers Should Print Their Photos

In an age where we rely on technology for just about everything that we need, we tend to neglect or forget about the analog aspects of life. This is particularly true for the media we consume, which are largely in digital format—people rarely keep physical media like videotapes, audio CDs, and of course, printed photos.

For instance, most photographers today have thousands and thousands of images saved on their memory cards and other storage devices, but have little to no printed copies. Unlike earlier analog photographers who had to use darkrooms to make prints just to be able to see their images, many shutterbugs of the digital era no longer keep physical copies (whether on film or in a printed photo) of their work.

But what happens when you lose all of the digital photos you saved in your computer or shared online? That’s where printing comes in.

You might be wondering why printing is important—especially for photographers, who tend to share their work solely on their online websites or social media pages. Here are some reasons why photographers (like yourself) should consider printing their photos:

1. It’s a better way to look back at old memories.

Do you ever find yourself wanting to reminisce about the past? Baby pictures, family reunions, high school parties, weddings, and the like? Having these precious memories on print is a better option for when you’re feeling a little nostalgic. Why? It’s simply a better experience to be able to go through a photo album as opposed to swiping left or right on a mobile device, or pressing buttons on a computer.

Another upside to having prints is you can display your favorite shots (or your most treasured memories) in your home or office. After all, what’s the point of taking all those beautiful pictures if you’re going to keep them stuck in a digital device? All you need is a good printer and some fine art paper, and you’re all set to enjoy those photos in a more meaningful and tangible way.

2. They technically last longer than digital copies.

Unlike digital pictures, actual printed copies have a longer lifespan. Think of it this way—you most likely still have copies in your family albums of decades-old photos from when your parents (or grandparents) were still young. Sure, they’re pretty battered and discolored, but they’re still there. On the other hand, the same probably can’t be said for those random selfies or artsy photos you saved on MySpace or Friendster.

When you upload pictures to social media, photo hosting sites like Flickr, or to paid cloud storage servers, there’s always a chance that they will get permanently deleted. The same goes for your computer storage or your hard drive. They can get corrupted or even lost—which means you lose your photos in the process.

If you want to get started on printing your work, make sure to choose high-quality photo paper to ensure the longevity of your prints.

3. You can display them anywhere you like.

Another advantage of printing your photos is that you can display them anywhere. As a professional photographer, you’d want to show off your best work, whether in your home, at your office, or in your studio.

Many photographers these days are content with displaying their work on social media, but there’s still something more impressive and organic about having large, blown-up prints of your favorite photos. It really shows off your skill, because plenty of photos can look good on a computer or mobile device, but not all of them will look good in print.

4. It makes you a better photographer.

Nowadays, thanks to Instagram, pretty much anyone can be a photographer. But as previously mentioned, it’s easier to shoot photos for social media than for print, and by printing your work, you force yourself to really perfect everything down to the last detail and ensure that your shots look good on both print and digital.

Printing also allows you to understand your work better. How? It helps reveal things you wouldn’t have normally seen on a digital screen. Seeing your photos in print will allow you to see what your (and your camera’s) strengths and weaknesses are.

5. You get to learn a new craft.

Photographers spend years learning how to use their cameras—but they usually don’t stop there. Back in the days of analog photography, you had to learn how to use a darkroom and develop your own photos. These days, photographers no longer need to learn how to develop film, but they do need to learn other skills, like basic photo editing and digital manipulation. Some even take it a step further by learning how to properly print their photos as well.

Printing your photos allows you to learn a new craft—from understanding color management down to choosing the right printer, ink, paper to use in order to produce high-quality prints of your work. Once you master this part, you increase your skill set as a photographer.

And the best part? You won’t have to pay someone to do it for you.

6. It allows you to expand your photography services.

Adding photo printing to your photography package allows you to provide a more comprehensive service. Aside from giving you the option of earning extra cash, printing gives you the opportunity to deliver the best possible output for your clients. After all, imagine taking the time and effort to capture all of those perfectly composed and exposed photos, only to have them look horrible once the client has them printed elsewhere.

When you do your own printing, you retain control over image quality, size, and the overall presentation, so you get to ensure the quality of the final product.

Printing allows you to become a full-service photographer, which can help you attract both potential and long-time clients and take your business to the next level.

WPPI 2016 Highlights

 

Another successful year at WPPI in Las Vegas. The new Juniper Baryta Rag is still taking a stand and drawing in the crowd with its slight glossy surface texture. Thanks to Jim Graham, we were able to show off the full capabilities of the paper with detail and bright colors. Moab also displayed Jim's images on Slickrock Metallic Pearl and Lasal Exhibition Luster. Keith Richards made an appearance at the booth as well on Entrada Rag Natural by Norman Seeff. 

Looking to Mount your print?

Moab's Slickrock Metallic paper mounted to acrylic created a jaw-dropping repsonse from our audience. These 'White Dress' images by Christian Lalonde were mounted by Acrylic Press on both the Slickrock Metallic Silver and Pearl. 

The metal-like mounted print could be done yourself as well with 3 components: Slickrock Metallic Paper, an adhesive film and the acrylic. 

For laminating use a high grade clear adhesive film from MacTac. For the acrylic use a high grade plexi glass.  Ensure that the plexi glass does not contain any gas as once the print is sealed it will look to escape and create bubbles in the print.  Here are some grades we suggest from Acrylite here and here. 

Rangefinder has promoted the Power of Print program at WPPI, teaching photographers how to elevate and mantain their business through print for long-term success. Our Moab Masters weigh in on why they print their work and why it's important to them.