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#1
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Print Size
Why do some prints work only in smaller print sizes, while others work only in much larger print sizes and yet a third group work regardless of print size
Any thoughts Martin |
#2
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Martin, I tend to favour 'smallish' prints these days particularly 5x7" and 8x10" contact prints. I feel they have an intimacy about them, beckoning the viewer to come close and enjoy the detail and subtleties. Although some would no doubt work much bigger.
Although I do produce enlargements on mostly 11x14 and 12 x 16 papers. When I look back on some of my 16 x 20 prints I often feel they have a pretentiousness about them although this is probably due to where I am at the moment I like plenty of space around my images when exhibiting etc., gives them room to 'breath' and also isolates them better from their surroundings. I think bigger prints can look effective borderless on something like a block mount, for me this doesn't work with small prints. How an image is to be viewed is important as to its size. I often feel small prints work better in a set/group, big prints in isolation. Small is beautiful - funny when you think of it - big camera - small prints
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"To the attentive eye, each moment of the year has its own beauty, and in the same field, it beholds, every hour, a picture which was never seen before, and which will never be seen again" Ralph Waldo Emerson. Timespresent Arenaphotographers Last edited by Trevor Crone; 8th October 2010 at 12:00 PM. Reason: additional material |
#3
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I agree with Trevor, I have printed 20/16 in the past, and used to print to12/16 as standard, I nfind a smaller print works better for me,I would now very rarely print to 12/16, most of my work is printed on 9.5x12,and I like the smaller prints in big mounts, normally 2ox16, and sometimes I will print 6x6 or 645 full frame on 9.5x12, which makes my prints even smaller,I think it is down to the photographers personal preferance,Richard
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jerseyinblackandwhite.blogspot.com |
#4
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print size
Martin, can you give examples for this, as it would help to look at these as a comparison?
Although I often print large, I like small prints. They have an intimacy about them. I have recently been using a pinhole camera which produces images at 86mm X 50mm and they look beautiful. One of the aspects I liked about Atget was that he contact printed from his negs. Contact prints have all that compressed detail, just look at the images produced by Fox Talbots mouse trap cameras (as his wife coined them). |
#5
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I think 11x14 is impressive especially from a Medium Format negative produced with a sharp lens.
I can't do 16x20 yet, no easel
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Will's B&W Photography |
#6
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There would appear to be a bit of a dichotomy in that statement to a lot of photographers. But you know, there's nothing like a well executed small print, be it a contact print or a modest enlargement, from a medium to large format negative. It's more than sharpness and detail. It's the incredibly smooth tonal gradations that makes these prints so beautiful.
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#7
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Frank, that is the reason that for a while now I have printed 9.5x12, sometimes smaller if I print full frame, for me small is incredibly beautiful,Richard
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jerseyinblackandwhite.blogspot.com |
#8
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I have a liking for 12x8 in a 20x16 mount and 5x5 in 10x12/15 mount at the moment
Joan
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www.wedevelopfilms.co.uk |
#9
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Hi Martin
I can only agree that "Small Is Beautiful" when it come to a black and white photograph. These days I almost always print my negatives to either 10 x 8 or 8 x 6, no larger. I don't think that there is any answer as to what negative 'works' as a larger or smaller print, but looking at my recent work I have noticed that I tend to print an open view, such as a landscape, at the larger size of 10 x 8, and a more intimate view, such as a selected part of a landscape at 8 X 6. This seems to work for me, though I do feel that I still get it wrong sometimes. It's all about finding what feels right for you, and your own work. I could not imagine Ansel's "Clearing Winter Storm" as a 10 x 8 print, equally I could not imagine any of Kenna's work larger than his 71/2 inch square that he chooses to print to. Cheers Stoo |
#10
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Firstly, I'd like to thank Trevor for the link he gave in this thread;
http://www.film-and-darkroom-user.or...ght=print+size Which led to lots of other interesting articles especially the following on fine print secrets; http://www.davidkachel.com/historical/fpsecret.htm Secondly, I've standardised all my printing to 16x20 simply because it takes just as much time and effort to make bigger prints as smaller. And when you consider viewing distance it's all relative, isn't it?
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MartyNL “Reaching a creative state of mind thru positive action is considered preferable to waiting for inspiration.” - Minor White, 1950 |
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