Wandering the Northeast with the Boys Camping Society
After three and a half weeks wandering the northeast wilderness with the Camp Dudley Boys Camping Society, it seems strange to be blogging. In the past month, I’ve probably showered fewer times than I can count on one hand, been out of cell phone reception more than I’ve been in it, and gone for days without seeing more people than the six boys I’ve been leading through the backcountry, my co-instructors, and guides. It’s been a long and sometimes frustrating journey, but like all challenges, particularly those spent outdoors with good natured people, its been well worth it.
Today, my BCS boys will see their parents for the first time in nearly a month and tomorrow they will be heading home. I always find these endings to be somewhat bittersweet. After spending every one of the past 24 days with them, its almost odd to hand them back to their parents, as if I am letting go of my own child and not returning someone else’s. Together we’ve been through so much, overcoming many challenges, sharing countless laughs, and creating our own stories, traditions, cheers, jokes, and songs. Working 24 hours a day, seven days a week may seem crazy to some, but for me all the time put in makes it that much more rewarding and the ending that much more strange to see come. I find comfort in knowing they will tell others about their fond memories experiences with the BCS, sharing a newly found love for nature and adventure, appreciation for hard work, and respect for themselves and others.
I’ve tossed together a quick Lightroom generated Flash photo gallery of my first session out. I managed to capture a lot of the fun moments and beautiful scenes we shared on our three and a half week long journey together, and hope you enjoy looking through the photographs. Most have not been processed beyond formatting for the slideshow, and those that have have only been processed on my laptop, so please forgive any color casts, tilted horizons, poor contrast, etc, as I will fix them in the future.
“Snowy at Sunset” on display in Seattle
Yesterday was the opening day for the exhibit of the 2010 International Conservation Photography Award winners display at the Burke Museum in Seattle, Washington. My image ”Snowy at Sunset” won was named Honorable Mention for the Art Wolfe Award and is on display June 19-September 6 at the museum this year. Check out the exhibit here: http://www.icpawards.com/2010winners.php
Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the reception and opening day because I moved up to Westport, New York this week to start a new job, working as a trip leader for the Boys’ Camping Society at Camp Dudley on Lake Champlain. I can’t complain though, because even though its only been a few days (I moved in on Thursday) I’ve been having an awesome time. The location and facilities are beautiful, the staff and leaders are amazing, and my upcoming trips should be a lot of fun. After two days of ropes course training, campfires, watching cabin leaders perform songs and skits, kayaking on Lake Champlain, listening to loons call, running in the woods, and watching the sun rise over Lake Champlain and set in the Adirondack Mountains, I’m tired but loving life. At this rate, I think I might stay at summer camp forever.
Goodbye New Jersey, Hello New York
My great apologies for the lack of updates lately! Life has been busy (as usual). I’ve been doing quite a bit of running around lately, trying to catch up with friends and running a lot of errands. In just three days I’ll be moving to upstate New York for the summer, where I’ll be working at Camp Dudley for their Boys Camping Society, leading backcountry trips in the Adirondacks, White Mountains, and coastal Maine. After my two month stint there, I’m moving to Keene, NH for grad school. Needless to say, there is a lot of arranging and packing that needs to get done before I go, so I’ve been spending most of my time getting my life in order.
Landscape Galleries and New Photos Added
I just updated my website with some new photos and my landscape photography collection. All in all, over 100 photos have been added to the stock galleries. Be sure to check them out!
In: Website Updates and News
Interviewed for article about Veolia WPOTY rule change
I was interviewed for an article about the Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the Year rule change this year and recently discovered the article published by Photo Radar in March. Check it out: http://www.photoradar.com/news/story/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-2010-complaints-taken-seriously
Back from the Backcountry
Home sweet home! I just returned from two weeks spent in Maryland and West Virginia and it feels great to be back in New Jersey, in my own bed, with freshly laundered clothes, and able to do my own cooking. I was down south running an outdoor leadership training course for the Outdoor Pursuits program at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. The 10 day backpacking course was based in Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia, where we camped in Seneca Rocks, backpacked through the beautiful Cranberry Wilderness Area, and then set our students loose in the Dolly Sods Wilderness for an overnight on their own.
We had some long days and quite a bit of rain, so I didn’t take many photographs, but I did bring my new Panasonic GF-1 with me to allow me to get quality images when the opportunities arose.
Forest Road, Dolly Sods Wilderness Area, Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia
Seneca Rocks, Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia
Despite the beautiful scenery, awesome students, and generous amount of time spent in nature, I’m glad to be home and have the chance to relax and see some friends. In another two weeks or so, I’ll be moving to Westport, New York for the summer, and I’m looking forward to some down time before then.
When Man and Nature Collide
When man and nature collide, the result isn’t always pretty. I got to witness the negative impact of humankind on wildlife first hand this past weekend, while herping down on the Delmarva peninsula with several other members of the North American Field Herping Association. At one location we visited, we found a black rat snake with wire wrapped around its neck. The wire had been there for quite some time, as it was well embedded into the snake’s skin. Fortunately, the snake was pretty fat, so appeared to be able to find enough small critters to feed on, as the wire would likely have prevented it from swallowing larger prey. We caught the snake and clipped the wire, then released it, leaving the wire to fall off naturally when the snake shed, so as to reduce the chances of infection from the open wound.
Sometimes humankind seems on a crash course to kill the planet. Just a couple of weeks ago an oil rig off the coast of Louisiana exploded, releasing hundreds of gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The well is still leaking, at a rate of 200,000 gallons a day, according to most recent estimates. Officials say that the Gulf oil spill may surpass the Exxon Valdez disaster of 1989. According to an article by the Associated Press, the spill is “five times larger than first estimated, with the leading edge just three miles from the Louisiana shore. Authorities said it could reach the Mississippi River delta by Thursday night… The oil slick could become the nation’s worst environmental disaster in decades, threatening hundreds of species of fish, birds and other wildlife along the Gulf Coast, one of the world’s richest seafood grounds, teeming with shrimp, oysters and other marine life.”
I’m planning to help with the recovery efforts for the spill in any way I can and encourage you to do the same. In conjunction with NatureScapes.Net, I’m trying to organize individuals willing to head down to Louisiana and volunteer to help rescue wildlife and clean up the spill when it reaches shore. To volunteer, sign up with the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, then email me with the dates you would be available to volunteer. I will do my best to help arrange lodging and transportation for those who want to go down to help, although I do have a few inflexible commitments later this month that might make it difficult for me to be as actively involved in the recovery efforts as I would like. You can also chime in on the thread on NatureScapes, and Greg and I will keep you posted with what opportunities exist to help out.
Note: I did speak with a girl from the Coalition today and as of right now, they are still waiting on clearance from BP to get volunteers out in the field, and currently do not know when or how volunteers will be needed. As soon as they get permission from BP to go ahead and dispatch volunteers, those on the list will be contacted. The Coalition is particularly in need of volunteers with HAZWOPER certification, as well as those with experience operating boats and/or handling wildlife.
2010 Delmarva Herp Trip Report
This past weekend, I met up with eleven other field herpers from the North American Field Herping Association for a herping trip on the Delmarva peninsula. We spent two solid days and yesterday morning searching for reptiles and amphibians all over the peninsula and found over 400 animals representing 33 different species. Many of the species we found were “lifers” for me – species I had never before seen in the wild.
Species observed include: Fowler’s Toad, Southern Leopard Frog, Northern Green Frog, Northern Cricket Frog*, Common Bull Frog, Green Treefrog*, Cope’s Gray Treefrog, Eastern Narrowmouth Toad*, Spring Peeper, Wood Frog, American Toad, Northern Redback Salamander, Southern Two Lined Salamander, Spotted Salamander, Eastern Painted Turtle, Eastern Box Turtle, Northern Redbellied Turtles, Spotted Turtle*, Common Snapping Turtle (DOR), Northern Fence Lizard, Five-lined Skink, Ground Skink*, Southern Ringneck Snakes, Northern Black Racer, Northern Water Snake, Eastern Worm Snake, Eastern Black Rat Snake, Northern Rough Green Snake*, Eastern Smooth Earth Snake*, Southern Copperhead (DOR)*, Eastern Kingsnake, Eastern Garter Snake (DOR), Eastern Hognose Snake (DOR)*. Here (DOR) indicates the only specimen found was roadkill and * indicates lifer.
While not a photography trip, I was able to get some record shots of some of the animals we found, including species I did not already have in my stock gallery. The trip did remind me of how much fun field herping can be though, as well as how tricky photographing little quick reptiles and amphibians can be. I’m out of practice and hope to do a bit more herp photography this month and next.
Here are a few photos of some of the new species I was able to add to my stock list:
Eastern Narrowmouth Toad*
Eastern Box Turtle
Rough Green Snake*
Fowler’s Toad
More to come!
In: Recent and Random Photos, Trip Reports
Florida Birding & Fotofest 2010 Wrap Up
Today wrapped up our fourth and final day at the 2010 Florida Birding & Fotofest. It ended up being a great festival with good weather, plenty of shooting opportunities, informative sessions, and a fantastic group of people. I will definitely look forward to coming back next year.
Saturday is “the big day” for the Fotofest, and it was a long one for me indeed. Greg and Scott ran another raptor workshop in the morning, and as we were setting up our perches, the sky lit up in a stunning pink sunrise. Once the perches were set, I rushed to the beach to photograph it, but I was about 10 minutes too late for the great color. I did get some nice shots, but was (and still am) kicking myself for missing the brilliant color.
After the raptor workshop, we headed back to the exhibition hall for a long 9-5 day in the NatureScapes booth. Fortunately, the festival reception at 3:45 brought a lot of warm bodies and food, and afterward, from 5:30-6:30, I got to see Chas Glatzer’s keynote on photographing Common Loons, which are one of my favorite birds. Chas made me want to get out in my kayak, and hopefully I’ll get the chance to do a little kayak exploring and photography while working in and around upstate New York this summer. Then came dinner with some of the speakers and event staff, and it was a nice opportunity to sit down and catch up with some of the photographers I hadn’t seen throughout the rest of the festival, including Roy Toft, Kevin Karlson, Lewis Kemper, and Deb Sandidge.
Today was significantly more laid back, as the festival winded down and people began to say their goodbyes. Greg and I got up early in hopes of photographing sunset at the beach, and although we didn’t get the dramatic color of yesterday, we did have some nice clouds and were able to get some good shots. The storms Florida had this year dramatically changed the landscape of the beach from how I remembered it last year, and there were many limestone boulders around the shoreline that provided plenty of opportunities for creative and dynamic compositions. I could probably stay another week and photograph sunrise every morning without getting bored.
After breakfast, we headed caught a bit of a presentation on quick masks by Maxis Gamez before heading into the exhibitor’s hall for our final day at the booth. At 2PM, we broke down our booth and said our goodbyes, then headed back to the hotel. While it was sad to say goodbye to all of the great photographers, presenters, speakers, exhibitors, event staff, and participants, it will be a relief to fly home tomorrow. It’s been a long weekend and I have to admit I’m a bit excited to get back to my own bed and my nice monitor at home so I can process some images.
Florida Birding & Fotofest 2010, Day Two
The work day started at 5:45AM (after a restless night of sleep and a 4:30AM run on the beach), just early enough to grab a muffin at the gas station then head down to the Whitney Center to meet Erin Masters, grab props for the morning’s raptor shoot, and get over to Washington Oaks State Park to set up for Greg and Scott’s 7:00AM workshop.
Three captive educational subjects were provided by the Florida Audubon Center for Birds of Prey for the field session. Elvis, a 15 year old male American Kestrel, and Bogey, a 18 year old male Great Horned Owl, modeled first, followed by Paige, a 15 year old female Bald Eagle. The calm, nearly cloudless morning provided awesome light for the birds, and they made cooperative subjects as usual. I spent the majority of the morning assisting participants, getting in a few shots of Elvis and Bogey, who I had already photographed last year, and a bit more of Paige, since last year’s bald eagle subject was Francis, a much smaller and browner male eagle. Paige is a very vocal bird, and I was able to capture a few shots of her screaming, which was pretty cool. We had a great group of participants, and I really enjoying mingling with the crowd.
Afterward, it was off to the exhibit hall, where I manned the NSN booth from 10AM-5PM, then had dinner with Erin Masters, Tim Grey, and Greg at the Sunset Grille, a fantastic seafood restaurant on the A1A strip. Tomorrow, my schedule is pretty much the same, with the raptor workshop at sunrise, followed by the exhibit hall from 9AM-5PM, and then the reception and keynote by Chas Glatzer. It will be another long day, so I hope I get some good sleep tonight!
Florida Birding & Fotofest 2010, Day One
Today was the first day of the Florida Birding & Fotofest held in St. Augustine Florida. This is my second year in attendance at the Fotofest, and I’m once again manning the NatureScapes.Net booth in the exhibitor’s hall and helping Greg Downing with some of his field workshops.
This morning, Greg had a field session on Bird Flight Photography for Beginners at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm at 7AM, so we got up early and headed straight over to the zoo, which is pretty close to our hotel. The session started with a short slide show in the classroom at the Alligator Farm and then we headed over to the rookery to do some shooting. The rookery was pretty quiet at first, with only a few flybys, but as the morning wore on the action increased, and there were many opportunities for flight shots as well as portraits and images of the birds interacting at their nests. The alligators were quite active too, and there was a lot of loud rumbling from some of the larger beasts.
I managed to get quite a few shots I’m happy with from the morning’s session. All in all, I shot just under 350 images, and managed to get better shots of Roseate Spoonbills and White Ibis, as well as some nice Great Egret and Wood Stork shots. I even played around with photographing the alligators some, although, unlike the birds, they are not wild, so they don’t interest me as much. I tried out my new 7D and was very impressed with the speed and accuracy of the autofocus for birds in flight. I still have a LOT of playing around to do with the camera, as it was only my second day of shooting with it, but so far I like it quite a bit. The photos are sharp on my monitor, and although noise is prominent (probably on par or a bit worse than my 1D2N) it is not generally objectionable.
Here are some photos from the morning, quick processed on my laptop to share.
After spending the morning at the Alligator Farm, we headed over to the Whitney Classroom at Marineland to set up the NatureScapes booth in the exhibitor hall. I manned the booth throughout the afternoon while Greg and Scott Elowitz collected perches for their raptor workshop tomorrow at Washington Oaks State Park. The workshop uses educational subjects from the Florida Audubon Center for Birds of Prey. This year the models will be Elvis, an American Kestrel; Bogey, a Great Horned Owl; and Paige, a very vocal 15 year old female Bald Eagle. At 5PM, we wrapped up at the exhibitor’s hall and headed back to our hotel.
I’m currently debating between attempting to shoot sunset on the beach or going to bed early, as I got maybe five hours of sleep last night, and about the same the night before and the night before that as well. Tomorrow we have to leave the hotel by 6AM to get to Washington Oaks by 6:30 to prep for the birds and workshop participants, followed by all day in the exhibitors hall. As much as I would love to enjoy some time on the beach this evening, I think catching up on sleep might be mandatory in order for me to make the most out of the rest of my time here at the festival.
New Toys!
Just last week I finally got my hands on my own 7D, and today I tested it out for the first time. Sweet camera! I didn’t have much luck with subjects this morning, so I ended up resorting to playing with my new LensBaby Composer and Macro Kit on it this evening. My mom loves to garden, so she fills our property with all sorts of flowers each year. She always plants tulips for me, because they are my favorite, but usually the neighborhood deer eat them. This year, some managed to escape, and I decided I ought to photograph them before the deer have second thoughts.
Spring Craziness
This has been a beautiful spring, and I’ve hardly taken a photo!
Well, part of the problem is that nearly every day has been warm and sunny. Not a cloud in the sky. Which makes for nice hanging outside and getting a tan, but actually not the best for photography. It’s been so nice out that it’s been a struggle to do anything on the computer. I just want to play outside.
So that’s kind of what I have been doing. Hanging out. Bike rides. Volleyball. Soccer. Frisbee. Long walks. Basketball. Runs. More bike rides. Some work here and there (outside of course). Saturday I trekked around the woods with some kids from Harlem. Wednesday I’ll be doing some trail clean up with my college students. Thursday is stream studies with 7th graders…
In between work and play, there have been a number of exciting updates in the world of Kari Post Photography. Perhaps the most exciting is the news that my “Snowy at Sunset” photograph was selected as honorable mention for the Art Wolfe Award in the International Conservation Photography Awards contest. That’s a huge deal! My winning photo will be on display at the Burke Museum in Seattle this summer. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to see it, as I’ll be moving to and working in upstate New York for the summer, then moving straight to New Hampshire for grad school when the summer season is over. I would be more bummed about missing the opening and gallery exhibit, but I managed to lock in some sweet work gigs leading trips in West Virginia, New York, New Hampshire, Maine, and Canada from May-August, so I’m not going to complain.
Next Tuesday (a week from tomorrow), I will be presenting at the Pocono Photo Club. My presentation “Inspired by Nature” is a portfolio of my favorite images, and I will discuss the photographic techniques and stories behind them. My last presentation, at the Stony Brook Camera Club in Massachusetts was a blast, so I’m very much looking forward to this one.
Then I head down to Florida, where I’ll be manning the NatureScapes booth at Florida’s First Coast Birding & Fotofest in St. Augustine, Thursday through Sunday. I had a great time last year, and look forward to meeting some old and new faces, as well as getting in some shooting of my own. I just recently got a Canon 7D, so I’m looking forward to testing out the new camera in Florida.
Speaking of traveling, I currently have a friend biking across the country, from California to New York, and when I spoke to him last Wednesday, he was in Las Vegas. Stetson and his friend, Chris, are riding to benefit a Self Help Community Center in Cambodia, which provides educational resources for Cambodian children. As I mentioned earlier this year, I’ve decided to donate 20% of all print sales to charity, and their charity, Cruisin’ for a Cause, is right up my alley. Therefore, 20% of all prints sold while Stetson and Chris are on their journey will go towards the Cruisin’ for a Cause. They still have a good 3500 miles ahead of them, so consider purchasing a print in support of them and their mission.
New Website Look!
I’ve just updated my website with a brand new look, and also changed my blog theme to go along with the lighter, brighter feel of the new Kari Post Photography site! Several stock galleries are still under construction, so please forgive the inactive links on the stock page. The new look is designed to be easier on the eyes and to allow users to see more page content with less mouse clicking. However, because the species galleries have more images, the pages may take longer to load. Overall, I really like it, but I would love to know what you think.
You can provide feedback on the new design by filling out the survey I have created online. If you have a few minutes, your comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Yay Spring!!!
Spring is officially here! Although the appearance of snow drops and crocuses, chirping and singing of the robins and other birds, and melting snow and warmer temperatures have hinted at spring for nearly two weeks now, the calendar start of spring is today, and that makes me so happy!!! Spring is my FAVORITE season. I love the days getting longer, the singing birds, blooming flowers, budding trees, mildly warm (but not too hot or humid) temperatures, and all of the baby animals being born.
To make this day even better, it’s my official last day at the frame shop. I’m really not a retail person, and I can’t bear the thought of being stuck inside, doing work I don’t find particularly engaging, rewarding, challenging, or meaningful when its so beautiful out. Well, I really don’t ever like doing things that seem pointless, but when the air smells as good as it does in spring and the warm sun just sends happiness right into your veins, being inside all day is even worse than usual.
Spring is a great time to explore and photograph. Subjects are nearly infinite during the season, with birds migrating, flowers blooming, and rivers flowing. I got a head start on the photo season yesterday, when I met up with fellow photographer Ed Kaar to photograph Ring-necked Ducks. They are one of my favorite species, and I didn’t have any shots of them, so I was quite excited to get an email from Ed earlier this week saying that a flock of them were within photographing distance at a park just a half hour from my house. We met at sunrise and, hidden behind blinds, photographed the birds all morning.
I managed to get a couple nice shots of the ducks, plus a few shots of some other waterfowl species common to the area. It’s been at least a couple of months since I last picked up my telephoto lens, and it was nice to get out and do some bird photography. I’m hoping to go back to this pond and try for some more shots of the ducks before they continue their migration north to their breeding ponds.
Female Ring-necked Duck
Male Ring-necked Duck
Canada Goose Takeoff
Bike Across America 2009
Today I am heading to the Martin Stankiewicz Gallery in Chappequa, New York to meet photographers Martin Stankiewicz and Stetson Hundgen and view their exhibit on their travels through Nepal. Stetson will be embarking on his own cross country bike trip this spring, and after speaking with both Martin and Stetson on the phone yesterday about my own bike trip and photography, I’ve decided to head to the gallery to see them before Stetson flies to California this weekend.
In preparation for today’s visit, I decided to go through my photos from my own bike trip and see what salvageable images I could come up with. As with most of my coolest adventures, I didn’t shoot nearly as much as I should have. I also took a lot of my earlier shots in JPEG only, as I was afraid I wouldn’t have enough space on my SD card for the entire trip if I shot everything in RAW. So, in hindsight, I was pretty foolish, but I did still manage to capture some shots that capture maybe a tiny fraction of all the amazing things I saw while riding across the United States.
The Wetmore Steakhouse, Colorado.
Split Rock, Wyoming.
Teton Mountain Range, Wyoming.
Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
Evergreens, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
Here are just a handful of the images I have from this trip, all of these processed for the first time last night. I hope to get to a few more today and throughout the rest of the week. To see some of my earlier processed photos, as well as a brief review of the G10 point-and-shoot camera I used on the trip, please see my article “Little Camera, Big Pictures: A Road Trip with the G10″ on NatureScapes.Net.
Spring Sale
Spring is nearly here! It is my favorite season, so I’ve decided to celebrate by having a small sale on prints and used gear.
Between now and March 20th (the first day of spring), prints are 10% off. Also, I’m offering my 1D Mark II N kit for sale (see earlier blog post) for $1200 plus shipping (that’s $100 off my reduced asking price) if purchased by March 20th, plus I’ll throw in a free 8×12 print as well!
To purchase sale prints and/or my camera (accessories included), please email me at sales@karipost.com.
Framer Friendly Tips for Photographers
When I returned home from my cross country bike trip last September, I needed a temporary job to pay off some of my bills and to give me something to do since I was no longer spending every day on my bike, covering 70 miles each day in pursuit of the Pacific coast. I ended up getting hired to work at a custom frame shop in October, and spent the entire holiday season framing photos, katubahs, diplomas, oils on canvas, watercolors, cross stitches, sports jerseys, and more. As it turns out, retail isn’t really my thing (surprise surprise), so I’ll be handing in my framing apron next week.
I did learn a thing or two while in the frame shop though. For one, it’s changed the way I view printing my own photographs. I quickly learned that photographs printed with a plain border made handling the prints, as well as mounting them, much easier. Signed artwork and prints required special considerations when framing, sometimes making mounting difficult if the signature was too close to the border of the print. Large prints printed on thin photographic paper were all too easy to bend and quite difficult to handle without damaging the print in some way. Prints and posters rolled up and shipped in tubes were just annoying to deal with.
As a photographer, I want those purchasing my photographic prints to be able to enjoy them as much as possible. Since most people will display my prints by framing them, I want to make that process as foolproof as possible. Anything I can do as a photographer to make a framer’s job easier and lessen the likelihood that they will damage or otherwise compromise the artistic vision of my photograph is going to make for a happier customer, a less annoyed framer, and subsequently a better liked photographer.
Here are my tips for easier to frame photographic prints:
1) Print images with a white border on two or more sides. Borderless photographic prints may look cool, but they are difficult to handle without damaging the image in some way. The edges of the print will always be subject to fingerprints, bends, frays, dents, and scuffs, so by giving your prints a plain border, you can prevent this damage from extending onto image itself. A plain border also makes mounting much easier. Framers who use tape of any kind (even acid-free archival tape) to mount prints can apply the tape to the white border, further reducing the risk of damage to the print from chemical contaminants, finger prints, or handling. Framers who use mounting strips or mounting corners, which are preferred for archival mounting since no adhesives of any kind come in contact with the print, can then come in less on the edges of a print when sizing mats, allowing more of the image to show. Mounting strips and corners need to cover some of the print itself in order to hold it in place. Using the smallest mounting corners readily available, most framers will need to come in 1/4″ from each side of the image in order for the corners not to show, meaning 1/2″ of the image gets lost from top to bottom and side to side. If a print has a white border, framers using archival mounting corners (my preferred way of holding a print) can size the mat to almost the exact size of a image, coming in only 1/16-1/8″ on each side. Those who want to put a frame directly around the print can trim the white border off if needed, but a border can’t be added on if it is not there to begin with. I’ve found that most people choose to mat photographic prints before adding a frame. (*Note: Wood frames also overlap the edges of a print by 1/4″ all around in order to hold the glass, mat, image, and backing in place. Metal frames may overlap images even more than wood frames, generally up to 1/2″ inch on each side.)
2) Different framers and shops have different policies regarding signed and numbered work, but in general once you put a number on a piece (or any mark that implies the piece would be difficult or impossible to replace), the framer will treat it differently. Differently doesn’t necessarily mean better. In the shop I work in, it means we won’t trim or dry mount the print. This may or may not matter to you as the photographer, but it is something to keep in mind. Signed prints don’t necessarily carry the same restrictions that a signed and numbered piece does, but the signature is often considered in the framing process. If you do sign your prints, carefully consider whether you sign on the image itself or the border, and if you sign the image itself, be sure to come in at least 1/4″ inch from the edges of the print (a little more if you want your signature to have a pleasing space cushion between it and the edge of the mat or frame). Also, sign your images with an acid free pen that won’t bleed, or a soft pencil if it won’t damage the photographic emulsion (pencils are best used on cotton rag papers and papers without a glossy or satin finish).
3) Use a quality, heavyweight photographic paper for large prints. Thin flimsy papers are less durable and get damaged more easily, and large prints are very difficult to handle without them folding on themselves resulting in bends and kinks in the paper surface. Consider mounting large prints on mat board, foam core, or another substrate, or having them printed on canvas, which is a bit more durable than photographic paper. I have found that photos sized 16×20 or larger (or similar sized photos such as 12×18) tend to be temperamental and benefit from a sturdier backing. The thickness of foam core adds another component to the framing process, but it is easy to work around and provides for a much sturdier print than one just on paper. Mat board is thinner and can be easier to mount with photo mounting strips or corners, but a bit heavier. Avoid using very heavy products, like Masonite, which can complicate the framing process due to the weight of the image. Mounting on a substrate also helps the prints lie flat.
4) Ship and store prints flat whenever possible. Obviously very big prints are easiest to ship and store in tubes, but prints are like inflatable camp sleeping pads and then tend to stay however they are stored. Advise your customers to remove shipped prints from their tubes and store them sandwiched between two sturdy pieces of acid-free cardboard (or stored in an acid free clear bag to protect the image) before framing. Photographic prints that refuse to lie flat are more likely to accidentally get bent during the framing process.
5) Provide contact information on or with your prints. Any good framer will replace art damaged in their possession, and having your contact info makes doing so that much easier for the framer should something happen to your print once it is in their hands. I wouldn’t recommend writing your website or phone number on a print, but shipping and selling prints with your business card in the box or bag, is a good idea. If you get your prints outsourced and your printer prints the file name or other code on the back of the print, see if they can include your website. Even if the framer doesn’t damage your work, he or she may like it so much that they’ll buy a print for themselves!
Framers don’t want to damage your artwork any more than you do. By keeping in mind what they have to do during the framing process, you can take a few steps to make their job easier for them and allow your finished and displayed prints to look their best.
A Little Rant About Photo Competitions
Every year I, like thousands of other hopeful nature photographers, enter a few big name photography competitions in hopes of earning myself a little much needed recognition. In years past, I’ve entered competitions sponsored by Nature’s Best Photography Magazine, the National Wildlife Federation, and the BBC, and I have been lucky enough to have a few photographs advance within the competitions, although I have yet to have a winning image.
Each year the style of winning photographs tends to change, and I find it impossible to predict which photographs the judges will or won’t like. This year, I was struggling with deciding which photographs to enter in the Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition (formerly the BBC/Shell competition where I had my Eric Hosking portfolio entry make it to the finals in 2007), when I noticed a pretty significant rule change: “File size requirements for all entries: For the initial submission, images must be 1400 pixels on the longest dimension. Digital images must have been taken on a sufficiently high resolution camera – at least ten (10) million pixels, on the highest setting.”
All of the most recent crop of digital SLRs meet that requirement, but what about photographers who don’t have the latest and greatest camera bodies? My first DSLR was a Nikon D70 (6MP), which I purchased back in late 2004, only six years ago. I upgraded to a 10MP D200 for a bit before switching to Canon in early 2007, when my first body was the then current professional model, an 8MP 1D Mark II N. I’ve had that camera ever since, and only last year did I purchase any camera with higher resolution, first a 5D Mark II (22MP) and then a Canon G10 point-and-shoot (15MP). The majority of my shots are still with the 1D2N, and therefore ineligible for entry in this year’s competition.
I think its a stupid move by the contest organizers to be honest. 8MP is more than enough resolution to yield good quality enlargements, and in the past photographs taken with the 4MP Canon D1 have been blown up and displayed and looked fine! Last year, images that won categories within the Veolia contest were photographed with 8MP cameras. So why the rule change this year?
Fellow photographer Jan Wegener emailed the competition for an explanation and received the following response:
“”We require images to have been taken on a camera with a resolution of at least 10 million pixels so that we can reproduce them to a high standard in the exhibition, book etc. We have been advised that setting this level will ensure that the files produced meet our needs. Unfortunately we would not be able to progress any images taken on a camera with a lower resolution. We hope this is not too disappointing for you – we understand that there was limited notice given of this rule change and will endeavour to notify potential entrants of any similar changes at an earlier date for future competitions.”
I find it entertaining and disappointing when the organizers of a well respected and highly competitive contest fail to realize that a high quality 8MP file will enlarge much better than a poor quality 10MP file. Or that just because an image came from a 10MP camera doesn’t mean that photographers won’t crop their photos and enter 8MP files from a 10MP camera. Or that a higher resolution camera will begin to pick up the flaws of a lens or a photographers technique, and may yield a poorer quality image than a smaller resolution, technically superior photograph. Or… you get the picture.
The winner of last year’s Veolia competition was recently disqualified for using a captive, trained wolf for his winning image “Storybook Wolf.” Immediately after the selection was publicized, internet rumors began to circle about the origins of the wolf, location of the photo, and behavior exhibited. Eventually, it was concluded that the photo was a set-up, using a captive trained wolf from a zoo, and the winner was disqualified. This year, I predict the Veolia awards will do a good job of irritating photographers yet again, either by sticking to this seemingly poorly thought out rule change and disqualifying worthy images based entirely on a number, or by realizing that a 10MP camera resolution requirement has nothing to do with how good a photograph is and letting images from 8MP cameras squeeze by into the winning images causing an uproar among those who didn’t bother to enter due to the new rule.
I just hope I get my money back.
My Blog Makes the Top 50
The Kari Post Photography recently made the list of “50 Amazing Nature Photography Bloggers” by the Photography Colleges website. Pretty cool! See my blog (and a bunch of other neat ones to follow) on the list here: http://www.photography-colleges.org/50-amazing-nature-photography-bloggers/
Last weekend, I spent Thursday through Sunday in New England visiting a grad school in New Hampshire and then hanging out with my friends Taylor Yeager and Tabitha Hobbs, also photographers, at their home in Massachusetts. While up in Mass, I presented a photography program called “A Voice in the Wilderness” to the Stony Brook Camera Club and had a blast. What a great group of folks! My current next camera club talk is set for April, when I will be presenting a collection of my favorite images (along with a bit of inspiration) to the Pocono Photo Club in Pennsylvania.
This weekend, I’m heading up to the Adirondacks in upstate New York to do some ice climbing with a group of college students from UPenn and catch up with a couple of former co-workers I haven’t seen in a while. Then, its back to the usual for a bit, and hopefully I’ll have the time to add some new photos and posts.