I picked up the prints yesterday for my latest project, Clocissus, for CCP Kodak Salon 2010 . I had 2 copies printed, one as a digital print and the other on rag paper. It was unanimous, the digital print was better than the one on art paper. The blacks were much darker and this detail was crucial in the end since half of the image is true black. Also, the face of the subject was brighter on the digital print and there was more detail around the eyes than on the other print. The projection image on the left of the photo looked more authentic on the digital print, as the lines were more obvious. So, I chose the digital print as my entry for the Kodak Salon. Note to self, test prints would have been a better and cheaper way to compare the photos when time is not an issue. Overall, the photo on the rag paper would have been more appropriate if there wasn’t as much blacks and fine details, otherwise the rich pastel-like finish is beautiful. Not only do I now know a little more about the printing process, this project taught me a few things. One being the importance of having an assistant. This shoot was complicated because lights had to be set up strategically around and on the model. There was no way I could have coordinated all this by myself. Plus, positioning the subject’s body definitely required someone else for the ajustements. Since this project was a collaboration, my assistant was the collaborator. Consequently, I learned to relinquish my artistic direction. Not so easy when I usually work alone. In terms of the camera settings for the shoot, I used a 50mm lens, a slow shutter speed, a low ISO, and a fairly big aperture. In retrospect, I could have done more shots with various ISO settings to compare. Post-processing was a bit challenging with my MacBook screen being too small. Size does matter when you open your file at the print shop and realise a major flaw on your image that you couldn’t have possibly picked up on a small screen! Besides the fact my screen isn’t calibrated, it didn’t help that my final image was very dark. Another major thing when working with files to be printed, is making sure the files are set up properly with the right extension, the right colour space profile, and the right size.
Clocissus, 2010