[pure-silver] Re: Practical print sizes
- From: Laurence Cuffe <cuffe@xxxxxxx>
- To: "pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 06 Mar 2012 21:57:59 +0000
Sent from an iPad,
On 6 Mar 2012, at 21:16, Ken Sinclair <photo1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Speedy,
>
> Many moons ago... (probably more moons to which I might be willing to
> admit), my mentor
> 'taught me' that the proper viewing distance (from which to view a print) was
> a function of
> focal length of the lens through which the negative was exposed, multiplied
> by the linear
> enlargement of that negative.
>
> Personally, I have observed that too many of the prints exhibited in
> commercial galleries have
> been over-enlarged for the space allowed for the viewer to appreciate the
> proper 'perspective'
> to be appreciated. I would rather stand in front of a contact print and enjoy
> the observable detail,
> the smoothness of the tones at the 'correct' viewing distance. I am not
> adverse to seeing others
> 'doing the same' even though it may 'interfere' with my viewing for a few
> minutes... as long as
> I can get my time to observe and enjoy.... and often 'lust'.
>
> Historically, it seems that 'the bigger the art... the better the art'. When
> it comes to photographic
> prints... I am not convinced.
>
> I'm not yet convinced that any and all images really need to "own the wall"
> in order to be enjoyed.
> One only has to visit the Louvre, in France, to see the crowds standing in
> front of Leonardo da
> Vinci's Mona Lisa, that is only about 20 x 30 inches.
>
>
> Ken
But then the wreck of the medusa, just around the corner is magnificent in part
due to its sense of scale.
As another thought:
In general the less liberal the dictator, the bigger the portrait.
All the best
Laurence Cuffe
>
>
>
> On 6-Mar-12, at 12:57 PM, Speedy wrote:
>
>
>> Quoting St. Ansel:
>>
> [snip]
>
>> Photographers as a group are "salon-minded," making prints too large and too
>> consistently of the same size regardless of the more subtle inherent
>> qualities of the subject and its treatment. They are concerned more wit the
>> conventional response of salon juries than they are with their own personal
>> creative expression." (from Graphic Graflex Photography copyright 1947 by
>> Morgan and Lester. Page 74)
>>
>> St. Speedy (me) says that you choose your film format based on the size of
>> the potential print. You choose your print size based on the needs of the
>> story your image is to portray. Bigger is NOT always better, but a hard and
>> fast rule, if there is one should be broken regularly as needed.
>>
>> Good Light!
>> Speedy
>
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