Being in the business of working with a variety of outstanding photographers we are oftentimes stunned at the beautiful images printed on our paper. The most remarkable experience is when the image and the paper become one - a sensory overload of look and feel. Enter Mike James (aka the photographer) and Moenkopi Bizan (aka the paper).
Andy Biggs Seminar on Printing
If you happen to be in the Santa Fe, NM area this Thursday, stop by the Santa Fe Camera Center for a free two-hour seminar to learn the latest digital printing techniques from Master Printer and African Wildlife photographer, Andy Biggs. Andy will cover ICC Profiles, demystifying color management (do’s and don’ts), how to choose inkjet papers, how to properly calibrate and profile displays, types of printers and building the ideal digital print studio. The reception with free refreshments begins at 5:30 and Andy hits the stage at 6pm sharp.
The Great Oil Leak Poster Project
While we all sit helplessly and watch this disaster unfold, a few designers/artists from Louisiana are doing their small part to help.
Their curated poster contest was created with the aim of collecting donations, and selling prints, to have funds to donate to the local fishermen who are drastically affected by this spill. Submissions are due by June 19.
They've lined up shows throughout the region and are expanding to other areas. As for what to submit, they said it best:
"We will take any poster that you send. Screened on a 5 inch by 7 inch box of cereal? Perfect. 50 self-published offset lithographs? Love to take them. Letterpress, silkscreen? Excellent. Point being, we not only want your work, we want your best work."
Win Free Paper Contest - June/July Edition
Congratulations to the winner of the May "Where in the Moab" contest: Greg Schuster from Bozeman, MT won $100 in Moab product. Congratulations Greg!
For the other few hundred of you who didn't win, we posted a new contest for June & July. If you're not familiar with the contest, it's easy. We'll show you an image taken within a 200 mile radius of Moab and you tell us what it is. We'll pick one correct entry at random to win $100 in free product.
Hint: Previous guesses of "Moab", "Utah" and "Earth" are not specific enough...
Glazer's Camera turns 75
One of our favorite Moab resellers turns 75 this week. In celebration of their birthday, Glazer's is throwing a party and you're invited.
On June 11-12, all the streets around Glazer's will be closed off for a huge photo and video event featuring seminars, live demos and keynote speakers including Vincent Versace and Rodney Charters.
Don't be afraid of the Graveyard
The Moab Product Graveyard is the place to find great deals on some old favorites that are no longer with us. You'll also find a variety of current products in odd sizes or offcuts that result from our converting operation. All product is new and in perfect condition.
This list changes fairly frequently and product is on a first come, first served basis.
Hallmark Institute of Photography Charity Print Project
When our friend, outstanding photographer and educator, Michael Zide, asked us to be involved in The Limited Edition Charity Project at Hallmark Institute of Photography, we jumped at the opportunity.
The project involves students, faculty and staff pooling their photographic skills to benefit the communities in which they live and work. Selected photographers will print limited editions of 10 on Moab's Colorado Fiber Satine with proceeds from the sale going to various local not-for-profit organizations nominated by the image makers.
We encourage all of you to check it out.
On the ground at the Moab Symposium
Moab in the springtime is a great place to be, especially for a photographer. Those in the know have participated in the Moab Photography Symposium each year for the past 7 years. The event coordinator is Bruce Hucko - photographer/Moab resident - who rounds up the best speakers and sponsors and brings them in for a few days.
Douglas Kirkland at SNAP!
If you happen to be in Orlando this weekend catch Moab Master, Douglas Kirkland, this Friday, May 21st at Snap! - a 4-day photography celebration showcasing the work of renowned international and national photographers, as well as images from emerging local talent. Spanning a dozen art galleries, cafés, boutiques, and pop-up exhibition spaces in the Downtown Orlando area, Snap! will exhibit the visionary work of more than 50 artists.
Douglas will be attending the gallery opening at the Exchange Building on Friday where you can see some of his world-renowned images printed on Entrada. On Saturday he'll be at a book signing event at the Chanel Boutique.
Hipstamatic
While there seem to be dozens and dozens of iPhone camera/photo apps, we found one that was a lot of fun. Those of us over the age of 20 know that digital is great, but sometimes we miss the unpredictability of some “old school” toy cameras of the past.
Hipstamatic “brings back the look, feel, unpredictable beauty and fun” of some vintage cameras. The app lets you choose your film, flash, and lens and leaves the rest up to you and the magic of light. We had a blast using it and came up with some really interesting photos.
After you get something you like you can print photos on your favorite inkjet printer and get excellent results. For one image, we used the Helga Viking Lenses, Kodot Verichrome film setting and no flash. When we wanted that instant film feel, it took a finger swipe to change to the Ina’s 1969 filmsetting and got photos that look like all our parents’ photos from the 1970’s.
Like all things digital, you get to shoot as much as you like and share only what looks best. Being paper guys at heart, we can't wait to print them out and show them off. (We still put the best ones up on the fridge.)
When printing try Lasal Photo Luster for the traditional E surface and Lasal Photo Gloss when you want to bring back memories of your old Polaroid instant photos days. Entrada Rag will provide you with images that will be completely unique because they just didn’t have a cotton media that would give you a fine art paper feel in 1969. (Remember to set your iphone Hipstamatic images to high quality mode and then they will look great on a 4x6 sheet.)
Have fun.
In Full Bloom
Judith Monteferrante's solo show is apropos to the season that brings us rain and brilliant colors. Judith's prints feature her fine art nude and floral portraits - all printed on her favorite paper: Entrada Rag Natural 300. The exhibition is up through May 30 and can be seen in-person at the Flat Iron Gallery in Peekskill, NY or online here.
Win Free Paper - May Edition
Congratulations to the winner of the April "Where in the Moab" contest: Julie Taff from NJ won $100 in Moab product. Nice job Julie!
For the other few hundred of you who didn't win, we posted a new contest for May. If you're not familiar with the contest, it's easy. We'll show you an image taken within a 200 mile radius of Moab and you tell us what it is. We'll pick one correct entry at random to win $100 in free product.
Hint: "Moab", while a popular answer for April, isn't specific enough!
Moab Photo Symposium
The 7th annual Moab Photo Symposium kicks off today with a keynote presentation by world-renowned landscape photographer, Jack Dykinga. Every year they take a theme and build the workshops and events around a specific subject. This year's theme is "Personalizing Space."
Held throughout Moab, the symposium features a variety of workshops on night photography, printing, HDR, portfolio development and many more. As the symposium occurs in our backyard we'll be there handing out swatch books, showing off our new Somerset Museum Rag, and saying hi to old friends. For more information please click here.
Moab Master Return from Iceland
We're always excited when some of our "Moab Masters" check in from around the globe so when we saw "Iceland" in the subject line from photographer Jim Graham we got a little excited.
Jim has been to Iceland numerous times to capture the beauty of this volcanic island, but we haven't seen anything as explosive as these images he brought back. His story is as exciting as his photos. Click here to read about his trip.
The cotton in our papers
Cotton is the ultimate eco-friendly material used in some of our papers such as Entrada and Somerset. In fact, the cotton used to manufacture these papers is not from the puffy white flower that we all recognize as cotton, but rather the linters, or byproduct, from the textile industry. Textiles are made using the longest, highest-quality fibers - the rest is discarded. This wasted cotton is salvaged and used to manufacture our cotton papers. Nothing could be more eco-friendly than reusing a product that is considered waste - otherwise this would all end up in the trash.
More information on cotton & the environment can be found here:
LIVE online printing seminar
We all want to make inkjet prints with predictable color but sometimes it seems as if printers have a mind of their own. Digital photo expert Will Crockett shows you the simplest, easiest and fastest ways for the professional and emerging pro photographer to make stunning inkjet prints - every time without all the guessing and checking.
Assembling Chinle Leather Albums
The Chinle Leather Albums have been a popular item for years. Every so often we start to get questions from new customers on the proper way to assemble them.
The beauty of these books is their ease of use - both in terms of printing on the pre-scored/pre-drilled pages as well as putting the pages into the book.
Aperture, Parsons & New School Panel Discussion
Aperture and the photography department in the School of Art, Media, and Technology at Parsons and the Vera List Center for Art and Politics at The New School present a panel discussion entitled Open Cover Before Striking: Confounding Expectations.
The panel will be comprised of artists Roe Ethridge, Collier Schorr, and James Hoff & Miriam Katzeff of Primary Information, to discuss the pressing question:
As print faces the encroachment of digital technology and the mainstreaming of online culture, what is the viability of the printed and published form of photography—monographic, serial, underground, or otherwise—as a means of artistic production?
This panel discussion will be moderated by Gil Blank, artist and founding editor of Influence magazine.
Spring Flower Photography Workshop
As the winter's cold begins its retreat, we begin to think about all things Spring. One Spring event that caught our attention:
Moab print master and renowned fashion and floral photographer, Barbara Bordnick, will be hosting a weekend workshop on photographing flowers. The workshop dates are April 24-25 at her studio in Manhattan.
Barbara is the author of three best-selling books of photographs of flowers: SEARCHINGS: Secret Landscapes of Flowers Volumes I, II & III. To learn more about the workshop and to register, please email info@searchings.us and click here.
Kseniya Simonova
This post has nothing to do with Moab, paper, printing nor photography, but some things are just too cool not to share.
The artist, Kseniya Simonova, age 24, uses "sand animation" to show how ordinary people were affected by the German invasion during World War II. Her unique talent is mesmerizing. This video is from "Ukraine’s Got Talent", where she was the winner.
From the UK Guardian, "Here, she recounts Germany conquering Ukraine in the second world war. She brings calm, then conflict. A couple on a bench become a woman's face; a peaceful walkway becomes a conflagration; a weeping widow morphs into an obelisk for an unknown soldier. Simonova looks like some vengeful Old Testament deity as she destroys then recreates her scenes - with deft strokes, sprinkles and sweeps she keeps the narrative going. She moves the judges to tears as she subtitles the final scene 'you are always near'."