In photographic circles, much has been written about the so-called “death of the print” due to online photo sharing sites such as Instagram, Flickr, and 500px. The thinking is that there is no longer any need for physical prints because we now have the ability to easily upload photos to the internet where they can be instantaneously viewed by a massive audience.
Certainly, from a purely pragmatic standpoint, this makes sense. Why bother with the difficulty of creating a physical print when a person can quickly and easily share a photo with a worldwide audience by simply clicking a button? If we’re talking about snapshots, or even more serious photos of an ephemeral nature, this argument holds water. On the other hand, a photo viewed online is simply not the same thing as a fine art print, with its beauty as an objet d’art grounded in the physical world. An apt analogy would be to contrast a text message written on a cell phone against a carefully crafted letter, handwritten on fine paper with a calligraphic pen. The former may be expedient, but the latter has unique qualities and lasting value that are inherent to its physical nature.
If you're a lover of photographs and you've enjoyed my images online, I'd like to invite you to come out and see my prints in person. My guess is that you'd find it to be a completely different experience than viewing the images on a computer. Following are a few upcoming opportunities:
Local Landscapes (solo show)
December 14, 2013 – February 2, 2014
Temple Coffee
1010 9th Street, Sacramento, CA
Artist's Reception: Saturday, December 14, 6-8 p.m.
Twelve: Natural Magic (juried show)
December 11, 2013 – January 4, 2014
Viewpoint Photographic Art Center
2015 J Street, Sacramento, CA
Artists' Reception: December 14, 2013, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
A selection of my prints are also on permanent display at the Viewpoint Photographic Art Center in Midtown Sacramento. Check the print racks and ask the docent for portfolio drawer C-14.
Viewpoint Photographic Art Center
2015 J Street, Suite 101
Sacramento, CA
www.viewpointgallery.org