Gallery exhibition for the large format photography forum.

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ChrisDavies359

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Hi Guys,
As part of my photographic business, I have a small gallery attached at the rear called the Driftwood Gallery.

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I am just sounding out an idea of perhaps having a Large-format Photography Forum exhibition for the forum members. Let me know if it's something that is of interest?

Have a good week.
Chris
 
inretesting idea. How would it work for such a scattered community?
 
Perhaps planning for an annual exhibition at a set time of the year. This would give people time to prepare something for a known period. I would guess (and probably totally wrong as usual) that you would not get swamped with ton's of potential exhibits as this community is smaller than others across the pond so would be easier to curate.
 
This suggestion would involve you in some work and expense, so my apologies in advance for that.

Suppose members sent you digital files of their image or images, to an agreed maximum size and quality, with all adjustments made, including any special instructions (matt or gloss paper, for instance).
When you receive them, you'd print and mount them to be displayed in a style or size that suits your gallery and the numbers involved. I think we might expect you to make a selection from the images you receive. I don't know how many you can hang or how many you'd receive.You would inevitably be the curator.
We'd each send you a PayPal amount for each image displayed, to cover the cost of all this, so you'd suffer no loss. If anything sells, the money is divided according to a scheme devised by you, as it's your gallery and your idea. I don't know how we'd decide pricing. Other members may have ideas on this.
This might seem to discriminate against purist darkroom workers, but some accommodation might be worked out. I can't prescribe how that would work.
I would hope that each photographer would supply a brief (Oh, please.) piece of text and that you'd write something about the exhibition itself and the joys and benefits of LF photography in general. Perhaps a plug for this forum...
 
Hi Stephen, that sounds like a good idea.

Hi David, I had thought along those lines as it goes, seems like a more logical way of dealing with submission and display although perhaps a curation process could be done via the forum. Purists could always post or personally deliver work once curation is done.

I am happy to print agreed sizes and specs as suggested with costs covered. The exhibition could be done on a sales basis for a commission to be agreed by all or a submission fee basis with no commission or a combination of sales/competition independently judged with a prize at the end. something for everyone to mull over.

Keep the ideas coming :)
 
As a darkroom worker I'd want to supply a fibre based print. Others here use alternative processes so tehre's no digital option for them either.

Ian
 
I'm in the scan and inkjet camp (I'm simply not good enough to produce a darkroom print that can match my inkjets) so a digital file would work for me, and I am interested. I don't post images here, but there are a few on my work-in-progress website.
 
Excellent, I think it would be wonderful to show and highlight the various methods traditional, digital, alternative used to achieve final results. We have a very good framer locally so can get mounting done at cost.
 
Some galleries have a house set (or sets) of frames, usually aluminium, typically they are 16"x12". So some could send matted prints, that would be my preferrence, but otherwise I'd print to my balance of print to frame size as I find this aesthetically important :D

I'm not totally anti digital, after all I've made a killing shooting digital in the past to the extent of having to pay others to help output the work, and I also used stringers :D I just keep my LF and MF and rare 35mm work separate from the Digital, even when used alongside,

More seriously any Exhibition should be accomanied by an online version, best way is probably a downloadable a PDF version. An Exhibition and PDF would need curating, it's how you sequence and that's actually quite critical.

I'm NOT volunteering but it is something I've had a lof of experience of, I think over the years I've cua\tred over 20 exhibitions in a few different Galleries, Some quite large and part of Photo Festivals.

Ian
 
I've seen shows where each participant did their own framing and the effect was quite messy and disjointed, so framing done in the "gallery style" would be good in my view. There may be other and equally valid views on this.
I like the idea of an online PDF. It might include descriptions of the various processes involved, if there were volunteers to write them.
Curation and sequencing would naturally fall into Chris's hands as it's his gallery.
 
I agree David, it's quite different where a group show is multiple prints from each photographer in a reasonably sized gallery, then it makes more sense that people use their own shoice of frames.

Curating and sequencing often varies depending on each individual gallery and is very depenant on the amout and layout of wall space,, so even major travelling exhibitions can vary slightly. often with prints being left out in smaller venues. It's something that has to be done at the gallety itself.

However in this case it's simpler if all frames are identical, that raises the issue of mounting and framing and keeping costs to a reasonable level. It's not cheap using picture framers these days and many have closed in recent years.

I know from experience that framing costs are a major outlay, I paid over £600 for frames for an exhibition (64 prints) in the mid 1990's, that was without matting which I did myself, I'd guess that was another £100 in material.

So this is something that needs some thought. These days I've been buying and building up new set of frames from "The Range", they've just gone up, I was paying £4.50 for 16"x12" frames, I think they are £5.50 now but that's still much less than the bespoke frames I had made just over 25 years ago.

If there was a member reasobaly close to Chris that could do the mat cuting and mounting that would help.

Ian
 
Yes. For such a simple thing, frames can be remarkably costly. I suggest that in this case we are talking about showcasing the group, the forum, rather than individual people.
Chris says he has a good relationship with a local framer. It might be much simpler for everyone to be given a frame size and either send a digital version to be printed and mounted under Chris’s direction or a matted but unframed print. The thought of sending frames and glass across the country (or the world) fills me with apprehension.
And then there’s the return to think about.
Thank you for mentioning The Range. New to me.
 
I will get prices for 10x8, A4 and A3 frames and mounts, I can get an A3 wooden (black, white or grey) frame with A4 white mount for about £10.00 and A2 with A3 mounts at about £17.00, sending framed images back though may be a risk unless I get them with acrylic rather than glass. Matted prints only are a possibility, prices to follow. All prices would be trade.

The PDF idea is great, help is needed with that one though :) there is room for about 36 A3 frames without overcrowding.
 
Thirty-six is quite a good number. None of these details can be decided yet and Chris will have his own ideas on what he wants to show in his gallery.
 
I'm not sure A4/A3/A2 mats or frames are a particularly good ratio for LF work, it's why most frames are still sold in the more traditional sizes like 10"x8", 16"x12, 20"x16" etc. Some of us don't crop our negatives when printing so that means individual mats would need cutting to match prints.

Unfortunately greatly increased shipping costs have meant another rise in frame prices at"The Range" a 14"x11" frame with a thin window mount (cream) for A4 is £4.59. The 20"x16" frames I buy have risen to £7.49.

I'm used to compiling PDFs so that wouldn't be a problem if required.

Ian
 
We might be running before we walk. I’d be happy to leave most decisions to Chris and be very grateful to him. It’s a generous offer.
 
Just an observation here but other than the few discussing how this would work how many members are interested? This is a new thread so it may be that members haven't picked up on it yet. I would love to but I sold my MPP a few years ago. For now I just like looking at the work and discussions that go on. I hope at some point to purchase another but that is in the future. I Would hope that there is a good uptake on Chris's offer as it certainly is a great opportunity.
 
Good point. Perhaps we might leave Chris to mull over all this free advice for a while?
 
I'm happy to go with the forum, If there is enough interest to make a nice exhibition then the space is definitely there for it. Hopefully, between us all, we should be able to get something going :)

My father was a photographer, it has always been in my blood, I have owned many cameras along the way as have we all, several of them large-format (wish I'd never sold my tachihara) Since opening the gallery I have wanted to have a traditional photography exhibition, being introduced to this forum gave me the opportunity to offer the space, hence the idea of getting a nice show together.

That's me lol

Chris Davies Little.jpg
 
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